Fishing and Rivers

May's Mother Goose Time theme is bubbles, boats and floats.  We spent a couple of days learning about rivers and fishing.  

The kids loved fishing for shapes.  They would roll the pocket cube and then using a magnet on a string they had catch the fish with the right shape on it.  We had to play this multiple times because they loved it so much.  

They designed their own fish and worked on their fine motor skills by lacing a piece of yarn around the fish.  

On the back of the fish was a poem that we went over when looking for rhyming words.

We played an animal river matching game.  If the kids found matching animals they got to put them in the "river" so they could swim away.  

We read books related to the monthly theme during circle time.

Every monthly box comes with a themed book and matching puzzle.

The kids had to swim under the blanket river and collect puzzle pieces.  They all worked together to build the puzzle and put their pieces in.

They made river collages using tissue paper and pebbles.

The first day of any new theme comes with a name tag to practice writing on.  The older kids have mastered their first names at this point, while the younger ones are working on tracing the letters.

Movement and Fitness

This month's Mother Goose Time theme, food an fitness, has had lots of games that get us up and moving.  

The kids have been stretching and loosening up their muscles.  

We had a contest to see who could jump the farthest.  Everyone got a turn and marked where they landed. 

We all worked together to throw and catch a ball 12 times without it hitting the floor.  It took quite a few tries to get to 12.  

The kids got to take turns kicking a ball and knocking down as many cups as they could.  Then they had to identify the letter on the cups they knocked down.

They also took turns rolling _an words and then racing to the matching word hanging on the wall.  

I read From Head to Toe while the kids acted it out.  

They also made a ball toss game to take home.  They decorated cups and then attached pom poms to the inside.  They had to try and swing the cup and catch the pom pom inside.  

They practiced patience waiting for their turn to toss a beanbag.  They had to pick a card and throw the bean bag into the corresponding colored hoop.

We spent a day doing jumping activities, making frog headbands was a perfect ending to the day.

Everyone got a turn to dip balls in paint and roll them around to make a picture.  They always have fun when we do this type of craft.  

One of the letters we're working on this month is Q.  The kids colored their letter Q books to take home.

In keeping with the theme, the kids did patterning work using basketball and soccer ball pictures.  

Grasslands

We're on our third week learning about the safari with Mother Goose Time.  While learning about the grasslands we spent a day learning about beaded necklaces.  

The kids used beads and pipe cleaners to work on patterning.  They also made their own colored bead patterns.  

They looked at pictures of people wearing elaborate, thick beaded necklaces.  They made their own by painting a paper plate with a cotton swab.  

The letter C was also introduced this week, and the kids colored with letter C books.  

We talked about predators and prey and the kids completed food webs with African animals.  We also came up with other food webs using local animals and the things they eat.  

Sights and Sounds of Winter

We started a new theme this week with Mother Goose Time.

The theme is sights and sounds.  We spent the first week learning about and playing different instruments.  

During circle time we completed a long breath challenge and took turns seeing how far we could blow a feather.

We continued working on using our breath by creating art by blowing paint across paper.  

Every monthly box comes with a new book.  This months book is "The Mississippi Musicians"  which is based on The Bremen Town Musicians.  Throughout the month we will have items like a puzzle and story telling set that help reinforce the story.  

Whenever we start a new theme the kids get a new name tag to practice writing their names.  We also use the name tags throughout the month to work on name recognition.  

All month the kids work in their journals.  They practice writing the monthly numbers, letters, and have pages that focus on the color and shape of the month.  

The kids made drums by stringing beads and attaching them to paper plates.  When you spin them the beads hit back and forth and create a drumming sound.  The kids played these and worked on drumming out the syllables in their names.  

The theme posters with look and find glasses are always a class favorite.  The kids love finding the items and then completing the prompts on the back of the glasses.