May 2017

What a beautiful spring-filled April we have had! The toddlers didn’t seem to believe us when they didn’t have to wear a coat or were allowed to wear their coats without being zipped up while it was actually sunny out. It can be hard for toddlers to transition to spring and understand why our routine is changing. In the classroom, we had many spring and farm themed works. The toddlers also had the opportunity to visit the chickens and help feed them while out on the playground.
 
The barn and farm animals were well-used works in the classroom this month. We talked about many of the noises the animals made and what the baby animals were called. The farm puzzles and books were also very enticing. We incorporated eggs into our spring and farm theme this month as well. We had a work with colored plastic Easter eggs and matching colored pom-poms. The children could match the colors and practice opening and closing the eggs. We also had a few decorative eggs with strings attached. These eggs were used to hang on a small tree. This work is so fun for the toddlers and they don’t even realize how much coordination and fine motor control they are using to do it!
 
Our art shelf was another big hit this month. The children enjoyed coloring with crayons and colored pencils, using the Dot-a-dot paint markers, cutting with scissors, and using play dough. We provided plain paper, paper with pictures of flowers, and paper with pictures of decorated eggs for the toddlers to choose from. They enjoyed being able to make their own choice in materials and the process of creating art!
 
In May we will be learning about Hawaii and the ocean, a few of Ms. Jamey’s favorite topics! In Hawaii, May day is celebrated with leis, hula dancing, and parades. The Rosa class will get a glimpse into this celebration. The children will have the opportunity to make fabric flower leis and dance hula. We will have a lot of ocean themed work and books in our classroom as well.