Math!

The theme for the third week of August was "Math!". The children are having so much fun in our "summer camp" this year!

This week we read: 1-2-3 Peas by Keith Baker
                                       Animalia by Graeme Base
                                       Little Green Peas by Keith Baker
                                       Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard
                                       LMNO Peas by Keith Baker 

The older children that join my class for Summer Camp do not nap during rest time. They have time in the gym in a small group while my class does. To keep them working on their skills, I make them  packet to bridge their grades.

The games that we played this week at morning meeting were so fun!

"Pass the Vader" is a fun game. It's just like Hot Potato, except we do it with a small stuffed Darth Vader that children gave me this past Valentine's Day. Love it!

We played "Find the Clothespin". I found this game on KindergartenSmorgasboard, and I thought it just sounded so fun! While the children are not peeking, I hide a clothespin one myself, on a child or somewhere close around us. When they look for it, they can't yell out where it is, they put their finger on their nose! They have so much fun searching.

We played "Crocodile Snap". I found the idea for this game last year and adapted it to be my own. I turned a box into a crocodile with bulletin and construction paper, then filled it with little cards that have a letter, number or shape on them. The children have to reach into the crocodile's mouth (while he's sleeping of course), pull out a card and name what's there. Also hidden in the belly of the crocodile though are SNAP cards (the crocodile wakes up and SNAPS his mouth shut!). Once we pull three SNAP cards, the game is over!

We played "1,2,3" which we have played before and is definitely a fan favorite! We stand in a circle and each child says 1,2 or 3 consecutive numbers starting with 1 up to 9. So for example: "1,2,3" "4" "5,6" "7,8,9" and the next child who would have to say 10 sits down and is out of the round. Then it starts back at one. My class really loves this one, and usually if we play it in the morning, I will hear them in centers or at their lunch tables playing their own facilitated versions of the game.

We played "Alphabet Catch" with a beanbag. We toss the beanbag around the circle and the kids have to say the next letter in the alphabet. If they drop it, we have to start back at the letter "A". This game helps us work on our communication, because the children have to let the person know that they are going to toss it to them!

The special activities this week were a blast. Bubble day is quickly turning into a favorite. This week we just had a good time running around and blowing bubbles.

Since we are the oldest in the school, our class took over the little school garden. We spent time weeding it. It seems that our store bought plants are surviving, which is great! We've started to get some blossoms, so that is definitely promising!

Every Wednesday my class has sprinkler day. This is always a fan favorite. The children wear their bathing suits and water shoes, run around in a sprinkler outside, and play in a water sensory table. It really helps beat the summer heat!

Exercise is very important, so I thought it would be fun to have some kind of special exercise activity. This week, we had a number relay! I put numbers in a bucket that the children had to run to and name, and then run back to the group. We had fun running and doing different kinds of movements.

I LOVE having a movie day in the summer. It gives the kids a chance to relax, wind down and just enjoy themselves. Plus we have snacks and make it feel like the movie theater... who doesn't like going to the movie theater? This week we watched Meet the Robinsons. 

Our question of the week was "What do you love about the summer?"

For our theme "Math",  we did some neat math activities. The class made bingo marker patterns.

Check out our sensory table!

Using pattern blocks I made pictures of different animals and objects. I put out the blocks and my pictures and let the class explore them, making the pictures and their own.

I cut out shapes from paper and the class sorted them. If I can find where I found these materials, i will post it here!

Using Unifix cubes the class made pattern and color towers.

I made a memory game with index cards and stickers. The children had to practice their counting whenever they flipped over a card, to try to find the match.

We sang "Numbers Marching In" from here.

"Oh, When the numbers march right in,
Oh, when the numbers march right in.
We will count them one by one,
When the numbers march right in.

Oh, one-two-three and Four-five-six,
And Seven-eight and nine and ten.
When we finish all our numbers,
We will count them once again."

For our seventh week of the  study "Buildings" we had a lot of fun. We reviewed the different things that go on inside them. They each made a flip page project about their house. On the top fold they drew the outside of their home, and on the inside they drew a room(s) that is in their home. I found it here!

