Hello YPT Families,
We have had one busy and exciting week! Our first snowfall of the season brought excitement and new opportunities for play. The children enjoyed using the snow shovels, sliding down the hills, and scooping snow into the dump trucks. They are also learning how to walk slowly and carefully when there is ice. One morning we noticed a squirrel in one of our Side Yard trees. We watched it as it watched us. Later, we noticed it had fallen asleep, and we watched how quickly it was breathing. Later, another child noticed the ice crystals on the slide and said it looked “sparkly.” We noticed that the sparkles were only seen where the sun was shining. One child exclaimed that it must be magical. We looked around the play yard for other evidence of sparkles. This conversation sparked a discussion about snow at meeting.
Inside, we did a lot of fine motor and sensory work. We used big sponges in the water table to transfer the water into buckets. This develops hand strength and hand-eye coordination. We added spices to paint and let the children explore with the added elements of scent and texture. Our YPT hair salon was very popular, and the children enjoyed using the combs, brushes, curling iron, and figuring out how to open and close the various clips and barrettes. We introduced stamps and ink pads, and several children enjoyed this activity in depth. On Friday, the children were highly engaged in scooping, transferring, and pouring the water beads in the sensory table. We also continued our exploration with collage in the Multi-Purpose Room.
Our class party will be December 21st from 11:00-11:30ish. We will post a sign up sheet outside the door if any families would like to brings treats or snacks. We will not have lunch that day.
We hope you have a great weekend!
Rebecca and Kim
