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Today was chock-filled with fun activities for all the children! Once we finished our morning routine, we talked about making water flavored with fruit to refresh us during snack time. The children and I agreed it would be a perfect way to refresh our bodies after some outdoor play in the heat. We decided to add strawberries and some mint leaves. This was a perfect opportunity for the little in attendance to "cook," so we let her add all the strawberries...
...and most of the mint leaves.
After this, we talked about other things that could be refreshing on a hot summer day. One child suggested eating ice cream and so we talked about what we needed to buy ice cream from the ice cream truck. In our neighborhood, prices range from $1.50 to $3.00, so we used a variety of change and dollar bills to create different totals in the same range. We also worked on the value of specific coins by playing a game of "fair trading" where the children were given pennies and had to count out the corresponding number of pennies in order to trade for nickels, dimes, or quarters.
After putting all the change away and washing our hands, we stepped outside to engage in some water play. First, we used the slip and slide to stomp...
...splash...
...and slide in the cool water.
After drying off a little, the children and I enjoyed our flavored water along with our snack. The water was tasty and since it had been stored in the fridge, it was ever so refreshing!
After that, we gathered sponges and practiced wringing them out. This work was wonderful for strengthening the muscles responsible for fine motor control. The children also enjoyed washing off some cars and trucks in a low bin.
Once all our water play equipement was put away, we checked the garden for new growth. We found two bright, beautiful new flowers blooming in the garden- an orange nasturtium...
... and a fuschia zinnia. They are lovely!
The children always spend a few minutes in the flower garden. It's wonderful to watch them take in the variety of shapes, colors, textures, scents, and sounds and know that they are connecting with nature on their terms in the garden!
We also checked the vegetable plants for ripe vegetables and found three ripe cucumbers and several ripe zucchini. One child spotted an orange tomato, but we talked about how it needs a few more days to ripen before we pick it.
Later in the day we enjoyed reading Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe, The Rain Babies, and Jack's Garden. We talked about how there is rain in each of the stories and that rain is a wonderful part of the summer because it feeds all the plants and refreshes all the animals.
See you tomorrow!