Hearts, Cooties and Castles in the OC - Teachers Lisa and Jelena

Some of the most popular activities this week had to do with hearts, cooties and a castle. Teacher Jelena brought some fun new toys into the classroom, including this cool set of buildable cooties. (It's a discontinued Fisher Price toy and we would LOVE to get our hands on more pieces!)

She also brought this castle brain teaser and several of the kids really enjoyed figuring out how to create structures that matched the illustrated challenges.

We're not sure who had more fun on Valentine's Day - the kids handing out their valentines, or the teachers watching them. It was really sweet to see them helping each other. We hope they enjoyed opening them with you at home.

On Wednesday our featured activity was mixing baking soda and vinegar, incorporating Valentine cookie cutters and conversation heart candies into the process. Some friends did their experiments quickly, while others lingered for more pouring, mixing and stirring.

On Friday we did a shaving cream art project. Children dropped water colors on a shaving cream surface and dragged a wooden pick through them to create a marbled effect. Then we placed a piece of paper on top of the design and pressed gently. We lifted it away and used a squeegee to reveal unique and beautiful designs which are on display in our hallway.

Of course, there was a little shaving cream play as well!

Some of the other activities around the classroom this week included kinetic sand in the water tub...

Wedge-its on the light table...

A Little People alphabet zoo on the building table...

Alphabots, connectable beads, and marble dispensers at the fine motor table...

Puzzles, games and Legos...

Chocolate scented play dough...

Cozy book time...

During our story time we played music with our sticks and acted out stories as Teacher Jelena read them. 

We played a heart-hiding game to practice recognizing numbers 11-20, and read stories about friendship.

On the playground the kids are enjoying playing Lava Monster, practicing their swing-pumping skills, and climbing to new heights. It's so great to see them working through their doubts and frustrations to learn something new!

February has been such a fun month so far! It's hard to believe that March is just around the corner. We'll be delving into fairy tales and leprechauns very soon :).

As always, thanks for sharing your awesome kids with us - we have the best job ever!

We'll see you Wednesday,

Teachers Lisa and Jelena