With empty cardboard boxes, we made a box city! Over a few days we set up the city, deciding what kinds of buildings we would make, how to decorate them and where to put them. So much fun!

 Leave a comment below and let me know that you stopped by!

Math-letes!

For our last week of summer camp, the theme was "Math-letes!" During this theme we also talked a lot about the past year that we spent together, since most of my class is moving onto kindergarten in other schools.

They wrote in their journals for their last page of the year about what they would miss the most about school?

During summer camp, we always have Yoga day where the school does a child centered yoga workout. The video we've been using is great because most of the poses are named after animals.

We also have splash day, where all the kids put on their bathing suits and we play outside in water tables and have a fun squiggly sprinkler to run through.

We also have some older children that have joined our class for the summer. While my kids are having their rest in the middle of the day, these children have extra play time out of the room and they also work on some practice sheets that I got from the Summer Bridge Books for K-1 and 1-2. They are great worksheets to keep the older kids practicing their skills over the summer! I love the Pk-K book and I use it through out the year for their letter worksheets.

We read this week: 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo by Eric Carle
                               1, 2, 3 Peas by Keith Baker
                               The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (It was our class favorite for the year!)
                               The Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing
                             
Our question of the week was "What do you like the most about our school?"

For our theme of the week,  the class made bingo marker patterns.

Using pattern blocks I made pictures of different animals and objects. I put out the blocks and my pictures and let the class explore them, making the pictures and their own.

I cut out shapes from paper and the class sorted them. If I can find where I found these materials, i will post it here!

Using Unifix cubes the class made pattern and color towers.

I made a memory game with index cards and stickers. The children had to practice their counting whenever they flipped over a card, to try to find the match.

We watched Meet the Robinson's for our last summer movie day.

Our song of the week was "The Numbers Marching In" to the tune of Saints.

Oh,when the numbers march right in,
Oh, when the numbers march right in.
We will count them one by one,
When the numbers march right in.
Oh, one-two-three and four-five-six,
And seven-eight and nine and ten.
When we finish all our numbers,
We will count them once again.

I found it here.

The games that we played this week at morning meeting were so fun!

We played "Alphabet Catch" with a beanbag. We toss the beanbag around the circle and the kids have to say the next letter in the alphabet. We started tossing it to the person next to use, once the kids get more comfortable with the game we'll stand in a circle and toss the beanbag across to friends.

We played "1,2,3" which we have played before and is definitely a fan favorite! We stand in a circle and each child says 1,2 or 3 consecutive numbers starting with 1 up to 9. So for example: "1,2,3" "4" "5,6" "7,8,9" and the next child who would have to say 10 sits down and is out of the round. Then it starts back at one. My class really loves this one, and usually if we play it in the morning, I will hear them in centers or at their lunch tables playing their own facilitated versions of the game.

We played "I have, who has?" which I originally saw being played in a Montessori class. It's so cool to see the children take over the game and help their friends follow along. I currently have three versions that we play, but I am planning on making one with numbers and maybe a grab-bag of random things. That might be fun! This week we played Colors and the Alphabet.

We played "Number Ball" with a beanbag. We toss the beanbag around the circle and the kids have to say the next number. We stand in a circle and toss the beanbag across to friends and try to beat our record!

That's all for now! Leave me a comment please if you visit! =]

The Beach!

 We continued our summer fun this week with the theme, "The Beach!"

During summer camp, we always have Yoga day where the school does a child centered yoga workout. The video we've been using is great because most of the poses are named after animals, like a snake.... hissssss!

We also have splash day, where all the kids put on their bathing suits and we play outside in water tables and have a fun squiggly sprinkler to run through.

We also have some older children that have joined our class for the summer. While my kids are having their rest in the middle of the day, these children have extra play time out of the room and they also work on some practice sheets that I got from the Summer Bridge Books for K-1 and 1-2. They are great worksheets to keep the older kids practicing their skills over the summer! I love the Pk-K book and I use it through out the year for their letter worksheets.

We read this week: Pig Kahuna Pirates by Jennifer Sattler
                               On a Pirate Ship by Anna Milbourne
                               A Day at the Beach by Mircea Vasiliu
                               On the Seashore by Anna Milbourne
                               Penguin on Vacation by Salina Yoon

Our question of the week was "What beach do you go to?" This one was interesting!

