Scientific method

Let Me Play

Halloween is celebrated in the USA with jack o' lanterns (the carved pumpkins in this photo have candles in them at night to make those faces even spookier); trick or treaters in all kinds of costumes (children going door to door collecting candy); and sometimes VERY scary movies and decorations and pranks. Do you celebrate Halloween in South Africa, Peru, or wherever you are? If so, what do you do? If not, is there another time of year when people dress up in costume?  Here is a link to a collection of halloween ideas for preschoolers. What do you think of all of this as it might relate to young children?

Book vs Movie?

Soon, the movie of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day will be in the theaters. But that movie is based on a classic preschool picture book.  Click here to listen to a read aloud of Alexander and the Terrible,  Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Then talk about how you might use this book in a preschool setting.

Weather is such a big part of a preschoolers understanding of the world. In some preschools children dress "weather bears" in appropriate clothing, measure rain fall or snow fall, track temperatures, and create wind socks or wind chimes to help observe the wind speed. What weather activities have you observed in preschool classes? Can you find an activity on the web that you think is Developmentally Appropriate for Preschoolers.

For those of you in Peru or in the USA, school has just started again for our professors, our college students, and for the preschoolers of our communities. In South Africa students have been attending school since January but are just now starting to see signs of a break to the winter.  Wherever you are, tell us about what you hope for over the next few months. Goal setting is the first step towards success as you define it for yourself.

Another way to draw children's attention to print. Let them illustration the labels around the room. This one was on the bathroom at the early childhood center.