I Am The King of the Snow!

For the Turtles, the big event for today was a new batch of snow! Once we got all of our snow gear on, we couldn't wait to get outside and play. We set up a "Snowball Store" and took turns throwing snowballs at anything that didn't move. We rolled in it, slid on it, made tracks in it and even ate some of it. Then, we took a hike and found snow mountains to climb and roll down. We went a bit snow crazy.

Inside time was also filled with fun. At Morning Meeting we got out our new favorite instruments and noticed a few more things about them - how to play very long and very short notes, and how to change the sounds of notes. Each Turtle demonstrated some of their new discoveries and sounds. Check out our music video below (hopefully).

At Choice Time, the Turtles were very busy. Some painted at the easel, others built with the magnatiles and still others helped to clean up the guinea pigs cage and give them food and water for the weekend.

The Music Video

Making Plans

Today the Turtles had a big meeting on the topic of converting the climber into a Clubhouse. We put a big photo of the climber up on the Smartboard and brainstormed our ideas for redesigning the space - Carol drew many of the ideas on the picture. Although friends had some different ideas about the kind of clubhouse they wanted, we were able to agree on what it should have on it and in it. Stay tuned for the new look.

The recorders came back out today, and some Turtles continued decorating their instruments and began to work on playing songs and playing together. They experimented with rhythm, beat, fingering and working out the notes to "Mary Had a Little Lamb." It is amazing to see the way that the Turtles are figuring out how to get their instruments to make the sounds they want.

Also during Choice Time, kids made complex "jigsaw" puzzles from magnatiles, drove trains, went camping, went on wild safaris and continued their caped crusade to keep the world safe. Outside, we enjoyed some impromtu skating and sliding in what remained of the snow, now hard packed into a brilliant sled hill.
As a group, the Turtles are working to understand the complexities of friendship, and today there were some hurt feelings out on the playground. So when we came back inside, we had a meeting to discuss important questions, such as: "How many friends can a person have?", "How does it feel when you tell someone that they are not your friend anymore?" "Can you be mad at someone and still be friends?" The Turtles demonstrated their compassion for one another as they worked together to try and figure out the "rules" for being friends, and we know these conversations will continue as the Turtles wrestle with the Big Questions of three and four year olds.

Colors and Sounds

Another busy day in Turtleland. At Morning Meeting, we introduced the Turtles to their newest musical instrument - the recorder, and everyone got a recorder of their own. We learned a bit about high notes and low notes (and loud squeaky notes). Everyone had a chance to begin to familiarize themselves with playing their new instrument and got to demonstrate some notes for their friends.

At Choice Time, we had the chance to decorate and personalize our recorders, as well as to enjoy snack, build, drive trains, cook or participate in the busy lives of superheroes (many of the Turtles have been donning capes during dramatic play and heroically flying about the room).

We also started another unit in our Art Studio and the Turtles began the Story of Color, experimenting with mixing primary colors to make new colors. We talked about strong and weak colors, and how we start with the weak color and add just a little bit of the strong color at a time, mixing until we get our desired shade. The Turtles were scientist and artists as they made predictions, carried out experiments, and made observations about the effects of colors on each other.

Meanwhile, other Turtles went out to explored around the cemetery to see what they could find. Much to their amazement, we found numerous signs of animal life - including feathers, deer poop, and lots of tracks in the snow and mud. This raised a lot of questions about the types of animals that live in our community and what you could tell about them from the evidence they leave behind. We also found some more ice to slide around on.

Afterwords, we warmed up with some new books: This Is Not a Box (a book that Maggie brought in) and Mouse Shapes. Mouse Shapes introduces many simple shapes and by discussing what makes the shapes unique, counting corners and sides, commenting on parallel lines and wide angles, the children develop their geometrical understanding.

In Which the Pigs Come Home and Some Frogs Come to Visit

Our guinea pig friends, Luna and Nellie, returned from their winter break today and were as happy to see the Turtles as the Turtles were to see them. After settling them in, giving them fresh food and water and straw, and admiring the pigs' new Tiki hut, we welcomed some friends from the Little Frogs class, who came to be Turtles for the Day.

At Morning Meeting, we went on a Bear Hunt, and then talked about going on an outdoor Bear Hunt with the Little Frogs later in the morning. Choice Time found many Turtles taking things apart and putting things together. Tracks were laid for trains, difficult puzzles were assembled, amazing buildings were built and a railroad sign was carefully taken apart to find out whether it could be repaired and to discover its inner workings. Throughout their play, the Turtles made connections, counted pieces, looked for and created patterns, negotiated tun-taking, and tested out cause and effect. As always, they enjoyed being together.

On our Bear Hunt, we traveled over much rough terrain - streams, mountains, snow and (most enjoyably) patches of very slippery ice. We even ran into a rare creature - a Bear Dog - who was surprisingly friendly and happy to see us.

We played a spirited game of imaginary basketball and threw some snowballs before returning to our room to warm up. Max's mother read us a book - Wynken, Blynken and Nod, before we said goodbye to our half-day friends and settled in for lunch. Over our meal, we had a chance to talk about our favorite parts of the day's adventures - particularly how much the Turtles enjoy the snow and ice!

New Beginnings

The Turtles were so excited to be back at school!!

We were very happy to see one another after our long break. There were also some changes in the room, and everyone got a chance to explore new toys, areas and books. The sandbox had miraculously transformed into wild animal sanctuary, there were new and challenging puzzles to assemble, a new balance scale, trains and a rearranged dramatic play area.

After some yoga and stretching, we gathered for Morning Meeting, where the Turtles each shared a little about what they did over break:

Naomi: I moved to my house. But first, we woked up in the nighttime at my old house but then the moving truck was there and I had to go to my friend's house. I saw the moving people.
Juls: Over Christmas Break, I didn't maked a snow man.  I had hot chocolate. And do you know what else I got for Christmas? I got a remote control car.
Robby: I went to WaWa and Poppy's house.
Maggie: I was at Christmas day, I had a remote control car.
Noah: I made snow angels.
Katie: I go out in the snow and I sled. After I got tired, I got coco and donuts at Dunkin Donuts.
Kailyn: I was getting something that I was like and then I was sharing something with my sisters. My sisters still gave me some, the things that were small.
Miranda: I did something special.  I played with my sister.
Max: I went to the Lego Store to get a new gun ray and a Lego Zerg.
George Katherine: I went to my daddy's work and my mommy's work but just my mommy tried to catch me.
Sarah Lynne: Actually we did Christmas. Santa brought me presents. I got a pillow pet.
David: Santa brought me a train deer. There was a present under the tree. I play with the cars. It go slowly and then it go bump.

After Choice Time, we had a little time to play outside and spent much of the time exploring the remaining snow.

Then, we had Movement class with Missy, where we stretched, played instruments and soccer and skated on paper plate skates. We are so excited to be back!