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We're so happy to be taking full advantage of June and all the wonderful things it holds! We made another foray to the jewel of a park we found yesterday and saw many interesting things along the way.
We began our day with calendar and weather, then we moved on to some new clapping games and our new June circle time rhymes. One of them goes like this:
A caterpillar crawled to the top of a tree,
"I think I'll take a nap," said he.
Under a leaf he began to creep,
To spin his cocoon,
And he feel asleep.
Caterpillar, wind about,
Round and round and in and out
And when you're fed,
You spin your bed...
Now go to sleep..
Deep, deep sleep…
And as a caterpillar dies,
You waken as a butterfly….
Butterflies, Butterflies,
Now fly away to the blossoms!
Fly red wings!
Fly yellow wings!
Now fly away to the blossoms!
As the children become familiar with this circle time rhyme, they will work on listening skills while engaging gross motor skills and imaginations. The children will pretend to be the caterpillar in the song and we'll be working on lying down when it's time for the caterpillar to fall asleep. I'll cover each of the children with a playsilk and we'll take a moment of silence after each child is settled, then I will help the children learn to hold the silk behind them like a butterfly's wings and visit "flowers" around the room to sip nectar. We may not have the moves down perfectly right now, but by the end of the month I'm sure the children will have it down pat!
After our circle time, it was time to set out for the park again. This time we took a different route that brought us through "the woods." On our way we played "I Spy" and saw...
... a solitary egg lying on the ground...
... some young green blackberries...
... some beautiful purple-tipped grasses...
... and a birdhouse a swallow was using to hold its nest.
Once we got to the park, the childrend split off, wandering to whatever activity appealed to them the most.
They hammed it up on the bridge...
...climbed tall ladders...
... dug for buried treasures...
... and practiced using the merry-go-round safely.
While we were at the park, the children had the chance to practice our nice manners when some other children arrived at the park. We introduced ourselves, took turns, and included the other chlidren in our games. The other adults at the park were very impressed with the children's behavior! The children also had a nice opportunity to practice putting on and taking off their shoes all by themselves since everyone's shoes were full of sand from the sandbox.
On our way home, we played some more "I Spy." As we walked past a large field, we spotted some geese and took a break to watch them. They were grazing, and I pointed out how one goose in a flock always remains alert for danger while the others eat. That's a good way to stay safe! One of the children found the remains of a crayfish. We wondered what type of animal made a meal out of the crayfish and marveled at the size of the crayfish.
By the time we got home, everyone was tired and hungry, so we ate lunch quickly and rested. Everyone awoke refreshed and ready to go outside again to enjoy the glorious sunshine. We set out for a walk around the neighborhood and greeted the neighbors who were outside. There are sure to be some rainy days perfect for catching up on our reading, so we take advantage of every moment of gorgeous days like these!
See you tomorrow!