There was a lot of excitement this week in anticipation of Halloween.  We made good use of our outside time running all around, playing word tag (I stretch a word out into the individual sounds and the children decode the word, shout it out, then run across the playground to the opposite fence), pushing logs, loading up sleds, digging, and being animals.  We even had fun playing in the rain on Wednesday when those bodies just needed to get out and MOVE!

Monday students made black on silver art by tracing and cutting out shapes from black paper and gluing them onto silver paper.

In the sensory table the children used scissors to cut, cut, cut up yarn, string, paper, felt, and ribbon into small pieces, which they then used to create collages at the art table.  It was some great cutting practice, and the variety of materials gave different levels of resistance.

During circle we continued to discuss living and non-living.  We remembered that both plants and animals are alive and need water, air, and nutrients/food to live, and plants also need sunshine.  We began to learn about classifying animals into different groups, and began with mammals, which are animals that have hair or fur, give live birth to their babies, feed their babies milk from their bodies, and are warm blooded.  Friday students also learned about the other classes of animals; birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates, such as arthropods.  They then made a list of mammals.

Thursday morning we were joined by several Elsa’s, Yoda, Bruno Mars, the Hulk, Optimus Prime, Twilight Sparkle, a mermaid, some army men, a witch, a cheerleader, Mini Mouse, Super Man, Olaf, and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.  It was quite an experience!  Everyone (costumed and not), enjoyed making and playing with slime, feeling and watching the water beads grow in the sensory table, creating white marble painting spider webs, constructing structures with toothpicks and marshmallows, drawing on large orange poster board, creating and then being spiders and flies on a giant spider web, eating all of the amazing snacks that families donated, and finally taking turns hitting the spider piñata and gathering up the candy.  During circle we made a giant spider web by passing a ball of yarn around to our friends and each holding a section. Thank you to everyone who donated treats, candy, rubber band bracelets, bubbles, and the piñata!  Everyone truly enjoyed the day!

Friday students had a relaxed day.  For science, they took a turn being traced, and some of the students colored and cut out organs, which they glued to their body tracing.  They had fun playing with the water beads, which had grown a lot overnight, using the slime, and making more spider web marble paintings.  We had a surprise visitor during outside time.  Mima the Mime came to perform for us.  She turned on some fun dancing music and used her juggling sticks to amaze us.  Some of us did some moving and dancing with her, too!