Happy Birthday Teacher Cassy

To begin, we started off our week celebrating Chinese New Year making this beautiful dragon. The colors were so vibrant and it was so special to see them hanging in our classroom.  Afterwards, the kids then sat around the globe as we discussed Chinese New Year and where China was in our world.  I'm excited that our 2 1/2 year old can tell you where China is and where California is.  This brought up discussion on time difference, night and day, where the sun was shining, the shape "circle" since our earth was round.  The learning was unlimited and totally child-led.  These children make my job the best ever.

The next event we celebrated was a birthday party for teacher Cassy.  Cassy is also my only daughter and the kids here get a kick out of discussing family roles.  (who is mom, dad, sister, brother, grandparents, and so on.)

The kids requested to make a chocolate, strawberry cheese cake. It turned out great. See here how the kids all came together to make it this wonderful cake.

3 Eggs, Oil, Water, Cake Mix and then, homemade frosting.

We must taste it, just to be sure it is good LOL.

 Pouring it into the glass cake bowl, then off to the oven it goes.  Time to start working on our strawberries.

Everyone is needed here to help cut the strawberries.

 

 The kids love you Cassy.  Have a wonderful birthday.

♫♫ Let It Snow ♫♫

♪♪The weather is kinda frightful♪♪  Oh, my this was a very fun day.  We spent a whole day discussing the cold, weather, our season, how snow is made, what we can do with the snow and so much more.  Having an icemaker, then placing crushed ice into a snowcone maker, was the best simulation I could find for snow.  The kids got such a kick out of making snowmen with their snow.  Then the question was, “can we eat them?”  Ofcourse, no yellow snow here LOL.  Join us on this little tour of Let It Snow with PattyKakesKidz.

We started out in our school room where we made snowmen crafts.  This was how we started the collaborative discussions.  Kids were engrossed in design, gluing, crafting and sharing with friends their visions of snowmen.

   



Look at the cute little snowmen the kids made. 

The snow was so cold on their little hands, but they were determined to make their snowmen. 

 

Did you say, we can EAT it? 

Burrrrrrrr, this was a “COOL” project. 

Until next time with PattyKakesKidz.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

We've added a second gardening area to support our outdoor sciences.  With this new addition, we learn to care for our planet through hands-on science.  Caring for our earth and raising thoughtful individuals can come from the simplest ideas.  Digging in the dirt, massaging the root bulbs of tiny plants, gently placing them in the earth and spraying the water lightly on our plants gives our preschoolers a sense of responsibility.  I hope to share the importance of caring and respecting living things and provide basic scientific knowledge as they grow and prepare for their future education.  

Check out the makings of our 2012 Winter Garden.

 Green Beans

 Lettuce

 Bok Choi

 Working in the warm sun.

 Digging that hole just right.

 Help from our friends.

Team effort.

 Broccoli

 Celery

 Cauliflower

 Teacher Cassy shows how to be gentle with the small plants.

Interacting with Nature

with

PattyKakesKidz

Friendship Soup

Friends gather around the heart of the home; our kitchen island.   Each of us picks a prep area, we chat, laugh, sing, chop veggies, combine our veggies in a bowl and the soups on.  Here is an afternoon of fun in the kitchen making friendship soup.

Nummy nummy. 

The smell of friendship soup in the air.  Thank you friends at PattyKakesKidz.  What a way to spend an afternoon with the friends you love.