Welcome Summer!

     We are excited to welcome summer here at SMART START and have already been embracing many of the season's quintessential activities! We hope you enjoy our introduction to summer and seeing what your preschoolers are up to! ☀ ☀ Sprinkler Fun! ☀      SMART START's group is thrilled to put on their bathing suits and play in the sprinklers!  Their smiles and laughter fill the outdoor classroom as they explore in the sun and cool off in the water.  Our mini sprinkler water park has been a the highlight of water play thus far.  Water play is a perfect summer activity. Benefits include:

• sensory exposure
• language development
• develop motor skills
• calming and therapeutic
• stimulate creativity and imagination

😊 Outdoor Play Structure and More! 😊      The swing set in our backyard offers endless learning developments and is the class favorite!  Friends spend hours playing on it each and every day.  Whether swinging, sliding, gliding, playing in the fort, driving the trucks around, planting the flowers or climbing the rock wall, they are always busy learning through play!  A milestone and skill to achieve for our preschoolers is pumping on their own while they swing.  With determination and perseverance throughout the summer months we are confident that there will be many independent swingers!  Our outdoor play structure also provides the perfect platform for imaginary play. We often witness many different story lines throughout the day. As educators, this brings us pleasure to listen and watch as the children engage in this form of free play. Here are some more reasons why outdoor play surrounding the play structure is beneficial:

• gross motor skills
• social and emotional development
• builds confidence and self esteem
• encourages and supports imaginative play

   ☁  Let's Go Fly A Kite! ☁

     There is something about kites that simply amazes our preschoolers.  Last Spring, classmates decorated their very own kites using paper, paint and ribbons. All anxiously awaited and were delighted when a warm, windy day filled the air to take out our kites and recycle this sought out activity. Joy is had by all as kites take flight and soar. 

🍉 Watermelon Picnic! 🍉

     SMART START friends gathered on a blanket for a watermelon picnic during snack time. The children absolutely love picnics with their peers!  We await many more this summer!

⚘ Grow What You Eat ⚘ 

      We have a lot happening at our gardening center. Green thumbed girls and boys have been busy - raking the grounds, digging holes, planting seeds, transplanting and watering flower and vegetable plants.  We have officially tasted our first green bean harvest!

 Pupils have worked on garden themed puzzles.  They embrace the challenge puzzles bring and always work well together to complete. 

Gardening is a wonderful hands-on activity that provides many benefits and learn new skills and gather information.  

• connection with the outdoors and nature
• moderate exercise
• teaches children about caring for living things 
• exercises reasoning, initiation, planning and organization skills
• builds self confidence
• encourages healthier eating

☼ Weather ☼

     Our budding meteorologists have been taking a closer look at the large thermometer and adjusting it each day according to the temperature.  They have learned that when the weather is extremely hot it is important to dress appropriately, apply sunscreen throughout the day, cool off and remain hydrated. Students also played a weather matching game that featured a large poster and individual spinners for teaching about the forecast and its many patterns.

     

￮ ￮ Bubbles ￮ ￮

     Blowing bubbles, popping bubbles, chasing bubbles, dancing in bubbles...anything bubbles, children simply adore them!  Here at SMART START bubbles are often part of our outdoor fun!  We always like to add some learning in while our young learners are busy at play!  Here are some educational  facts about bubbles and your little ones:

• gross motor movement
• visual tracking skills
• oral motor skills
• hand-eye and foot-eye coordination
• spacial awareness 
• body awareness
• social and communication skills

🏖 Sandbox 🏖

     SMART START construction workers wore their heavy duty aprons and safety goggles for the sand box cooperative project.  We gathered the materials needed being wood, nails, measuring tape and tools to construct the sandbox.  Together with our assistance all worked diligently and patiently. Teamwork was in full swing as buckets were filled with sand and then poured into the sandbox frame. What a sense of accomplishment for our work crew!  The children cannot wait until Glen the Andover Handyman comes to visit and add finishing touches.

     Our SMART START chorus loves to sing! Pride filled pupils practiced memorizing words and getting the tune just right as they learned a song to officially welcome the season of summer!.  We hope they will sing this cute song to you at home.  Here are the lyrics so you can sing-a-long, too!  It is sung to the tune of "Frere Jacques."

Days are longer, sunshine's stronger.

Summer's here!  Summer's here!

Lets jump through the sprinkler,

Lets make lemonade,

Summer's here!  Summer's here!

Summer Fun Collages!

Click below to view our Welcome Summer Videos!

     It has been an eventful start to summer here at SMART START!  We anticipate many sun-filled days with our students and cannot wait to share this journey with you!

💙 Mary and Francesca 💙