Dinosaur Bones

We will be studying dinosaurs later in the school year but now is the time I buy 'dinosaur bones'.  Halloween skeletons make great dinosaur bones for our preschool paleontologists to dig. You can buy now or wait for the post-Halloween sales.  You will just need the arm and leg bones.  You can use the remaining bones (skull, ribs, hands, feet)  for Halloween decorations.
http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2011/01/dinosaur-dig.html

Need more ideas for dress-ups and dramatic play?  More ideas are listed under the 'Dramatic Play' label. 

LEGO Letters

Our MWF classes are building up their ABC's with LEGOS.  Children are paired up and given a bag of LEGOS and they build their tower from A-Z.  We work on letter recognition in a lot of fun ways.  Want to find out how?

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2011/12/alphbetical-order.html

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2010/10/boo-bang-gobble-melt.html

Ten Apples Up on Top---2013

Autumn means apples!  Our TTh class had fun with apples this week.  We have a sensory tub filled with black beans and apples.  Want to create a sensory tub at home? It's easy and fun---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-messy-tub.html

Apple Painting

Apple Painting

Adding a craft stick to apples makes painting much easier.

We listened to Ten Apples Up on Top! and made an apple.  The children are learning how to use scissors.  For more information---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/09/ten-apples-up-on-top.html

Student Work

Student Work

The Family Frig

We're about three weeks into the school year and projects and paintings are coming home every day!  What do you do with all those masterpieces?  Here are some ideas...

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2010/10/art-galleries.html

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2010/10/another-art-gallery.html

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/11/my-fridge-door-is-fun.html

B Week---Bees, Bears, Brown Paper and Barn Dance

What did we do in our MWF classes this week with Letter B?

We made bees.  The children cut the oval, drew black stripes and glued! They are learning how to listen and follow teacher directions.

Student Work

Student Work

Student Work

Student Work

 We painted and used dot markers on brown paper.

Playing the Beanie Baby game and counting bears means we can press the Easy Button!



More information on counting---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2010/11/counting.html
We read and sang BARN DANCE!---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2010/10/barn-dance.html

What Did the 3's Do This Week?

Student Work

Student Work

On Tuesday, we read Brown Bear, Brown Bear... by Eric Carle.  Each child also made a bear. Please do not be concerned if your child's project does not look like a bear.  It's not that your child didn't listen...it's that they are learning to listen!  Today we read Polar Bear, Polar Bear... and created polar bears. More info---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2010/09/art-vs-crafts.html

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/12/brown-bears-and-polar-bears.html

We are playing with sensory bottles!!!

Sensory bottles How to---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2010/08/sensory-bottles.html

We are gluing shapes on a HUGE piece of cardboard.

And we will glue more shapes onto the cardboard! You can look at these shapes and colors with your child on this blog and when you arrive at school. Ask your child---"What shapes do you see? What colors do you see?" 

Bear hunt?  We're not scared!  We love going on bear hunts.  Check out  We're Going on a Bear Hunt at your local library, book store or favorite online store.

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/09/its-bear.html

MCP Show & Tell

MCP Show & Tell Bags

 

Show & Tell starts this week at MCP.  I love Show & Tell. Why? Because a whole lot of learning happens during Show & Tell.  The first learning experience happens when we pass out the bags.  We play a game with clues to guess who will get to take the bag home. The children all stand and I begin giving clues.  It's a girl.  (all the boys sit down)  She is wearing shorts (boots, crocs, long sleeve shirt, vest, etc.)  I continue with clues until one child is standing.  We give lots of different clues and the children really have to listen and think about the clue. We also give 'negative' clues---not wearing a hoodie, not wearing boots, etc.   Clues often will introduce vocabulary words. 

During Show & Tell, the child will give their classmates three clues and the children are to guess what is inside the bag.  More listening, more learning and more vocabulary. 

Why do we not have a schedule?  We choose not have schedule for many reasons---
*children assigned to a Monday miss out for many holidays
*we have fewer children take home bags in the fall and spring so we can go outside
*we have more children take home  bags in the winter because we are inside
*if a child is absent they do not miss their day
*we do not have Show & Tell on party days or days we know we are going to be super busy with special activities

We hope you and your child have a lot of fun this year with Show & Tell!

Lacing Cards 2013

Soak the yarn in diluted glue

Letting the laces dry

We have many lacing activities for the children.  All of our lacing projects are designed so the children can take them home.  To make lacing easier, we dip the yarn into diluted glue and let it dry.  This creates a 'needle' for the children.

More lacing activities...
http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/12/bottle-cap-jewelry.html
http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/03/march-maddness.html
http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2013/04/hungry-caterpillars-and-beautiful.html
http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/11/lots-and-lots-of-lacing-projects.html

A-maize-ing!

Looking for some fall family fun?  Find a corn maze in your area!  Check out these websites to locate a corn maze near you.

http://www.themaize.com/

http://cornmazesamerica.com/

Color My World

Our 3 y/o class is having a lot of fun with shapes and colors.  We have been singing, gluing and painting! We glued squares!

We glued circles!

 We painted with circles!

You can do even more with colors and shapes at home. Shapes and colors are EVERYWHERE!

*pick a color for the day or the week

*when reading books point out colors and shapes

*look at colors and shapes in the grocery store or any store

*have snacks or a meal with a color theme

*discuss colors when getting dressed

*look for shapes and colors outdoors and on walks

*play 'I SPY' with colors at home or outdoors

You can have lots of fun with colors and shapes with your child!

What's Happening at MCP?

Have you asked your child what did you do at school today and get "I don't know" or "I don't remember" as an answer?  Hopefully, these photos will help!

These construction vests are in the block center with some yellow hard hats.  I found the vests at the Dollar Tree.

Colors for sorting

Color sorting center

TP tube lacing activity

TP tube lacing activity

Printing w/glue bottle lids

Red, white and blue

Red, white and blue

Our MWF classes will be learning about our United States of the America.  We have lots of lids from glue bottles and we used the lids for printing with red and blue paint.  We will also be using maps and road atlases for painting.