tray play for my new little people i will have this year....

This is a stringing activity that caters to the little ones that still like to mouth things. I created it out of a pool noodle cut into about an inch thick pieces and a thicker rope as opposed to yarn or string. Usually I have done this activity with small beads but i know they are a choking hazard for my new age group. This activity is good for fine motor skills, counting, and color recognition. An extension of this activity can be to use two colors and begin to pattern.



 This is some mini water bottles I used to make sensory bottles. one has red water with silver glitter mixed in. On the tray there is one with clear water and colored water beads, yellow oil with blue colored water (when mixed it turns green), orange with confetti flakes,and yellow and green.

This is a great beginner transfering activity. It is plastic golf balls. I would first put this out for grasping and transering then add a ladel or spoon and then go to the tongs as motor skills build. An extension of this especially for a new sensory experience would be to put these in a tub of water and  use a small net to "catch" them. One could even use a shovel to transfer them out of a sand bin...endless possibilities. (fine motor skills, color recognition, counting)

 This is also a fine motor skill activity. Object is to use the clothes pins (the old time kind..lol) and put them on the side of the bowl. After mastering these kind of clothes pins, the ones you have to squeeze can be added to develop the pincher grasp.

This is two color sorting games. I used fish and gingerbread people buttons. This is good color recognition. as well as color matching. Thisactivity can be extended to patterning as well.

 This is a aluminum disposable cup cake tin. I cut out colored circles to go in each divider since this tray is so versatile. the object is to again first introduce this by grasping the colored objects and placing them in with the correct color. After grasping is mastered then spooning would be the next way to transfer.

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SUMMER

Wow...as I log into this account after being MIA I realize just how quickly the summer is going by. I have approximately three weeks before I have to get back in the swing of things. The first week back though is our yearly conference the agency has for all the education staff and I really look forward to it. Last year (my first as the "official LEAD teacher") some say was a breeze for me and loooking back it was. The children I had were text book and behavior was unbelievably smooth. The same people aslo are saying next year will probably be downhill from there after all how can beginners luck continue?? well to that I say ....it'll be fine. Don't get me wrong the almost four years I've worked here there have been struggles. I love what I do and if I can touch each and every child in some way then I am doing a good job. With all the puch on academics sometimes its easy to lose the true reason why you are in the classroom. These children...yes that what they are children are three and four years old. Do they need to LEARN...yes they do but the need to learn how to be a kid. They need to learn there is a place called "school" that is there to encourage and build on their strengths to provide safety and nourishing LEARNING learning experiences. Afterall how can they be expected to learn 26 upper and lowercase letters, write their full names ,and count to 100 if they aren't allowed to just figure out what happens when they squeeze everydrop of glue out of the bottle onto their paper or eat a piece of that homemade oatmeal playdough? Now I am in no  way saying academics is not important. I just think the pressures on the teachers which in turns puts pressure on the children is not a healthy way to go about it. There has to be accountability I know to be sure all these funds are not being wasted and that the children are truely benefitting from the programs. this year I want the academics as well as the free flowing of the children being able to just...well just BE....be able to use all the paint in the paint dish...be able to lay that brush down and use those little fingers that may have never touched paint before. I want while in freeplay centers to be able to allow that child that is building a castle fit for a king to be able to FINISH it and not put it away because it is "time" to move on to the next scheduled thing. That is the true beauty of learning.....! I hope to get back to blogging on this as school time nears ...Maybe I'll take you into our conference and setting up of the classroom ...until then ....