Meeting Community Helpers

We have had a very busy April! It's hard to believe it's almost done.

The class received an invitation from the Hardisty Kindergarten teacher, Ms Peters, to come see some baby chicks that had hatched in their classroom.

Some of the new babies were still in the incubator

The children have still been enjoying the not - a - box. We will continue to include it in our play until the interest has been lost, or the boxes are too broken. Whichever comes first.
The children have claimed our not - a -box's as hospitals, fire trucks, race cars, robot bodies, boats and much more, in the short time we have had them in our class room.

Using the truck to transport letters

This week, I brought in some play materials, which were made from real life materials. I enjoy bringing various theorist's into our classroom, though we are not based on one specific. Maria Montessori, was a firm believer in children experiencing real life moments with real life materials. Based on us talking about community helpers, I brought in some nuts and bolts for the children to screw, and un screw. They were various sizes and lengths, making it also a matching experience. Also, children would often give up quite easily assuming nothing matched. The adults had to encourage the children to manipulate them in order for them to understand it had to be twisted in order to find out if it was a match, since it appeared too small if we would just match them up.

Matching, Fine motor, weight sensory

Building puzzles

In our house center, I added "phone books" for the children. The children's real phone numbers have been printed and included in their class' phone book. The children enjoy flipping through the book to find their own name, before dialing the numbers on all of our make believe phones.

Quickly, the children began finding their peers names, and using the phones to call their numbers too.

The developmental goals of this play include number matching, number recognition, connecting real life situations to make believe play, name recognition (of their own and peers) and turn taking. It also works their little fingers to push buttons, as well as aim and point which is important for letter writing.

In this photo,  a child reads the numbers
while the other child uses the phone.

A very exciting part of our class has been the amazing community helpers, or as the children address them "heros", that have volunteered their time to talk to the class.

For our Monday/Wednesday Christian program, our pastor Patrick, from Church on 99th came to talk to us. He comes often for chapels, and to pick up his own daughter from our program, but this was special. He came to talk to us about why he became pastor, and some of his favorite parts of being a pastor.
He showed us wedding photos, as he gets to officiate weddings, and shared a hat that he received from a family in Africa when he was visiting.

We also were very lucky to have Dr. Yoo come from the Tooth Doctor, which is in our community.
He had so many interesting things to tell us and teach us about tooth hygiene.

He told us we have 20 teeth, and when we grow up we will loose them and new ones will replace them. He even told us Sharks will always loose teeth and have new ones to replace them, no matter how often or how old they are! So cool.

He shared x-rays with us to show us healthy teeth, and what happens when we're very old if we don't take care of our teeth (his dad only has 2 teeth!).

Showing how we brush our teeth

Tooth Molds

We played a game called Dead or Alive! When we played the game we looked at items that were not alive, like a pen or our hair, and items that are alive, like Ms. Asha and our skin. That helped us understand our teeth are alive, and they need to be taken care of to avoid sugar bugs.

We did a fun craft with puffy paint, using it as tooth paste when we brushed our tooth!

Puffy paint is equal white glue and shaving cream

It was really exciting when a community police officer came in to talk to the children about safety.
We anticipate him coming back Thursday to see the Regular program.

We talked about calling 9-1-1, Stranger danger, traffic signs
and many other important topics

We did traffic light's as a craft, using circle stamps, green, red and yellow.
We talked about what each colour means.

Outside we played Red Light, Green light in the field.

Another high light of the week was when Freedom, a community service dog, came to visit the Regular program after his shift helping a child in the school.

Community helpers come in all shapes and sizes, including 4 legs and fuzzy. Freedom is a therapy dog. We learned from his owner that he can open doors, and helps people who have special needs.
She told us when community dogs wear their vests we should act like they are not in the room with us. They have jobs, and can no be distracted. During this time they can not eat, drink or go to the bathroom. Dogs are so smart.

When she took off his vest, he is a normal pet and we can
pet him

We also did some painting with community helper cars.

I love the texture the wheels leave in these paintings

Last but not least, our finished fire fighter art.

 

 

Not a Box

Our amazing play dough coordinator made us some amazing play dough for this week. The ingredients are amazing for sensory, both in texture and smell.
The texture was made close to cookie dough with quick oats and coconut oil. The oats were grainy which are very stimulating to squeeze and push on.

It was also outstanding for our Community Helper theme, as the children used rolling pins, spatulas, a baking sheet and other kitchen tools to play with the dough. It smelt just like cookie dough! We added cut out pieces of foam to make chocolate chips. The children loved being bakers.

Without any prompting, the children began to make patterns on the
baking sheet

We made first aid crosses to decorate the house center with. I spoke to the children about where they would see this cross, and how it usually would be where you would find help and band-aids.

We used this activity to practice holding colouring tools, and cutting skills.

We are SO excited to finish this activity on Monday/Tuesday when we get back to school. We wanted to give it some time to dry before adding the fire fighters.

Smooshing paint under saran wrap.
Mixing colours

Added small houses

Painting hands!
It feels ticklish

On Monday/Tuesday, we talked about the big box randomly in the room. I had brought the box from my parents, since they bought a new mattress. We then watched a quick youtube clip I found that read "Not a Box" by Antoinette Portis.

It took a lot of thought on how I was going to share 1 box (even though I actually got 2 boxes - as there was a box in the box that I didn't know about until I started cutting the not a box). I needed to be sure the children could share the box between two classes.
Successfully, we accomplished it. I cut a simple hole in the box on Tuesday and offered it to the children Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the not a box was a boat!
To others it was where they brought the house center props and made into a hospital, and an ambulance.

On Thursday, the not a box became a fire truck!
I offered the children our "fire bell" to go on top of the fire truck.

Since our week was about emergency community helpers, I sat with the kids and talked to them about 9 -1 - 1, and their own phone numbers. We spent time using the phone to dial and practice.

Number recognition

The children have really enjoyed playing in the hospital, and with all of the community helper toys.

Sensory Cookie Dough recipie

• 1 cup (plus a couple Tbsp) All Purpose Flour
• 1 cup Water (If you want to color the play dough, add the food coloring to the water.)
• 2 cups Quick Oats
• 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
• 1 tsp Vanilla (opt.)
• 1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder (opt.)

How to Make Skin Therapy Play Dough

• Mix one cup of the flour, quick oats, and vanilla.
• Add water and stir until the play dough forms a ball.
• Knead in the coconut oil one tablespoon at a time.
• Knead in the cocoa powder.
• If the play dough is too sticky add flour a tablespoon at a time to reach the desired consistency.
• Knead the play dough for around three minutes to make the dough elastic.

Sincerely,

Ms Asha