January 2017

December came and went in a blur of constant activity and painting fun in Ambarino!  Our friends enjoyed helping with their peaceful holiday gifts that went home mid-month.  Many of the infants also took part in a unique sensory experience where they were able to touch a Ziploc bag filled with paint.  The bag was taped to different surfaces such as a table top or the glass door.  It was fun to watch how each child chose to interact with it.  Some of them even discovered they could peel back the tape and try to move the bag themselves.  The smiles that resulted made this experience even more exciting to witness!  Another work that was constantly being engaged with was a red and green themed put n take work.  This is a work where red and green blocks are dropped into a metal tin.  Some of our older friends have been working to take the lid off to try to get the blocks back out and then do it all over again. 

The infants loved looking at and reading our Jingle Bells book!  They also enjoyed hearing it sung during circle time.  This particular edition featured a dog who rode in the sleigh with the children and lots of glitter covering the pages to make it look like freshly fallen snow.  With so many of our friends in various stages of mobility, the red wagon has been a very popular work to use.  It has been such a joy to watch how each child engages with it. Sometimes they might even give a friend a ride, which always elicits lots of smiles from the friend who happened to find themselves sitting in the wagon at the right time.

At the end of the month, we said goodbye to Celia as she moved on to the toddler classroom.  It will be nice to see her when she stops by the window to see what is going on in our room.  It was such a joy to watch her grow into such a confident, caring and curious toddler. 

In January, we will focus on snow, snowmen and various circle works.  We will also talk about items that are blue that we see in the classroom and outside. 

We hope you had a relaxing break and have had a healthy start to the new year!