You Are Special...

On Thursday our Mother Goose lesson was all about how special and unique each one of us are!

One person held the hands-on number 1 (one of the numbers we are learning about this month).  They said, "There is only one (Name)!"  Then they stayed in the center of our circle as the rest of the kids held hands and walked around them.  We sang, "You Are Special" to the tune of "Frere Jacques."

What do you like best about your face?

We looked closely at our Mother Goose theme poster for the month, and new "Moods & Emotions Mirrors" that I purchased from Lakeshore Learning!  I invited the kids to look in a mirror and explore their facial features.  I also encouraged them to compare their face to the faces on the poster, and the faces on the back of each mirror.  This was so much fun to watch!  The kids made some pretty hilarious faces!

Mother Goose provided us with these supplies to make a "I Am Special" tree!

Before we began our craft I told the kids to look closely at their hands and their friends hands.  I explained that no two people have the same fingerprints!

I traced each child's hand and then they cut it out and pasted it on their paper.  They dipped their fingers in two different shades of green paint to add leaves.

Lastly, the kids added pink heart confetti to their trees.  This was a great activity for fine motor skills.  The kids were reminded with the hearts just how special they are!

Mother Goose provided us with new plastic tangrams for another math manipualtive for this month.  I introduced the kids to the number 1 counting card.  Each child took a turn with the card and then shared with the group something they only have one of on their body (one nose, one head, one belly-button, etc.)

Our hands-on number 1 that matches our counting card...The kids trace this with their finger.

One forehead!

New this year, Mother Goose Time made a count & clip activity on the back of the counting card.  This provided a more advanced activity for some of the older kids!  I am so thankful Mother Goose takes into consideration all the different ages and abilities of each child!

I let the kids play freely for a while with the mirrors, theme poster, counting card, hands-on number 1, and our new tangrams...

The kids worked on the letter F in their literacy workbook...

They also worked on this counting and writing activity in their math workbook...

These were our books for the day...

Places Friend Meet...

On Wednesday our Mother Goose lesson was all about places friends meet...

 Early in the morning I set out this new "Hello" block puzzle for the kids to explore with.  It was a big hit!

 During circle time I introduced the kids to the shape we will be learning about this month.  A few volunteers found items in the room that are also circle shaped.

 Then I placed cirlces in the center our our cirle time area.  Each cirlce was labled with the kids names.  We sang...

"Down around the corner

at the bakery shop,

were many little cookies

with sprinkles on top!

Along came (Name) with money to pay. 

He/she boght one cookie then gave it away."

I gave each child a plastic coin and they had to pretend to pay me before they could choose the cookie with their name on it.  The kids LOVED this song!  They sang it all throughout the remainder of the day.  This was a perfect activity to teach the quantity of the number 1 (one of the numbers are learning about this month), and to teach our names to our new preschool friend K!

 Mother Goose provided us with these location cards, and this matching rolling cube...

 We talked about places we meet our friends and how to show respect by saying "Hello" or "Nice to see you!"  (Respect is the friendship word we will be learning about this month.)  I encouraged the kids to play and explore with our block center to make a city/town.  They got right work...

 Once the town was complete, we placed the locations cards at different places throughout the room.  I set out our new Mother Goose bus counters and our matching location cube.  The kids could choose a bus and roll the cube.  They could plan to "meet" a friend at the location they rolled on the cube.  The kids had so much fun playing in this way, and I loved sitting and observing them.  Their conversations were so much fun to watch!

 Next, the kids worked on the cover of their new journal for the month.  They wrote their name and drew a picture of themselves and a friend...

 For our next activity I set out four play stations!  Squigz...

 Magna-tiles at the light table...

 New colored pasta noodles at the sensory table...

 Lastly, a matching alphabet Bingo game....

 I asked the kids to choose one bus counter.  Then I asked the kids to park their bus at the station they wanted to play at.  Before the kids began playing, we counted how many buses were at each station.  We determined as a group which station received the most and least amount of buses.  I was surprised with how well the kids spread themselves out among the stations.

 Playing at the stations...

 The kids worked on following directions with positional words in their math workbook...

 The kids also completed this BIG TASK in their literacy workbook...

 This was our book for the day...

 Wednesday was N's last day of preschool!  We will surely miss him!