Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Crazy About Amy Krouse Rosenthal -- August 26, 2014

Spoon by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Spoon's always been a happy little utensil.  But lately, he feels like life as a spoon just isn't cutting it.  He thinks Fork, Knife and The Chopsticks all have it so much better than him.  But do they?  And what do they think about Spoon?






Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Little Pea hates eating candy for dinner, but his parents will not let him have his dessert (spinach!) until he cleans his plate.








We made our own Pea Families!
Aren't they cute?

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me -- August 19, 2014

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
A mother and child plant a rainbow of flowers in the family garden!








Lemons are Not Red by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Lemons are not red!  Lemons are yellow...  But apples are red.  Test your color knowledge in this hue-tastic book!








What better way to practice our colors than by making this lovely...
RAINBOW!

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Para los Ninos: Self Esteem -- August 12, 2014

Thank you to Miss Gloria from the Children's Museum for bringing the Para los Ninos program to us today! She spoke briefly with our caregivers regarding strategies to improve a child's confidence:

  • Watch what you say
  • Be a positive role model
  • Identify and redirect your child's inaccurate beliefs
  • Be spontaneous and affectionate with your child
  • Give positive, accurate feedback
  • Create a safe, nurturing home environment

Then, we read...

I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont
This ode to self-esteem encourages kids to appreciate everything about themselves, inside and out!  Messy hair? Beaver breath?  So what!  Here's a little girl who knows what really matters!







It's Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr
A celebration of differences, this book reminds us that it's okay to have different kinds of friends (even invisible ones!), to dance by ourselves, to need help...  It's even okay to eat macaroni and cheese in the bathtub!








For this activity, we selected one thing we really like about ourselves
and created a confidence banner to celebrate that characteristic!

Our next activity involved working with the children to create these self-esteem bags!
On the outside, we wrote things we like about ourselves physically...
Then on the inside, we listed our good qualities that you can't see, like patience and creativity!









Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Embrace Me -- August 5, 2014

Where's My Teddy? by Jez Alborough
When a small boy named Eddie goes searching for his lost teddy in the dark woods, he happens upon a large bear with a similar problem!








Hug by Jez Alborough
Bobo the chimp notices many other jungle animals receiving hugs from their parents...  But will Bobo get a hug of his own?








We made "hugs" of our own during craft time!  The note says,
"Wrap these hands around you whenever I am not there, so
you can have a hug from me anytime."

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

I Feel... -- July 29, 2014

Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney
A young llama would rather play than go to the store with his mother...  Guess what happens when llama gets bored and angry at the store?








The Way I Feel by Janan Cain
Let's explore our emotions!  Sometimes we feel silly, angry, disappointed, thankful, proud...










Uh oh!  That's one angry craft!

Our Feeling Faces have many different emotions!










Friday, July 25, 2014

Time to Read -- July 22, 2014

Look Whooo's Counting by Suse MacDonald
Look carefully at the illustrations, and you can see the numbers in the shapes of each animal the owl meets as she learns to count!








Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
Based on the popular children's rhyme, one by one each monkey falls off and "bumps his head."  Guess what Mama does!?!







Tick-Tock!  We practiced counting by making a clock!

Thursday, July 17, 2014

The Chicken or the Egg? -- July 15, 2014

First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
First the egg, then the chicken....  First the tadpole, then the frog...  Join us on this journey of transformations!









Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas
Chicken's cow visitors try to jump, dance and wiggle on his couch, which is much too small for such exuberant activities!









We made our very own Funky Chickens at craft time.
Ba-gock!