October is Fire Safety month, but with all the fun fall and Halloween things we have been doing, we just did Fire Safety WEEK. The kids loved talking about what firefighters do, what we should do in case of a fire, how we can be helpful and have a plan. Here are some strong and tough firefighters.
We made firetrucks out of shapes. The kids were excited to use this kind of glue, instead of glue sticks. They were very careful to only use a tiny bit.
The finished products were adorable. The ladders and drivers were especially cute. Good job!
We got out our firefighter toys, and played with them LOTS during free choice time.
Outside, the kids continued playing firefighters. We practiced calling 9-1-1 on a play phone and talked about how important it was to ONLY call that number if it was a REAL emergency. Here Jeff is trapped in his house and the firefighters are climbing the ladder to rescue him.
Here they are escaping the fire by "climbing out the window, because the door is too hot to touch". Their imaginations went wild with ideas of how to stay safe and how to help others. I didn't want it to get too scary though, and fires can be scary, so we also talked about our fire detectors are there to warn us if we need to get out, so we don't have to worry. And that most people will never have a fire, so we are learning these things just in case.
More outside fun, sitting IN the Tonka trucks, even though they barely fit, is a new favorite. We have to watch the clock to make sure everyone gets a chance before recess is over.
We have been playing lots of GAMES! Both in big groups, and small groups. Turn taking and sharing and being a good sport is a very appropriate preschool learning activity. Our biggest sad and happy times come from games. Sad when you lose, or have to wait. Happy when you win or get a turn. We talk a lot about our feelings and using kind words. Instead of saying, "I WON!" we try to use things like "That was fun!" "You did a great job too!" "I had fun!" "Good game!" Hi Ho Cherry-O was SUPER fun for them. They played several times.
Memory is better by twos. The kids all have AMAZING memorizing skills. I was very impressed while watching them. 4 years old is a great age for games with rules. They loving remembering all the little details of the game, like when they got a match they could have an extra turn.
At the end of each game, we have been practicing saying "Good game!", even when you DON'T WIN. That's a hard concept. It is hard to see someone else win a game, but being a good sport keeps it fun for everyone. This is an ongoing situation that we get lots of practice in. Ryan and Hawken kept going back and forth with who would win, so it was hard at first, every other game, but then they got the idea and were happy for the other winner. They would shake hands too. So cute.
Using the lower case stamping letters was fun. The preschoolers had to push REALLY hard to get enough ink, and push really hard again to get it to stamp dark enough on their papers.
Jeff tried out his LONG name (which is what he calls it), and found all the letters for Jefferson. He ran out of paper early, but improvised well.
Logan wanted me to take a picture with his name AND his age. He's very proud of being 4, it comes up a lot.
The wind up toys and tops are lovely fine motor toys. It is very hard to make little fingers work the way you want them to. :) They try really hard, even when they're frustrated.
Here are some more free choice toys and activities this week. Matching magnet book, wooden block marble run and an Imaginext castle.
By the end of the day, our circle time is very calming. Everyone is worn out and ready for some quiet reading time. During our closing circle, we also sing some songs and do a little movement activity. Usually, yoga. The kids are getting very good at certain poses, while others are still very tricky. Tree pose is a favorite and gets everyone giggling by the end.
Also this week, we made a new video! We have been reading lots of Halloween and fall books, and our newest favorite is The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything! We read it enough times that the kids had it memorized and then I recorded them "reading" and acting it out. They each chose the parts they wanted to do and were very excited to have me put it together. If you haven't already, click on this link to watch it and let your preschooler see the final product too. :) I also made a tab at the top of the website where I will add all the videos we do throughout the year, click there to see the two we have made so far.
