Gratitude takes shape in many forms in our lives. Our friend Freyja brought in gourds for all of the children. We invited them to create a gratitude centerpiece for their dining table with the gourd and objects found in nature. Journal entries about gratitude got the children thinking about, drawing, and writing about what they are truly grateful for.
We read George Shrinks by William Joyce and invited each child to drawn themselves in a shrunken adventure, using our imaginations to put ourselves in the tiny shoes of George.
In Spanish we asked the question, “¿Cómo estás?” (How are you?) Our responses ranged from feliz (happy) to triste (sad) and enojado/a (angry.) Ask your child that question and note how they respond. We also met some members of Benito’s familia (family.) We sang “The Family Song” in American Sign Language and learned the signs for grandmother, grandfather, baby, dog, and cat. Check out the Spanish/ASL vocabulary sheet to explore how to say your family members in both Spanish and ASL.
Following our Primary Color Election results, a study of geometric shapes led to the question, “Who works in the Oval Office?” Characters were assembled from mat board scraps and ceramic ovals. Facial features, clothing, and details such as glittery pom pons were added to give personality to the “president.”
Golf ball roller ball painting got the hips moving as we created abstract art and learned about color mixing in the process. The children got a Grab-and-go bag filled with small items to invent a gizmo or gadget. The writing component added a description of the function of their little gizmo or gadget.
We cleared the floor to make room for Ribbon Dancing! We moved our bodies and ribbons to create geometric shapes and danced with grace and glee (expanding our vocabulary.)
We began talking about tempo and sang the song, “Galumph! Went the Little Green Frog.” Have your child pull out their rhythm sticks and sing the song with the beat for you.
The geography kit offered a map of Wisconsin to explore and color. A map of Sheboygan with pictures of popular places allowed us to locate our homes and circle places we have visited in our community.
FOOD DRIVE Our theme of Gratitude and Giving leads us into the annual Preschool Food Drive for the Salvation Army. You may contribute nonperishable food items, diapers, baby formula, etc. at supply pickup time on Monday, December 7 and Monday December 14. We will deliver the load to the Salvation Army the week of December 14-18. Thank you for your contributions.