Working Together

Even our youngest children can work together to take care of our room. Colton and Noa were working hard to master the broom and the dustpan to pick up rice that had strayed from our sensory table. They helped one another by moving into position, and they were able to take turns, waiting, and then handing off the broom and pan to one another in a most agreeable and efficient arrangement!

Working together!

Graham picked out a fire truck puzzle and asked if he could "play " with it. After Graham placed each piece out on the table Ben and Justin came over and asked if they could play. The boys spent a good portion of their morning manipulating the puzzle pieces, until the fit just right. The dialogue at the table was..." This fits ,these go together, that does not fit, two pieces to go". The children worked together and asked for help problem solving throughout the whole process. They asked their teachers and classmates. Lily O came over at the end and helped Ellie and Ben figure out where the last few pieces went. Great teamwork Adamah!

Flubber Fun!

The Etzim and Adamah children enjoyed mixing and measuring glue, water, borax and food coloring together to make flubber. Everyone took turns measuring, pouring and mixing.

Later in the day we all went outside to play! What a beautiful Fall day!

Busy bees!

Cars and construction have been a popular topic inside of our classroom. We have been talking a lot about sharing and helping each other to accomplish all that we want to, and that by working together we can achieve even bigger and better things!

We have also been doing lots of hands on art projects and playing with different tactile objects to see how they are alike and different. This week we had colored rice in our table and had fun filling up bottles and guessing how many scoops it took to fill each of the different sized bottles! Again, we worked together to fill the bottles and shared the scoops and shovels because there weren't enough for everyone to have their own. We have also been having fun playing with shaving cream and water! 

Want to play?

Today I overheard one of the Keshet children inviting one of the Levana kids to come and play in the sandbox.  I was thrilled to see that the pair joined together to work on a digging project.  Parallel play, dyad play - and now - an invitation to play?  The children have certainly matured over the past few months.  It was a pleasure to observe this wonderful moment!

Wonderful Watercolors!

This week has been a week filled with wonderful watercolors! On Tuesday Micah Gladstone asked if he could paint and started a trend that has lasted all week. The Tel Aviv kids have been water coloring everything! From pieces a paper to cards, and envelopes to play post office with they have enjoyed both the process of painting and being able to share a product with their friends. We have also spent sometime water coloring on our “buildings” for our community we are creating. We have covered recycled boxes with paper that we are now able to water color. It’s a neat multi-step process. Our art table is a wonderful place for kids to have some quiet, reflective art time and can be a place of fascinating social conversation as kids share their ideas with each other inspiring each other’s imaginations. Over the week many of the children have painted independently and in pairs. However they paint, it is neat for them to explore a new medium and we are excited to continue water coloring in the weeks to come!

Making Pizza Together!

The children worked together to make a delicious lunch! They rolled out the pizza dough, added a little red sauce and sprinkled on some mozzarella cheese. Eli cooked his favorite green pasta, to share with his classmates and friends.

The "Friendly Fruit Salad" took a bit of time to prepare, but it sure was a sight for sore eyes when we were done! It was yummy! The fruits that grow during the summer months are so sweet and juicy!

Spending Time in the Community Room!

We decorated visors, played on the sit-and-spins toys, created structures with blocks and magnetiles, worked on puzzles together, read books, enjoyed a cold juice pop, played with pipe cleaners and buttons and danced the day away!

Decorating the signs for the TBSCC Carnival!

Water Wall Report!

The children were very busy today drilling holes in plastic containers and mixing the water colors as they experimented with color! Throughout the day a small group of children shared the basters to fill the clear tube, as they observed the water flow into the bucket below.

Working at the Car Wash at... TBSCC!

Everyone enjoyed playing with the soapy water and sponges as they washed the cars and the bikes! The cars and bikes have never looked so clean!

Class Collage

The Rainbows made a class collage using all types of different materials. There were stamp pads with stampers of all different designs, stickers, foam letters, and crayons. The most popular materials were definitely the stampers and the foam letters. The children worked very hard and independently to peel the paper backing off the letters. Peeling the paper backing off the stickers was not easy either but with determination they did it and were very proud of their accomplishment. After the collage was finished, at circle time, the teachers showed the children the finished product. We decided to go as a class to give the collage to Ellen to celebrate her upcoming birthday. We sang Happy Birthday to her both in English and Hebrew. The collage is hanging on her door for everyone to see and enjoy!

