Painting with Veggies

Did your child tell you that they painted with potatoes? Well, they were right! These kids love craft time, especially when we are painting. Giving them an opportunity to paint with something they usually don't touch, like a raw potato, was such a joy.  I wish you could have seen their faces when I was bringing out the cut potatoes to paint with.  We all had a blast.

Road Safety

This month our theme has been Safety.  We have talked about a lot of things related to this: stranger danger, not putting things in your mouth, poisoning, waking too far from home, and obeying parents are some, but not all of the things we have touched on.  On this particular day, we talked bout "road safety": How it is important to look both ways before you cross the road, crossing the road with a grown-up, and wearing a helmet while riding a bike, scooter or wiggle car.  I showed them a picture of my oldest son who was in a big bike accident (he did break his teeth), but he did not hurt his brain because he was wearing a helmet.  Hopefully our fun day had a positive impact on these kids, and they will want to wear their helmets from now on!

Independence

Working by yourself is something that is not perfected until later in life, but it begins now.  Having rotations in preschool teaches two critical things: 1. How to do things on your own. 2. Independent thought.  When a child has to work things out themselves, this makes critical connections in the brain.  Connections that will deepen over the years.  Why is that important?  Research has told us that a lot of critical brain development happens until the age of 5.  So exposure to a lot of topics, environments, people and situations can only have a positive effect on the development of the brain in this critical time period of a child's life.

Coloring

Some would say that coloring is a waste of time.  Well, I think they're wrong!  Coloring for small children is more than an expression of creativity or an emotional outlet.  It develops skills.  You may want to ask your child what Monkey Grip is.  We have talked about this a lot these past weeks.  Basically, monkey grip is the way a monkey would hold a pencil.  I've been working with your kids for weeks to hold their crayons correctly.  Why does it matter?  Three words: small motor skills.  The development of small motor skills is critical in the classroom and also critical to a child's development.  Doing everything for a child will not only make them lazy, but it will put them behind in their development.  So teaching these small skills, like how to hold a pencil or button their coats, is not only critical to their schooling, but critical to their independence.  Freedom!

A Cut Above the Rest

  People tell me I'm crazy for giving 3-5 year-olds scissors, and maybe their right, but it is all in an effort to help them develop their small motor skills.  what are small motor skills?
  Our bodies physical development is categorized into two

groups, large motor skills, like running, jumping and swimming, and small motor skills, like writing, tying shoes and cutting with scissors.  Small children start working on these skills as soon as they are born - holding their heads up and rolling over, large motor skills, grabbing their toys and feeding themselves, small motor skills.
  Kindergarten teachers will be assessing small motor skills right away - can they hold a pencil correctly? Can they turn pages in books?  So working on these skills is just part of their development.
  So, save your junk mail...and let them have a great time...with supervision of course ;)

Fall Poem

Look what cute kids you have!

Preschool Begins

We had a great beginning of the year and a great group of kids this year!  I just love how these kids love to sing.  Ask your little one about "Doggie, Doggie, Where's Your Bone" and "Grizzly Bear" - those 2 are definitely their favorites so far!