Shawnee Home Preschool

Rules, Safety and Signs! Shawnee Home Preschool in Lima, Ohio had an exciting first week back to school. Every school day we rotate through art, circle time, centers, music/dance, outdoor play, lunch, drama, fingerplays, stories, quiet time, and board games.

At circle time, we always review our first and last name, the season, weather, date, month and day of the week. We also discuss the letter of the week (Aa) and its sound, words that start with that letter (can you find the letter in your name), the number of the week (1), sorting numbers 1-10, counting as we do an exercise move, the color of the week (red- can you find it in the room?), the shape of the week (octagon- because that is the shape of a stop sign). We review the daily schedule to get a sense of what comes before and after each activity.

Following this, we spent the week focusing on the week’s theme: Rules, Safety and Signs! Since everything was new it was important to establish rules. We decided the rules together.

Shawnee Home Preschool Rules

1. Wash our hands before our school day and before we eat, and after bathroom use.
2. Use our walking feet inside.
3. Clean up each mess before we get out something new.

We discussed how rules keep us safe (from getting sick or injured). This segwayed into our lesson about traffic and signs and how to walk safely outside.

In art we created a traffic light, a stop sign, some mini models, and a vehicle collage. We also practiced writing numbers, shapes and letters in a notebook. This works to improve fine motor muscle skills.

At circle time, we learned to look for signs when out and about to help us know what to do. We went over “Stop, look and listen” before crossing a street, to always hold an adults hand and to cross at the cross walk. Most importantly, to never run into the street after a ball or for any reason. We went outside to sit on the porch and listen to the sounds around us, including the sounds of cars (so we know what to listen for). We also counted the wheels on a parked car. Lastly, we discussed the importance of seatbelts in cars and helmets for bikes.

At centers, we had a playdough and cake party, created a hospital with sick dolls, became construction workers to fix a house, buried treasure in sand, and floated boats and dinosaurs in water.

Music and movement is a favorite time of the day with games such as “The Floor Is Lava” and “Listen and Do”. In addition, we love dancing to Crazy Frog and Dance Monkey. We also learn about rhythm and beat using a variety of musical instruments.

We tied in the traffic safety theme in our fingerplays, drama games and stories. Acting out scenarios such as a ball running into the street and what to do.

Outside we worked on gross motor skills by playing Red Light Green Light, balancing on a beam, going through an obstacle course, running, skipping, hopping and galloping in circles, playing in a fort made of boxes and flying paper airplanes.

At lunch we have special divided plates for the four different food groups. We discuss each group and ensure we always have a grain, protein, fruit and vegetable (with a glass of milk).

After some quiet time, we finish off our days with games such as dominoes, candy land or story cubes. All in all, a great week in Preschool: Rules/Safety/Signs! I look forward to Shawnee Home Preschool’s next week’s theme: Being A Good Friend!

Being A Good Friend was the theme this week at Shawnee Home Preschool in Lima, Ohio. We made cards for friends and family during art time, tracing shapes, and using crayons, paints, cutouts, and markers. We also created friendship bracelets and necklaces by threading colorful beads.

During circle time, we reviewed the ABC song and phonics, first and last name (and their letters), season, month, date, day of the week, and weather. Our letter of the week was Bb, our color was blue, our number was 2 and our shape was a rectangle. We worked on arranging numbers 1-10 and counting to 20 with exercises. We learned the ASL for Bb and tried to make our bodies in the shape of a B or b. There were lots of creative ideas for this!

Before we started our discussion of being a good friend we clapped the syllables of all of our friends and family that we could think of. Then we talked about sharing, taking turns, using kind words and a calm voice, being a friend to someone who is alone, giving help, asking for help, respecting other people and their things, and comforting those who need comfort. We talked about some situations that make it hard to be a good friend and some ideas of things to do or ways to think differently about those situations. We also practiced saying please and thank you.

In centers, we made a tea party with play dough, hid items in the sand for hide-and-seek, built a lego castle, constructed a giant floor puzzle, and constructed a road for small cars.

During music and movement, we had lots of fun doing dance and freeze games and rhyme and exercise dances while we jingled our musical instruments.

Outside we explored nature by doing a scavenger hunt looking for a flower, a pinecone, leaves, grass, and berries. We also looked at birds, butterflies, and jumping fish in a pond using binoculars. The next day, we talked about being a good friend to our community by picking up trash if we see it on the ground. We took a short walk looking for trash. We wore gloves to protect our hands and found a few things to put in our trash bag. We also practiced catching, throwing, kicking, and bouncing different-sized balls. Finally, we used sidewalk chalk to play hopscotch and tic tac toe.

