November

November went by in a blur, but it was filled with fun and learning.

Sensory Table

This month we washed some of our toys. With so many kids playing with the toys, I wash them quite frequently. But sometimes, I let the kids help. I just fill the sensory table with soapy water, add rags and let them at it. Sand is always a popular thing in the table. Buckets and jewels add to the fun. And finally, noodle soup anyone? Or maybe it was mac and cheese.

Art

Most of the art this month was about turkeys 🙂  As I’ve mentioned before, I tend to stay away from crafts because I believe the process is more important than the product. So even when I do things like the turkeys, I tend to give minimal instructions so students will still have ownership of the product. See the pictures for examples.  We also talked about transportation, so I set out different shapes and let them create a form of transportation. It’s also fun to add different tools for painting. This month we painted with a corn cob.

Other learning

Miss Jamie brought her magna forms. There were so many cool things built. This was a track a little boy built for the legos, that were out in the other room. I love putting these bears out, but have zero expectations of how they will be used, because every year I am amazed. This little girl first separated them all out, then had them go to a dance where they all needed partners,  then they all went to a party. So much more learning than the intended “sort them into the colored cups”!

Writing in a play based preschool

Writing is very much a part of play based preschool, but it’s based on the child’s own interest and level. For the last few years I have done journals and name writing folders. But I always kept them in a drawer and would pull them out when I wanted to. This year I got a hanging file holder so they are always accessible to the students. On Thursdays, I’ll usually remind them that they are there and encourage them to come write in them and usually they do. What is great this year, is that I’ll have students come up other times and grab them. Some journals are just filled with “scribbles” while others are forming actually letters and words. But it is all writing and done by motivated students, not teacher directed and led, which is so much more meaningful.

Last the best of all the game

With talking about transportation, I set up our train table. The kids love it because I only set it up a few times a year because it sits on our sensory table. So it’s always new and fresh when its out. I leave it up for a couple weeks until the newness wears off, then it goes away for a month or so. Full disclosure: I’m still a little uptight with the train table. I set it up perfectly, so the trains has a complete course to run. I know in my heart, that just setting the pieces on the table and letting the kids put it together is so much better. I just need to lose my perspective of a right way and wrong way. Maybe next time I get it out I’ll be ready to let go…