Kitah Bet's Rainbow Shadows

One of the Reggio paradigm's most essential components is the concept of Emergent Curriculum, the idea that we allow children's interests to guide the class's direction and what kind of projects we work on. One rainy afternoon, we traced Victoria's body onto a big sheet of paper to show her how tall she was! Jules became very interested, and so we traced her too! Morah Adi had the idea that we could paint their silhouettes with watercolor. The next day in class Benji noticed Victoria's rainbow shadow on the wall and said he wanted one too, and the rest is history! 

In Kitah Bet, if we do anything new, Morah Lindsey introduces it first at Circle Time. We talked about how Morah Lindsey would trace each friend, and that friends would get to pick which colors they were painted. 

Friends took turns laying on big pieces of paper and Morah Lindsey traced them with a marker! They had to lay very. very still. Lots of friends thought it tickled! Each friend got to choose how they posed while laying down. 

Next we used crayon to scribble on our silhouettes. Some friends asked us to write special things on their silhouettes (Benji asked for his sister, mommy, and daddy's letters of their first names). We noticed that when we painted over the crayon, the crayon showed through. 

Each day we painted a different friend. Morah Lindsey and Morah Adi made sure there were lots of watercolor choices to pick from, and each child chose which colors their friends used to paint them. Some friends in our class have Favorite Colors (Nathan loves red, Benji loves blue), who opted to use just one color. Other friends wanted to use lots of colors. 

 

Next, Morah Lindsey hung them all around our room. They were the perfect Purim decorations... such bright and beautiful colors, and we noticed they made us feel happy when we looked at them. 

Sophia, Rosie, and Victoria

Levana 

Evelyn

Jules

Nathan and Elijah

Benji, Norman, and Evie

We even made a Morah Lindsey!

Purim Puppets: A Multi-Sensory Experience

    The Jewish holidays provide the teachers an opportunity to create unique learning experiences for the children. Children tend to learn the best with opportunities that are multi-sensory. Indeed, the Jewish holidays themselves are multi-sensory! On Purim we hear the megillah (sound), eat a seudah (taste), and give gifts of food and tzedakah (touch). The Kitah Gimmel morahs worked to provide immersive  experiences that involved multiple senses for the children so they could internalize the joy and story of Purim at their level. 

    Puppetry is a multi-sensory way to tell the story of Purim. The KG students made their own puppets to help tell the story of Purim, feeling ownership and pride in their puppets. They used a found object (wooden spoon) for the body and head of the puppet. They used googly eyes, pieces of material, pom poms, ribbon, and fake hair to make whichever Purim character they wanted. The children were excited to make their puppets and were awed at their results. More than one child sat back from his or her work and said, with wonder, "Wow. It's so beautiful!" The act of making the puppet required fine motor skills to arrange the decorations and eyes. Executive functioning skills were also engaged for planning where the decorations would go on the spoon. The children engaged in dramatic play to tell the story of Purim once their puppets were complete.

The children are initially puzzled. They see the spoons like the ones they use to stir the batter for baking. Why are the spoons on the art table?

Each child concentrates, still a bit apprehensive of how the spoon can be turned into a puppet. 

Each child decides how to approach the puppet in different ways. They started with eyes, sparkles, hair, or a crown. The children build from the head down: after establishing the face and head, the children create clothes for the body of the puppet. 

The children are so engrossed in the creative process that they don't mind sharing materials.

As the children became comfortable with the task, each added multiple details to make the puppet come to life. 

The children are delighted with the outcome. Who knew something so exciting could be made with a simple wooden spoon?!

Sensory Explorations and Magical Art in Extended Day-Part 1

Kitah Daled Extended Day has been involved in a variety of sensory experiences this year.

This exploration began with shaving cream manipulation.

The children scraped and scooped the shaving cream to reveal the picture hidden beneath. 

Noticing that many children seem to enjoy submerging their hands into the fragrant, velvety substance, the children are offered another way to continue their exploration of shaving cream.

  

They are presented with shaving cream and finger paint in a variety of colors.

Some children used their fingers to mix and spread the concoction.

Using various tools, they created new shades and and textures on the paper.

The result of the finger paint and shaving cream experiment are fluffy, rainbow-colored clouds.

Next the children made beads for our Thanksgiving celebration.

First they sculpted Air-Dry clay into various shapes.

Next, they used a skewer to make a hole in each piece of clay.

The children painted the beads using a wintery pastel palette.

They finished off their creations with our signature glitter explosion!

After the beads were dry, the children sealed the clay with a layer of Modge Podge.

Following this, we presented the children with a Salt Painting experience.

                           They used watercolors in squeeze bottles to squirt onto paper. 

Some children used applicators to move the paint around on their paper.

They then sprinkled Epsom and table salt over the paint. 

The salt soaked up the liquid and once the liquid evaporated, crystals appeared on the paper.

The children remarked on the bumpy texture and exclaimed over the faceted clusters that emerged like rainbow-fire works sparkling and stretching across the page.

Stay tuned! This only part one of Extended Day's Magical Art Exploration. There is so much more to come!

Outdoor Play in Kitah Alef

 Outdoor Play is one of the highlights of our day in Kitah Alef.  We are fortunate to have multiple play areas to explore on the playground. The newest addition to our playground is the moveable wooden obstacle course gifted to IJP by the generous donations from the grandparents after our annual Grandparent Thanksgiving Feast . 

From running to climbing, toddlers are constantly on the go pushing their physical capabilities daily.  These stable and portable outdoor structures enable us to set up new configurations to explore, offering us an array of gross motor play opportunities. 

The ramp provides the children opportunities to strengthen their balance, coordination and motor skills while they walk up and down the ramp holding the railings for support. 

We have also been experimenting rolling balls down the ramp with our friends. 

Tunnels offer an interactive way to play and explore. Crawling or scooting through the tunnel enhances a child's core muscles and strengthens their bilateral coordination. Navigating the tunnel is extra fun with a window to peek through!

The stepping stones are so versatile and loved by all! The children are able to step on from the lowest one and make their way to the tallest stone. With a Morah standing by, the children practice their jumping skills. The low heights of the platform allow for safe and active exploration while playing!

We have noticed the children's creativity here as some friends have been using the stepping stones as drums! Some friends bang using their hands while others have been using found sticks to experiment with sounds. 

The balance beam is where the children hone in on their spatial awareness and their bodies response to their movement. Walking across the balance beam requires concentration, hand-eye coordination, and core strength.  This newest addition to our playground has been a big hit amongst the Kitah Alef children and a great asset to their gross motor development!