Jack-o-Lanterns can be a great way to explore feelings and emotions with young children.

During our week of the pumpkin, we created a variety of different jack-o-lanterns.

We used a variety of items to construct different facial expressions, all the while discussing the different emotional states behind them.

For this activity specifically, we constructed these expressions using paper pieces.

Measurement concepts are often a part of children’s interactions. “My dad is bigger,” “I can jump higher,” and “I have more play dough than you!” are common comparisons that children make.

From the child’s perspective, these statements compare quantity; however, they also provide a nice introduction to measurement. Unfortunately, it is an often neglected content standard in early childhood classrooms.

Throughout the many projects we do throughout the week, we are constantly measuring, comparing, and contrasting items related to the theme. For this activity, your little one was presented with a problem. They were each given a picture of a spider separated into seven sections.

These sections were of different sizes and shapes and it was their quest to see how they all fit together! When children work on puzzles, they are actually “putting the pieces together” in more ways than one. Puzzles help children build the skills they need to read, write, solve problems, and coordinate their thoughts and actions—all of which they will use in elementary school and beyond. A puzzle with a picture that has particular interest for a child may help her begin to recognize colors and letters, and come to realize that the sum of parts make up a whole—a concept that will help her with math later on.

By inserting pieces into the puzzle, children also develop the muscle group used for writing, or the “pincer” grasp. Children can work on puzzles by themselves, without the help of adults or other children. They can also work together on large puzzles and practice compromising and getting along. By inserting pieces into the puzzle, children also develop the muscle group used for writing, or the “pincer” grasp. Children can work on puzzles by themselves, without the help of adults or other children.

They can also work together on large puzzles and practice compromising and getting along. Because each child must concentrate on the puzzle individually, he experiences a sense of satisfaction as he picks up a piece, rotates it, and discovers the spot in which it fits. Piece by piece, he begins to recognize the picture that the puzzle represents.

Engineering activities, by their nature, are an inquiry-based pedagogical strategy that promotes learning across disciplines.

Engineering curricula introduces students of all ages to everyday applications of science, mathematics, technology and engineering that match their values and view of the world.

This, and many of our other activities are designed to engage students in hands-on STEM experiences in order to improve their understanding of fundamental concepts in a way that capitalizes upon their design, visualization, creativity and teamwork skills and yearnings.

For this activity, students were given sand blocks and toothpicks. They were told to construct a bat cave using the materials. After they finished, they teamed up with their friends to create even bigger structures!

Children learn through experiences, and the earlier they are exposed to STEM-based hands-on learning experiences, the better.

The tactile experience (touching a letter with your finger) is important for building a memory trace.

This enables students to acquaint the name of each letter with a visual representation for the letter sound.

For a child who is struggling with their letters, the sooner they can integrate the sound of the letter with what it looks like, the sooner their writing contains more meaning for them.

For this activity, we talked about the letters in the word GHOST, particularly the letter G.

We discussed words that begin with this letter, and then broke up additional letters into their component parts. Using our fingers, we moved to our writing trays, where we traced the letter G, using white paint and glitter.

Preschoolers are actively engaged in scientific learning, both inside the classroom and out. As they ask questions and seek answers to their “how” and “why” questions, they are beginning to practice scientific investigation. Science is also a way to find out about the world through exploration.

Children are investigators by nature. When their natural desire to investigate is nurtured,  young children develop scientific minds. In our classroom, we create environments that engage the senses of our young students and allow them to sort and classify, handle, observe, and ask questions, which is how they construct ideas about the physical and natural world.

For this activity, we used vinegar, baking soda, and play dough to create exploding monsters! Introducing chemistry to young children at the beginning of their academic journeys is very exciting and aids their capacity to grasp more elaborate scientific concepts later on.

Chemistry also provides an exciting supplement to their learning as they perceive and learn about predictable actions. Lastly, experiments conducted independently make them more meaningful to your little scientist!

Activities that stimulate curiosity, teach science concepts, and avoid overwhelming or boring children with lessons are developmentally appropriate for the preschool classroom. When done well, preschool science is exciting and intellectually meaningful.

The right preschool science activities can nurture your child’s natural sense of adventure and curiosity, help your child develop his own understanding of the natural world, encourage your child to be a persistent problem solver, and introduce your child to basic elements of scientific reasoning (seeking evidence; testing predictions). Because we are learning about monsters this week, we decided to combine vinegar and baking soda to create monster faces!

We first poured 1/2 cup of vinegar into an empty water bottle. Then, we drew a face on the balloons while they were deflated. After that, we placed the funnel into the open end of the deflated balloon and poured in the baking soda. Following, we secured the open end of the balloon onto the top of the bottle being careful not to dump the contents of the balloon into the bottle quite yet.

Finally, we held the balloon upright, allowing the baking soda to fall into the bottle and mix with the vinegar! So, why does this work? Your little one learned that the product of the vinegar and baking soda is carbon dioxide, a gas present when we breathe out. The carbon dioxide inflates the balloon. It’s that simple!

Using yarn and clothespins (with pictures of spiders on them), we created our very own spider web!

This was a collaborative group project, and your little one enjoyed making our back yard a little more festive by attaching clothespins onto white yarn that represented the silk of a spider’s web!

This activity incorporated the developmental domain of fine motor movement.  When attaching the clothespins to the yarn, your little one was practicing fine motor control and hand eye coordination.

The importance of hand eye coordination lies in your child’s ability to manipulate their environment.  Simple hand-eye coordination techniques, such as weaving, beading, and manipulating small objects, are a great way to help your little one learn how to control their mind and their hands. 

These skills are transferable to literacy, and when your little student is then exposed to holding a pencil, crayon or pair of scissors, the coordination will be in place.