Over the past month, the toddlers have been very interested in cooking, especially in the outdoor sandbox. They have been making cookies, donuts, and muffins by adding sand to the cake pans. One day when they were making cakes, some of the children began to sing the happy birthday song. In the blender, they have been making lots of smoothies. Many of the children share ingredients that they have in smoothies at home. The children also make pancakes with tree cookies in the frying pans, and add sand to the bowls and pots for stirring. Pretend cooking is an activity that offers learning in many developmental domains. Children are learning math and science concepts including measurement and sequencing. As well as cognitive development, mud kitchens offer opportunities for creativity, language, and social and emotional development.

In the preschool class, there has been lots of interest in building with a variety of different
materials. Outside, the children have been using the crates to build tall towers and obstacle courses, and they have used the spool to make boats. Inside, the children have used magnet tiles, stickle bricks, arches, unit blocks, and screws to make rockets, cruise ships, robots, houses and garages, and skyscrapers. The children have been quite excited to show us what they are building and often request that we take photos or videos of their creations.

Building with blocks and other materials is a hands on way to foster the development of concepts such as structural stability, geometry, symmetry, and spatial relationships. Building also fosters independence and self-confidence. As children explore the construction process, make decisions, and see their ideas come to life, they gain a sense of accomplishment and pride in their creations.

Recently, we have noticed the children in both classes have been interested in numbers and counting and that their play reflects this interest. We have observed them combining magnet tiles to
make new shapes, moving things around to make space for everything in the shopping cart, counting out birthday candles for sand cakes, comparing the heights of towers, filling and dumping containers, and making patterns with art materials. Our grocery store in the classroom has also give us lots of opportunity to explore ideas about money.

We have also had the opportunity to read some math books. Teacher Rebecca shared a book called Rafa Counts on Papa and invited the children to explore rulers. They especially liked
measuring their shoes to see whose were the biggest. We also heard them making connections to
home during the story. Some children discussed how high their dogs can jump. Math literacy in
the early years develops through everyday experiences and materials. As they play, children are
naturally exploring things like counting, patterns, shapes, and how things fit together. Educators
support math learning by providing materials that encourage exploration, asking questions,
reading books, and using simple math language during play.

At LCNS, we believe that children are competent and capable. As such, we provide many opportunities for them to contribute to caring for our classroom materials in a meaningful way. Children in both classes are asked to help tidy up their dishes after snack and put their water bottles away. We also encourage and support them to put their belongings away in the cubbies when we come inside and to help tidy up toys. If something spills, we help them to clean it up.

Recently, the children have been eager to help with all kinds of chores, including sweeping and mopping the floors, drying spilled water from water play activities, cleaning the paint brushes, wiping the tables, and washing the paint off the easel. 

Working together to care for our environment is an important way to build community. When children have the opportunity to be part of a safe and caring classroom community, it helps them develop positive relationships and grows their empathy.

Over the past month, the changeable weather has given us some interesting opportunities on the playground. The children have enjoyed chopping ice, digging big holes, sliding down the snow mountains, playing hockey with mini sticks, catching the drips of water, cooking with the melted snow, and jumping in puddles.

This past week, we had a fun experience of retelling the “Going on a Bear Hunt” story on the playground. Using a call-and-response style of storytelling, children and educators travelled together around the space, repeating the familiar phrases, as we told the story. As we went through the “deep snow,” around trees, over logs, and through the tunnel, children connected words to actions, strengthening comprehension and helping the story come alive in a meaningful, physical way. Storytelling like this supports early literacy by building vocabulary, narrative skills, and confidence with language. The children also used their imaginations to transform the playground into a story setting. When a child surprised us by jumping out of a “cave” (a black bin turned bear’s den!), the excitement and shared laughter reinforced how joyful and engaging literacy experiences can be.