Springing to Life

The weather is warm, the world around us is becoming green, and the children are electric and seem to be moving and growing faster than the speed of light. I have noticed many of the children have grown taller, their conversations are becoming more dynamic and clear, they are more confident and capable in their movements, and they are trying out new things.  It really is an exciting time.  

In the midst of all this growth and change, we have been having our usual fun at school.  Many new songs have emerged from our new Co-Teacher Ms. Tricia, she is the music anthology of children songs.  We have been playing new games like "Mr. Raindrop what time is it?" The guessing egg nest game, where the children sit on a nest and have to guess how many eggs are in the nest.  Egg hunts and dance parties galore.  Coffee shop has been a new favorite dramatic play game as well as playing "Frozen."  We planted some snap peas, gone on some nature walks, talked about birds building nests, and have even gotten a couple visits from our ground hog friend, who is looking very skinny after his long rest.

The art-room has also been a very place.  Check out the carrot pens we made this week.

This was a fun project for the kids.

We started off by taping a sprig of leafy greens to the end of a pen.

After they taped the sprig to the top, they then wrapped aluminum foil around their pen, "Easy Peasy" as one of the children declared. 

Perhaps the trickiest part was wrapping masking tape around the Aluminum Foil, but they persevered.  

 

 The final step was for the children to mix the shade of orange they wanted their carrots to be and get to painting.

They of course had to test out the pens as well.

 

This is also the time of year that we get out the salad spinner and make spin-art eggs.

This is a much loved activity for the kids, and I have to admit, I love it as well.  It is just so cool to see how the colors mix with each other each time.

It is so cute how the children were encouraging each other, here they are checking out the paints after one of the children had their turn pouring, and then caught in a moment of being proud of the end result.  Too cute!

It was also a wonderful activity for practicing patience because only one person could go at a time.  So, as the children waited, they encouraged their friends by chanting "go, go, go, spin, spin spin!"

I loved watching the moment just before they unveiled their projects and the excitement they all had at looking at each others artwork.

An Eggciting Week

Two things came together this week, our study of birds and Easter eggs.  It has been a big week of egg play, talk and art making.

Spin Art Eggs

One of the things that captivated the kids the most this week was making our spin art eggs.

I just picked up two salad spinners for $2.00 at a local flea market, and it is the best $2.00 I have spent in a long time.

This kids laid their egg shaped paper in the basket, I watered down some tempera paint, and the fun and beauty began.

Adding the paint

Before spinning the salad spinner

After the spin...beautiful

 A proud artist showing his work

We made lots and lots of eggs!

Egg Shakers

We also made some great egg shakers this week.  I love these shakers because they are a nice addition to our music making time. 

We have a store bought egg shaker and I have to say I like the ones we make at

school better

We use plastic eggs and let the children add rice to half the egg using a small spoon.

After they add the amount they like, take masking tape and tape the seam of the egg.



(Photo Complimentary of Elianna...the kids have been enjoying taking pictures of the projects)

Using watered down glue, and cut up pieces of tissue paper, have the children paint the egg with the glue mixture, and then add the tissue paper.  Follow this with painting over the tissue paper.  It will get your hands gooey, so prepare the children ahead of time by letting them know.  I have done this several times with kids, and each time I forget to have a wet paper towel near them so they can wipe their hands as they go, because some kids really dislike the feeling of the glue on their finger.  The littler ones sometimes need an adult to hold the egg as they work because they roll.

They come out really cute and have a great sound.

I am throwing one more egg project into this post.  We made these candles last year, and although we will not be making them this year, it may be a project some of you would like to try at home.  Who knows, if there is time we may just make them at school again:)

Bees Wax Egg Candles

We took eggs that we used when we made our apple cake, and saved them.  We then added wax to a make shift double boiler, which in our home and school is a coffee can placed in a pot of boiling water.  The kids watched the wax melt, and then using gloves they held the wick in place as I poured the wax into the egg.  We then watched them cool in our star shaped candle holders which I found at the dollar store.  They are also really cute sitting in egg cups.

Some of the kids colored with crayon on the outside while the eggs were still warm which gave them a melted wax effect.