Gingerbread Men, Holiday Trees and Hanukkah

 Many shades of green were made when the children mixed a little blue and a little yellow paint last week in Exploring. After making designs in this new color they made print transfers, making beautiful holiday trees.

This week they decorated their trees by gluing on colorful stars with and adding colorful balls with paint dotters!

After reading the delightful story, "The Gingerbread Man," by Barbara McClintock, the boys  and girls chose a gingerbread boy or girl to decorate with buttons, pom-poms, rick-rack, small foam shapes and googly eyes! First they learned about symmetry, and some children chose to make their gingerbread man symmetrically!

The children really used their creativity when determining how they wanted to decorate their large star with a various colors and sizes of smaller stars.

Attaching train cars to make a holiday train can require teamwork and strengthens fine motor skills, as well!

Spending time in the Exploratorium gingerbread house making holiday toys with hammers and blocks
is popular place to be!

In Exploring on Friday, Mrs. Gootson told the children about how the shamash candle is used to light the candles on the menorah each of the eight nights of Hanukkah and about a favorite dish called, latkes.

First, the children shredded the potatoes.

Next they mixed the shredded potatoes, flour, eggs, salt and baking powder together, before Mrs. Gootson cooked them in hot oil.

Finally, hot latkes were enjoyed with applesauce, and many asked for more!

The children had lots of fun learning how to play the dreidel game!

Making jingle bell necklaces with bells and beads was a treat, and the boys and girls will be "jingling all the way" when they wear them to sing at Winston Park and the Holiday Sing.

The children loved watching the colors blend as they squeezed droppers of sparkly water color in shaving cream.

Then they were amazed at the results when they placed their paper on top of the shaving cream and then scraped off the remaining shaving cream, revealing the gorgeous mixture of colors!

Some books read this week:
"It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Kwanza"  by Rex Perry
"One Snowy Night" by Christina Butler
"Hanukkah" by Emily Sper
"Madeline's Christmas"  by Ludwig Bemelmans

Upcoming Dates:
 
12/3-12/14  Holiday Gift Drive
12/14  Exploring
12/17  Sing at Winston Park
12/20  Holiday Sing in Janet Root Theater (8:30), Holiday Party (10:00)
12/21-1/2  Winter Break
1/3 Classes resume
1/21 Dr. Martin Luther King holiday
1/25  Grandparent's Day