Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Paul Bunyan and the Log Jam...

On Monday our Mother Goose lesson was all about "Paul Bunyan and the Log Jam!"
I read the story of the day to the kids and then we listened to it on audio CD with matching story-telling pieces...

We sang "Logs Are Floating" to the tune of "London Bridges."



Before beginning our first activity we discussed where we can find flowing water.  We also shared whether or not we would like to be a lumberjack, and why.  Then I passed out the following number 1-10 puzzles to each child.
The cutting lines were on the back...
This activity helped me to see who knows the numbers 1-10 well enough to sequence in order.


After our puzzle activity, the kids cut apart different sized logs from their math workbook and placed them in order from shortest to longest.

The kids also worked on their letter Aa recognition in their literacy workbook...
Friends helping friends...

 In the afternoon I had planned to set up the sensory table outside and have a river design activity with water, sticks, and dirt.  Unfortunately, but yet fortunately, the kids were pretty occupied without this and I just decided to skip it.  I wanted to pass the idea on to parents though.  Encourage your child to use nature materials like sticks and rocks to create a river pathway or pond hole.  Invite them to pour water into the design and observe the movement of the river.  If desired, use more sticks or rocks to create a jam or dam and try pouring in water again.  Discuss how flowing water looks and where it exists.  Also discuss what you think lives in a river.  Continue to play and talk with plastic animals, people, etc.

Monday, August 24, 2015

Paul Bunyan Flapjacks...

On Thursday our Mother Goose lesson was a SUPER FUN one all about Paul Bunyan's flapjacks!
 I placed the following foam shapes that Mother Goose provided us in a brown paper bag.  The kids reached inside the bag without looking, and tried their best to pull out a circle (the shape of a flapjack).


 Then we sang, "One Flapjack" to the tune of "One Potato, Two Potatoes."
 I read the story of the day to the kids one time before playing it on our audio CD.
 Mother Goose provided the following story-telling pieces...
 We listened to the story a couple of times.  Two volunteers used to the story-telling pieces to tell story.  I left these pieces out the remainder of the day for all the kids to have a chance to explore with and retell the story in their own words.

 Mother Goose provided us with the following pieces to make a breakfast craft for the kids to use in our dramatic play area!




 We were also given a new recipe card to make flapjacks.  Although I used my own homemade recipe for our pancakes, the kids could still read this card and see what needed to be done for each step of the cooking process.  Most of the kids did not even know that a pancake needed to be flipped half way through.
 Cooking breakfast for lunch!



 Happily cooking in the kitchen with 11 AWESOME kiddos!
 I also had the kids crack their own egg for scrambled eggs!
 Mmmm!  Homemade whole wheat buttermilk pancakes!
 Yummy hash-browns!

 A breakfast lunch is these kids FAVORITE kind of lunch!





 A lot of empty plates, and full tummies!
 After lunch the kids measured flapjacks in their math workbook...

 The kids also practiced reading and writing folktale words in their literacy workbook...

 This was our story for the day...
 After nap time the kids had fun playing with their breakfast craft that they made earlier!