Grocery Store Week II & Teddy Bear Week!

Grocery Store Week II provided ample opportunities for the children to continue their exploration and interactive play within our classroom store. 

We built upon all of the academic concepts we had introduced and explored during our first week, and we provided two concrete experiences that broadened and deepened the children's learning.  On Tuesday, we made Pizza and ate it for snack.  As we prepared the pizza, we talked about the fact that all of the ingredients were purchased at the Grocery Store.  Cooking continues to be a favorite Math and Science activity for the children as they  count, measure and observe property transformations.  Of course, eating is always the most favorite part!

On Wednesday, we once again extended our classroom beyond its four walls as we made a Field Trip to the East Greenbush Price Chopper, where the children had a guided tour of the store and many of its departments.  The Field Trip, while great fun, also provided the children with the opportunity to make important connections between our simulated Grocery Store and an actual store, thus broadening and deepening their experiential base of understanding.  In addition to "eating" their way through the store, the children observed firsthand the workings of a real store.  This field experience proved to be a valuable tool in solidifying the children's conceptual thinking and learning.

The Grocery Store is one of my favorite Field Trips and I was so sorry to miss it!  Many thanks to Sarah and Alex for stepping in and carrying on seamlessly!  Thank you for your well wishes!  I look forward to being back and seeing everyone tomorrow!

Thank you to Hillary, our Price Chopper guide, for providing such a wonderful tour and rich learning experience, and to all of the parents who drove and chaperoned.  We could not have done it without you!

Thank you to Brynn's dad, Scott for coming in as Guest Reader!

Looking Deeper:  Exploration and Learning through Play

This week let's take a closer look at the learning connection between 

"pretend" and "real"!

During the time prior to our field trip, the children played daily in their "pretend" grocery store, while we read and talked about the "real" grocery store each day at Story Time. Our field trip to Price Chopper served as an important "bridge" between pretend and real.  Playing in our pretend grocery store began the learning process that was deepened in the real store.  Learning connections were made, understanding was deepened and concepts reinforced as the children saw and experienced in Price Chopper the various departments which we had previously "talked" about in the classroom.  This magical combination of pretend and real is the function of play, and it is the surest vehicle for solidifying learning during the Early Childhood years!

Highlights of Teddy Bear Week   

Teddy Bear Week was filled with activities that engaged and extended all areas of development!  It was steeped with rich literature selections, and fun art activities.  Bear books and songs were read and sung daily at Story Time!  The children also took time to read to their special stuffed animals!

The children colored, printed, glued, painted and decorated bears.  These daily art activities exercise fine motor skills, and spur creativity!

Our Teddy Bear theme was also reflected in Math, fine motor and gross motor activities throughout the week!

The children enjoyed making and eating grilled cheese "Teddy Bear" sandwiches for snack. 

This simple cooking activity was fun, delicious and Scientific in nature as the hot griddle melted the cheese thus demonstrating once again for the children the process of property transformation.

Our Teddy Bear Picnic was a fun "social event" as the children once again made sandwiches and ate them and Teddy Grahams with their stuffed animals in a cozy picnic setting indoors!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!