A Snowy Day

A large piece of cardboard provides a lot of creativity for our MWF prek students. A large piece of cardboard covered with blue wrapping paper that was donated to our program.

Let it snow! Let it snow!  Let it snow!

White paint in egg cartons with corks and some enthusiastic artists cause winter flurries.

 

 

 

 

 

Quilt batting and craft stuffing create a bed of snow.

 

Do you want to draw a snowman?

 

Paint and a Plunger

Cold weather means we need to keep our preschoolers busy indoors.  The end of January was Letter P week.  New toilet plungers provide a unique painting experience for our MWF preK students. We used large chart paper on our art table and smaller plastic lids were used to create smaller circles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The next step was to cut the large pieces into fourths and place at the easel.

 

Pablo Picasso

Our MWF preK students are doing a study of Pablo Picasso and his art.  We introduced Picasso during Letter P week in January.  We read our color words and revisited warm & cool colors.  We have started with Picasso's Blue and Rose Period.  Our vocabulary word was 'period'.  The Blue and Rose Period were a time in Picasso's life. In the introduction to Picasso's Blue Period, we showed the children several pieces (Old Guitarist and Woman Ironing).  We talked about the body position, color and how the guitarist and woman feel.  We also introduced the word  'monochromatic' and on Wednesday one teacher was dressed in pinks and the other blues (unintentional but ask your child who was in pink and who was in blue).

To experience the Blue and the Rose period, we gave each child a small piece of tag-board and placed crayons in the center of the table.  After they colored for a time, each child was given a bottle of glue and pieces of  die-cuts were placed on the table.  There were recognizable shapes like boats, cars and animals.  Basic shapes like circles, squares and triangles were included and some abstract pieces.  This is our first year with this project and we were delighted to see that the children created stories, looked intentionally for certain shapes. The conversation at the tables was engaging and very animated. The Blue Period was done in one class session and the next class we created the Rose Period pieces.

 

 

These two pieces with the boats were created by students in two different classes.  Each had a story about the boats and a storm.

 

Picasso's Rose Period

Elmer 2015

"If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be."

Maya Angelou

Our TTh students really had a good time with the Elmer activities in our classroom (many activities will continue through next week). We created an Elmer together with tissue paper scraps.

 

 

 

 

Scrapbook paper makes an elephant look different.  Stripes or spots?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elephants are big! Big elephants are at the easel for painting.

 

Die cut elephants (cereal boxes) are at a center for counting.  Have a teacher check and press the easy button!

 

 

Our Elmer snack was pretzel sticks which are all the same and Skittles that are colorful and different!

We reenacted Elmer which provided lots and lots of laughs.  Ask your child if they were Elmer or an elephant. We also learned that elephants live in Africa and Asia.  Elephants have tusks and a trunk and much more. Want to do more with your child?

Elephant cams in Africa and the San Diego zoo---
http://www.elecam.org/
http://kids.sandiegozoo.org/animal-cams-videos/elephant

Elmer---
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSo9fQmpZs0

National Geographic Kids is a great resource---
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

Dare to Be Different

 

Our TTh students will be learning that it's okay to be different.  Elmer by David McKee is a wonderful story showing children the beauty of being unique.  We have used this book for several years and each year have added a new activity.  We will create our own Elmer---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2013/02/elmer-elephant.html 

We will create an Elmer together with dot markers at the art center---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2014/02/elmer-elephant-2014.html 

Large elephant shapes will also be at the easel.

Stripes or polka dots?  You will have to wait and see what your child decides!

 Donated scrapbook paper made these elephants super special!

 

Our MCP students love to reenact stories.  I made an Elmer apron from a sheet and we will have grey t-shirts for the other 'elephants'.  I have had this pattern for ages but it will give those who want to recreate for the classroom an idea on how-to.  I used elastic on the sides instead of a tie for ease of on and off with the children.

 

 

The things that make me different are the things that make me.

Winnie the Pooh    A. A. Milne