Trains!

Today we walked down to the railroad tracks in hopes of seeing the train and WE DID! We were there about 10 minutes and hear the whistle blow. The kids were so excited ! The bummer part of that story is in the process I dropped my camera which is now BROKEN.. bummer......

Many of you know I have spent the last 6 months working out with a trainer. His gym was on our way so we stopped by to see him and let the kids see the gym. They loved it. The second picture is the kids fighting in the ring. They asked me what it was and I replied " That is the cage they fight in..." And.. well, off they went. The funny thing is that no one was hurt. I told Cassidy maybe we will come in once a week to work out aggression . We have discussed a kids fitness class and even a night for all my moms to come in for an introductory free class and try it out. I LOVE it... It is intense.

And for your Friday flicks !

Man.. I hate when I cover the speaker by mistake with my finger !

The kids really enjoyed this one !

Ze Plane Ze Plane!

We are still talking about transportation today. I just walked around and snapped a few pictures of the children as they played. Here is Cohen working a puzzle. It really is a great puzzle - though simple it is flexible . The kids can mix up the vehicles and make silly ones.

Audrey playing a math game .

Kayla stamping .

I loved this . All these boys were working together to put these puzzles together. TEAMWORK. IMHO - One of the best things a child can learn early .

Here's a little creative use of the paper roll.

Emeri and Andrea playing in the dress up room.

As part of our learning today I showed the kids about 2 minutes of a youtube video that viewed the inside of a plane. Some of the children had been on a plane and recognized things they saw, while others had lots of questions. We also watched a couple planes take off and land. Some of the children said they were scared to fly while others thought it would be cool.

One of the small group activities we had today was looking through magazines and cutting out things that we would pack and put in a suitcase. That.... didnt work out too well. Many of the kids are still really struggling with cutting. I am sending this little manila folder home. If you have time tonight , please sit down with your child and go through a magazine or flyer and help them find things to cut out and glue in their " suitcase." Of course, we dont have homework so it isnt a " you GOTTA do this" but it would give you a good idea where your child is in scissor cutting skills and reinforce what we did today

In circle time we looked through a suitcase and played a game " some of these things belong and some don't."

It was a good day. SOOOOO happy for the sunshine and warmer weather.

Here is a song we are singing this week !

B is for Bus and B is for Bike

Last night was FUN! We all met at the park for BYOB night. BRING YOUR OWN BIKE! We had several parents show up with kiddos and we had a blast !

Today a school bus visited us to show us another form of transportation ! The kids loved getting on. Some things we learned are :

There is a 10 foot danger zone around the bus. Always take 5 huge steps away from the bus when you get off.

There are numbered seats on the bus. The driver will assign you a seat. The younger children sit at the front.

There are emergency exits. When school starts the drivers actually practice evacuation with k-5 kiddos!

There is an arm that comes out when the bus stops to remind us never to walk so close in front of the bus. We have to be far enough away that the driver can see us.

We always SIT on the bus and never hit our friends.

The bus has 6 wheels.

The bus seats are cushioned on the front and back for safety.

He gave us a note for our moms and dads and a coloring book . He also gave us a little yellow school bus. Many of us can't wait to ride a school bus !

Once inside we made our own school buses from twinkies and oreos. YUM- O

It was a good day. Thanks Mr. Avery !

Ways We Go !

Before I go into todays activities I would like to show you a picture of one of the things that makes me smile. I love walking into a room to find children learning and helping each other.

Some things out on our table this week. We have four flannel pieces that depict air, water, land and a railroad track. In the purple box are several pieces of transportation. The kids can sort them out , play with them and use them as extensions of the stories we are hearing this week.

Books that have WHEELS!

Math game! The pieces are little macaroni wheels painted black.

Patterns and Puzzles !

Lots of small cars for sorting , counting and game play.

This is a parking lot game. If your child is struggling with number recognition ( or letters, colors, shapes etc... ) you can use this game. They all loved it. It is also a great fun way to assess and I can tell you... some of our friends need some help ! :) Draw a road down the middle and spaces on each side. Let your child pick out a cook match box car . Tell them to drive down the road and park in space number 9. ( Or 11, or 4... you get the idea ! ) Boys especially love this game.

Mr. Randy took everyone outside to see a REAL engine . We read a book about engines today.

We also went for a walk looking for other ways to travel.

Muffin tin Monday was creative today. It has a transportation theme.

The last thing we did before nap time was graph how we all got to school. We found out during this time that Emeri got a new black SUV this weekend . ( She will also have a baby sister some time this week ! )

Don't forget our BYOB Tuesday evening at the park. BRING YOUR OWN BIKE !

I am linking this post to a terrific learning site ! ABC and 123 Learning .