Walnut Room Fun

Walnut Room Fun

Today in the Walnut Room, the children were still exploring with the silly putty, but the snow was highly favored. The teachers decided to mix some fake snow with the real snow, and the children loved it. The enjoyed comparing the textures and mixing the snow together. They also mixed some of the snow with the water from the water table and called it "goo". Children were also still exploring with the silly putty and were making oceans with the putty and using the sea animals to create scenarios. 

Stephen and Ariana put on mittens to play in the snow because they said it was cold and that it felt weird.
Stephen: "This is real snow, and this is fake snow"
Ariana: "This is so weird" 

Harper, Stephen, and John used the silly putty to make a sea/ocean and they used the sea animals and placed them in the water.

The children are playing with the silly putty before the colors were mixed.

Teaching strategies 26: Demonstrates knowledge of the physical properties of objects and materials 

HDF 409- Shatarea Simms 

Teamwork and Color Fun!

Teamwork 

Today inside the Oak Room color sorting was a hit! The children worked together to organize a variety of pretend fruits into color coordinated bowls. Once finishing sorting all of the fruits Spencer and Macrae decided to find a unique form of transferring the fruits into the bowls. After using the polyethylene foam to transfer the fruit the children ran into a problem. The fruits were bouncing out of the bowls, together they created a plan to use an opposite colored bowl as a shield. 

"The higher I hold the faster it falls" -Macrae

"The bowl will shield the oranges from falling out" -Spencer

Teaching Strategies 7: Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination

HDF 409- Courtney Clark 

Special Projects

Today, in the Maple room, the children worked on a special project exploring paper with Mrs. Bristley. They used scissors to cut paper into various shapes and used tools to add texture to the paper. After getting the paper just right, they used glue sticks to paste their pieces of paper onto a poster board. Some children put their paper more flat while others curled theirs up and made it three dimensional.

Bella worked on cutting strips of paper with Mrs. Bristley

Sovie cut out pieces of brown paper and pasted them onto her strip of paper, she said "It's a butterfly".

If you want to see the final project, look on the wall in the Maple room above the writing center!

Teaching Strategies 7: Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination  

Teaching Strategies 33: Explores the visual arts

-Abigail Lucas HDF 409

Insta-Snow

A new material in the Walnut room was insta-snow, placed at the sensory table. The children explored the texture and movement of the insta-snow. Children tried to pack the insta-snow into snowballs and compared it to the actual snow they played with outside. They soon realized that the insta-snow had less uses than actual snow. This new addition to the Walnut room is sure to spark new discovery and discussion.

"This snow feels slimy." - Michael

"The dinosaurs are taking a bubble bath." - Avryl

     

"This snow doesn't feel like real snow, it feels like sugary snow." - Alijah

-Megan Shea 

Teaching Strategies: 7. Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination; 12. remembers and connects experiences;  24. Uses scientific inquiry skills

Community Project

 

The children have been hard at work adding to their class mural! They are responsible for working together to draw on the canvas and then to go back and begin painting inside any lines that they find. They can paint in their own drawing or work on another child's drawing that hasn't be completed. This project is a great way for children to learn about working as a community.  

 

 

Busola and Sovie each put in their own unique ideas of what to add to their class mural

 

Victoria is making a garden. Inside her garden she has tomatoes, potatoes, green grapes, lettuce, pumpkins, and carrots.

 

Libby and Graham

 

Amelia Doerr HDF 409

State Standards:



         #7 Demonstrates Fine-Motor Strength and Coordination

Silly Putty Fun

Many children seemed to be drawn to the Walnut Room today. The silly putty was a big hit and seemed to pull the attention of most of the children. Some were interested in the texture of the silly putty, while others commented on the colors. There seemed to be endless possibilities to what could be made. From animals to food, you never could guess what was being created next.

Graham was the first to come over to the silly putty table. He used tools to cut and shape the silly putty into different shapes. When asked what he was making he replied, "It's a swamp monster!"

