Utopia Preschool

Creative juices were definitely flowing at Utopia today! The children were collaborating together as they built massive block structures in the block area. Their block structures were about the same height as the students themselves! Over at the sensory table area, the children were busy baking some goodies with the sparkly purple playdough. They made cupcakes, cakes, and even cereal!

Teacher Rachelle brought in materials to make crowns and masks. The children were able to use their creativity to make their own design. Kayla put glitter star stickers on every piont of her crown while Matteo colored both sides of his mask with markers. This actvity supports fine motor skills because the children drew with markers and peeled off the back of the stickers.

Even lunch time can be an opportunity to learn and create relationships! The children often compare and contrast what’s in their lunches and ask questions about what their different food tastes like - sour, crunchy, sweet, or soft. We also take the time to ask the children about their favorite part of their day so far and who they played with during playtime.

Today we had a parent activity in the classroom! Families joined their children and grandchildren to put together Thankful wreaths out of paper plates and construction paper. Both adults and children spoke to each other about the things and people in their lives that make them feel happy and thankful. They traced each others’ hands and glued them around their wreaths, and wrote down what they were thankful for on each hand. The children also decorated with stickers and leaves!  “What are you thankful for?” Kazu: Disneyland Sydney: Sheep Paige: Desserts! Thank you to everyone that joined us today! We are thankful for YOU!

Today the children and teachers geared up in matching t-shirts for the annual Fun Run, a fundraiser for the school. The teachers supported the children with running in the boundaries and getting drinks of water when they got thirsty. The parents cheered on the children and volunteered to keep track of how many laps they ran. They enjoyed telling each other how many times they ran in the circle.

Today we had 3 pugs visit our preschool. The children were so excited to meet Faith, Barnum and Tallulah Bell. In small groups, we went into the kindergarten yard, asked questions about how old they were, if they take baths, discovered they go to the dentist just like us and even got a chance to pet and hold them.

Earlier this week the children helped make gak or slime. Today we hung it over the sensory table. The children were amazed by the slime slowly dripping down. Sam said, “It’s noodles!”  Cassidy said, “Looks like Rapunzel’s hair”. Then we started counting how long it took to drip all the way down. Matteo made sure to count loudly for everyone to hear. It took 11 seconds one time! The children love using their hands to manipulate the gak and this strengthens their fine motor skills. 

We sang the Shaky Egg song at Group today! We used moved the eggs fast and slow, up and down, then in a circle. This supports self control and listening skills as they follow the prompts of the song.

Group Time gives everyone a chance to come read a story, sing, dance, chat and learn new things together! It is also a time of day where it can be a little tricky to sit still and focus quietly. Teacher Andrea spoke to the Pandas about our basket of group time tools! These tools are meant to help the children regulate their minds and bodies if they are having a difficult time sitting quitely or still. The basket is filled with various items that are stretchy, squishy, and bendable. Studies show that sometimes children will need to be doing something with a part of their bodies to help them feel stimulated and focus better!  They are also practicing social-emotional regulation by learning to accept that you may not always get the group time tool you wanted, but a different one is always available to help! 

The sand box is always a big hit. This week, some of the children have been taking their shoes and socks off while playing in the sand box. This allows them to get that sensory feeling sand provides. When they are done in the sand box, they have been dipping their feet into water to clean the sand off and then drying them off. Some children prefer to keep their shoes on, but are more than welcome to experience the sand barefoot.

The Shoe Game is one of our favorite games! The children remove one of their shoes and put it in the middle of of the circle. Then they take turns choosing a shoe, and guessing who it belongs to! The game helps them practice communicating with their peers while asking, “Is this yours?” They also practice saying their friends’ names. But often times, the silliest part is seeing the teachers in their socks! 

Teacher Rachelle helped the children use popsicle sticks, spoons and rubber bands to create their own catapults! They used colored foam pieces to catapult into the air! This activity aided in teaching cause and effect,  as well as taking turns!  Matteo: “These are called launchers!” Elliott:  ”This is my favorite thing!”

The children were full of excitement as they got to spend some time in the gym this morning! Briana, Emery, and Robert concentrated on building with foam blocks. Caleb, Daryn, and Nate were engaged with the mint colored as well as mint scented playdough. Ryan and many other friends had a lot of fun kicking, throwing, and passing around bouncy balls. Later on, Briana got her classmates together to teach them some yoga moves.