For our theme of the week, I made a little "sensory bin" I see how much the kids like the sensory tables in the younger rooms, and I really wanted something for my kids to play in occasionally too. I found this large rolling storage bin that I can put on the science center table for the kids to play with! To fit with our theme, i put some sand with sifters, measuring cups and spoons. I found colored sand in the art closet and sprinkled some in there too. They absolutely love it!

The kids drew and colored a scene on a beach, and then they got to glue some sand on it too.

From this website I found the idea for a beachy version of "Mother May I?" called "What Time is it Mr. Lifeguard?" The lifeguard turns around and the kids ask 'what time is it?" The lifeguard picks a time i.e 3pm and the children then take that many steps i.e 3 steps. So fun!

Measuring things around the room is a really fun math activity. This week we used pirate dubloons to measure things! I made this worksheet and the children each found two things in the classroom to measure! Then I threw them in the sensory bin!

We made a class book about things that we like to do at the beach! I love making class books like this, the kids love them and so do our parents! It's so great when I see parents reading through the book with their children either at pick up or at drop off times.

We tossed a beach ball around and got those gross motor muscles and hand eye coordination working! I got this really cute beach Ball from Pottery Barn Kids a few years ago. It's a little thicker than most beach balls I've seen, so I know it will last a loooooong time! =]

The kids wrote in their journals about different things that they see when they are at the beach. We are so lucky with where we are because the Jersey Shore is only about an hour away.. which is one of my favorite places in the world! I grew up down at the beach and I love that my kids get to visit there as well!

While my class writes in their journal each week, the older kids (Kindergarten and 1st grade) work on these reading response sheets about the book that we read that day.

From the book Alphabet, Colors, Numbers and Shapes the kids worked on their color word knowledge to correctly color in the fish.

And our movie for the week was.... The Little Mermaid!

Our song of the week was "Pretty Shells" to the tune of Jingle Bells.

(C) 2001 - 2011 Jean Warren www.preschoolexpress.com

The games that we played this week at morning meeting were so fun!

We played "Alphabet Catch" with a beanbag. We toss the beanbag around the circle and the kids have to say the next letter in the alphabet. We started tossing it to the person next to use, once the kids get more comfortable with the game we'll stand in a circle and toss the beanbag across to friends.

"Zoom" is a fun and quick game to play with a class of any age. First you need to pick a direction that the zoom is going to go around the circle. The person starting says zoom and turns their head the the person next, and it goes around the circle. Once the class gets comfortable with this game, I will record how long it takes us!

"Pop!" is a really fun game, and definitely a favorite. We stand in a circle and each child says one number as we go around. But each round there is a pop number. Instead of saying that number, you POP! the person that would be next, out. We work very hard on having good sportsmanship, and the kids have fun even if they're out because they know they get to play again in the next round!

We played "I have, who has?" which I originally saw being played in a Montessori class. It's so cool to see the children take over the game and help their friends follow along. I currently have three versions that we play, but I am planning on making one with numbers and maybe a grab-bag of random things. That might be fun! This week we played Colors and the Alphabet.

We played "Crocodile by the Lake". I found the idea for this game last year and adapted it to be my own. I turned a box into a crocodile with bulletin and construction paper, then filled it with little cards that have a letter, number or shape on them. The children have to reach into the crocodile's mouth (while he's sleeping of course), pull out a card and name what's there. Also hidden in the belly of the crocodile though are SNAP cards (the crocodile wakes up and SNAPS his mouth shut!). Once we pull three SNAP cards, the game is over!

That's all for now! Leave me a comment please if you visit! =]

Under the Sea!

 We continued our summer fun this week with the theme, "Under the Sea!"

During summer camp, we always have Yoga day where the school does a child centered yoga workout. The video we've been using is great because most of the poses are named after animals, like a butterfly...flutter, flutter!

We also have splash day, where all the kids put on their bathing suits and we play outside in water tables and have a fun squiggly sprinkler to run through.

