SMART START friends have been enjoying all things Winter throughout this snowy and cold season. To further enhance their knowledge and expand upon our curriculum, forest animals were introduced into our repertoire. Here is a closer look at what our preschoolers have been learning about during this intriguing unit of study.
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The children absolutely love dramatic play! No matter the subject at hand, dressing up is always a class favorite. During our forest animal unit, pupils occupied the role of coyotes and played alongside other animals in the cozy and warm den that they created. All showcased sounds and mannerisms studied. While coyotes in the wild are not friendly, our SMART START coyotes were kind to all!
Busy readers and active listeners were engrossed through a variety of forest animal books. Circle time became animated as puppets and props were included. They read independently while looking at pictures to assist their own rendition of a story with a puppet in hand. Engaging in dramatic and pretend play illuminates the creative and imaginative talents of our young learners. SMART START puppeteers looked adorable as raccoons while improvising their own show. Bravo!
Our geography lesson included the use of forest animal scenes and stickers. After learning about the behavior and environment of each animal, students used their acquired knowledge to place the stickers appropriately. All had fun participating in this collaborative fine motor activity. Nice work, friends!
Engineers diligently set out to create forest winter habitats. Sporting their nature hats and smocks, they used a variety of materials to design the perfect home for each animal. Materials included: green and gray felt, brown paint, white model magic, green play dough, egg cartons, toilet paper tubes and cellophane for ice. Each chose two animals to reside in the habitat. All did a marvelous job constructing and encouraging one another while challenging their artistic minds.
Enthusiastic preschoolers took part in two animal matching card games. As always, our group listened intently to the rules. Games are so beneficial for deep concentration, mastering skills through repetition, demonstration of knowledge, making connections, opportunity to think and reason, problem solve and more.
Nature and discovery lends itself to many hands-on experiments. Our little Einsteins wore their lab aprons and safety goggles as they set up Artic and forest friends on and near ice structures. Various tools such as, ice picks, hammers and magnifying glasses were used for exploration. All were enthralled with this experiment while chipping away and observing both the ice and creatures. Science is exciting!
Peers free played with small animal figurines in toy dens including the one they created. This activity provided classmates with the perfect opportunity to utilize the knowledge they attained during this unit through conversation and pretend play. Imagination at work!
Forest rangers gathered around the table to paint either a mountain lion or porcupine paw. They used gray and brown paint and their artistic ability to decorate their paw print. Once dry, modge podge was used to add a shiny layer. All were very excited to bring home and display.
A big task for our preschool team...paint and decorate a habitat to house our large toy figurines as well as our stuffed animals, Barny the barn owl and Pilot. To build this natural like environment, we used cardboard boxes, white foam for snow, green and gray felt, brown paint, white model magic, green play dough, egg cartons, toilet paper tubes and cellophane for ice. In addition, a large branch was placed aside the den. Classmates worked together with ease on this group effort project. Taking turns while encouraging one another demonstrated patience and excellent communication skills. The realistically crafted domain served as a gathering place to participate in parallel and peer play.
Animal Adventure's outreach program came to visit SMART START for an on-site field trip! Ed is the owner of Animal Adventures, an animal rescue zoo located in Bolton, MA. Ed is passionate about his career and sharing his message and knowledge of animals and rescue. Our students were excited to learn about and interact with the subject matter we have been studying. All eyes and ears were on Ed as he spoke and introduced various animals.
A rabbit, turtle, rat, guinea pig, hedge hog, dove, ferret, fennec fox, skunk and alligator were visitors at our school. Ed taught about each animal and also gave the opportunity to pet and ask questions. Our pupils behaved extremely well while remembering to respect the animals. While this field trip provided a fulfilling hands-on experience, it boosted confidence levels as the children acted courageously during their positive encounters with the animals. We were most proud of our students!
Click below to see more Winter Friends and Field Trip Fun!
What a fun Winter it has been here at SMART START! We are sad to say goodbye, but we are looking forward to all the fun things Spring has to offer. Once again, thank you for continuing to support our on-site field trip program. We truly believe that it enhances the education and development of our preschoolers.
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