Later, we played mirror/do-as-I’m-doing for drama games, reviewed some fingerplays/songs such as “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes”, and read stories about being a good friend such as “Be Kind” by Pat Miller Zietlow and “Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party” by James and Kimberly Dean.

We ended each day playing Candy Land, Connect 4, and Dominoes. We had a good week learning how to be a good friend! I look forward to next week when we will explore naming and feeling/handling our emotions.

Feelings and Emotions was this week’s theme at Shawnee Home Preschool. We did a lot of fun activities related to feelings and emotions. For art time we colored different facial expressions and discussed the feelings and emotions they represented. Later we made puppets with different emotional expressions.

Circle Time

We reviewed the month, season, days of the week, and weather. We went over the letter of the week and found that letter in our names. We looked for the color of the week in the room (yellow/giant stuffed minion) and discussed what things were the in the shape of the week (ie starfish/star). We made all of the sounds of the letters in the alphabet and sang the ABC song. We worked on counting 1-20 and arranging numbers 1-10. We always count as we do a simple exercise. We did pushups, jumping jacks, and sit-ups this week. We also started writing the letter and number of the week on the chalkboard.

For our lesson time we learned about how it is okay to experience all of our feelings as we go through life, but it’s our job to express the feelings in a nice way. The way to do this is to use our words, label our feelings and work to resolve (take turns?) or think differently about the situation. I also introduced ideas of ways to deal with anxiety (ie deep breaths, calm thoughts) and increase joy (ie doing something nice for someone). I love it when we can connect real-life experiences to what we are learning in school.

Centers

We enjoyed playing hide and seek while dressed up and acting like different characters.

Outside Time

We got lots of exercise kicking a giant ball through the back forest. We also made stops along the way to check out bugs and butterflies. This week, we also traced shapes with chalk on the cement and tried to throw the bean bag shapes into their traced spot. In addition, we played a giant Jenga game and then practiced following directions (ie put the green block under the blue block, put the pink block next to the green block, etc.). Finally, we played croquet in the backyard, seeing who could roll the ball the furthest, and then we jumped over the croquet hoops.

Stories, Drama, Songs, and Fingerplays

After reading the book, “The Way I Feel” by Janan Cain several times, I closed the book and said, “It’s time for you to tell me the story! What happens in this book?” We have also started to build a repertoire of common fingerplays and songs. For drama games, we practiced tongue twisters and then shouted the word “Spaghetti” using different emotions.

Table-top Writing and Games

After quiet time we spent some time writing a few letters and shapes in a workbook and freehand. We also sorted colored dinosaurs into their matching bowl. Later we added counters to our sorting. We started exploring which pile has more and which has less and counting them to check. What a fun week!

Usually a month only has 4 weeks, but August had 5, so we got a bonus week! We used the last days of August to review what we have learned so far.

In Art, we painted happy and sad pictures which turned out to be (according to the kid’s explanations) outer space and a brown rainbow with happy eyes. We also colored more pictures with emotions and talked more about feelings.

At Circle Time, we reviewed letters ABC, and numbers 123 and all of the shapes and colors we had gone over. The kids enjoyed making their bodies into different letters and finding the colors in the room. We also practiced introducing ourselves using our full name and finding our name on a magnetic board. We also looked and colored on pictures of happy children playing nicely and doing something nice for someone else.

During Center Time we had dress up time, play dough, legos, sand play, and we even had a pretend sleep over where we all told our scariest, funniest ghost stories. We then enjoyed dancing and jumping around during music and movement with the lights turned down and our disco ball on!

Outside, we went for a walk through the woods using a ribbon to keep our group together. We saw lots of bugs and butterflies. Next, we went on a pretend adventure. I showed them a picture of a real tunnel and then we went through a tunnel, then a real bridge and we walked along a wood plank “bridge”, a cave was an empty dog kennel with a blanket over the top, a river was a long jump rope on the ground and a pond was a hula hoop. I asked them, “How are we going to get through this “tunnel” etc. and we went through it all like an obstacle course.

During lunch we used cookies with letters to spell all of our names. And finished up with sorting dinosaur figures. They couldn’t get enough of this game! For September we will start on the theme – Healthy Habits!

Healthy Habits was the theme for the first of September at Shawnee Home Preschool in Lima, Ohio. We had lots of fun in art with aluminum foil crafts and healthy habits coloring and cutouts.

During circle time we learned about the letter D, the days of the week, the season, the weather, and the color and shape of the week. We are focusing on learning our ABCs, their sounds, counting, patterns, and rhymes. Finally, we discussed the importance of healthy habits such as washing hands, brushing teeth, exercising, and eating a healthy diet. We also read books on these subjects.

In center time, the children enjoyed playing in the cardboard playhouse and having a healthy tea party with the stuffed animals and dolls. Can you find which piece of cake has healthy toppings?

