We began our first two weeks back in January with a little snow on the ground, but it quickly melted outside and we enjoyed many warm days outside! However inside Desert Blossom it was a Winter Wonderland! We read stories, sang songs and played games about all things winter! We created snowmen with many different materials; homemade puffy paint, our names, marshmallow stamps and salt. We explored symmetry with our painted pair of mittens. Kiddos decorated glittery snowballs, marble roll painted snow globes, tie dyed snowflakes and spelled out their names with marshmallow snowballs. Preschoolers experimented with borax snowflakes and ice cubes and salt. Friends discovered different textures while digging in the sensory table with snow dough and "insta-snow". We ice skated on paper plates to letter and numbers, played mitten memory match with upper and lowercase letters, strung our names with alphabet beads, and built the letter 'S' with wikki sticks, pipe cleaners, wood pieces and stickers. Kiddos practiced estimating with the How Big is My Mitten? activity, sorted different size snowballs, practiced identifying numbers and counting with the mitten button count and snowman bean bag toss. Friends enjoyed imaginative play outside building a giant campfire in the dirt pit and inside with costumes and playing school in the circle time area.
Unfortunately along with winter fun comes sickness. Our poor little school was hit hard with a cold/cough that swept through all our friends. We have been talking a lot about "catching" our coughs and sneezes in our elbows, using tissues and washing hands frequently with warm water and soap. When we wash scrubbing tops and bottoms of hands and between our fingers while singing a favorite song like "Twinkle Twinkle" or the ABC's. Teachers are working hard to disinfect all our toys and playing surfaces and we are asking parents to take their child's water bottle home frequently for a good wash. Please keep your child home if he or she has a fever over 100, a severe cold or persistent cough. We are hoping the long holiday weekend does the trick and we can all start back healthy next week for some more winter fun!
Unfortunately along with winter fun comes sickness. Our poor little school was hit hard with a cold/cough that swept through all our friends. We have been talking a lot about "catching" our coughs and sneezes in our elbows, using tissues and washing hands frequently with warm water and soap. When we wash scrubbing tops and bottoms of hands and between our fingers while singing a favorite song like "Twinkle Twinkle" or the ABC's. Teachers are working hard to disinfect all our toys and playing surfaces and we are asking parents to take their child's water bottle home frequently for a good wash. Please keep your child home if he or she has a fever over 100, a severe cold or persistent cough. We are hoping the long holiday weekend does the trick and we can all start back healthy next week for some more winter fun!
