SHOW AND TELL
Bring something that makes light.
Topic: Hanukkah
Understand a custom from another culture
The value is joy, which is a very happy feeling. It’s best when the people you love can join in with your feeling.
For cooking we’ll make latkes.
Outside we’ll play the troll game and make human knots.
The songs we’ll be singing are Jingle Bells, It’s a Small World, Frosty the Snowman, Up on the Housetop, and Oh, Christmas Tree.
Our art activities are dreidels, menorahs, holiday cards, stars of David, and Hanukkah banner.
Creative dramatics will be acting out the story of Hanukkah.
For body development, we’ll work on stamina with jumping jacks and relay races. For motor development we’ll do vestibular function exercises with show-don’t-tell, twirling, horses, rocking boat, and rolling with an object.
IN CONSIDERATION OF TOYS
Disappointments at Christmas can be as hard for the parent as for the child. The child really believed that the siren strapped on a bicycle would make it fly. The talking doll is boring after 55 times. The cars don’t stay on the racetrack, much less make elaborate loops and jumps. Simple is better. Children’s play experts offer:
- Keep the equipment as open-ended as possible.- Various shaped blocks, snap-together plastic pieces, or metal construction toys offer unlimited possibilities. One of the most popular “works” for us is an assortment of plumbing pipes and joints.
- Begin with excellent quality so that you can add to it over the years. - A Brio train set will stay interesting until a child is 8 or 10 when you add more elaborate pieces each year. Lego blocks don’t become loose over the years like generic plastic blocks do. A good doll is beautiful years later when clothes can be made by a junior-high-aged child.
- Keep sexism as much at bay as possible. - This is the most insidious effect of toy advertisements. There is no reason for bicycles to be “pastel” versus “hyper”. Both sexes need books and music toys, toys that encourage questioning and exploration, and games that develop communication and social interaction.
- Real things are better. - A really fun gift to put together is an assortment. Try an old briefcase with various “office supplies”, a suitcase with various dress-up accessories, a craft case with markers, glue, beads, and tape, or a tool box with real tools.
When you’re considering your child’s whole toy collection, consider a balance among these things:
- “Loveys” - The soft, cuddly toys that can always be there in the dark.
- Imagination toys - These include paints, paper dolls, sand toys, blocks, puppets. The simpler and less structured, the more your child can create with them.
- Dramatic props – Paraphernalia that lets a child pretend to be grownup, to be a pygmy, or to be an animal is a wonderful way to stretch the imagination.
- Action toys – This includes any equipment which encourages your child to run, swoop, bounce, or sway.
- Intellectual equipment – This category includes science (magnifying glasses, flashlights, magnets), music (instruments, voice recorder), puzzles and shapes of all kinds, and books, books, books.
Sometimes even the most wonderful things don’t go over so well or there’s too much or they’re outgrown. Encourage your child to recycle those things to a friend, a relative, or a child who might not have a toy. We have so much. There’s plenty to share.
Coming Up
Winter Open House –Winter Open House is Friday December 14, from 3 - 4 pm this is a simple, quiet event when your child can share the work she’s being doing in the school. We’ll follow with a group sing-along, Ms Vanessa our Spanish teacher will join in for some special songs she has been teaching our students. Ms Vanessa has Spanish class every Wednesday from 9:30 – 10:30. We will end by gathering in the back yard to take our family portrait.
Some of Our Favorite Things – Even the most wonderful toy stores go out of business, and we’re left with less than satisfactory places to choose toys. Here are some of our favorite catalogs: forsmallhands.com (has great real things for kids to imagine with), hearthsong.com (lots of creative things), magiccabin.com, and mindware.com (brainy toys for kids of all ages).
Jackets – Too often at pick up parents cannot find their child’s coat we can only assume that it was taken home by another child. As we come up with ways to make sure each child has their coat there are some things you can do to help. Make a point to help him to recognize his jacket, when it’s a solid color consider adding a patch or a ribbon. Using a permanent marker put your child’s on their items. If you have some jackets and coats your child has outgrown consider on donating them to the school.
Giving Project – As a reminder, please have all toy donations in by Friday the 14th.
CLASSROOM NEWS
In the infant class Christian enjoys working with the chip and slot box. This work will help improve fine motor skills, hand to eye coordination and his attention span. Working with the sandpaper numbers, Garance is showing interest in numbers and she’s working with numbers 1 – 5. You can learn more about sandpaper numbers and other work in the class just visit our web site www.montessorimorningglory.com look under curriculum and scroll down.
Recent Comments