A Look at the North and South Poles

We used quite a few books and folder games along with videos to experience wild life at the two poles. We also took a look at magnificent glaciers and the steps it takes to build an igloo. Some of the books we used this week included Building an Igloo by Ulli Steltzer, Glaciers: Nature's Icy Caps by David L. Harrison, Mama Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joose and Kumak's House: A Tale of the Far North by Michael Bania. We also spent some time watching an actual igloo being built:

We also explored the animals that inhabit the polar regions through folder games, toys, books and other activities. Icy "glaciers" found their way into the sensory table. We also had a great time building an igloo with marshmallows and using packaging materials as icebergs and "shoes." The igloos we made to go home were made from cotton balls and styrofoam bowls.

Our look at the polar regions also included the following activities:

Ice fishing with fish printables from this link.

Bubble wrap print fish.

 A fishy Jello treat from this link.

Matching the polar bear pictures from this link.

 Abstract Penguin art from Teach Preschool.

Painting the snow outside with water colors in our nancy bottles.

Catching "slippery" fish in our water table.

Playing with cake mix, ice and polar region animals.

We also explored our new light box, inspired by Teach Preschool. Here are some of our creations:

We took time this week to also make some mini "volcanic" explosions with vinegar and baking soda just for fun.

Some of our letter and number work included the following along with our toddler activities. The polar bear number activity is located here.

As you can tell, we had another full week of exploring and fun. Next week, we will begin our two week look at colors, numbers and shapes with assistance from Ellen Stoll Walsh. I will leave you with our favorite penguin video.

The North Pole

We began our look at the Arctic with one of my favorite books that uses predictable text and rhyme,

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?

Some of the items I used to help with sequencing within the story included Zoo pal plates and images from a curriculum website.

We spent time reading about snow and exploring melting ice. We added warm water to our ice and also explored snow in our sensory table. We started the week with a cloud dough, ice, shaving cream combination.

One of the highlights of this week was playing "melt the ice." The book we used is It's Snowing! by Gail Gibbons. We also explored how a cloud works by adding food coloring to shaving cream until the "cloud" couldn't hold any more and "rained/ snowed" into the water below.

Some of the art we made this week included marker "snowflakes" that we added water to. We then placed the snow flake on a white paper bag to dry, leaving behind a print.

We also completed a book about polar bears and painted with watercolors. The children love working with the Do A Dot markers, so I included a letter Ss worksheet and snowman this week.

 I have collected some items from the Mother Goose Time curriculum I have used in the past. Here are the weather puppets we use to answer ¿Qué tiempo hace hoy?- (What is the weather like today). I also use a combination of wooden letters/ numbers and manipulatives to assist in introducing letters. Our alphabet books from Mondo also include real photos of words that begin with the letter showcased in each book.

I am also introducing the use of Cuisenaire Rods. For now, we are using the manipulatives to create pictures or letters. I will continue to research and learn about the manipulative throughout this next semester as well.

As you can tell, we stayed busy and had fun exploring snow and ice. Next week, we will continue our look at the North Pole and end our week in the South Pole. I will leave you with a video of a polar bear swimming that we used during circle time. I will see you next week!

Bear Stays up for Christmas

This week we read one of our favorite books and had some help with visuals from 1 + 1 + 1 = 1. Here is a reading of the story:

We also had our very own lair in the playroom to go along with our story:

We had a great time with peppermint scented colored rice. The sensory bins had some changes throughout the week and the Chubby vehicles we opened for Christmas were a great addition as well.

We had time this week to decorate the tree and use Christmas items in our home center as well. We were inspired by our Santa mailbox to write our own letters to Santa.

Some of our table activities for the week included Montessori inspired transfer and opening activities.

Other activities included paper clip patterns and candy cane matching folder games:

 This week we also completed our gifts to parents and prepared for our Christmas open house. I was inspired by the pine cone painting activity found here.

Here are some activities that are available as fill-in activities whenever the children take them from the shelf. The pegs have also been used to build long "snakes."

I am currently working on new labels and containers for the playroom as well as a book nook inspired by a Pinterest post. Until my next post, I wish you a very merry Christmas and a promising New Year.