Outdoor time was especially fun this week as we practiced outdoor gymnastics and dressed up as naturalist explorers, capturing bugs to look at closely. Even more exciting was chasing the bubbles from the bubble gun! That really wore them out!

Thanks for reading Healthy Habits at Shawnee Home Preschool! Next week will be Making Good Choices!

Making Good Choices was the theme for the second week of Shawnee Home Preschool in September. This was an exciting week because we celebrated a birthday and the first day of fall!

For Art, markers and paints were used to color pictures while we talked about making good choices. We also used this time to talk about their names, the letters in their names and, if possible, the children try to write their names or some letters themselves.

At Circle time, we focused on the letter E, the color pink, and the shape of a heart. We practiced A-E using sign language, reviewed the letter sounds, and practiced syllables, counting, rhyming, and patterns. Every day this week there was a multiple choice quiz using the Making Good Choices cards. It was super exciting when we got to change the season to fall! Next week will be all about fall.

We had a special birthday party at lunch and a pretend one during Center time.

On the other days, we discussed making good choices during pretend play; such as taking turns and playing nicely.

Outside we made shapes and drawings with chalk. We also went on a walk in the backyard to collect leaves and rocks for next week’s art projects.

During story and fingerplay time we went over our usual songs, adding a new one every day. This week we learned a song that uses one’s name and address. We discussed the importance of knowing your full name, address, and parent’s names just in case of an emergency situation- such as getting lost. This is a great new song to add to our list of fingerplays. We also read books about telling the truth and how to make things right after a mistake.

I hope you enjoyed Making Good Choices! Next week will be All About Fall!

All About Fall was the theme for the last week in September at Shawnee Home Preschool. We had a fun week learning all about the wonderful season of fall.

For art, we worked with natural objects such as leaves, rocks, and pine cones as well as traditional coloring pages.

During circle time, we went over our usual letters, numbers, colors, and shapes as well as learning about seasons and why leaves change color and fall to the ground.

At center time, we acted out some common fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs.

During outside time, we explored how fall was changing the landscape. We collected leaves, and sticks and spotted some butterflies. Next, we counted the sticks and formed them into letters. We also played a game of memory add-on, doing gymnastics tricks on a mat outside, and taking turns trying to remember all of the tricks the other person did.

Other activities we did this week included playing Go Fish, using math counters for adding and subtraction, practicing writing our names, and other skills, but the favorite time is always music and movement!

Thanks for reading All About Fall! Next week will be learning about Conflict Resolution!

Conflict Resolution was the theme for the first week of October at Shawnee Home Preschool. It was a fun week because we had a beautiful new friend join us! Playing with friends is so much fun!

In regards to our theme, we learned what to do if children are playing together and they all want to do different things. We also talked about how to join/ enter a group of friends and how not to give up. We learned to think about how to solve a conflict with words and ideas rather than hitting, screaming or throwing, etc.

In Art, we did various projects including painting rocks, coloring, and making a tree collage and placemat. We practiced writing names, or if they couldn’t write, they just listened to the letters in their name as I wrote them down.

For Circle time, we focused on the letter G, the color orange, and the shape of a heart. We checked the weather, and the calendar and noted the season. We practiced saying our full names, clapping the syllables, and finding the letters in our names. We then did exercises while counting. Centers were lots of fun with dress-up, cars, and tea parties. Music/Movement/Dance time is always super fun with lots of friends!

Outside we collected leaves, acorns, and flowers. We played I spy, observed the clouds, set up an obstacle course, played Marco Polo, and threw rocks in the pond to make a big splash.

All in all a great week at Shawnee Home Preschool! Next week is all about Dinosaurs!

Dinosaurs was the theme for the second week in October at Shawnee Home Preschool. We made dinosaur arts and crafts, learned about dinosaurs, sang dinosaur songs, danced dinosaur dances, played with dinosaur toys, read dinosaur books and went on a dinosaur hunt (aka scavenger hunt since real dinosaurs are hard to find these days!).

The letter of the week was H, the color was green and the shape was a diamond (also called a rhombus which we discussed). We practiced our names and addresses. We checked the weather, the date, the season and the days of the week. We practiced patterns and rhymes, and we got a lot of exercise with counting and games.

The children also played dolls, had tea parties, danced and played zoo.

Outside on our scavenger hunt I was so excited when we spotted a fluffy catepillar! Afterwards, we watched a short clip of how a catepillar turns into a butterfly. During our outdoor walk I told the kids to smile for a photo and they spontaneously struck a pose!

Thanks for reading Dinosaurs! Next week will be Non-Scary Halloween!

