This week, we have been practicing using beanbags at our meeting times to count, balance, and cooperate with one another! We sang “pass the beanbag all around!” and took turns handing each other the beanbag as we sat in a circle. We also tried carrying the beanbag between our knees and dropping it in the middle of the circle, balancing the beanbag on our knee while standing on one leg, and passing each other the beanbag in silly ways (like with our elbow or our foot). These activities all strengthened our gross motor, executive function and counting skills. The beanbags were lovingly made by Zoe!
On Monday, Manu’s mom Nadia came in to share a story about Eid al-Fitr. We celebrated by constructing and hanging decorative lanterns, putting on temporary tattoos, and getting henna drawn on our hands by Nadia. Thank you, Nadia and Manu! Eid Mubarak to all who celebrated.
We deepened our puppet study this week by interviewing several beloved classroom puppets: Horsie, Turtle, and Bill the Owl. We drafted questions for the puppets, like “What do you like to eat?” and “What helps you feel comfortable?” We practiced drawing puppets, from both a “bird’s eye view” and a “ladybug’s eye view” (a bottom-up view). We also reviewed what puppets are, and what we know about each of our puppets. Eva said that a puppet is “something you can move and make talk with your voice.” Eli asked, “How does Turtle even put his head inside his shell?”
Finally, we played with new materials in our classroom, including props in the loft that helped us act out a Goldilocks-inspired story, a water table with purple food coloring, and big cardboard tubes in the block area. In theater adventures, we got to meet an Axlotl and create choreography to “Under the Sea” from the Little Mermaid!
Have a wonderful spring break! We look forward to seeing you when we are all back on April 7.
