I hope the Meow Cats are having a cozy family day. My own children have been out sledding once, but it is so cold. We spent last week talking a bit about snow and reading stories about snow, snowmen, and winter. I think The Snowy Day is one of my favorite books. There is something about the meditative quality of the simple story, and I love asking the children where the snowball in Peter’s pocket went, how he made tracks with his feet and the stick, and talking about the pink bathtub. We talked about snowflakes, crystals, and hexagons. We made ice in the freezer. The kids would like to do that again and play with polar bears and arctic animals, so the freezer is full of icebergs. We are going to the big classroom to play in their Ice Skating Rink soon, and we’ll be making individual “small world” ice skating rinks with little people that can go home.
Lauren is sharing a unit on Australia this week, and then we will circle back to winter, snow, and the arctic. I’d love to build an igloo in our class.
We read stories about animals in Australia and made koala bears yesterday. I’m going to find some eucalyptus so that we can smell what the koala bears eat and perhaps incorporate it into our art. The next time we are in school we are going to talk about aboriginal art, dot painting, and we are going to make our own rain sticks. We are going to learn a song about kangaroos and make our own pouches to wear.
We welcomed Lainey to our class that week and are enjoying playing with a new friend. In February we will welcome Isla’s brother Henry to our group on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That fills our room every day!
Housekeeping: Please remember to have outdoor boots every day. We are trying so hard to change our boots at the door and keep the mud outside. Also, please remember to bring your child a spillproof water bottle each day, and clear out your snack basket each day. I think that parents are very good at this, but grandparents and caregivers often don’t know.
Thank you so much for sharing your Children’s Garden love with your friends. We have had so many tours and inquiries, and I appreciate it so much.
