Happy New Year!

Well, we had a very busy few weeks! Over the holiday weeks we spent a lot of time making crafts and getting Christmas presents ready. We also sang songs. A favorite of the kids is Jingle Bells (of course) but we also sang Away in the Manger, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer, and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. I bought a toy Nativity set for the kids this year and we talked about the song away in the manger in relation to it. We also discussed stars as a shape, but as a part of the Christmas story and the three wise men who followed the star to find Jesus. Did you know that Jesus was probably a toddler by the time they got there, and were not there immediately after the birth? The Three Wise Men were astronomers and traveled in extremely harsh conditions for two years, risking their lives, because they knew the boy named Jesus was so special?

We are starting the new year off and have many exciting things in store. The children have been wound up since Christmas, so we are working on getting back into our routine. Routine is something that comes naturally for some and not as naturally for others, but children crave it. Here, I alternate between quiet or sitting time and active time. This means that if we have story time we will next have free play or dancing, then craft time, then outdoor time, then meal or snack time, etc. This would be a good rule to follow at home too. Very young children cannot sit for too long and stay focused, so it's important to give them time to let them have activity. However, if they are always allowed to have free play and are constantly stimulated with activity, then they get overwhelmed. Children can react in a variety of ways to this.

January's Cirriculum

Letters: J&K

Number: 5

Colors: Blue & White

Shape: diamond

Animals: joeys and kangaroos, kittens

Occupations and hobbies: jobs, exercise, king, kazoos, kites

Food: healthy grains

Christian messages: joy, Jesus, Jonah and the Whale, kindness

Opposites: kind/cruel

Other: MLK Day, Popcorn Day, Inspire Your Heart with Art Day (a perfect segue to February and Valentines :))

We will sing songs, go over the calendar, and practice all of our previously learned material as we go along. Keep practicing at home, too!