We got started on our Halloween themes and activities this week, worked on using our words with our friends (there were LOTS of talks about what to do and what not to do when playing with friends), and continued working on inside and outside voices. Take a look at our daycare week:
I made these mandarin orange cups into a Halloween snack. I saw this idea on Pinterest, but instead of drawing the pumpkin face on the top, I drew it on the sides so the kids could see it while they ate their oranges. They loved their "pumpkin oranges!"
Music Monday! The kids experimented with all of the instruments we have in the house and were taught how to use them properly (many times they attempt to play the maracas on the drum, bang the guitar on the floor, etc.). They did a great job and explored all of the instruments for nearly an hour before we moved on to singing Halloween songs.
Egg shakers.
Their favorite Halloween song we sang: "One little two little three little pumpkins..." We also sang this song with witches and ghosts.
We added our Fall and Halloween books into our reading mix. To see what we've been reading lately, check here:
http://ashlen-kidspert.blogspot.com/2014/09/what-were-reading.html
The kids decorated a puppet theater. This was quite the messy activity as they not only painted the box, but the walls, floors, table, and each other as well.
First sick days of the school year for Mr. Harrison. He spent a couple of days at home and with mom and the daycare kids, resting, reading books, watching movies, and drinking orange juice. He was ready to get back to school by the middle of the week!
His first sick day, he took such a long nap that bedtime was a challenge (that's putting it lightly). Little sister didn't help things when she refused to go to bed "cuz H isn't!" Instead, they took apart a doll pack n play and pretended they were in a marching band. I sat on the couch in an exhausted daze while they did this.
Leaf prints. The little kids had a hard time figuring out how to hold the crayon, so I had to help them quite a bit with this activity. The kids were really excited when they saw the leaves appear on their papers.
Apple slime (1 bottle of school glue, 1 cup of liquid starch, red food coloring, and apple pie spice). Our Baskin Robbins containers from this summer are getting some use as storage for the fall slime.
Of course my kids had to get utensils involved in their slime playing.
The kids made ghosts from toilet paper rolls. Find out how to make them here:
http://ashlen-kidspert.blogspot.com/2014/09/toilet-paper-roll-ghosts.html
The Duplos got their own corner with the boy's Lego table. The Lego table was in their bedroom (away from the daycare kids) but it had become a place for their Ninja Turtle figurines to hangout and their Lego's all over the floor. I asked the boys to clean up, they didn't listen, so the Lego table became daycare property. Despite lots of Lego use and some misuse, the Lego table is still in good shape after six months. Find out how to make your own Lego table here:
http://ashlen-kidspert.blogspot.com/2014/03/make-your-own-lego-table.html
This is the state I find my role of toilet paper in after my two year old uses the toilet during the day. We're working on how much toilet paper is appropriate to use.
A fall snack: apples and Apple Jacks.
The kids decorated cut out fall leaves with Dot markers. The kids all love using these markers, especially the new glitter ones.
Decorating their ghost puppets. After they colored on their bags, they had me draw faces for the ghosts. I asked them how their ghosts were feeling: happy, scary, sad, or mad. All of the kids said their ghosts were feeling happy.
The puppet theater finally dried from the gobs of paint put on and the kids performed a puppet show. There was some issues about what was happening with the puppets: were they going to the store? To school? The kids couldn't agree on a scenario so the "show" didn't last long.
The kids made party hats for their pizza party lunch.
I picked up scented markers by Crayola from Michael's (on clearance for only .15 cents a piece) and the kids used them to color more leaves (they cannot wait for our nature walk around the neighborhood to collect colorful leaves). Scented markers are the only kind of markers the kids will now use.
The kids decorated Halloween cupcakes.
There is a cupcake somewhere under all of that frosting and all of those sprinkles. The cupcake was actually frosted to the table.
Beautifully decorated!
The first day with the new Duplo corner, the kids weren't sure about it. They tried to take the glued on Lego plates off of the Lego table top (and became upset that they couldn't remove them), tried to attach the extra Lego plates to the other Lego plates (and became upset that they wouldn't stick together), and dumped all of the Lego's into one huge pile....and then walked away without building anything.
It took a few days to establish "Lego rules and procedures" (yes, this is a real thing I had to come up with) but the kiddos are getting the hang of playing with the Duplo's in the Duplo corner and the appropriate way to play. This is another one of those things I never thought I'd have to make rules for!
The kids LOVED playing with Pumpkin Snow. Learn how to make yours here:
http://ashlen-kidspert.blogspot.com/2014/09/pumpkin-snow.html
Stickers make all of the kids happy.
The new Halloween sensory bin.
Finally some outside time in the muddy backyard! The boys had quite the fun, messy time digging in the dirt.
Fizzy pumpkins are always a hit. Mix baking soda, water, and orange food coloring (also how you make the pumpkin snow). Use cookie cutters to shape into pumpkin shapes. I dyed vinegar orange and then had the kids use small medicine cups to pour it onto their pumpkin.
Of course they had to play with the mess afterwards.
Next week we'll continue with our Fall and Halloween crafts, more apple painting, reading our new books, and we'll be learning how pumpkins grow, which will lead us into the following week's activities: all things pumpkin!
