Thursday, January 22

Today is Teddy Bear Day, so our bears accompany us to circle as we go on a bear hunt. We chant our adventure as we go on our bear hunt and repeat the words, "Going on a bear hunt. I'm not afraid, are you?" We describe what is up ahead - a tree, a swamp, a bridge, and climb up, over, around or through the obstacle until we arrive at the bear's cave. Upon entering the cave, we see the bear's eyes, and "run," back through the obstacles, sitting down and using hand motions throughout. It's a vocabulary builder and also a sequencing game as we recall our movements. Later on in the day we sat for a picnic munching on teddy grahams, listening to teddy bear music, and then marching the bears around in a teddy bear parade.

Friday, January 23

Today at circle we experiment with chalk, water and sugar. Children pour the sugar into the water and watch it dissolve. We stir the mixture and use chalk to draw on paper with the sugar water, noting the texture on the paper. I congratulated them on being scientists, working carefully with their materials.