Non-Scary Halloween was the theme for the third week at Shawnee Home Preschool. It was a super fun week full of costumes, music, books, crafts, and games! We also focused on the letter I, the number 7, the color black, and the crescent shape. We reviewed the ABCs in sign language and practiced writing and making the sounds of letters. We enjoyed counting to 100 together and sorting numbers in the correct order as fast as possible!

Fun with Fall Crafts

Center time was extra fun playing dress-up, mummies, shadow puppets, cars, and playdough tea parties.

Outside, we spread peanut butter and birdseed on pinecones and strung some popcorn to put out for the birds. We also made leaf rubbings and hid some painted rocks to find again a few days later! We found all but one… it’s still out there somewhere!

Thanks for reading Non-Scary Halloween! Next time will be all about bodies!

Bodies and Confidence was the theme for the first week in November at Shawnee Home Preschool. This week we talked about our bodies and the awesome things our bodies can do. We also talked about the names of body parts including our muscles and skeleton bones! Next, we discussed body safety and body autonomy, and consent- for example, asking if it’s okay to give someone (new to you) a hug and that it’s always okay to say “no thank you” to any touch that makes you feel uncomfortable.

Because Monday was Halloween, we started out talking about our inside bodies- our skeletons and muscles. We also read books and listened to a song about skeletons (ie. the ankle bone is connected to the knee bone, etc.)

We did other art projects for the rest of the week.

For circle time we learned about the letter J, the color white, and the triangle. We discussed how we moved from October to the new month of November and how the weather might change. We reviewed letters, our names, our addresses, rhymes, patterns, and numbers. We even spent a little time discussing skip counting by 10s. During center time, we made a surprise playdough birthday party which was lots of fun!

It’s been a beautiful week to be outside exploring. We discussed what our eyes, ears, hands, and feet can do outside (see the leaves and trees, listen to the wind and the birds, touch the bark and the grass, and run of course). We collected leaves, practiced ball kicking, and kicked the ball through the tunnel, as well as other outdoor activities. The children enjoyed tracing their bodies on the cement with chalk and then naming the body parts. They also spent time making a chalk masterpiece on a large rock.

Thanks for reading Bodies and Confidence! Next week’s theme will be Empathy!

Empathy was the theme for the second week in November at Shawnee Home Preschool. We learned about empathy, which is more than just feeling sorry or pleased with others, but rather imagining exactly how others might be feeling and feeling their emotions with them. It can also be applied to animals and all living things that feel.

For art, we made cards, jewelry, and pictures with the intention of giving to others to make them happy. We also welcomed a fun new friend to the preschool!

During circle time we learned about the letter K, the color blue, and the shape of a circle.

Other activities we enjoyed this week included gathering leaves and making a leaf crown, practicing throwing, catching, and making baskets. We played pretend games, music and danced, outdoor exploring, leaf games, and sorting. On the last day, we made a fun explosion mixing Cola with Mentos. We also planted 3 fall gardens, two indoor and one outdoor. We will check on them daily to see how they grow!

Thanks for reading Empathy! Next week’s theme will be Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving was the theme for the third week at Shawnee Home Preschool. We learned about how the pilgrims sailed across the ocean on the Mayflower to America. We learned how the Native Americans helped them survive by teaching them essential skills like how to grow food. We also talked about how Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family and think about all we are grateful for.

We did a lot of Thanksgiving-themed crafts and games.

During Circle time we learned about the letter L and the color brown. We practiced writing and drawing on the chalkboard. We timed ourselves to see how fast we could lay out the numbers 1-20 in order.

There was a lot of creative play during center time.

We didn’t spend a whole lot of time outside because it was too cold, but we did some science experiments. We created explosions from vinegar and baking soda and made popcorn kernels dance around the water. We also repeated the cola and mentos explosion because it was so much fun. In addition, we watered the bulbs we planted, but I don’t know if the garden will be a success due to the cold spell we have been having, but we will wait and see.

Just before story time, we had fun playing song games such as Ring around the Rosie, London Bridges, Where is the Beehive, and Hickory Dickory Dock among others.

Thank you for reading Thanksgiving at Shawnee Home Preschool! Our next theme will be Money, Jobs and Community Helpers!

Money, Jobs & Community Helpers was this week’s theme at Shawnee Home Preschool. We discussed and played with the four coins- quarter, dime, nickel, and penny, as well as the 1, 5, 10, and 20 dollar bills. We talked about the presidents that were on the money and the value of each. Next, we learned about how we need to do jobs and save our money in order to buy the things we need. Community helpers have jobs that help our communities such as doctors, nurses, military, firemen, police, mail carrier, and construction worker are some examples. We talked about what each of these workers does to help our community.

