Last Friday, we set a trap for a hen that has been making a lot of poop in our lanai.  We caught it.  Today, Uncle Porter brought a container and took it away so that he could take it to a more appropriate habitat.  The children watched intently.  They watched how gentle and humane Uncle was with the hen.  Thank you to Uncle Porter for providing a learning experience for us.

Today, the children pretended to be caterpillars.  We used large pictures of the fruits and food that the Very Hungry Caterpillar ate in the story.  The children pretended to eat through them.  Acting out various parts of a story shows appreciation for books and helps children become actively engaged in understanding stories which allows them to comprehend, respond, and recall details. 

We are butterflies.

Our new student started school this week.  We are excited for him to be a part of Papa ‘Ulu.  By the smile on his face, I think he might feel the same.  The children are doing an outstanding job of welcoming him, inviting him to play, helping him, and giving him time to adjust by not overwhelming him. 

Today, several children were working together to find millipedes in our backyard.  They looked under rocks, under dried leaves, on plants, in the dirt, and in the grass.  Most kids find worms and crawling bugs fascinating.  Young children thrive and their minds and bodies develop best when they have free access to stimulating outdoor environments.  Children have the right to experience and enjoy the essential and special nature of being outdoors.

The Dramatic Play Center has a spring theme this month.  There are artificial flowers, animal masks, stuffed rabbits, butterflies, pastel colors, and pastel and bright colored clothing, accessories, and foot wear to play pretend with.  In this picture, the two boys explained that they were the daddies and that they were going to work.  The three girls were going to different places.  One was going shopping, one was going to the mall, and the last one was going to a party.  Children begin to understand family structures and roles through concrete exploration during dramatic play.  We will soon be changing it to a Hawaiian theme.  The center will be named the “Ulu Halau.”  If you have anything child appropriate, that we could borrow or that you’d like to donate for a couple weeks that would fit that theme, we would welcome it. Mahalo!

For the next few weeks, we will be doing an author’s study on Eric Carle.  At the preschool level, we do an author’s study because it provides a good role model of what an author and an illustrator does,  it shows that writing has purpose,  it lends itself to ideas across the curriculum (you can integrate all subject areas), and it encourages a love of books.  Today, we voted and graphed our favorite Eric Carle/Bill Martin bear books (math), identified the different foods in Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar (vocabulary), and worked on two different art techniques in Eric Carle books.  This picture shows one of them.  First, the children put paint on a blank piece of paper.  Then, they finger painted.  Then, they used their fingernails to add a texture and design to their painting.

TGIF!  Aunty Amy was absent again today.  There were a lot of happenings today.  This morning, the children helped cut string beans, carrots, and spam (LITE) for our fried rice snack.  During outdoor play, we had a spontaneous water and sand day.  Then, the water moved to the dirt in the Messy Materials area.  It was fun day!!  But more importantly, it was hands-on experiences that helped develop cognitive, motor, problem solving, and social skills. For example, they used their senses to experience wet and dry.  They also experimented with the properties of natural materials.  From a large “pond” of water, they worked together to dig a path in the sand to make the water flow.  They also worked their muscles by carrying containers filled with water.  They used words such as heavy and light to describe the weight of the container that they carried.  We spent most of the day at Waipao.  At nap time, ALL the children all napped!  Mahalo for allowing your children to experience messy activities in preschool.

Meet Aunty Trixy. Aunty Amy was out today with a bad head cold.  Aunty Trixy is an Extended Day staff member who is available to sub for Regular Day staff members.  She is a valued educator on our staff.  All the children in our preschool know her because she comes to work with interesting things to do and interesting things to share. Today, she shared an old-fashion soup can telephone with us.  This toy makes for a fun and good science project to learn about how sound travels. 

During our back yard time, the children can choose ball play as an activity.  A three-year old can throw to a peer or an adult (or at a target) but often throws at nothing in particular and then retrieves the ball, repeating the exercise again and again with pleasure.  During the fourth year, a three-year-old can bounce a ball and catch it with more precision than before.  A four-year-old throws with more accuracy and distance.  They often play catch with peers or adults.  They are developing eye-hand coordination as well as their large muscles.