We also have some older children that have joined our class for the summer. While my kids are having their rest in the middle of the day, these children have extra play time out of the room and they also work on some practice sheets that I got from the Summer Bridge Books for K-1 and 1-2. They are great worksheets to keep the older kids practicing their skills over the summer! I love the Pk-K book and I use it through out the year for their letter worksheets.

We read this week: The Pout Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
                               The Pout Pout Fish in the Big Big Dark by Deborah Diesen
                               How Deep is the Sea? by Anna Milbourne
                               Who's in the Ocean? by Dorthea DePrisco
                               The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

Our question of the week was "What would you be under the sea?" I got a pretty nice range of answers for this one! =]

For our theme of the week, we sorted colored goldfish. I made this worksheet last year and give each child 10 random goldfish. They have to count how many of each one they have, tally it, and finally answer a few questions about their data. We only had one little problem with this activity...apparently they don't make purple goldfish anymore! Who knew? Guess I have to remake the worksheet for next year!

My picture disappeared!! =[

We wrote in our journals about our favorite thing in the ocean.

While my class writes in their journals, the older children (K and 1st grade) write a reading response log about the book that we read that day!

Using some more goldfish as math manipulatives, the class solved some simple addition problems, and then got to snack on some fish! I found the idea for this last year at obseussed.com

From the Letter of the Week Book 2, the kids made a booklet about what is underwater! I like this book because they have to draw their own pictures of a plant, a fish a shell and themselves!

Using two paper plates, some fish cut out of construction paper, glue and sand, we made little aquariums! My kids had such a great time with this project and really took their time to make their aquariums exactly what they wanted them to be. I put them up on the wall as if we were looking at a big wall of fish tanks. So cool!

Using the same idea as the flower number puzzle for the gardening week, I created a fish alphabet puzzle! I drew the picture of a fish, then cut it into strips. I glues them back on a piece of paper out of sequence and made copies. The children had to color the strips, cut them out and glue them in order to see their fish masterpiece!

We used our treasure boxes for a partner play activity this week too. I love the way my kids can work with anyone and create fantastic games a scenarios with any kind of toy. These partner play activities are great because they work on their problem solving, creative thinking, sharing, patience. To learn more about my treasure boxes, check out this post!

And our movie for the week was.... Finding Nemo!! Definitely a favorite!

Our song of the week was "Heart Fish" to the tune of I'm a Little Teapot. At the end, we pretend that we're blowing bubbles up to the surface of the ocean.

(C) 2001 - 2011 Jean Warren www.preschoolexpress.com

The games that we played this week at morning meeting were so fun!

We played "Body Drumming". Using only our bodies, we do different motions to make sound and rhythm. I model first and either make a pattern for the children to follow or I have them follow a sequence of 3 or 4 motions. Then I will pick a few children to be the leaders. I love this activity because it's something a little different, you can't get "out" and it's fun to see them trying to focus on when the motion is going to change.

"Pop!" is a really fun game, and definitely a favorite. We stand in a circle and each child says one number as we go around. But each round there is a pop number. Instead of saying that number, you POP! the person that would be next, out. We work very hard on having good sportsmanship, and the kids have fun even if they're out because they know they get to play again in the next round!

We played "I have, who has?" which I originally saw being played in a Montessori class. It's so cool to see the children take over the game and help their friends follow along. I currently have three versions that we play, but I am planning on making one with numbers and maybe a grab-bag of random things. That might be fun! This week we played Colors and the Alphabet.

"Just Like Me" is a great game when a child is feeling a little bit sad or just to get the class feeling like a group! I start by modeling with a few statements, i.e, I like vanilla ice cream. If a child also like vanilla ice cream, they stand up and yell, "just like me!" After I model a few statements like that, I will pick a few children to be the leader. It's so cool to see them thinking about what they want to say!

We played "Crocodile by the Lake". I found the idea for this game last year and adapted it to be my own. I turned a box into a crocodile with bulletin and construction paper, then filled it with little cards that have a letter, number or shape on them. The children have to reach into the crocodile's mouth (while he's sleeping of course), pull out a card and name what's there. Also hidden in the belly of the crocodile though are SNAP cards (the crocodile wakes up and SNAPS his mouth shut!). Once we pull three SNAP cards, the game is over!

That's all for now! Leave me a comment please if you visit! =]