Winter in the Woods

This months theme with our preschool curriculum, Experience Early Learning, is winter in the woods.  We've been spending the month exploring things like animals, snow, ice, pine trees, etc.  We spent today taking a closer look at sleds.  

Ronan painted his own sled, and then we attached string to it once it was dry so he could pull it around.  Art is such an important part of early childhood development, and should be included in every preschool curriculum.  I love that Experience Preschool has a different art project for every day.  Some of them end with the children creating something they can play with, like a sled or musical instrument.  Other projects are based on using materials however they want, and really tapping into their creative side.  Art helps with things like fine motor skills, decision making, language building and creativity.  

Ronan rolled play dough into snow balls.  He would roll the pocket cube and put the same number of balls into the sled.  We've been working a lot on counting and this is a way to make it fun.  Experience Preschool always has great ideas that build on math skills in a fun way.  

Every monthly box from Experience Preschool comes with a book that ties in with the months theme.  We read The Shoemaker at the beginning of the month, and have been reading it more throughout the month.  Ronan loves looking at books and being read to and I think that it one of the reasons he's picking up new words in English every day.  

There is also always a puzzle that goes to the monthly book included in the preschool curriculum.  Ronan needed a lot of help with the puzzle.  He is just starting to learn how to manipulate the pieces to make them fit.  These puzzles are too hard for him right now, but with help he was able to get it finished, and then wanted to do it all over again.  Puzzles are great for teaching preschoolers about spatial awareness.  We only have one week left with this months theme before we move into baby animals in January.