Water Bead Sensory Play

These water beads are such a

 

 squishy,

 slippery,

cool,

smooth,

and fun sensory experience! 

The Color Blue

The Color Blue Activity Bag is full of fun! 

Activites include:

• Blue color cards
• Shape matching made with craft foam
• Book:Early Learning Fun Colors
• Book: Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
• Toy truck and animals

Our First Week: Little Boy Blue

We're kicking off our first week with activities from the nursery rhyme "Little Boy Blue."  Have you ever thought about all the different concepts in one short poem?  Here's just some of the ideas where this poem can take us for the month:

• farm animals --> animal sounds
• prepositions (under)
• feelings (crying)
• sleeping
• the color blue

I am excited about the activity bags we will be doing for our home/school connection. Our first one has the "Little Boy Blue" nursery rhyme, picture/word cards for Little Boy Blue to facilitate understanding and retelling, a "Hide the Animal" game to practice using the word under and other prepositions, and an easy activity to create horns for pretend play. 

Also inside the bag is the book for parent and child to share:

It's Time to Sleep, My Love by Eric Metaxas,

illustrated by Nancy Tillman.

I like to read while the children are having a snack.  I have found the young children to be more focused participants and this is a great picture book with many things to talk about!



Homemade Cardboard Art Easel

While I would love to have an art easel that is free standing and available to the children all the time, my space (and funds) are limited so here is a perfect solution:

Cardboard Tabletop Easel

Supplies needed:

• Large piece of cardboard
• Packing tape
• Clothes pins or other type of clip
• Hot glue

Just fold the cardboard and fasten together with tape to form the easel shape.  Secure clips with hot glue and - Voila! You're done!

The easel allows children to paint on a vertical surface that is at their eye-level.  This also helps them create without smearing their sleeve along the surface.  Of course it doesn't have to be paint all the time.  This can be used with markers, crayons, or chalk.  The easel can be easily stored or even taken apart for long-term storage.  And cardboard is easy to come by so it can be replaced if necessary.

Placemats That Teach

I made little placemats today for the kids.  This will help with so much like "mine and yours" space issues, and, of course, name and letter recognition, shapes and colors.  I just designed them quickly in Memory Maker, printed on cardstock and laminated.  Easy and simple!

The Learning Station

The Learning Station is a home-based nursery school that will grow with the children into a preschool. We are located in West Laramie in Westfield Village.

We open Tuesday, January 3, 2012. 

Classes are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Toddlers must be 2 years old by January 31, 2012. 

Space is limited! 
E-mail LaramieLearningStation@gmail.com for more information or to reserve your child's spot.