Final Day Fun

We ended the school year with some fun.  To begin the day the children partook in their regular morning circle and playtime routine.  For centers today we went outside for field day fun.  It would have been nice if the sun would have been shining, but we had fun anyway.

Some of the games we play included Spoon Zoom(with a marshmallow), Sack Races, Sponge Races, Big Ball Challenge, Hippity Hop, and Drip-Drip-Drop. To end the day Grandma Sue treated everyone to ice cream.

 

Now I know my ABC's.
Colors, shapes, and days.
I sang some songs,
Learned some poems, rhymes, and finger plays.
I played outside on sunny days,
And inside when it rained.
My little hands and feet were busy every day.
My teacher was Mrs. Meyer.
I kept her on her toes.
She tied my shoes, combed my hair, and even wiped my nose.
But now it's time to say "Good-bye"
To all my 4K friends.
School is over, summer's here.
But learning never ends!

Bubbleology

Today the children received their reward for filling the classroom "Warm Fuzzy" jar for good behavior.  Almost every thing we did today revolved around bubbles.  Our read aloud was titled Bubbles! by  Deborah Schecter.  From this story we learned that bubbles are shaped like a sphere.  With Grandma Sue today the children went outside when the rain let up and experimented with various utensils to make bubbles.  Inside they bubble painted.  To do this they used a straw to blow in a cup that had a mixture of soap, paint, and water.  When the bubbles reached the top of the cup they placed their paper on top of them.  This process makes beautiful pictures.

Today the children also visited Mrs. Born's room.  Here she read them a story about kindergarten.  She also told them what types of things kindergartners learn.  She was conscious of the fact that some of the children may have different kindergarten experiences.

Almost Kindergartners

With three more days left of 4K the children are almost kindergartners.  Today at Miss Sue's center the children were asked to draw a picture of themselves for the last time.  I compare this picture to the one they did on the first day of school.  The transformation from September to May is always surprising!

At my center the children wrote a letter to their future kindergarten teacher.  No matter where each child goes to kindergarten they will always hold a special place in my heart and in the heart of Meeme School.  Here is the outline of the letter:

Dear Mrs.

My name is

and I am excited to be in your class next year!

My favorite thing to do in 4K was

 In Kindergarten, I want to

 I am really good at

 Here is a picture I drew for you:

 

See you in September!

Love,

 

The common theme in each letter written this year and in years past is the idea that the children's favorite part of 4K, what they want to do in kindergarten, or what they are good at is playing.  As we enter the season of summer please reflect on the following from the Illinois Early Learning Project:

It has been said that play is children's work. Children work hard at their play because they can make it up themselves. The best part about children's play is that they learn a great deal while having fun. Here are some things to keep in mind about play.            

"Play" can be any spontaneous activity that is fun.

Spontaneous play occurs when children do an activity freely. If children organize a ball game, dramatic play, or a game of hide-and-seek, they are meeting their needs for spontaneous play. Spontaneous play is different from enrolling children in little league or signing them up for dance lessons. Children benefit most from a balance of activities adults plan and lead and activities that children plan and lead on their own.

Play can be an effective and enjoyable way for children to develop skills:

• Language skills when they play name games, sing songs, and recite jump rope rhymes.
• Thinking skills when they construct a block tower, follow directions to a game, and figure out pieces to a puzzle.
• Small-muscle skills when they string beads, make clay figures, and cut with scissors.
• Large-muscle skills when they play ball, roller skate, and run relay races.
• Creative skills when they make up stories, put on a puppet show, and play with dress-ups.
• Social skills when they team up to play ball games, discuss rules for a card game, and decide who will play what part in dramatic play

It is important to remove barriers to children's opportunities to play, such as:

• Too many structured activities. When their lives are overscheduled with activities, sports, and lessons, children do not have time to themselves and for unstructured play.
• Too much television. When children watch too much television, their play too often mimics what they see on TV (or on the video or computer screen). TV watching also robs children of valuable time to play.

If a child says, "I'm bored," she may need more unstructured time for play.

Parents often hear children complain about boredom when activities are not scheduled for them. Children need "down time" and time to be alone. These are the occasions when children's imagination and creativity take hold. These are the times when children experience the full benefits of play.

 

 

 

Magnet Mania

Today the children were able to explore a new concept: magnets.  In the sensory table I placed rice along with magnets, magnetic balls, magnetic chips, colored paperclips, and magnetic numbers and letters.  This playtime choice was a real hit.  The children loved to see how strong the magnets were.

At Mrs. Severson's center the children were each given a jar with a set of objects in it.  The children had to use their magnets to see if the object would repel or attract.  After testing each object they recorded their findings by filling in a happy or sad face.  Lastly, then went around the room and experimented with other objects that they were curious about.

At one of the independent centers the children were given a set of magnetic letters, a cookie sheet, and a variety of grids.  On some of the grids there were sets of letters, and on the other grids there pictures of objects.  They children used their magnetic letters to match the ones on the grids, or determine the beginning sound of the picture they saw.