We did a variety of art related to money while we talked about the values of each. Christmas crafts also snuck in there, as they will throughout the month.

During circle, we talked about the changing weather, the days of the week (what day is it today?), the letter M, the color blue, and the shape of a rectangle. We started a new song counting by 10s. Some extra projects included practicing drawing circles and making a nursery rhyme book, and a picture.

We played store during center and the kids practiced buying and selling items.

The kids then got a little carried about with the play money lol (I’m rich! I’m rich!)

We then checked on our indoor and outdoor gardens. I had to get them to stop watering each other lol (Oh no! You are going to grow too fast if you do that!).

On the last day, the dog daycare bus wasn’t working so we got to take care of the dogs by giving them walks and feeding them.

Thanks for reading Money, Jobs & Community Helpers! Next week will be Rhyming/Clapping/Syllables.

Rhyming/Clapping/Syllables was the theme for the second week in December at Shawnee Home Preschool. We did rhyming and syllable games and exercises with clapping and stomping. We also reviewed coins, colors, shapes, letters, and numbers.

We started off the mornings with a variety of holiday crafts. We also checked on our gardens and added plant food and water as needed.

We focused on the letter N and the color green for this week. We practiced signing all the letters up to N, skip counting by 10s, and lots and lots of rhyming and syllable work. We have started playing Smiley Man (A play on Hang Man) to guess letters and spell familiar words.

We did lots of exercises during centers as well as a giant puzzle, playdough, and pretend games. We even made a giant teepee tent that the kids pretended to sleep in with the lights off and supplied with flashlights.

Outside we played Marco Polo, made big splashes in the pond with rocks, and went on nature walks. One day, after we had done a “dance along with Elsa from Frozen” dance, we went outside and noticed just one area of the yard that had been touched by frost. The children were sure that Elsa had come by and touched that area while we were doing her dance. When the weather was too cold we spent half of the time indoors playing indoor catch, basketball, and games with the bean bags.

We read books with many rhymes which were emphasized. We also read some old favorites such as “Pinkalicious” and “Purplicious”. I also let the kids “read” some familiar stories to me and I was surprised with how well they did. In addition, we reviewed some rhyming fingerplays that were randomly chosen from a can of labeled sticks.

Thanks for reading Rhyming/Clapping/Syllables! The next week and a half will be learning about Christmas and Hanukkah!

Christmas and Hanukkah was the theme for the last week of December at Shawnee Home Preschool. We learned about each holiday and its origins. We celebrated throughout the week with holiday activities and special surprises!

In Art, we did a variety of festive crafts.

For Circle, we focused on the letter O and the color red. We were excited to get to change the season from fall to winter. The outside weather seemed to correspond to the season change as the snow came down and the pond eventually froze.

During Center time, we celebrated by opening a new gift every day – a new toy for the preschool that they could play with during center time. We also had a nativity scavenger hunt. The children enjoyed finding and hiding the nativity pieces and then arranging them into a scene as we discussed who the characters were.

We had a lot of dance parties, some with costumes and tinsel. The tinsel eventually turned into a tinsel monster! We also got a lot of exercise on the mat, playing charades and with the hula hoop.

Outside the children enjoyed taking walks. We hunted for my dog Aspen’s sweater that he had lost and were so excited to find it! We also threw rocks and leaves into the pond. We talked about why some things float and some things sink. And we discovered what happens when you throw a stone into a frozen pond. It doesn’t sink!

We did a couple of science projects. We made a crystal snowflake using a pipe cleaner and some dissolved borax. We also discovered how to create static using a balloon, some rags, and some paper Christmas trees. They magically stick!

The children enjoyed tasting the leaves from the basil, parsley, and dill plants we grew in one of the indoor gardens. However, when I whipped them up into a pesto they were not having any of it! My family loved it though!

We built lots of forts this week. The first was a teepee using long sticks, the second one was under the pool table, and the third one was one of the gifts they opened which was a real-life princess fort and their favorite one yet!

All in all a great holiday week at Shawnee Home Preschool! We are on winter break now and will resume in January with New Year’s Goals!

New Year’s Goals & Resolutions was the theme for the first week of January at Shawnee Home Preschool. We talked about how the last year and month ended and now we have the New Year to celebrate and make some New Year’s Resolutions. We examined a calendar to look at the new month day and year. We discussed what resolutions are and we talked about goals that each child might strive to achieve this year – both academic goals and health goals.

In Art we painted, colored and made crafts about the New Year and other subjects. We also watered our indoor tomato garden and tried the mint herb that finally grew.