 After awhile more children came over and joined the fun. Harper and Liam sat down at the table and began making different animals with the silly putty.

"I'm making a sting ray, it's going to sting you!" Exclaimed Harper

 Moving into the afternoon, the silly putty creations continued.

"I'm making yucky pizza" said Sarah P.

While playing with the silly putty, a teacher asks Graeme what he is making. "It's a football stadium" he replies. The teacher then asks, "How do you make a football stadium?" Graeme begins to explain, "you just roll it up like a Caterpillar, then you use the tools to make lines like that.

By the end of the day the silly putty table was filled with children making creations and having fun. Some children even used problem solving to share the silly putty so that everyone could join in.

Ariona splits her pile of silly putty in half and shares so that Audrey can have some to play with. "Here Audrey you can have some of this one" she says, and they all continue to play.

State standards: Objective 3: Participates cooperatively and constructively in group situations Objective: 6 - Demonstrates gross-motor manipulative skills

Mariah Darden 409

Magnet House

It seemed to be a busy day in the Walnut Room today. Mathias and Divine took a good chunk of their morning using the magnetic shapes to build a house for a family of wild animals. The process started off with each of them grabbing a clipboard to sketch out their thoughts of what a house should look like.

"First we start off with a big straight line." -Divine

After they were done sketching, they propped their clipboards up on the wooden shelf next to them.

"Let's prop this up so we can look at it while we build it"

-Mathias

"This house is going to touch the ceiling"-Divine

                          

Next comes the construction of the house. The boys were eager to pick out the specific colors that would make up the house.

"Let's do purple on purple and red on red"-Divine

"Okay, where are we going to put the door?"
-Mathias

"We have to hurry up and build this, the animals are getting cold because it is starting to snow outside."-Mathias

"We need to cover the roof."-Divine

"We need to put the animals in here before we cover the roof."-Mathias

"The door needs to be closed, it is too cold for the animals now that they are inside."-Mathias

"We can't smash this house, we worked too hard on it."-Divine

Moments later, it was suddenly spring time and the animals were no longer cold. The house was then torn down by the two that constructed it. Their next task was a tower.

-Ashley Millmine

Sponge of Fun!

Macrae getting his materials ready as Katherine looks to see if she wants to paint

Today in the Maple Room sponge painting was a major hit! Children were able to pick from a variety of sponges ranging from normal dish sponges to roll sponges and ones with designs.With color options that included sparkly paint the children were able to create many things that their imagination desired. Katherine said "Sovie this looks like fun!"

Sovie and Katherine getting their paint ready

Katherine using a sponge to create a bunny

 Lindsey Rennie, HDF 409
                                                           State Standards:
                                                           Creative Arts
                                                           1. Early Learning Expectation: Visual Arts. Children show         how they feel, what they think, and what they are learning through experiences in the visual arts.
                                                           
                                                          

Hard at Work in the Hallway!

Today at school, the hallway was a busy place to be!
Children were hard at work at the writing center.  Not only were they making mail to put in the mailboxes of their classmates and teachers, but they were also creating pieces to put in their cubbies to bring home.  The children were using a variety of tools in the writing center, including markers, tape, staplers, stamps/ink pads, scissors, and different colors and sizes of paper. 

Farrah placing mail in a classmate's cubby.

"I'm a good mailer!" Leanes exclaimed, as she was working.

"This is gonna be a good one," Hunter says.

Not only do the children love making mail for their friends, teachers, and families, but they also are excited when they receive it!  You are welcome to stop at the writing center in the hallway at any time to write your child a note and leave it in their mailbox, if you would like to! :)

- Kayla Welker


Teaching Strategies: 3. Participates cooperatively and constructively in group situations; 7. Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination; 19. Demonstrates emergent writing skills

Tuesday in the Indoor Movement Room

Today in the indoor movement room we played a game called “What Time is it Mr. / Mrs. Fox.” The children would stand against the climbing wall and one of them would be Mr. / Mrs. Fox and move to the other side of the room and face away from the group.

