Two Weeks of Growing, Playing and Learning Together

Dear Parents,

We had an amazing two weeks in our Infants and Toddlers class! The children enjoyed doing different activities and were very excited to explore, play, and learn together. We’re so proud of their curiosity and joy each day! Read on for some more details…

Large Group

During our large group sessions, we began by singing our cheerful Hello Song. As we sang, we called each child’s name and said “Good morning” while waving our hands. The children were very happy to hear their names and responded with big smiles and waves. Next, we invited the children to choose their favorite songs. They excitedly chose Baby Shark and The Wheels on the Bus. Everyone joined in singing and doing the actions together with lots of energy and laughter.

After singing, we moved on to our attendance routine. Each child took their picture and stuck it on the happy face board. We celebrated each turn with a big high-five! The children were very patient, waiting for their turns nicely and showing excitement when it was their turn. Then, we counted how many friends were present and how many were absent. The children used counting sticks and counted out loud together. They were so proud to shout the numbers and show what they know!

Then,  we read the story “Little Lion Shares”. The children listened with focus and interest, talking about what they saw in the pictures and learning about sharing and kindness. To finish, we stood up and danced to one of the class’s favorite songs, I Like to Move It! The children moved their bodies, laughed, and enjoyed the rhythm. After the dance, everyone took a drink of water. Our teddy bear helper gave everyone a big “Good Job!” hug to celebrate their wonderful participation.

Gymnastics

During the past two weeks, our gymnastics class focused on balancing and walking activities. At the beginning of each session, we gathered the children and explained how to walk carefully and keep their balance. We showed them how to place one foot in front of the other and reminded them to take their time and move slowly. The children took turns patiently, waiting for their friends to finish before starting their own walk. They showed great listening skills and followed directions well. As they walked across the balancing line, they concentrated on keeping their balance and moving steadily. Some children stretched out their hands to help themselves stay balanced, while others smiled proudly as they reached the end of the line. After everyone had a turn, the children walked together with their friends. We played cheerful music in the background, and the atmosphere became very joyful. The children moved their bodies to the rhythm and showed excitement and confidence while balancing.

Literacy and Language / Fine Motor Skills Development

During our literacy and language session this two weeks, we focused on developing the children’s fine motor skills through a hands-on activity using empty water bottles and their caps. First, we gathered the materials together and placed them in the middle of the table. Then, each child received one bottle, and we demonstrated how to open and close the lid carefully. After watching the demonstration, the children began to practice on their own. Some children were able to open and close their bottles very quickly, while others took their time and concentrated on the movement. Many of them asked for more bottles because they were so excited and wanted to keep practicing. This activity helped the children strengthen their hand muscles, improve their finger coordination, and develop control and concentration all important for later writing and self-help skills. The children were very engaged throughout the activity, smiling, laughing, and showing pride when they managed to twist the cap by themselves.

Art

In the first week, the children participated in a leaf stamping activity during our art session. We began by collecting leaves of different sizes and shapes from outside. Then we prepared various colors of paint, along with brushes and sponges. Before starting, we demonstrated to the children how to dip the leaves into the paint and press them onto paper to make colorful prints. The children were very excited as they explored the different patterns and colors that appeared. They enjoyed experimenting with mixing colors and creating beautiful leaf prints on their papers.

In the second week, we introduced ice painting, which was a fun sensory experience for the children. We prepared the materials ahead of time by freezing different colors of paint into ice cubes. During the activity, each child received a piece of white paper and chose their favorite paint color. As they moved the frozen paint on the paper, they watched the colors melt and spread, creating unique designs. The children were very curious and amazed by how the ice melted and changed into paint.

Science

During our science session the children explored a hands-on frozen animals experiment. First, we prepared the activity by placing small animal toys in containers of water and freezing them overnight. During the session, we gathered together and showed the children the frozen blocks of ice with the animals trapped inside. The children were very curious and excited as they observed the ice. Before touching it, they tried to guess what was inside and named the animals they could see through the ice. Then we placed the ice blocks in a large basin, and the children began to explore with their hands. They touched, tapped, and rubbed the ice, noticing how cold and slippery it felt. As the ice started to melt, the children became even more excited to see the animals slowly coming out. This activity encouraged the children to observe, make predictions, and experiment with cause and effect  watching how ice changes when it starts to melt. It also supported their language development, as they talked about what they saw and shared their ideas with friends.

Math

During the past two weeks, our math activities focused on counting and color sorting using blocks and pom-poms. At the beginning of each session, we placed the materials in the middle of the circle to let the children explore freely. The children touched, picked up, and observed the different colors and sizes of the blocks and pom-poms with great curiosity. After a short exploration time, we demonstrated how to count the items one by one and sort them by color. The children were very excited to try it themselves. They began sorting the pom poms and blocks into groups red with red, blue with blue, and so on  while also counting aloud how many they had in each group. Throughout the activity, the children showed wonderful focus and teamwork. Some children even helped their friends who needed support, showing kindness and cooperation. The activity encouraged their math thinking, color recognition, counting skills, and fine motor development.

Our schedule for next week:

Monday – Library

Tuesday – Gymnastics

Wednesday – Literacy

Thursday – Science

Friday – Math

Our specials:

Wednesday- Art

Tuesday- Music and movement

Friday- Ethiopian Center

Reminders:

Every Wednesday is art day, so please send your child with art appropriate clothing.

Every Monday is library day,  so we will be sending a book that your child picked from our library, which will be returned after a week on library day.

Have a nice weekend!