PeeWees: Not a Box (week 2)

This week we continued where we left off.  There was box playing.  Much of it.

 

When, during circle time, the kids started tipping out of their boxes for fun, and someone bonked his head on the wood floor, it was a good time to introduce and distract with Not a Stick.

 

Everyone got a piggie.  Or two.  We talked about pigs' ears and tail, learned the word "snout", and definitely practiced our snorting.  We did not give everyone a stick.  But we had a great time reading the book and finding out all the things Pig pretended his stick to be.  Then we went back and examined the two pages they were most interested in - the dragon, and the dark cave.

Snack - Boxes of raisins, boxes of pretzel sticks.  Loose discussion about other foods that look like sticks, and what we like to do with sticks or pretend them to be (mostly dragons since we really liked that page in the book.)

Art - Riding on the success of last week, more painting.  This time painting sticks I'd glued onto cardboard, with blue glittery paint.

Poppy said hers was a "scary movie." 

 Activity - One of our favorites from the Crazy Box - sorting toothpicks into Parmesan cheese shakers.  Each child  got an empty shaker and a bowl full of toothpicks.  One or two at a time, drop them in the holes.  You will not believe how it holds their focus, even the most active and distractible of the bunch.  And I gave them a lot of toothpicks.  They did it for over ten minutes.  Then when they were done, they emptied them out and did it again.  Hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills for sure.  Plus it's just fun.  If you have a two- or three-year-old, you've got to try this! 

But there is no question that BY FAR the most popular activity at PeeWees is running the loop in my house to music on the computer, instruments in hand.  I led them out in a little marching and galloping, but mostly I stepped aside and let them do their thing.  Ran them for about 10 minutes, then we gathered for closing circle time - reread our books, goodbye song, clean up the rug squares.  Then more running to music until the Moms came.  I think next time we may even do this more often, between transitions.  For 2-year-olds, it's the best.

PeeWees: Not a Box (week 1)

Poppy is two this year.  Which means PeeWees is back.  It's a small cooperative toddler "school" I did with some other moms when Ginger was two.  And we're doing it again with our next set of munchkins.

There are four kids in our group.  We meet once a week for a 2-hour drop-off block.  Each mom takes a turn hosting/teaching the group for two consecutive weeks, then she has six weeks off.  We each follow the same basic schedule: arrival/free play, welcome/circle, snack, art, activity, circle/goodbye.  We share and pass around a bin of supplies: paints, markers, smocks, alphabet chart, parachute, CD, rug squares. Our teacher pool consists of an art historian, an avid athlete and outdoorswoman, a speech-language pathologist, and an early childhood music teacher.  Not bad, eh?

But here's what I'm really excited about.  This year we are using an approach called The Storybook Journey.  I first experienced it when I was doing my graduate practicum hours in  the Child Learning Center at the University of Colorado.  It's a literature-based approach to every aspect of curriculum: "The environment, materials, and experiences are intentionally designed to immerse the children in a playful exploration of the story's rich literacy potential, concepts, vocabulary, sequence, and plot, as well as the sheer delight of exploring a story through their play." (The Storybook Journey: Pathways to Learning through Story and Play by Sue McCord.)

We are obviously more low-key than a full-blown preschool program, but here's how we will do it.  Each teacher will choose a book she wants to use for each 2-week block.  She plans by brainstorming every single concept she can eek from it, from colors and art, to concrete objects, to life lessons and emotional or literary concepts, etc.  Then she chooses how she can apply any or all of those ideas into the daily schedule.  We'll always introduce and read the book during welcome/circle time, and again at closing circle time.  And in between, well, that's the journey!

I went first this year.  Here's what we did.

Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

Concepts: bunnies, cardboard, black & white, black/white & red, pretending a thing is something different, boxes, squares/rectangles, firemen, mountains/mountain climbing, robots, cars, thinking, asking and answering questions, "NOT", pirates, boats/ships, elephants, hot air balloons, rocket ships, wh-questions, things that rhyme with "box"

Related/support books: Too Princessy by Jean Reidy, Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis

Week 1
Arrival -  Big and little empty boxes to play with
Snack - Boxes of goldfish and boxes of juice; loose discussion about what else comes in boxes

 

Art - Paint your own "Not a Box" page (with glittery red paint!)

Before

My sample

Artists at work

Finished prducts

 Activity - Building with blocks

They all worked together to build "a city"

In closing - Everyone got a bunny (or two or three) and sat in a box while we re-read the book for the third or fourth time.

Then after the goodbye song, we turned on music and hopped around the house like bunnies until the moms came. 

Poppy's conclusion of the day: "I like my school.  They are all boys.  But it is good."  When I asked her what was her favorite part, and named a few of her choices, she replied, "I like all of those.  They are all my favorite."

Three Black Ruffles

Every time Poppy wears this one ruffled-black-skirt-with-ruched-gray-leggings-attached that I bought for her before she was even born, I feel deeply tickled to have three daughters in an age when ruffles are a trend.  Especially.  When she runs.

Easter Girls

Triplets Chant

This month is flying.  We are still recovering from Christmas, as we roll uncontrollably into birthday season.

In the meantime.  The girls sometimes sit on the stairs and sing a "sisters" song together, looking into the mirror there.  The song is different every time; I've recorded a few.  More recently, they made up a sisters' chant, and I filmed it on Sunday.  It's a 16-second representation of the unity I hope they always maintain.  Of course we use the term "triplets" loosely; we gloss over the fact that they were all born a few years apart.

Transcript:
I am Triplet One!  I have lots of fun!
I am Triplet Two!  I know what to do!
I am Triplet Three!  I will say, "YIPEE!"

First Day of Preschool

OK we are really in full swing around here.  Ginger (finally) started preschool last week - here are her first day pics.  

 

(She is all about that belt - I don't get it, shiny pink buckle with rainbow hearts all around, I mean what is there for a 4-year-old to like?)

 And in case you were wondering, yes that's a pug on Poppy's shirt, with a pearl necklace and bow - thank you Walmart!!!

Speaking of Poppy, I haven't posted pics in awhile.  Here she was on Sunday.  A notably "Kari" outfit so I had to take some photos.  She is 17 months and quite the bug, extremely astute and following everything her sisters do. 

Berries

14 Months

I was just going to write a quickie update on Poppy, then I got a call to go pick up Hazel at the school clinic so this will be even shorter than quickie. Just look how beautiful she is:She loves reading books, being held, saying "Mama!" one million times each day, yelling at the top of her lungs, rough housing, climbing, shoes, getting wet, grapes, pasta with red sauce, fruit snacks, playing with food cans, and toothbrushes.

She does not love milk, being scolded, or sitting still.

She is always cute...but cutest when sleeping or laughing. Gotta run!