Preschool days

So I started doing preschool with the kids a few mornings a week.  I first started thinking about doing it because Ellie was learning a lot of her colors but seemed like she needed some more direct instruction about it.  James was showing some interest in it too so I thought what could it hurt?  I also thought that having a little more structure in our mornings together would be good for me and for them.  I wanted to be more intentional with the time I have with them.  I know I won't always get to work part time and so I decided to take advantage of the fact that right now I have the time.  They love getting to do preschool with mommy and I have to say it has reminded me of all the things I love about teaching.  My goal was to give them exposure to a lot of hands on materials, lots of different textures, and give them and introduction to some mathematical  and early literacy concepts.  We usually do preschool in the morning in our PJ's just after breakfast. I didn't take pictures of everything but here are a few from some of the activities we have done.         

Sorting puff balls into color groups

Apple prints with the color red

Eating red snacks

Sensory tub with lots of red objects

 Sorting poker chips, dice, and dominoes into color groups

 Fine motor development threading straws onto red pipe cleaners

 Yellow day!  Painting, collecting yellow leaves and gluing them down. 

 Making lemonade--measurement, mixing, etc.

 Making yellow foam dough

 Making yellow jello

 Green day!  Painting with honey bears

 Sorting blocks by colors, then building towers with the color of the day

 Reading color books

 Orange Day! Painting pumpkins

 Blue Day!  Sorting blue squares and shapes

 Doing crafts with Dad

 Painting pumpkins

 Pink and Purple day

 This is the latest stuff we have been doing.  I have been trying to focus more on character education.  We started with Kindness and Gentleness.  While also focusing on a number each week.  We did things like reading a verse that teaches about kindness.  Then coloring a picture with an example of how to be kind/gentle.  We talk about ways to be kind to each other and others.  Then we have done things for other people.  Painting hearts for one of our cousins and mailing a care package for them.  Reading books about kindness/gentleness.  Making bird feeders to take care of the birds in the winter, etc.  

 Hanging our bird feeders in the tree then watching for birds.  They were so excited when the birds started coming over to the tree!!

 Making a collage about number 1/2, painting it using one/two colors each.  Reading number books.  Putting one/two puff ball into each cup of an egg crate etc.  Sorting blocks into groups of two.  Using tongs to pinch objects and put them into cups.     

Using counting circles, counting, talking about colors, fine motor development practicing pincher grasp

 Putting string beads onto pipe cleaners.  Awesome fine motor development. 

 James started playing with the strings he had made like they were trains.  ChooChoo!

We have also been doing a lot of cooking and counting the scoops of things, using the new vocabulary in everyday language.  I love seeing how focused they get when working on all of these things.  I feel like their attention span is getting better and better.  They are growing right before my eyes!