The Best Play

Shortly before lunch one day last week, my small PreK group was outside playing. We were the only ones outside, and their play (as it often does) became fascinating. It was hot, the air was barely moving, but they went to work.

First, they had some fun near the tree with lots of "materials"...



They ignored other more "formed" materials...



Then, they placed logs and stumps just so. This took about 15 minutes and 2/3 of the small group of children...



Soon, more of group became interested in this obstacle. One by one they traversed their long creation. There were edits, close examination to see if two pieces were level, and lots of rules shared by the creators.

Building required engineering, experimenting, an open mind, and patience. Making the journey required balance, concentration, courage, and perseverance.



It kept the children busy for 30 minutes, and I was completely irrelevant, though close by. I guess I could have set up something similar to keep them busy or to practice gross motor skills. But why? The best play, just the best, is in them.



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Have a happy day!

Melissa's Finger Knitting Tutorial

Finger knitting has been a hit in the summer camp, which includes all of our five year olds destined for kinder this August.  Here's a tutorial from Melissa!  Grab some yarn and get going!

LIfeways Training, Days 5 and 6, 6/17 and 6/20/11

Hello! 

On Friday, we spent our morning at Lifeways training reviewing the importance of gardening with children.  We spent time working in the 3rd grade garden at the Waldorf school and cleaning up and weeding around a flow form on the upper grades' play yard.  A flow form is a unique water structure that is thought to "heal" water, besides being incredibly healing to be around.  The water has both a pulse and a rhythm that soothes the listener.  Friday afternoon, we discussed how to conduct a 2 1/2 hour parent/child group.  This is something we hope to offer to the public in the upcoming year.

Today we talked in depth about the L.O.V.E. (really LLOOVVEE) Approach to child guidance based on listening, laughter, order, objectivity, versatility, vulnerability, energy and enthusiasm.  We talked extensively about the need to set boundaries for a child so that they not only feel secure, but also value the adults in their lives as confident leaders.  We recognize that each child responds to different methods of behavior management, which many of you know just from the differences in your own children at home!

This afternoon was spent singing, learning to play our kinder harps, and cutting out fabric for a new apron.  We'll be using sewing machines tomorrow!  (Mom, can you believe it??)

Have a good evening!

Lifeways Training, Day 2, 6/14/11

Here is a Lifeways video (in two parts on YouTube) which gives a glimpse into the style of early childhood work we seek to do at The Good Earth Day School. Lifeways North America addresses the way one should care for young children using a Rudolf Steiner/Waldorf approach, wherein there is a belief is that life is the best curriculum for young children, that "it's [the work] we do before their eyes" that matters, and that care of the young child must be relationship based.


We hope those of you that know The Good Earth Day School can already see many similarities between our school and those homes and schools featured in the Lifeways video. Janie and I are happy to report that we are excitedly taking notes and we're ready to take our school to the next level!

On the home front, the kids at school enjoyed playing a game where they leaped from one lily pad to the next...



And our babies enjoyed water play in the classroom...



Have a great night!

Flu Boo!

Just a short note to say that we've been hit hard by the flu for the last two weeks. Teachers, administrators, staff children, and school families alike have gone down. We'll catch back up with pics and other good things when the proverbial smoke clears. Until then, we're focused on sanitizing, good clean food, lots of water, rest, and soaking up the sun as we can.

Think a good thought for us, and understand if it takes a little longer to respond to emails and special requests.

I sign this, "Currently in Good Health",

Leslie

Thursday, 2/3/11

Another wintery day with a two hour delayed opening. We still had fun, though we are missing all of our play, exercise, and the animals outdoors!


Andrea brought in some spare games...TransPreK friends matched pairs with the Memory game.





Tinkering...



Having fun making shadows with a flashlight...





Happy girl eating beans and brown rice...


Lunching Toddlers and Twos...


A large block of ice some of our PreK friends found in the pigs' water trough when feeding with Janie.


Silly girl before nap showing off her pacifier!


Starting to settle for nap...


Refreshed and reading...


Enjoying the light of a candle at lunch...


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Have a happy day!

This Week, So Far, 1/31-2/2/11

For the next two weeks we are considering flames and shadows. The children and their teachers are exploring grooming with combs, mirrors, lotion, and spray bottles of lavender water. We begin to think about a celebration of friendship on Valentine's Day with happy hearts on our windows...


Chatting...


Relaxing, in a dump truck of course!


Best friends taking turns pulling one another...


Some new chairs from Andrea gave rise to the construction of a choo choo train...creative children in nature. This is high level and cooperative learning, folks!! Kids parked in front of a television or computer for hours each day miss this!





Another birthday celebration! Lots of birthdays in January in February at farm school. I love hearing parents share a story or picture from each year of their child's life as we light the candles one by one...


Toddler/Twos reading group...



GEDS Beauty Shop in Transitional PreK...they are having a blast!





Christin is patient and brave...


"Footbath" with cotton balls...


Foot massages...





Ladies, then gentlemen, dicing potatoes to roast...their first lesson with a paring knife. You must demonstrate aptitude with butter knives first.





Barbra multitasks...she keeps her babies happy!








Lil' Mama..."When I see and feel nurturing, I nurture".



Story time before lunch on prepared nap nests...


A two year old setting the table proudly for her friends...






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Have a happy day!

Ending this week...

I am so busy each day and each week. Then, I take a few minutes to compile photos of what we see throughout the day. It may seem unimportant, but the natural light within our school, the wholesome food, the simplicity of our curricular experiences, the belief each day that a raucous group of children need to have a peaceful mid-day meal complete with cloth napkins and real plates--this makes me get up each morning proud of what our team does!

Collecting colorful items in nature, adding water, and freezing to hang outside another day...a rainbow sun catcher!


"Ice skating" in the classroom with skates made of wax paper and rubber bands...





Having fun with the marble run...





Cooking with a friend after lunch...


Cleaning up after lunch...children need to have this expectation, even if we have to go behind them!



Every day, our Toddler/Twos class takes their job of feeding the cats very seriously!





Tabi with the children at morning community time...


Thanks, mom, for making beautiful flannel napkins for the children to use at lunch each day! It may save paper, but more importantly it honors the children with lessons in civility. A bonus? With our new washer/dryer, the napkins need to be washed, then folded by the children each day.






Don't think that a child won't like roasted cauliflower...it was the first thing she ate, and it would be fair to say she "tore" into it!


Little ones at the labyrinth!

















Cousins...


Beautiful. A little one helping a "littler" one put on her socks...we are a school family.


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Have a happy day!