Birds and Movement!

This week we talked a lot about birds, sang songs about birds, read books about birds and the sounds they make, and prepared some bird feeders for our outdoor area. We practiced listening silently to hear the birds in our yard. There are many species that call our area home. We saw hummingbirds, scrub jays, crows, chickadees, sparrows, robins and flickers!

Scooping birdseed into our new feeder.

Carefully mixing sugar into hot water to make hummingbird nectar.

Even though spring is nearly two months away, the warm sunny weather has brought out not only birds but the insects and flowers as well. We delighted in finding these treasures during outside play.

How do worms feel on our hands? How can we hold them gently?

The first dandelion pops its head out of the ground!

All this sunshine has renewed interest in the sandbox. Everybody in!

Every day we explore different ways to move, whether we pretend to be a herd of elephants stomping around outside, or singing songs that tell us to hop, tiptoe, crawl, or slither on the ellipse inside. Children are naturally drawn to games and activities that limit their movement in some way. It takes a lot of will power to follow along when we clap and then stop, or dance and then freeze. We are also learning to carry things carefully across a room, without spilling water or letting a rug unroll before we get where we are going.

Sometimes you just gotta dance.

Beanbag toss is a new choice outside

Carrying a scoopful of sand across the yard takes concentration.

Climb up and jump down!

Inside we are still doing many activities to strengthen and refine motor control as well as orient to the classroom. There are so many things to look at in the classroom; it can be overwhelming. This week we went on "treasure hunts" together, gathering objects of the same color in a basket, naming them, and then putting them away. This orients children to where things are in the classroom, gives them the vocabulary to know what they are using, and it's a lot of fun to go search for things!