Drip Drip Drip

In a recent post, Ms. Harmony claimed that "process art" doesn't need to be messy... while picturing a box of glitter covered "icicles."  To some, GLITTER is the very definition of messy!  (But the box does help contain the glitter somewhat.)

This week we DID have messy art at the easel.  And boy did the school friends enjoy it.  Many of the children went back for repeat opportunities during Work Time.

The art invitation included pipettes, light blue paint, and grey paint thinned with water.  Friend 'S' said, "Oops!  It's dripping!  Oh, that's why you had a nackin under there."  :D  Indeed, it was fascinating to watch the paint drip and run down the paper after the child squirted it from the pipette.  Once they realized it was okay if it dripped off the easel (because I put paper towels on the floor under the easel), then there was nothing to hold them back!

They squirted again and again and again.  Another interesting effect that was observed is how the paper absorbed the paint unevenly.  The grey paint had a chromatographic interaction with the paper as it dried, separating the colors that the grey paint was composed of.

Now, that's just drippy!  Hah!  What COOL winter art this is!  Although messy.  :P

On the Go

Friend "K" and Toddler "K" have an interest in vehicles and ramps.  To expand that interest, the Block Area was updated to include these FisherPrice mechanic shops, Letter cars, and hot wheels. The friends took turns sending an assortment of vehicles down ramps, determined which ramps worked best which each kind of vehicle, used the elevator to bring vehicles to different levels of the building, pretended to gas up vehicles, and even sent them through the "car wash."

In the Toy and Puzzle Area, one of the new attractions is the Mix 'n Match Motors.  These car parts are magnetic and allow the students to design their own vehicles, from trains to big rigs, cement mixers to excavators... and any hybrid the child can imagine.  The problem solving that occurred with these toys was neat to watch as the students created vehicles that accomplished what THEY wanted to do: move materials, drive quickly, carry loads, or be the first hybrid of its kind.  :)

Similar play happened with the Duplo Legos.  There are so many ways to build a car or train.

The train tracks offer endless opportunities for imagination, and different layouts pop up on the rug daily!  One of the most recent observations has included the idea that shorter trains drive faster.  Long trains must drive slowly or they break apart too easily.  One child asked, "How do you make it go?  Is there a button or something?"  Nope, this wonderful toy is powered by school friends.  They connect the tracks, the trains, the sounds, and the power to chug down the tracks.  Watching these connections happen is like literally watching the friends' brains grow right there on the rug.  It's awesome!

Polar Process Art

Process art doesn't need to be super messy, or even very complicated.  The school friends folded, rolled, and twisted up foil, then painted with blue glitter (mixed with school glue), to create these FREEZY icicles!  Now to get them hanging up...

The art easel invitation this week included varying sized spools, and blue, white, and black paint.  This encouraged color mixing and exploration, along with size comparisons.

Finally, for Small Group, we worked our fine motor muscles by ripping up black paper.  We discussed why polar animals often have dark feathers or skin (even if it is covered by white fur) to stay warm.  Black is a color that absorbs heat.  Then we used glue bottles to squeeze out glue drops and arranged our torn paper in collage form on white paper.  Polar animals are often white to help blend into the snow and stay safe from predators.  Science, art, and small group discussion all in one activity... that's a win!

Snow scenes, Mega-Block Giraffes, and Cookies

Making "small worlds" is one of Ms. Harmony's favorite ways to play!  The school friends used a tray of cotton balls, stones, gems, felt snow, and Arctic animals to create snowy scenes.  It was wonderful to see the children working together, naming animals, sorting, and quantifying materials.

 Friend "S" began building a tower with Mega-Blocks, but after using all of the pieces decided it looked like a giraffe!  That's the beauty of open-ended materials.  They can be turned into anything the child imagines.  :)

Toddler "K" and Friend "S" worked on making letter trains and sending them down ramps.  Friend "S" discovered that shorter trains race faster down the slide because they aren't as heavy.

The last plan of the morning was to make a Bakery.  Some friends "baked" the cookies, some "frosted" them, and lastly, some friends served the cookies up to the stuffed animals.  :)  There's just something about warm cookies on cold days that is super wonderful.

Snow What Fun!

Our first day of the 2019 Spring Session was super fun!  For Small Group, we put together a floor puzzle of polar animals.  Then we used magnifying glasses to notice which animals lived at the North Pole and South Pole.  Did you know that penguins only live in the southern hemisphere?  We used the floor puzzle, the wall map, and a globe to look at North and South poles, and to talk about the animals found there.