At Circle time, we were on the letter P for the week. We have started singing songs that correspond to each letter in the alphabet and the sound it makes, as well as continuing to learn sign language for each letter. We formed letters on the floor using rectangles and paper money. We also started to try to count by fives. We reviewed numbers, colors and shapes. We investigated some environmental print on cereal boxes- naming letters, sounds, pictures, colors and shapes.

The children played with dolls and playdough during Center Time. We have been incorporating nursery rhymes and fairy tales into our day. We practiced the Jack Be Nimble rhyme while coloring a picture of jack in a room lit by a lighted candle. Then we talked about how wax melts, how to be safe around fire and then practiced jumping over the cooled candle (not lit!). But the most fun was playing Simon Says!

For Gross Motor time, we danced and ran and played outside. We looked outside for orange (the color of the week) and examined the differences between the living and dead leaves and grass. We also played with the badmitton rackets and the birdies, and tried a new game called Ogosport which was a big hit. They did great on a balance beam walking toe heal toe. We also played hot potato, did some gymnastics, finger games, action songs and read stories about January and the New Year.

Thanks for reading New Year’s Goals and Resolutions. Next week will be Winter and Snow!

Winter and Snow was the theme for the second week in January at Shawnee Home Preschool. We talked about what makes Winter a special season. We learned how the clouds get heavy with water and turn to snow when the weather gets cold. We also discussed how some animals hibernate, others store food, and some birds go south for the winter.

For Art, we colored lots of snowmen and wintery scenes.

At Circle, we focused on the letter Q. We spelled our names, practiced the ABCs in different ways, sang ABC songs, and counted by ones, fives, and tens. It was easy to know the season and month because it was part of our theme for the week. We also reviewed rhymes, alliteration, colors, shapes, and days of the week.

During center time, there was renewed interest in the sandbox because we added purple sand to the blue to make a swirl of color. We made paths with colored tape leading to a hidden treasure at the end. We also played a version of musical chairs where everyone walks around a pile of blankets and when the music stops you hurry and sit on the pile of blankets or you are out! On the final day, we made the tape into “snowballs” and had an indoor snowball fight.

Outside the children tried to break the ice by throwing rocks into the frozen pond. We filled the bird feeders with birdseed discussing how it is harder for birds to find food in the winter. One day we took the dogs for a walk and once inside, communicated with them through the window. On the last day, we swung on a tree swing, then we played a game where one person closes their eyes and are given something in nature to touch, smell and listen to before guessing what it is.

During drama and storytime, we had fun acting out Jack and the Bean Stock, Hansel, and Gretal, and Mary, Mary Quite Contrary (the children were little seeds that grew into plants and danced around while listening to The Waltz of The Flowers- then we planted a real plant). We also read stories about winter.

Before pick up we played a few games such as Candyland, Go Fish, and Old Maid. Thanks for reading Winter and Snow! Our last theme of January will be all about diversity!

Diversity and Acceptance was the theme for this week at Shawnee Home Preschool. We talked about how we are the same and different from others and how our differences make us special and unique. We talked about being inclusive of different races, ages, and abilities. We laughed about how it would be boring (and creepy) if we were all the same! We also discussed the diversity in the world in terms of culture, language, and customs. No matter who we are or where we are from we are all lovable and valuable. Pictured below we discovered lots of ways the dolls were different and the same.

For art, the children colored and painted diversity-related coloring pages- “We love and respect our differences”.

At Circle time we were already up to the letter R! We practiced sign language up to R and sang songs about each letter. We practiced writing and drawing on our new giant whiteboard. We also found colors and shapes in the room.

During Center time the children built forts, jumped over and crawled under a giant jump rope, bowled using croquet balls and cups, played giant Jenga, dressed up, played balloon ball, and pretended to run a book store- buying and selling children’s books.

Outside we had lots of fun. I gave the camera to the kids and you can see their photos below.

We noticed that we finally got snow just a little too late for our winter and snow theme, but we will take it when we can get it! We made snow angels, and snowballs and searched for animal tracks. The children also loved to throw snow and rocks into the pond to see what happens! Despite all the fun, we were happy to go inside for lunch and get warm!

We did some usual games for drama time such as continuing our pretend Jack and the Bean Stock play, London Bridges, and Trot Trot to Boston Town, but we also tried some new activities. Each child went to the front of the class and told us about something they knew how to do. You can see by their faces that they really got into this activity!

In addition to reading stories about diversity and acceptance. We also started to listen quietly to children’s audiobooks during nap time. After, we played Story Cubes, ABC Bingo, Candyland, Go Fish, and Old Maid. A fun week at Shawnee Home Preschool (despite the snowpocalypse today keeping everyone home!). Friday starts a new theme of Math and Science!

Math and Science was the theme for the last three school days at Shawnee Home Preschool. We practiced writing numbers, naming numbers and counting in different ways. We also learned about what science is and the different things scientists do. Every day we did some cool science experiments.

