Summer Enrichment Week 2: SMART ART

SMART START Artists were excited to focus on arts and crafts during SMART Art week! Each activity was planned to promote imagination, creativity and individuality. 

Read along below! 

Student’s designed a pretend play puppet using markers, yarn, glue, stickers and other materials. We discussed how the puppets all looked unique, just as each person is special and one of a kind! 

Do A Dot Bonkers Linked Here

Classmates enthusiastically selected an item to decorate for “choose your own craft” day. Flowers, butterflies, headbands and more! The finished products looked fabulous and showcased each child’s individual interests.

Art Aprons Linked Here 

Preschool painters lined up in their outdoor classroom, palettes & brushes in hand, to make their very own masterpiece. Imaginations inspired each artwork as the paint became pirate ships, castles, the ocean and so forth.

Paint Palettes Linked Here

Friends had fun stimulating their senses through finger painting. This classic childhood favorite encourages children to engage in “messy play.” Providing this freedom nurtures creativity and fosters self-expression. 

Finger Paint Linked Here

Fine motor capabilities were challenged while using various types of stickers for the final art project: portfolio bags. The class was eager to bring home their art work to share with their families. 

Thank you for reading all about SMART ART!

Additional Art Supplies Linked Here

 

🎨SMART START🎨

Summer Enrichment Week 1: Fairy Tale Friends

Summer Enrichment at SMART START has been both engaging and entertaining for our young learners. The July & August program consists of hands-on, interactive activities that coincide with a weekly theme. 

Week 1:

📖“FAIRY TALE FRIENDS” 📖

The learning & fun commenced with a read aloud of two classic children’s fairytales, “The Three Little Pigs” & “Goldilocks & The Three Bears.” the class circled outside and listened intently to both tales. In addition, puppets were incorporated to aid in the introduction of each character. 

Students exercised their active imaginations and story comprehension skills while performing puppet shows. The exciting roles of the “Big Bad Wolf”, “Goldilocks” and more were brought to life. Bravo everyone! 

Peers partnered up for small group pretend play and story time talk. Books and miniature props were utilized to reinforce the narrative. We discussed the meaning of each tale and the lessons learned by the characters. 

Fairy tales are a fun and magical way to assist social and emotional development in Early Childhood Education. These storylines portray characters making choices that result in either negative or positive outcomes. Children are aware of this and often model their own actions and behaviors based on individuals from books. Due to this, critical thinking, emotional regulation, conflict resolution, self-discovery, acquiring core values and so much more are promoted through reading fairytales.

✨SMART START✨

Farm Fun

Read All About SMART START’S Farm Unit Below! 

Farm Backdrop Linked Here

Farm friends free played with various themed materials in their outdoor classroom. Barns, tractors, cows, sheep, pigs & more! Learning through play is essential for children to fully comprehend subject matter. In addition, play based activities promote creativity, language development, social skills, problem solving and so much more! 

Classroom chefs used ingredients and their inventive imaginations to create their own “pig” for lunch. Ham, cheese, bread, fruits & veggies- delicious! 

Students assembled foam farms to utilize as picture frames for their on-site farm event. Our young learners enjoy bringing these keepsakes home to share with their families. Capturing these Early Childhood Education experiences assists in the formation of memories and assists  children understand their world around them. 

Foam Farms Linked Here

Peers played the classic party game, “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.” Aside from encouraging lots of laughter, this activity also supports spatial awareness and coordination. 

Pin the Tail on the Donkey Linked Here

To conclude this unit, McDonny’s Traveling Farm visited our school with an assortment of petting zoo animals: chickens, ducks, bunnies, ducklings and a goat. This hands-on encounter ended with a pony ride- yeehaw! 

Colorful Bandanas Linked Here

🐴SMART START🚜

Insect Lifecycles

Insect lifecycles are a central component of SMART START’s spring curriculum. The magic of metamorphosis is observed first hand in our indoor and outdoor classrooms. 

Our young learners experienced significant stages in the lifecycle process of a butterfly, ladybug and praying mantis. 

Read along below:

🐛🦋The first insect lifecycle to be completed was the butterfly. Classmates witnessed five caterpillar larvae grow in size each day at school before they spun themselves into chrysalises. After about one month, the butterflies emerged and were released into our outdoor classroom.

🐞 Ladybugs were the second insect to fully reach metamorphosis. The tiny larvae crawled around their habitat until they transformed into pupas. About one month later, adult ladybugs were released into nature. Students were excited that both the butterflies and ladybugs flew off to lay eggs and continue the lifecycles. 

🌱 Peers were most patient for the final insect lifecycle to be fulfilled. The praying mantis nymphs lived inside their egg case for almost two months before they hatched. Once out of the egg case, there were around 150-200 praying mantis nymphs to release outside. Unlike the butterfly and ladybug, the praying mantis undergoes incomplete metamorphosis. The process of nymph to adult takes an additional 1-2 months. 

This spring science unit is always a class favorite. In addition, these lifecycle lessons can be correlated to the development that occurs throughout Early Childhood Education. Similar to the insects described above, each child learns and grows at their own, often unpredictable pace. Some can achieve certain stages or milestones in accordance with mainstream expectations while others may need additional time and assistance to flourish. Not all caterpillars spin into a chrysalis at the same rate or in the same way. However, if placed in a safe and nurturing environment, they will all emerge as beautiful butterflies. 

                                 🦋SMART START🦋

2023 Talent Show

 SMART START Students showcased their unique abilities at the annual "Talent Show." Our young learners exuded confidence as they proudly performed for their peers. Classmates in the audience patiently awaited their turn and enthusiastically applauded for each friend. 

Click Here to View the 2023 Talent Show

Special events such as this provide a platform for preschoolers to express their individuality in a safe, social environment. In addition, high self-esteem, creativity, good sportsmanship and hindering stage fright are all fostered and promoted. 

                       🌟SMART START🌟

Spring into Learning

Spring is in the air at SMART START! Our young learners have been embracing the season through nature based, hands-on learning. 

Read Along Below! 

🌱Students began their seasonal studies by planting green beans. Materials included cups, soil, seeds and water. Green beans are a great way to introduce gardening indoors and can be replanted outside late spring. 

🧩Peers partnered together to complete a puzzle. These collaborative activities foster skills needed to accomplish projects as a team. 

🎲The group engaged in games galore: board games, memory match, fine motor fun, and more! 

Here are links to class favorites: Eric Carle ABC Game, The Very Hungry Caterpillar: Surprise Slides, Lucky Ducks

📖 Classmates circled outside for a read aloud of the classic children's book, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle. The story was read in both English and Spanish. This storytime assisted in reinforcing Spanish vocabulary of fruits/foods and days of the week as well as two bonus spring words: caterpillar = oruga and butterfly = mariposa.  Book Linked Here

🍃The class contributed to spring cleaning their school by raking leaves and collecting sticks. 

The cutest cleanup crew!

🎨SMART START artists decorated the sticks they gathered using paint and glitter. 

⛅Spring has officially sprung in our outdoor classroom. Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and creatures are crawling about. Friends have been observing these changes while learning and playing in nature. 

Thank you for reading about spring at SMART START!

                      🌷SMART START🌷

Happy Easter

                            🐰SMART START🐰