Some of the awesome dialogue about this activity included where the light was coming from when they used the magnifying glasses.  We noticed that wherever we moved the glass, a small spot of light followed.  The magnifying glass was catching the light from the room and shining it onto the puzzle.  We also observed that the magnifying glasses have a "small bump" that makes things look extra big!  These powers of observation really helped us notice where different animals live on the map.

Work Time was filled with creativity and fun as well!  Friend "S" used popsicle sticks and a paper towel tube together.  She poked holes in the tube with a pair of scissors.

Friend "B" and Toddler "K" connected a bunch of vehicle pop-blocks and measured each other.  When you connect all of the pop-blocks, it's the same height as friend "B!"

The Explore Table was full of South Pole discoveries!  The styrofoam packing peanuts are in the shape of the letter 'S' for "snow" and "south."  They make a great noise when you crunch them up, and are so much fun to toss and shower the penguins with snow!  The baby penguins are small enough to hide under the styrofoam too, so we had to sift through it all to find them.  The ping pong balls were "snowballs" or "eggs" depending on the plan.

Friend "S" worked at the Alone Table to connect Squigs to the mirror.  Friend "B" also did this plan and talked about it at Recall Time.  She mentioned that when they stick together they sound like"squish."  :D

There were so many other things that the school friends worked on while they were here!  Ms. Harmony will have to share those photos in a later post.  We don't want to overwhelm our readers with too much awesome-ness!

To finish up our day, we read a book about penguins and noticed that they had very short legs.  We tried out what it would be like to walk with super short legs by tying a bandanna around our ankles on going on a Penguin Parade.  :)  It was not a very fast way to get around.  We also pretended to sled on our bellies, hop, and swim like penguins to find a faster way to travel!

P.S.  Our sweet Baby Buddies had their own class downstairs and practiced taking naps and doing floor time.  :)  Baby "E" and Baby "E" are about one week apart.  How fun they get to play together while big sisters are learning and playing upstairs!

Babies of Harmony's House

Toddler "K" misses her school friends I'm sure.  Life is too boring without them!  ;-)  But here is what we've been doing while Baby "E" grows a bit bigger:

Art: Toddler "K" loves to paint, "wah" (draw), and do "day-doh" (playdoh) in the Art Area.  She's been getting really good at drawing circles, in addition to lines.  Most recently, she has added in small little squiggles that have letter-like form.  

Read:  Toddler "K" loves to read on her own, or by an adult.  She will flip through pages of any book whether there are pictures or not.  This is especially handy when Baby "E" needs to eat.

Trains:  Toddler "K" has gotten into trains lately.  She likes to connect them and say "Choo Choo!"  She also makes trains with Legos, Pop Beads, or any other toy that lends itself to a train in her imagination.

Baby "E" has been doing what babies do best:  sleep, eat, look around, and start smiling!

What's New?

The Polar Animal unit that we will be embarking on in a few weeks lends itself to questions that can be answered through play.  While the shelves are always labeled with pictures to facilitate clean up, this month some shelves also include a question.  In this example, the children are invited to complete a floor puzzle and sort animal toys to answer the question: "Which pole do I belong to?"  Although the climates found at the North Pole and South Pole are similar, the animals that live there differ.

*Although the question invites a specific way to use the materials, the children will be allowed to play with the materials in the ways that they choose to, as always.  The question is simply an added component to invoke thought.*

We have had this gate for the top of the stairs for several months now, but this month we finally got it installed!  This creates a safer environment at Harmony's House because it will increase supervision and eliminate a chance for an accidental fall downstairs.

It is super exciting to see new things or changes come to Harmony's House that will increase the quality of experience for the students here.  We can't wait for January 22nd when we can resume preschool!

Polar Animal Fun!

Harmony's House will be back in session beginning January 22nd!  Who's ready for some fun?  Check out our new Explore Table filled with "snow," glittery snow flakes, icebergs, and an assortment of penguins fresh from Antarctica!

If you are new to Harmony's House, please read the "About" tab above to find out more about our program.  There are a few openings for new students at this time.  The calendar for 2019 can be found on the "Forms" tab.

Questions may be directed to Ms. Harmony at harmonyhutson@gmail.com.