In Art, we practiced writing numbers and coloring.

During Circle time we focused on the letter S and the color pink. We reviewed the season, the weather, and the date, signed the alphabet, sang alphabet songs and quizzed on random letters and numbers.

Outside we played in the snow, observed the ice breaking in the pond, and left food for the animals. We also played blindfold guessing games. The children really enjoyed seeing and listening to a woodpecker in the trees.

Next, the children really got into displaying their favorite dance or telling their favorite story.

At the end of the day, we played ABC matching games, ABC Bingo, Story Cubes, and Go Fish. We also got to try some dill from our indoor garden.

Thank you for reading Math and Science at Shawnee Home Preschool. Tomorrow we start on the Valentines/Friends and Family Theme.

Valentines, Family and Friends was the theme for this past February week at Shawnee Home Preschool. It was a fun week learning about love for family, friends and creating Valentines day related arts and crafts.

For circle time we learned about the letter T t with some corresponding words that start with T. We also had color, number and letter quizzes. In addition, we practiced drawing shapes. The children also love to sing the ABC songs.

During center time the children discovered the Russian nesting dolls and enjoyed having picnics with the dolls, toys and playdough food that they made.

During outside time we were excited to get a visit from a flock of geese. We also played Marco Polo, had blind walks and made chalk drawings. The last day we pretended to be different animals walking through the forest.

For drama time the children acted out nursery rhymes, scenes, different emotions and various television shows.

At the end of the day, we didn’t forget to water our tomato plant. The children also enjoyed making funny faces in the mixer bowl while asking Alexa to tell us kids jokes! They laughed at every joke!

Thanks for reading Valentines, Family and Friends at Shawnee Home Preschool. Next week’s theme is Outer Space!

Outer Space was the theme for the last week in February at Shawnee Home Preschool. We had a great time making outer space art, singing outer space songs, playing outer space games, and learning about rockets, planets, and the moon and sun. The kids got into the spirit of the week with a rocket tattoo and a cute star shirt!

Space Art

At Circle time we were on the letter U. We practiced ABC sign language up to that letter and talked about words that start with u. However, for the singing time, we switched up to the letter Z because the song went along with our Outer Space theme. We also worked on counting by 1s, 5s, and 10s.

During Center time we focused on colors, regulating emotions, and taking turns by playing the game Candyland, Connect 4, blocks, and having a race to find certain colors in the room.

Outside we were excited to see more ducks, so we played Duck, Duck goose to celebrate. We also enjoyed playing in the rain puddles and making chalk drawings.

During Drama time, we made foil stars and astroid balls and tried to get them sucked into the black hole (a hula hoop). We pretended to be white toilet paper space aliens. Simon says and Wee Sing actions games were also played. Finally, the children enjoyed taking turns pretending to be the moon on the mat while trying to catch the star that twinkles too close by.

Thanks for reading about our Outer Space week. Next week will be the “Opposites/Where Is It?” theme!

Opposites/Where Is It? was the theme for the first week in March at Shawnee Home Preschool. Many opposites were introduced as well as opposite quizzes and games, such as; guess the opposite emotion, what is something you can open/close? We also did a lot of hiding and finding. For example, hide something soft, now hide something hard. Am I hot or cold? The purpose of “Where Is It?” is to learn how to accurately describe the location of something. I found the item “under” or “over” or “inbetween” or “next to”, etc. They found that some opposites were easy and others were more difficult to figure out.

For art time we colored and painted opposites and practiced shapes.

In circle time, the letter of the week was Vv and the shape was diamond. We practiced writing and signing the letter V. We also reviewed the weather, counting, the month, day of the week and season. Then we sang songs using the alphabet. Every day this week the kids wanted to play Candyland during center time. We reviewed colors, taking turns and how to handle emotions when you don’t get what you want.

We have been walking the dogs Aspen (husky) and Casper (havanese) during outdoor time. The doggy day care has raised their prices, so the dogs have been home during preschool, but kept outside. The children are learning to walk the dogs. They are learning that they can overcome their anxieties.

During drama time we learned the nursery rhyme, “Little Bo Peep” and then we acted it out with the sheep hiding, Little Bo Peep sadly looking and then the sheep coming out for a happy reunion. We also pretended with blankets to be clouds and storms and rain and thunder. We had to guess which weather they were trying to be.

Finally, we read lots of stories about opposites and by the end of the week the kids had opposites down!

St. Patrick’s Day was the March theme this week at Shawnee Home Preschool. We went over our letter of the week (W), the weather, dates, the alphabet, phonics, numbers, syllables, shapes, colors, and skip counting- but it was mostly a week for fun!

