Ladybugs

     The children learned about and witnessed the ladybug lifecycle: egg, larva, pupa and ladybug! At SMART START we have "Ladybug Land", a special observation habitat with a magnifying port. The children enjoyed observing daily the process of metamorphosis. To coincide with the curriculum we made ladybug hats and read books such as, The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle. We hatched ten ladybugs and each child brought one home to release into nature.

Theo and Nora in awe over the ladybug larva

Emma and Benny observing the ladybug pupa

One little ladybug coming to see Cody

Grouchy ladybug stories and giggles

  

💙 Mary and Francesca 💙

Yoga

     Miss Francesca is not only their teacher but also their yoga instructor here at SMART START.  The children love this special time with Miss Francesca and are always eager to practice yoga and demonstrate their poses. This is a great way to have our students relax, focus and instill mindfulness while having fun. Not only does practicing yoga help the children increase their flexibility and strength it also presents them with the opportunity to follow directions and build their self-esteem. You can see the confidence in their eyes as they hold each position and flow right into the next one.

    Another fun way that we incorporate yoga into our curriculum at SMART START is through a memory game with a variety of yoga poses. This game challenges the children to remember where each yoga pose is and make a match. We also read stories and sing songs that coincide with our yoga practices.

Stretching before yoga

Emma holding her tree pose

Theo - a master at warrior pose

Emma's version of downward dog with one leg up

Our downward dogs: Nora, Theo and Benny

Memory match yoga poses

Yoga creates children who are bright lights in this world increasing

their self-awareness and strengthening their bodies

-Shakta Khalsa

💙 Mary and Francesca💙

Spring is Here

     I think it is safe to say that spring is here! While SMART START has so many wonderful things to offer, our spacious, shady and fenced backyard is one of the children's favorites. You can tell by the smiles on their faces that the children thoroughly enjoy being outside.
  
   Our SMART START outdoor area is equipped to keep the children happy and playing and imaginations flowing. SMART START friends play so well together and every day is a new adventure. Our young learners are kind, gentle, curious, and imaginative. They take turns, help and include each other, act silly, and have fun! Being outside stimulates the senses. As their caregiver and educator, watching the children embrace the outdoors is so rewarding!

Mickey and Cody learning through play

Nature exploration

Nature hunt

Filling our nature boxes

Little inch worms on little hands

Sliding, climbing and crawling fun

Emma making a wish

Nora and Emma on the teeter totter

Bubbles, bubbles everywhere

Water play

Sprinkler fun

A child, more than anyone else, is a

spontaneous observer of nature

-Maria Montessori

💙 Mary and Francesca💙

Welcome Spring and Happy Easter

     We have been busy welcoming spring and Easter here at SMART START! After a long winter of many snowy, cold days, the children are eager to learn about all things spring and get outdoors! To welcome spring we read some books such as, The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle and planted green beans. The children enjoyed filling their pots with soil, planting seeds and watering their plants. Our young learners are patiently waiting for their green beans to grow. It brings us joy to see how proud they are of their hard work!

A song we sang while planting was:

First (Child's name) made the hole,
then he/she puts the seed inside,
he/she covers it up with dirt,
(child's name) planted green beans!

Watering our green bean plants

Cody, Kaylee and Mickey caring for their plants

     Smart Start was filled with all things Easter! Bunnies, baskets, and eggs, OH MY! The children simply loved to gather the plastic eggs and take them apart and put them back together again. A fun game we played was writing the 26 upper case letters on plastic eggs and trying to match them to work on letter and color recognition. They were so sweet dressing up in Easter bonnets, carrying around the Easter baskets and purses, and taking care of the furry little Easter bunnies. During circle time we introduced the song "Here comes Peter Cottontail" and the children loved to sing and dance along! We read several Easter books with the children which filled them with the Easter spirit. It's always nice to incorporate the holidays into your child's reading routine to help them learn more about the celebrations and make connections.

