Row Your Boat in Pairs

I like this more physical version Row Row Row Your Boat, because it allows children to partner up for a whole body experience. 

I just have them sit crisscross (or anyway really) and they rock each other back and forth while we sing away until we are tired. It's pretty soothing and as a bonus the children's natural desire to move is being channeled.


The end!   

New year, new journals!

One of my goals this year is to inspire the children to draw and write in the journals on a daily basis. I don't really want it to be "ok everyone sit down and journal what I tell you" kind of thing although sometimes I may do this.

Mostly, I'm hoping to use them as the children build or create or tell stories in as a natural part of their day. To do this I'm trying to find a special location for their journals that they can have quick easy access to on a moments notice. They do have cubbies but as winter approaches cubbies are stuffed with backpacks, coats, hats mittens and other miscellaneous items that I'm afraid they will be damaged. I was hoping to find paper trays at the thrift store this summer because at several dollars a piece, the price adds up quickly.

In the mean time while I sort out this problem, I have taken the children's photos and had them printed and laminated to serve as the cover of their journals. To begin I asked them to draw a picture of themselves to serve as a base for other self portraits later this year. Here is a sample:

When I asked M, who is four, to tell me about her drawing she said, "My hair, my fingers, my feet, my hands, my teeth, my eyelashes, my tummy, my arms, and my legs, and that's it!"

The end! 

patterns on the light projector

I filled up this clear Ikea container with an assortment of colorful transparent objects and worked with the children to make patterns. 

First though, I let them explore on their own and they dumped objects on the projector in their haste to touch and see everything at once:

Then I explained how we had to place the objects with purpose and notice the effect it made on the wall projection, and how we could organize the materials to make patterns:

These were the results: 

Images from the projector are a lot more colorful:

Some dialog from the children:
K: If you put this one on top of this one the reflection is orange.
K: No, don't put that one there it doesn't look nice. 
D: Sprinkle it all over the place! Oh, it's getting more black. 
K:Can you hand me those squares?
D: Those aren't squares, those are angles. 
Ms. Erin: Rectangles?
D: Yeah. Rectangles.

water, sunlight, and mirrors

This was supposed to be a lesson on refraction, but there wasn't much sun today so we had fun with reflection instead. I love taking the curriculum outside whenever possible. Sunlight is always preferable to fluorescent light and an added bonus was dipping our hands in cold water on a hot day.


I filled up some smallish white  tubs with two sizes of mirrors. One tub had clear water and one tub was tinted a pale purple. 

Later I added some colored translucent shapes to spice things up since there wasn't any direct sunlight. 

I didn't document any of their thoughts today because my hands were busy in the tubs as well! 

The end! 

Robin Egg Blue

The children were really interested in making nests and eggs out of clay. When I suggested we mix colors (something I know they like to do from previous color mixing activities) to make 'robin's egg blue' I ran out of seating at the art table and we had to work in shifts. 


I offered the children white, blue, and yellow paint. From experience they knew they would need a lot of white but we didn't know how much yellow or blue. We began mixing colors using a photo of the eggs as a reference. 

After we mixed we painted a swatch and decided if the color was accurate or if we had to add more yellow or blue. 
A: It needs more blue. It needs to be darker:

V: This color matches. 

They then proceeded to paint their robin's eggs. 

The end! 

clay nests & eggs

After viewing the robin's nest, the children were very interested in making representations out of clay. Even though we had a clay station open most of the year, we've only used it purposefully a few times. The children seemed at ease, though. 


They pushed and pinched the clay, making a bowl shape:

They broke off pieces and rolled it to make eggs:

Some children even decided add grass to their nests:

The end! 

Robin's Nest

The other day when I was taking J to school, we noticed a bird's nest just laying on the ground outside a mostly unused back door. I thought maybe it was an abandoned nest and dismissed it from my mind. However, two days ago, we discovered a robin had laid an egg! 

The following day we noticed yet another egg and it was then I realized I had to take my Pre-K class to see this wonder. 


Before we went, we listed all the things we knew about birds. I've charted their thoughts and separated them into a few categories:

What do birds do?	What do birds have?	Where are birds?	What do nests have?	What kinds of birds are there?
Fly	Feathers	In the sky	Have sticks	Cardinals
Stay in a nest	Beaks	In a cage	Have leaves	Robins
Lay eggs	Two legs	In a tree	Have mud
Hatch	Different  colors	On branches	Have grass
Die
Poop
Hop
Eat bird seeds
Eat worms
Give food to babies
Tweet

After our discussion, I split the children into two groups and took them to see the nest, journals in had. We sat in a circle and just used our eyes to observe. 

Here is what they had to say:
D: They're baby eggs
A: I like baby eggs. We're going to see two birds.
?:They made a beautiful nest.
D: Wait a second! There's mud!
A: When they get bigger they can fly.
S: They have sticks.
D: The mom's going to come back from the tree. 
M: And sit on the nest!
D: The babies will crack it when they be big boys. They will eat worms. 
K: I want to see them hatch. 
V: Oh! A little tiny tiny nest! 
E: Look! Mines has two eggs
K:When they hatch, I want to see the chicks.
V: It's cute!
E: I made a flag so they guys don't mow the nest down.
V: I've seen eggs before.
K: What do eggs feel like?


While I was talking to a student, one child decided to give the birds a gift of a dandelion. Others quickly followed suit. I was concerned we may have caused damaged and the momma wouldn't return.


When our afternoon class went out for their turn, I realized I had nothing to worry about as we discovered that there we not two, but three eggs. Momma robin had been busy during lunch break! 

M: Look at the blue eggs!
K: Are the baby birds in the nest?
A: When will the eggs hatch?


While looking at the nest, I noticed its proximity to an empty room with a wall of windows near the nest. I asked the children if they wanted to spy on the robin to watch her return to her nest.

K: She's sitting on her nest! She looks frozen.

M: She is very still

Here is a sample of some of their journal pictures, three year old's on top, fours on the bottom:

Based on their words, (seven references to eggs, six to nests) I will see if they are interested in making their own visual representations of eggs and nests. 


The end!