We are ecstatic that Spring is finally here! All at SMART START are ready to embrace all this beautiful season has to offer. Our students are anxiously awaiting extended time in our outdoor classroom, as well as fun filled curriculum and activities galore! We hope you enjoy our introduction to Spring here at SMART START!
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With temperatures on the rise and the smell of Spring in the air, the children are eager for sunnier days ahead. Young meteorologists have been using the thermometer to track the warmer weather. As educators, it is so refreshing to instill in our pupils a love for learning through nature and discovery while they reap endless educational, physical, social, emotional, health and wellness benefits in the great outdoors. The first five years of development are crucial!
We commenced Spring with an outdoor picnic! SMART START friends gathered on a blanket, along with Pilot, for a healthy and delicious snack as they soaked up some fresh air and sun.
It's officially bubble season! Peers were thrilled to bring out the bubble containers and blow and pop together. Even Pilot joined in the fun! Happy faces were on our pupils as they engaged in this staple activity.
Dramatic play is a class favorite here at school! Students dressed up as beautiful butterflies. They demonstrated a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis and flew around the classroom with delight. The butterfly lifecycle as well as other insects will be a large component of our Spring curriculum.
Our school library is now showcasing Spring books! Circle time has been active with new questions and conversations about all things Spring. Young learners have also been reading independently and with partners. Their letter identification, picture and word association, as well as recall and recognition skills are all vastly improving.
Blooming flowers are a sign of a new beginning! Our budding botanists have been learning all about flowers, the parts of a plant and how the change in season affects them. Students studied three flowers in particular - the carnation, daisy and daffodil. We also learned a flower song and finger play that is sang to the tune of "Are You Sleeping." Here are the lyrics so you can sing and play along at home:
Planting flowers, planting flowers,
(pretend to plant flowers into the ground)
In the ground, in the ground,
Water them and they will grow,
(pretend to water plants with a watering can)
Water them and they will grow
All around, all around.
All around, all around.
Preschoolers worked on fine motor skills while playing with Spring magnets. They strategically placed magnets around the board and created a beautiful scene. These types of activities always strike up conversation based on the subject at hand. We heard lots of chatter about flowers, colors and being outside.
Pilot is overjoyed with the return of Spring and is looking forward to a fun-filled and adventurous season! Classroom helpers spent time introducing him to some fun new songs, stories and activities going on at SMART START.
Spring time is notorious for planting. SMART START gardeners got an early start and planted green beans. Each child had their own Styrofoam cup that they added dirt, seeds and water into. They loved this hands-on experience and having an active role in their food preparation. Here's a song we sang while planting our green beans:
First (child) made the hole
Then he/she put the seed inside
Covered it up with dirt
(Child) planted green beans!
In addition to green beans, our vegetable lovers also planted zucchini, peas and peppers. Each had their own half of an egg carton. Using shovels, they filled the egg cartons with dirt, made a hole, added different seeds and covered the hole with dirt. Lastly, pupils watered the plants using small watering cans. As with their green beans, our gardeners are anticipating initial harvest.
Young learners have been exhibiting green thumbs while tending to their vegetable plants. The added responsibilities of nourishing them with water and monitoring proper sunlight has provided a sense of pride and accomplishment. Questions and discussions are taking place during this time as all are in awe of this process. Confidence levels have soared as plants have been growing! SMART START scientists used binoculars and magnifying glasses to get a closer look.
"Let's Grow" is an educational game that teaches about four different life cycles: plant, chicken, frog and butterfly. The object of the game is to collect all stages such as, egg, tadpole, froglet and frog. All, including Barny the Barn Owl, participated in moving pieces around the board, cheering each other on and spinning the spinner. Although this game is for ages 5+, our class has mastered many skills such as, turn taking, basic math, letter and color recognition and more.
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