An Enchanted Childhood ~ Daycare:Week 6

We have been asked many times to write up our "lesson plans" so others could use them.  Honestly, we just spend a little time thinking about how we want the "school year" to look and go from there.  We wing-it a lot, doing impromptu things that add to our plans.  I am always amazed that anyone would think what we do is worthy of writing down for others to read, but here it goes!

This year, we are doing "Childhood Classics"--reading great children's books--you know, the kind every child should get to know, and then doing little activities to go with it.

Week 6 we are doing fall!  We love fall and devote a week to fall crafts and activties each year!  We are reading Fall by Maria Rius (the last of the books in the set: The Four Seasons).  We also reread My First Flip Flap Book of Seasons from last week because the children requested it!

Monday--Due to it being a holiday, we only had three children here.  We read Fall, as well as the beloved My First Flip Flap Book of Seasons.  We sang our seasons song and headed to the table for some fun fall art!  During CreativeTime, we did leaf rubbings--sassafrass leaves to be exact.  Last week we had gathered and pressed the leaves.  Hannah had also gather some of the root and made the children sassafrass tea to try.  They LOVE when they get to eat/drink nature!! 

 

The children then headed out to get some fresh air and check the mail (due to a holiday, the "real" mail wasn't being delivered today.) A very special surprise was awaiting them!  Any guesses what was waiting for them in the mailbox??  A postcard postmarked The North Pole!!  YES!  A special note to "Hannah and Nana's Kids" from good ole Santa!  The children were over-the-top excited!!

 

Tuesday--During CircleTime, we sang our seasons song and our fall song.  For CreativeTime, we made nature necklaces.  The children used fall -colored markers and decorated a circle of card stock.  I attached a piece of yarn and a wide piece of masking tape (sticky side out) to the circle.  We then headed out for a nature walk, where they stuck bits of nature to their necklaces!!  It was great fun and their necklaces look great!  For StoryTime, we read Mama, Is it Summer Yet?, a very adorable book about the changing of the seasons.

 

Wednesday-- No time for much INSIDE because we headed OUTSIDE for some serious NatureWalking and outside play!!  OF COURSE, we sang our songs, and observed all sorts of lovely nature, while breathing in the fresh air and soaking up the warm sunshine!

Thursday-- We continued with our regular songs about the seasons and fall for CircleTime.  During CreativeTime, the children use markers (in fall colors) to decorate a paper plate, which was then cut into a spiral.  With the plate laying flat, I put drops of glue to which the children pressed silk leaves (from the $$ store).  I tied a piece of yarn to the center.  And YEAH!  the children had falling leaves.  And of course we sang "The Leaves are Falling Down" while they bounced their leaves up and down!





Friday-- We ended our "fall" study by singing our "Seasons" song and our "Leaves are Falling Down" song.  We read Mama, Is it Summer Yet? once again, as it has become a favorite--one of those childhood classics!  We snacked on apples--a fall favorite.  For CreativeTime we made a fall tree.  The child's arm and hand, painted with brown paint, are the trunk and branches.  While that dried, the children tore "fall" colored paper into small pieces to be leaves and then played with playdoh, blocks, and did yoga.  After the paint had dried, the children glued on the "leaves".  Even six month old Bunny did a tree!

  



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