If They Build It, We Will Come . . .

       Our Midtown neighborhood is always busy!  It's an urban environment, with plenty of joggers, bike riders and dog walkers.  Truck drivers are making deliveries, children are walking to school and so much more is going on.  There's always something to see, something new for us to notice.

     We noticed some construction going on across the street.  It was time for us to investigate.  Our Morahs explained the walking rules for going on a city street, even for such a short distance. We were ready to go! 

     We went out in small groups.    We observed the action, and sometimes the quiet, on three different occasions.  We each had our own journals, prepared by Morah Jessica. We drew what we observed, and our Morahs dated our entries.  We had clip-boards to lean on as we made our observations. (Above: Some of the Kitah Gimmelniks in action.  We're fully prepared to observe the construction site and make our notations.)

     But why did we want to go outside to see the construction?

    Since the beginning of our Kitah Gimmel year, we have built regularly in our room.  We are becoming familiar with the process.  Sometimes we use our blocks for our construction, and sometimes we build with our Magna-Tiles.  (Above, Emmett, Rafi and Gabi build at the blocks.)  We are ready to learn more about building.

(Above, and below:  Leah and Menny; Eli and Asher explore the Magna-Tiles.)

     What do we talk about while we're building?  Shane announced, "I can help!"  Asher explained, "It opens like that!"  

     Ezra said, "Asher's station might fall down."

     We asked them, "What are you talking about over here?"  Emmett repeated our question, "What are we talking about?  We're talking about living in houses!" 

      Rafi then called out, "Beep!  Beep!"  Is that a car going down that ramp?  .

     

     During the fall, we integrated our building skills with the holidays.  We built sukkot.  Yes, indeed, we did! Avraham Chaim was excited to tell us, "I'm going to build a sukkah with my dad!" (Below: our Sukkah City with Ben and Avraham Chaim. And such building!  There are boxes, wooden blocks and Legos.)

     Later in the fall, it was time to go out and see an actual construction site.  The first time we went out, our Morahs went over all the rules.  We had to follow a Morah carefully.  One Morah led the line, the other Morah was at the end.  

It was exciting to see the big equipment!  We are hard at work making our illustrations.

   

     Our Morah crossed the street to take a close-up picture for us.  She also came back with a handful of Georgia clay for us to handle.  It's wet and mushy! (And, in the following weeks, we were able to work with real clay when we made our Chanukah menorahs.)

     When we made our first visit to the site, there were no walls.  Now, we notice the walls are going up, and the floor foundation has been laid.

     One group heard the noise of a jack-hammer.  The second group noticed a very stinky smell.  The port-o-john was being cleaned!  (Lucky us to come at such a moment!)  At the construction site, Ben and Gabi both told us, "I made the bathroom!" as they drew their illustrations.  Gross, but exciting at the same time.  

     So we viewed the construction going on down our block, and we build again and again in our room.  We have another building venue, too! (Below, working with the big outdoor blocks.  We have learned to be careful with these--we don't want them falling on our toes!  We also know to put them away carefully at the end of the day, to protect them from the rain.)

      We work as teams as we build together.  Sometimes Kitah Dalet-Hey joins us, and sometimes Kitah Bet looks on.  That's the sweet advantage of building outside:  we participate as Kitah Gimmel, but with the camaraderie of the greater IJP community.

     So what's next for us?  We're looking forward to learning from construction specialists after our Winter Break.  Parents, grandparents and friends--let us know if you'd like to come and talk with us.  We are ready to learn more . . .

Clay Play at Chanukah time in KDH

Clay is a medium that is always available in the art center. The importance of children working with clay cannot be overstated. It supports sensory development, fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, creative expression, motor planning and emotional development. Take a piece of clay, spray some water on it. Pinch, pull, roll out, and squeeze some more! It is soothing and empowering for young and old alike.

We've been talking about the amphora, the clay jug, in the Chanukah story, in which the the pure olive oil used to light the Menorah in the Beit Hamikdash, was stored.  Imagine our delight when Henia and Pearl brought in two small jugs to show their classmates. Perfect provocations for clay play.

We often begin clay play by kneading the clay to make it just right for working with. We don't want it too hard to manipulate or so soft that it cannot hold its shape. Then we usually make balls. Using our thumbs we begin to shape the clay. Holding the clay with one hand and squeezing and pulling, we continue to work the clay. If we are not satisfied, we can always start over by kneading int back into a ball.
Pinching, pushing and pulling, we shape the clay..... It is beginning to look like a jug?
Make a cover and handles....
Set out to dry.......

Morah Ruth
Morah Sara
The artisans of KDH

How to make applesauce by KDH

Chanukah in KDH is definitely a culinary delightful time! 

Yesterday we prepared the applesauce that we will eat with our latkes this morning in celebration of the first day of Chanukah. 

Do you want to make some delicious applesauce? Our instructions:

1. Wash the apples.

2. Cut the apples up. Discard the cores.

3. Put the cut up apples in a pot with a small amount of water.

4. Cook until the flesh of the apples soften.

5. Put into a food mill and turn the handle. Watch as the applesauce drips through the holes into the bowl.

6. Eat and Enjoy!!

Morah Ruth

Morah Sara

All the cooks of KDH.

Extended Day December Update

Dear Extended Day Families,

Your children have been busy building and creating! During the Fall season we explored a variety of materials such as, wire and weaving, hammering both wood and pumpkins, and building “Tzedakah Island” and a “Cozy Corner out of boxes, glue, and tape!

Wire and Weaving

                   

                                     

This was our first wire piece, made with beads, feathers, and recycled plastic collected from broken playground toys. 

                      

                              

We reused this plastic plant tray for our first weaving project. The children wove ribbon, pipe cleaners, and yarn through through the grids.

                 

                  

The children are currently weaving and wrapping wire on a wrought iron, hanging planter. Another upcycled treasure. 

                 

                             

The children almost finished weaving the railing on our playground, using a variety of yarn, cord, and ribbon. They started this project on Yard Day.

Hammering Wood and Pumpkins     

The wooden fence installation is still in progress. The children painted pieces of scrap wood on Yard Day and are attaching them to the fence (with a Morah’s help) using hammers and screw drivers.

Leftover pumpkins are great for practicing our hammering skills! The children use wooden mallets to hammer golf tees into the pumpkin.

Building “Tzedakah Island”

We started decorating and building with boxes outside.

The children transformed the Morah’s recycling into “Tzedakah Island.” The children are currently adding people, roads, and vehicles.

Cozy Corner 

Our outside boxes were recently turned into a “Cozy Corner.” Children can use it when they simply want some quiet time or need a safe sace to regulate their emotions.

                     

All of these art projects allow your children to strengthen their fine and gross motors skills while exposing then to a variety of mediums. They are learning problem solving, critical thinking, and social skills as they create beautiful art together!

Thank you for sharing your wonderful children with us. It is so much fun watching them learn and grow.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Morah Jessica and Morah Yachova