There was something big going on in the Messy Materials area today.  Kala, Ka’eo, Bishop, and Zaedan were building a large campfire.  They spent a good twenty minutes working together to continuously add kindling to the make pretend fire.  The pile doubled in size from what you see here in the picture.  Kala said, “We’re cooking corn and eggs and popcorn.”  Zaedan said, “We’re camping.”

Thank you for working with your child to complete a map of their community.  We will have them displayed around the room this week. Today, we shared them, first in large group.  Then, they shared in pairs.  As we walked around the room, listening to them share, it was evident that they were proud of their finished product.  We heard many descriptive words and children pointing out landmarks that are meaning to them.  Awesome Job! 

Dramatic Play is not only reserved for indoor center time.  The outdoor area, allows children to use large pieces of fabric and stuffed animals on wider open spaces that can’t be found in an enclosed classroom.  Destiny and Tiani created a scenario of being on the beach.  They worked together to spread out the large blue material.  The baskets contained their picnic lunch.   

Tree trunk stumps on our playground allow children to practice their balancing skills.  It can also promote teamwork because children help each other stay up on the stumps.  It also can be a venue for pretend play.  Julie explained, “We walked on it because it was the bridge.”  Serenity said, “Me and Julie are on the bridge.  Bridges helps us stand on our feet.  I stand on it.”

Today was our field trip to Papahana Kuaola.  We pointed out some Hawaiian plants that are significant in an ahupua’a.  Then, we used scoop nets to try to catch fish in the stream.  We weren’t very lucky fishermen.  Uncle Aaron, Tiani’s dad, caught only two fish.  We were blessed with nice weather and a safe walk up and back to our school.

Today was sharing day.  Kalena brought a Chinese snapping turtle to share.  For some children, it was first time observing a turtle up close.  Large group time can be difficult to run in any early childhood setting when all voices are talking. One of the biggest challenges for a preschool teacher during rug time is to carry out the agenda, keep the children engaged and still try to hear their voices and ideas. When children are listened to, they feel important and included which fosters their emotional development and contributes to self confidence. One of the best tools for promoting the social behavior of turn taking in communication and allowing each child’s voice to be heard is through a sharing time.

Children love to dress up in fancy clothes, the fancier the better.  Experts say it is not unusual for boys under the age of 5 to dress up in clothing or costumes typically associated with girls. These three girls said, “We’re going to a wedding.”  Dramatic dress-up play is a great way for children to express feelings, deal with reality, imitate others, make decisions, and develop social and language skills. 

Today was the first day that Listening Center was opened.  We put a popular story there for the week, Baby Bumblebee.  The Listening Center promotes listening skills, models phrasing and fluency, expose children to a variety of story structures, compliments/supplements content curriculum, and fosters independence.  But most of all, “its fun to wear these headphones,” one child expressed.

Today was a perfect day to discover the properties of mud.  Our garden box that is designated as “dirt digging” became a popular place to be during backyard choice time. The children used shovels to fill up buckets.  They made “mud pie”, “mud pasta”, “mud soup”, and “mud cookies”.  Looks like big fun!

Kā’eo ‘Ā. used colored gems to represent the water fall, that connects to a stream, that flows into the ocean. We are learning about the ahupua’a this month. We are using the abstract idea of the ahupua’a in our art studio using various art techniques such as ephemeral art that is photographed here.  Today, we took a “nature walk” to look at waterfalls, clouds, ridges, peaks, valleys, and plants.  Back in the classroom, the children used crayons, oil pastels, and colored pencils to draw the Ko’olau mountain range.