Drumming! (A favorite activity of the year)

 Transition Song: The Color Song by The Learning Station

Vocabulary And Basic Concepts: loud/quiet, fast/slow, stop/go, up/down, beat, drum, experiment,  hear/hearing, speak/speaking.

Miss Carrie brought out black rectangles.  We had no idea what they were.  But when she changed the shaped, we discovered that they were boxes.  Boxes are great for drumming.  Bur first: we had to go over the rules.  When Miss Carrie said "Hands up!", everyone had to stop drumming and put their hands up, look at Miss Carrie, and listen to know what to do next.

Miss Carrie turned on the theme song from 2001: A Space Odyssey.  It was so hard to hold up our hands and wait! We started drumming loud and fast. Then Miss Carrie called out "Hands up!" When we started again we drummed slow and quiet. We noticed something.  It was easier to hear.  We tried an experiment.  We drummed loud and fast again while Miss Carrie sang something.  We couldn't hear her.  So we tried drumming slow and quiet.  We could hear Miss Carrie singing the A-B-C song.  If we're loud in the classroom, we might not hear the teacher give instructions which means tell us what to do.  We also noticed that some of the kids in our class do not like loud noises.  Now we know why we need to have quiet mouths in the classroom.  We can talk.  But we can't yell. We can be loud outside.

DO THIS AT HOME:  Pick an activity where you can explore fast/slow and loud/quiet.  Marching, singing, actions....it doesn't have to be drums.  Although pots and pans and a big spoon make a great drum.  Follow your child's lead on what to do.

Show Me What To Do

 Transition Song: Colors

Vocabulary and Basic Concepts: show me, jump, slide, swing, spin, sway, shake, fast/slow, high/low, same/different, head, arms, shoulders, knees, feet, fingers, toes

This week Miss Carrie did not want to be in charge.  Everyone else got to be in charge.  They decided if they wanted fast or slow music (Encanto and Ratatouille were particular favorites).  Then they had to show the teachers what to do.  If the teachers couldn't do it the same, the kids had to show it again and coach them through the moves.  Kids were jumping, swaying, spinning,  and shaking. They were moving fast and slow, high and low.  Sometimes they had to tell the teachers which body parts to use.  Sometimes they told the teachers to go faster. One kid even wanted to do burpees (jump high, fall to pushup on the floor, jump high again).  Everyone took turns showing the teachers what to do.  

(No pictures this week.  Miss Carrie cannot take pictures and do burpees at the same time.)

DO THIS AT HOME:  Music or no music. Do what your child is doing.  It doesn't have to be dancing.  Have your child show and tell you how to set the table, how to brush your teeth, how to make a bed, or how to play a game.  

Hot and Cold are Opposites

 Transition Song: Colors by The Learning Station.

Vocabulary and Basic Concepts: hot/cold, wet/dry, big/small, short/tall, high/low, fast/slow, heavy/light, day/night, i/out, whisper/shout, weak/strong, right/wrong, young/old, hello/goodbye, What/Where/Who, coat, gloves, hat, snow, pajamas, yes/no.

Materials: - pictures of classmates over Winter Break

                 - Opposites by Sandra Boynton

                 - hand warmers

                 - warm cocoa and marshmallows

This week, Miss Carrie read Opposites by Sandra Boynton (book is linked here)

The book gave us the opportunity to talk about opposites and also rhyming words.  Then Miss Carrie showed us pictures of our friends during Winter Break.  Some of them were outside where it was cold.  Some of them were inside where it was warm.  We talked about if we did activities like we saw in the pictures.  Who is that?  Where are they? What are they wearing? Is it warm or cold?

Miss Carrie brought out hand warmers.  Everyone was able to have a turn holding a hand warmer.  Miss Carrie puts hand warmers in her gloves and toe warmers in her boots because she does not like being cold.

Afterwards, Miss Carrie brought a treat.  She made hot candy cane cocoa and marshmallows.  Everyone had a change to say "Yes, I want cocoa.", or "No thank you.  I don't want cocoa."

I didn't have much chance to take pictures of our cocoa party because I was THE MOST popular person in the room.  Most of the kids loved having hot cocoa with Snack Time.

Do this at home.  Look at family pictures together. Talk about Who/What/Where.  Do you see any opposites?  Short and tall?  Warm and cold? Day and night? Big and small?

At then end of your family activity, make hot cocoa.  When Miss Carrie is at home, she likes whipped cream in her cocoa.  Talk about what you like in your cocoa, or if you don't like cocoa at all.