Next the children on the wall would ask, "what time is it Mr. or Mrs. Fox?" Then the other child would tell them a number. Then the children would move that number of steps and repeat the process again. Then the fox would wait till the group was close enough to turn around and try to “catch” one of the other children and that child would become the new Fox.

“What time is it teacher fox?”

Next the children were playing ring toss. The children were given 5 rings and would stand on a dot on the ground and throw each of the rings trying to get them around a peg on the ground. The dot was moved forward and backwards to change the difficulty of the toss. The children would throw the rings with one or both hands and some would throw more than one ring at a time.

“I made it!”

“I got three on there.”

Teaching strategies: objective 4 Demonstrates Traveling skills, objective 6 Demonstrates gross-motor manipulative skills.  William Sheahan-Stahl HDF 409  

Energetic Monday in the CDLL

 Today in the Multipurpose Room, Jace and few of his friends worked together as a team while playing a game of soccer. Playing against their teachers, Jace and Graham shared idea's to figure out a way to win.

"You should be goalie Graham, block the ball." -Jace

Jace practiced kicking the ball around the Multipurpose Room, switching from his right foot to his left foot. 

While a game of soccer was being played, Spencer and Asher worked as a team to guard the net as the ball quickly approached.










 Teaching Strategies: Objective 4 Demonstrating traveling skills, Objective 6: Demonstrates gross-motor manipulative skills. Emily Ezinga HDF 409

Just another Monday at the CDLL

  In the Oak Room Michael was building with the blocks. He was watching his tower because the last to fell down. "It keeps falling down"-Michael  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             In the Oak Room as well Graeme kept   building towers and knocking them down.

After lunch I found Tegan, Carter, and Braeden sitting on a bench. I asked what they were looking at and Tegan said " We are waiting for our moms"   

At the end of the day Mrs.Weller brought out the parachute until it was time to go home.

Teaching Strategies: Objective 1: Regulates own emotions and behaviors, Objective 6: Demonstrates gross-motor manipulative skills.    Megan McDonald HDF 409

Working Together to Give a Gift!

On Thursday January 19th, a lot of exploring was taking place during centers in the Walnut Room! 

Lets take a look at some of the group play that was taking place. 

In morning centers Liam started making gifts for Miss Goodman and told her that she had to go to sleep in order for the presents to come. Then Sovie, Alijah, Graeme, and John came over to join in and help out. We had to use some problem solving to figure out how to move the presents from one place to another without them breaking.

Sovie suggested, "put little rocks in there (instead of big rocks) and then it won't break." 

John asked why we were building a tree and Liam explained that it was where they were going to put the presents. 

Then in afternoon centers, Daley and Avryl worked together to make a "house for the animals." This house had a slide, potions, along with places to eat and drink. In the picture below you can see the animals lined up for the slide as they build their house.

Daley said, "we are going to use all of the squares up. We are going to use the big ones for the top, right Avryl." 

Michigan State Standard: 

Social and Emotional Development and Health

2.) Children will use basic problem solving skills to resolve conflicts. 

MacKenzie Gentner
409

Fun With Silly Putty!

Today in Mrs. Bristley's small group the kids made silly putty out of glue, liquid starch, and food coloring!  

"I'm stretching it!" -Gavin

"I made pink!" -Lily K

Trisha Turner HDF 409

Teaching Strategy:

Objective 7: Uses fingers and hands

Exploring the Imgination

The children in the Pine Room did a great job at taking their imaginations to the next level. They were able to recall something that they remembered that they liked and added their twist on things.

Sarah A. singing Let It Go in her own special way, while dancing on stage

Divine and John getting ready to pull people over in their cop cars

"Cops are the only ones that can speed." -Divine

Lexie paying for all her food so she can prepare her special meal with Gavin

Gavin and Lexie took a trip to space to cook a special meal.

"We are in space cooking because we have electricity in space." -Gavin 

Michael Young HDF 409

Teaching Strategies: Cognitive #12: Remembers and connects experiences

Cognitive #13: Uses classification skills