Using Our Muscles

The Rainbows have a special task over the next few weeks. Ellen gave us a wooden chair that is going to be auctioned off at "Taste of the Town" in May. The Rainbows are in charge of painting the chair. Before putting on the paint, the chair needed some preliminary sanding. With Rohan's help, the children got to work. 'Rub rub rub,' went the sandpaper blocks as the children used their muscles to make sure there were no rough spots on any part of the chair. Stay tuned to see what the next step will be as we decide what color the chair will be painted and what it will look like.

Working Together with Magnatiles

We had a new teacher come to play with us today. Savita was home with her family so Fran was with us. We had lots of fun playing with the Magnatiles with her. We all worked together to build houses and other designs for the small colored animals. Rose brought a teeny tiny monkey (approximately the size of a thumbnail) from home and we helped her build different homes for it so it wouldn't get lost. Thank you for spending the morning with us, Fran, and we hope that you come back soon!

The work of true affiliation

What is the best way to handle a situation when the same child is picked last for a team? How can caring adults make things fair when children choose to be on a particular child's team, and no children choose to be on another child's team? This happened in our classroom today, and we worked very hard to help the children see what was going on and figure out a way to make sure the same situation didn't happen again. In today's game, one of the children was upset because most of the other children chose to be on a different team. We played the game anyway but this child's team ended up losing----not because of lack of numbers. After the game ended, the child lay down on the floor, covered his face, and was very still. Most of the other children rejoiced in their victory. Two other children entered the room and asked what was wrong with the child on the floor. They showed genuine concern and caring. I called all the children together to talk about the situation. Why was this child so upset? How could everyone help? One by one each child approached the upset child and asked what he or she could do to make him feel better. They said that it made them sad to see him so upset. They said that they hadn't meant to hurt his feelings. Together they brainstormed a number of different ways to form teams the next time they played. Slowly the child on the floor looked up. He then joined in the discussion with his own ideas. Within a few minutes he was playing happily with his classmates in the sandbox. An important lesson was hopefully learned. We are committed to continuing this kind of work in our class.

The Wooden Animals Have A Home

 

On Tuesday, we painted wooden animals and waited for them to dry. Today we got to play with them. At first the kids were very worried that they were going to get their hands dirty. I explained to them that while we were not at school yesterday, the paint had time to dry. I showed them how no paint came off on my hands when I touched the animals. The kids used colored wooden blocks to make houses for the animals. Some of the kids worked cooperatively with one another to make houses together. There was lots of sharing without prompting and very polite asking, such as "May I have  a turn when you're done?" Way to go Rainbows!

Fun With Floam

Is it candy...dippin dots ice cream...sprinkles? No, its floam! A colorful, bumpy, squishy, substance that molds any way you like it and can be taken apart and put back together again quite easily. Floam is a favorite amongst the Rainbow kids and today was no exception. The kids created everything from Challah to fish to cake with lots of laughter, sharing and cooperation going on. The kids shared the cutting tools without prompting, and they even said ,"When you're done, can I have a turn?" The floam was brought out after Ellen came in to do the mystery game. The kids decided to carry the 'mystery' over to the floam, asking each other, "guess what I made?"

Growing Everyday

There's a special tree growing in the Levana classroom, and the children contribute their talents to its growth in many different ways. Some practice their cutting skills, and others tear paper to make leaves for the canopy. Olivia and Mia sat together at the table and chatted. Samantha and Eliana both spent long periods of time working individually, spreading glue and applying paper. Later, they worked together, passing materials back and forth, with each working on an area in need of greenery. Our  tree project has provided  opportunities for the children to work alone, with partners, or as part of a small group.

What's Growing Here?

It started with a strange wire frame, wrapped in tape and then stuffed with newspapers. Then the children wrapped and taped another layer, this one made from a roll of mural paper. Next came the cutting and tearing of many, many strips of brown paper. Now we are busy applying glue with paintbrushes and covering this with layers of brown. This work-in-progress allows lots of time for all of the children to engage with the process in their own way. It is truly a class effort that relies on the many fine motor skills that the children are developing. As Tu B' Shevat approaches, we are talking and singing about growing things, and our imaginations soar as we work together to bring nature indoors for this special celebration.