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We've been working hard on our frog, caterpillar, and bee fingerplays in the morning, and the children's favorite appears to be the caterpillar rhyme. Their favorite part is going to sleep as a caterpillar, being covered by a playsilk, and then awakening as a butterfly complete with colored "wings" as they stand up and wave the playsilk behind them like wings.
After our morning routine, we set out for the wonderful new park. Along the way we saw many wild and interesting things including:
...wild roses...
... a wild bunny...
...some wild flowers that were two of the girls' favorite color...
...and a wild toad. We took some time noting what made the toad different from frogs we've seen. We decided that the toad's skin is rougher and that it is a different color than a frog. I also pointed out that we found the toad much farther from water than we would find a frog. We gently let the toad down in the same spot we found it so it could continue its business.
When we got to the park the children had a lovely time working on their strength on the monkey bars...
... fooling around on the floating steps...
... riding the green dinosaur...
...and using the swings.
We had even more wild encounters at the park. We spotted a jeuvenille robin and watched its mother bring it some extra food...
... and we found a ladybug. We talked about the food chain and how ladybugs eat other smaller bugs that can be harmful to a garden. We decided to bring the ladybug home to see if it would eat some aphids that were on the basil play we are growing. We gently put it in a gallon ziplock bag and set off for home.
On the way home we gathered in the gazebo to sip some water and played "I Spy" to work on listening skills and observation. It was lots of fun and we noticed many things about our surroundings that would likely have gone unnoticed if we hadn't played the game.
When we got home we released the ladybug on the aphid-infected plant and the ladybug went right to work. It got a good meal!
Later in the afternoon we read Opposites and a book of shapes, then we looked around the room to find as many shapes as possible. It's tough to find triangles and octogons!
See you tomorrow!