The season of thankfulness was experienced by all at SMART START! Students learned about the history of this holiday through an assortment of educational lessons, hands-on learning activities, outdoor play, arts and crafts and a delicious thanksgiving feast prepared by all! We were honored to share in these celebrations with your child(ren). Come along on our festive journey!
November is the time of year to be full of thanks, gratitude, appreciation and more! The children happily posed with the November month sign with big smiles and open arms!
Our book display was full of vibrant fall colors and Thanksgiving décor. A variety of informative and imaginative books were available for our early readers. During this season of thanks, we are particularly grateful to be learning and playing at our new school on Elm St.!
Preschoolers enjoyed Thanksgiving materials both in our indoor and outdoor classrooms. Independent and group story time opens the pathways to early reading as our students listen intently, learn new vocabulary, and acquire new information.
Crafty artists created beautiful festive wreaths! They worked diligently wrapping patterns with ribbon. Miss Francesca assisted pupils with hot gluing colored leaves. With style and ease, a quintessential autumn wreath was designed and brought home to proudly display for the coming holiday.
Thanksgiving enthusiasts had a lovely time engaging in pretend play using seasonal figurines while using the knowledge recently acquired during educational lessons.
Our young learners pulled up a chair and set their minds and hands to work. Each received a string and an assortment of different colored and sized beads. This activity was advantageous as it focused on fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, color recognition, sequencing, patterns and counting. Upon completion, the children were thrilled at what they had designed.
Thanksgiving would not be complete without timeless Pilgrim and Indian attire. Teachers assisted as pupils gathered around the table to construct a hat. Examples were placed in the middle to serve as visual aids to assist along with audible instruction. Foam pieces were assembled and glued. Stickers and glitter were added.
Hand and footprint projects are memorable keepsakes. Thanksgiving called for the classic turkey! Miss Francesca assisted classmates as both hands and one foot were covered in paint. They pressed each hand and foot down on white poster board to create the body and feathers. Once dry, an eye, yellow beak and colored ribbon were added for finishing touches. Crafts such as these stimulate a child's senses while providing them opportunity to visualize on an abstract level.
SMART START chefs worked passionately in the kitchen preparing apple pie for the Thanksgiving feast. The children washed, peeled, chopped and seasoned many apples. They also took part in one of their favorite SMART START Thanksgiving traditions....making butter! Friends added whipping cream, a pinch of salt and a marble to a container before each took turns shaking and shaking. All are amazed each year at school when the liquid mixture forms into a mass of butter!
The season of fall is host to leaves, leaves and more leaves! They serve as the ideal playing ground for active children. Our young learners absolutely adored their time outdoors running and crunching through the crisp Autumn leaves. Large piles were made and all jumped in, tossed up in the air again and again. A magical and lifting sensory experience!
The time finally came to host our traditional Thanksgiving feast! A big thank you to all our families who generously volunteered to send in an item to share with the class. These items, in addition to our preparations at school, made for a delicious meal .The children looked adorable fashioning hats made. Manners were impeccable and all were quite proud to serve and pass around the different dishes to one another.
Click below for more Thanksgiving highlights at SMART START!
We are so thankful to take part not only in your child(s) education and care, but also to share holiday experiences with them. As always, your kindness and support is recognized and appreciated!
🦃 Mary and Francesca 🦃
