This week we began exploring the natural sciences of migrating birds and hibernating animals. We discussed with the children that as the weather changes in New York City, it's too cold for some birds here, so they migrate to a warmer place. Bears, and some other animals, hibernate into dens for the winter months.

During our circle time we brought in a globe, and started discussing that the blue symbolizes the ocean and green and brown is the dry land where we live. 

Then we explored the idea that when the sun is closer, is hot/summer, and when is further is gets cold/winter.

As the birds migrate south, they might be hungry on their journey. Here we're making bird feeders to put up in our backyard trees so they can stop for a snack.

We talked about how squirrels get ready for the cold. They hide their acorns in special hiding places. At circle time, we buried some acorns in a bucket of sand and the children took turns finding them.

And for a full "hands on" experience, the children took off their socks and picked acorns with their toes. It turned out to be a fun activity requiring a lot of concentration. 

Free art with shaving cream and paint. 

Chloe putting her artwork to dry.

This week we introduced droppers in the art center.

Here we are squeezing and dropping, a great fine motor skill practice that requires lots of concentration! 

Pre-Math: We introduced patterns of two and three pictures.

The children enjoyed matching (and eating:) the two different seeds and acorn. 

Our science center is now open! We love climbing up the stairs to an exciting world of things to explore.

Here, Sara is discovering how much fun it is to use a magnifying glass! 

JoJo is analyzing a pine cone.

We sorted different color leaves. 

We started our weekly Music and Movement class with Miss Riley of Dance,Laugh,Learn. 

The children love Miss Riley and love the music and dancing!

We went to look for the hibernating bears! Pictures don't do justice to these moments. We marched around our classroom and finally- what a thrill!- we found a fuzzy, bear-like Morah Mushka (dressed in big brown fur coat)! She was hibernating just like a real bear.

We crawled under the dens and hibernated too!  

Here comes Arieh!

Our sensory table this week was filled with sand and acorns, making for a great Fall experience as we hide our acorns and find them just like the squirrels!

More Fall Explorations

As we go deeper in exploring the Fall unit, this week led us to many new experiences in different areas.

We started by baking a pumpkin and then scooping out the soft the inside, and mashing it inside a ziploc bag to make a pumpkin puree.

Following a recipe to make Pumpkin muffins: 

Then with so many pumpkin seeds left, Sam suggested we put the seeds in the oven too. So we added some olive oil and salt and roasted them.

The friends really enjoyed the results and love snacking on the roasted seeds.

Pre-Math:

At our circle time we started by showing our friends a regular size potato and asked our friend if it's big or small. The answers were a mix of big and small.. Then we took out a bigger potato and asked the same question but all the answers for the bigger potato was the same.. it's a big potato.

And we continued bringing different vegetables and we introduced the concept of not just big or small, but bigger and smaller.

Here Noa is setting the vegetables in a small to big sequence.

Chanah and JoJo organizing the pumpkin in a line of big to small:

Sorting sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds:

"Leaf Rubbing" art: We introduced pastel crayons and learned that we need to press more gently than we do with regular crayons. With "hidden" leaves under the papers, the children colored with the pastel crayons and the shape and lines of the leaves came through!

At one of our circle time discussions, we spoke about how many things the trees provides us with: Apples, oranges, leaves shade on a sunny day and more.

Trees are so dear to us and we want to take care of them. So we went on a walk to look at the trees around the block and "adopt" one tree to take care of and look out for during the year, as the season changes and the tree changes.

Tying a bow around our chosen tree.

When playing outside Noa noticed many branches and said, "I want to collect to them and then do something with them in class."

Noa brought it in to the class and they made a "Twigs collage" :

Using the trees for acorn painting art:

While playing outside the children decided to color the leaves and make a collage. 

Shabbat Party:

We wish our friends Isaac, Sam and Chanah a "refuah shlema" , we hope they are feeling better and will see them in school this week. We missed them!!

Looking forward for another wonderful week together.