Kaylee fashioning Easter wear

Emma filling a special basket for the stuffed bunny she named "Pluppy"

Cody, Emma, Benny and Mickey matching colors and letters

   The children were very excited to color and decorate their own Easter eggs! They all did a wonderful job following directions and decorated many beautiful Easter eggs. Even the youngest one in the bunch at 7 months old had a fun time participating and kept up with her big kid friends. We are passionate about and love watching the younger ones observe and learn from the older children. After coloring their eggs the children chose a basket and filled it with Easter grass and placed their eggs inside to bring home. We had an Easter egg hunt in our outdoor area. Each egg was filled with treats. SMART START friends also decorated their own foam Easter egg using tissue paper, stickers, bonkers, crayons, glue and glitter. Each Easter egg was unique and we hope they looked beautiful hanging up in your home this year and for many years to come.

Egg decorating fun

Theo and Nora admiring their work

Zoe and her egg

Easter egg hunt

Easter egg craft

The Very Spring and root of honesty and virtue

lie in good education.

-Plutarch

💙 Mary and Francesca 💙

Bird Feeders

   The children see a variety of birds everyday in our outdoor area. As part of our spring curriculum we learned about birds and made bird feeders. The children absolutely loved this activity! They each rolled a piece of corn in peanut butter and then rolled it in birdseed. We enjoyed our afternoon snack outdoors with our feathered friends. Hope you enjoyed hanging the bird feeder sent home outside with your children. As an educator and caregiver I appreciate those moments with your children and listen to their comments and questions. They never cease to amaze me. I can only imagine what they are like at home.

Theo and Emma busy at work

Mickey and Nora sprinkling on birdseed

Group effort

"Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings"

- Salvador Dali

💙 Mary and Francesca💙

Mother Goose

   This month our Field Trip Friday was a big hit with all of our SMART START friends. Mother Goose came to visit! The children love preparing for their on site fields trip by putting on their SMART START t-shirts and smiles. Mother Goose engaged the children by telling classic nursery rhymes, singing songs, having the children get up and dance and putting on a puppet show. The children sang along, danced together while holding hands, and played happily with the assortment of props that Mother Goose brought. SMART START was filled with the sound of laughter and chatter throughout the day!  

   We loved having Mother Goose and the children learned so much! Be sure to ask your child about what songs and nursery rhymes they learned. This is a great way to engage your little one and continue the learning process at home! Here's a classic to help get you and your child started...

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the King's horses, and all the King's men,

Couldn't put Humpty together again.

Getting ready to help Mother Goose put on a puppet show

Jack and Jill

Mother Goose sharing her classic nursery rhymes

Experts In literacy and child development have discovered that

if children know eight nursery rhymes by the time they're

four years old, they're usually among the best readers

by the time they're eight.

-Mem Fox

💙 Mary and Francesca 💙

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss

     Our Smart Start learners loved celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday. Emma and Isla even dressed the part as Thing 1 and Thing 2. They looked adorable. Dr. Seuss continues to bring joy to people of all ages. The children enjoyed listening to One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham. The illustrations hold their attention and bring life to each page.

     Smart Start friends worked on a Dr. Seuss themed art project inspired by The Cat in the Hat. The children loved covering their hands in paint and making handprints to create Thing 1 and Thing 2. Handprint art is a lot of fun. You can make just about anything using a handprint or footprint while making memories. Their hands and feet are only little for so long! 

      Following reading Green Eggs and Ham, The children, Miss Francesca and I made green eggs and ham for lunch! The children thought this was a special treat and quite funny.

     Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! We thank you for providing us with lots of giggles and inspiring us to think outside of the box and be ourselves!

Emma and Isla, Thing 1 and Thing 2

Miss Francesca and Nora-hand art fun

          Kaylee and Mickey enjoying green eggs and ham and a Dr. Seuss classic

            "The more that you READ, the more things you will KNOW. The more that you LEARN, the more places you'll GO."

                                                          -Dr. Seuss

💙 Mary and Francesca 💙