March 15th, 2019

Obstacle Course!!

Today we brought the obstacle course equipment out to make our Backwards Day more exciting and challenging (in a fun way).  We got our bodies moving as we jumped across the hula hoops, stepped on carpet squares, crawled through the red tunnel, balanced on the balance beam, rock climbing, and playing catch with the dodgeballs.  Among these activities were several rounds of hide-and-seek!

Hide and week - the bush is a great hiding spot

Ellie and Cannon find a bug in the sink

In this video, Palmer asks Ada to hold his hand while he walks across the balance beam.  They take turns helping one another across.

Sewing! (Slideshow)

Today we ventured into sewing, something we have only tried once only briefly earlier in the year.  Coming back to this skill in the second half of the year, we talked for a while about how to use the needle to go in and out, how to apply beads to the thread, and how to make sure you pull all the way through the fabric until you reach the end of the thread.  When Palmer heard about the beads, he said, "I'll go get some beads just in case anybody needs some."  He brought the jar over to the table and we began looking through them.  Evelyn quickly found that not all beads have holes, and not all the holes are large enough for the needle to pass through.  We only spent a little time on it today and we'll plan to come back to it next week before spring break!

Tidbit from Thursday: Magnetic Chalkboard

The magnetic chalkboard is often an area that we walk past while going to the bathroom, so we don't often get to spend quality time there.  We had some time to explore these materials on Thursday in small groups.  Watch as different children approach this area with different curiosities and strategies.  It reminds teachers of the values we have at St. Johns...

JOY... (Olivia finding delight in the magnets falling down; Cannon smiling after a ball successfully flies off the ramp)

CREATIVITY... (Ada making the "longest ever" row of letters and numbers; Wolf's idea to shift the tube vertically )

EXPLORATION... (Wolf finding the string and making a plan to wrap it around something; Palmer looking inside some of the stretchy tubes; Evelyn throwing the orange balls in the basketball hoop)
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RELATIONSHIPS... (Evelyn and Cannon picking up the tube that had fallen down together; Olivia helping Ada with her row of letters and numbers; Cannon saying "You can play too!")

Have a great weekend!