We did St. Patrick’s arts and crafts.

St. Patrick’s dances and songs.

We also read St. Patrick’s books and made a rainbow from colored tape on the floor.

The kids were made into crepe paper leprechauns who hid their gold. Then they were captured and forced to tell all before they escaped and took all their gold back of course!

We have also been practicing introducing ourselves, so ask your kids about that! Next week will be Spring Week! Hooray spring is finally here (I hope the weatherman gets the memo)!

St. Patrick’s Day was the March theme this week at Shawnee Home Preschool. We went over our letter of the week (W), the weather, dates, the alphabet, phonics, numbers, syllables, shapes, colors, and skip counting- but it was mostly a week for fun!

We did St. Patrick’s arts and crafts.

St. Patrick’s dances and songs.

We also read St. Patrick’s books and made a rainbow from colored tape on the floor.

The kids were made into crepe paper leprechauns who hid their gold. Then they were captured and forced to tell all before they escaped and took all their gold back of course!

We have also been practicing introducing ourselves, so ask your kids about that! Next week will be Spring Week! Hooray spring is finally here (I hope the weatherman gets the memo)!

Easter was the theme for the first week of April at Shawnee Home Preschool. We had a glow-in-the-dark Easter Egg hunt, played Easter Egg games and learned about Easter!

We created lots of Easter-themed arts and crafts.

The letter Y was the theme for the week. We also had an alphabet sign language quiz and matched upper and lower case letters.

During dance time we pretended to be Easter bunnies!

Outside we saw lots of signs of spring. We also caught moths and let them go.

At the end of the day we played UNO matching colors and numbers. A fun week at Shawnee Home Preschool! Our next post will be all about Gardens!

Gardens was the theme for the 2nd week in April at Shawnee Home Preschool. We enjoyed learning about gardens while we watered our own backyard flower garden. Aspen came up to see us while we were watering and the children enjoyed giving her treats.

Garden art was definitely a favorite for the kids!

For circle time, we were excited to finally reach the letter Z! Now that we have completed the alphabet we will move on to words of the week for next time! In centers, the children enjoyed making beautiful toy gardens.

Outdoors we loved the warm weather! We found that a fallen tree can turn into great fun for climbing and balancing!

We read stories about gardens and played a variety of dance and drama games this week!

Thank you for reading Gardens at Shawnee Home Preschool! Next week we will learn about Rain/Storms/Emergencies. See you then!

Rain, Storms & Emergencies was the theme for the last week in April at Shawnee Home Preschool. The weather cooperated and gave us some rain and storms that week. We enjoyed walking in the rain and learning what to do in the case of various emergencies.

We did some storm art during Art Time. Outside, we painted a rain barrel. In connection with earth day, we discussed how some people collect rain in barrels and then use it to water their gardens or other needs during dry spells.

In Centers, the kids enjoyed playing games with balls and Simon says.

For Circle Time, we continued with words and sentences. Then we danced with some skip counting by 10s.

Outside we looked for more signs of spring. It never gets old to play on the fallen log!
We collected flowers and blossoms to bring indoors.

During Drama time, we acted out different emergency scenarios such as calling 911, what to do in a fire, earthquake, storm or tornado. We put together a real emergency bag. We even practiced some first aid!

Our tomatoes are just about ripe! Hopefully we will get to try some during our next week focusing on the theme: Animals! Thanks for reading Rain, Storms and Emergencies! See you next week!

“Animals” was the theme for the first week in May at Shawnee Home Preschool. We enjoyed doing animal art, reading animal books, looking for animals outside, and playing pretend animal games indoors.

Animal Art

Circle Time Sentences

Center Play

Outdoor Time

Drama and Game Time

Thank you for reading “Animals” at Shawnee Home Preschool! See you next time with our theme- “Mother’s Day”!

Mother’s Day was the theme for Shawnee Home Preschool for the 2nd week in May. The children enjoyed making gifts for their moms. We also discussed why moms are special, sang Mother’s Day songs and read books about mothers.

Mother’s Day arts and crafts.

We played some new games during center time including hand pool at the pool table, an obstacle course, karate kicks, and crazy cars.

During center time we counted and ordered numbers 1-100 and then worked on word puzzles.

The children had fun picking dandelions for their mothers during outside time, but I convinced them to leave the bouquets at preschool. It’s the thought that counts!

Drama time included mom dress up, Simon Says, and balloon races.

Thanks for reading Mother’s Day at Shawnee Home Preschool! Next week will be all about oceans and summer!

Mother’s Day was the theme for Shawnee Home Preschool for the 2nd week in May. The children enjoyed making gifts for their moms. We also discussed why moms are special, sang Mother’s Day songs and read books about mothers.