Happy Holidays!

Thank you to all who joined us for a very snowy Solstice Stroll last night. What a beautiful and fun event to close out the year. A few pictures have been posted on our school Facebook page.

Recently a couple of parents have asked about how to facilitate the sort of unstructured outside play that we do every day at MVS, particularly during the winter. Our outside time is intentionally open-ended and child-directed because we know such time gives children opportunities for growth that they don't get anywhere else (as I discussed here). But while we don't plan out children's outside time in terms of lessons or activities, we are intentional about creating the environment they play in, how we prepare to go outside, and how we facilitate and support their play once we're out there.

In designing play and learning spaces for children we often think about the environment in terms of "affordances", or opportunities the space will create and how the children might respond to environmental elements. What might the children do if we shovel the snow into a huge pile? What if we shovel a grid-shaped path? What if we fill a trough with water so it freezes? What if we bring a basket of balls out into the snow? Be creative and curious. Simple changes can catch a child's interest and imagination, setting them off on an activity that you never would have dreamt of... or they could completely ignore whatever you set up and become engrossed in something else. Both options are totally fine! What's important is that they find a way to engage with and explore the environment.

On preparing to go outside: I am a skier myself and enjoy many qualities of the winter season, but there's no denying that it feels a bit more comfortable out there when it's warm. This is why we kept offering tips about effective outside gear earlier in the season; it's hard for anyone to engage in meaningful, enjoyable activity if they are physically uncomfortable. So beyond dressing your child properly for outside winter play (layers, water resistance, good boots, hat, mittens that stay on, wool socks and base layer if it's really cold), make sure you don't forget about yourself! Put on your snow pants so you can comfortably sit in the snow. Wear wool socks, warm waterproof boots, and a neck warmer. Dressing yourself so you'll be comfortable will make for a more enjoyable outside experience for both you and your child.

Finally, we facilitate outside play by observing what catches children's interest and becoming involved in the play or backing off according to the situation. If they seem stalled or disengaged we can ask open-ended questions ("What if...? Why do you think...? How could we...?") or propose a more adult-centric activity like singing a song or playing a game. If they are deeply engaged, we observe their activity and think about how we could extend it in the future. We often think of outside play as active, physical play but I also think it's valuable to allow for moments of quiet and wonder–give time to appreciate the beauty of our natural surroundings and all they have to offer.

If you choose to get outside with your child during this week out of school, I hope these tips help! And I wish you all a very merry holiday season as well as a happy and healthy new year. See you in 2018!

Megan

News and Reminders
We are closed for the holiday break from Monday, December 25 to Monday, January 1. We re-open on Tuesday, January 2.

Classroom Updates
Infant I
This week our daily routines felt very settled. Everyone slept well and ate well–important stuff, especially for infants! Our older crew enjoyed lots of outside time as well as time spent exploring other classrooms. After a long build-up our two oldest children started definitively walking this week, going distances of up to 10 feet which had previously been too daunting. One day we were also able to take four non-mobile infants out into the falling snow. We huddled in the teepee out back, singing songs and watching the flakes fall. Fun times for all!

Infant II
This week we enjoyed some early morning sand play. We buried a hippo and then unburied it several times. The children thought this was very funny. We also liked making sand castles by using measuring spoons to fill the stacking cups with sand. Some children enjoyed pulling or being pulled in the red sled. They also liked being pushed down the ramp in the sled. After a bit of an adjustment period it seems like our children have finally gotten used to being bundled up to get outside, and some of them get very excited when we all start putting on our snow suits. They are very interested in their clothing when getting dressed. Two of our children will be moving up to the Toddler room after the holiday break. We wish them well and will miss them. Happy holidays!

Toddlers
We had a lively and festive week in the Toddler room. This week we focused our story time around winter themed books. The children loved The Snowy Day and Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear! These books also inspired us to test out our own winter spirits by creating snowballs and little snowmen. The weather was a little crazy this week, but that didn't stop us from enjoying our time outside. Our children worked incredibly hard at mastering how to independently use the sleds and they were very successful. On Friday we had a wonderful time with the high school students who cam to volunteer for the morning. They pushed and pulled us in sleds and we really enjoyed their company. We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday break.

Preschool I
We've had an incredibly energetic week! Testing behaviors are by nature highly contagious, and if the teachers aren't tuned in to the children, things can get a bit crazy quickly. Still, patience and consistency is the name of the game, and once everyone is back on track, some really amazing play and learning can happen. Tracing letters with dry erase markers continues to be a popular activity. The children get really excited when they see matching letters in each others' names– "Hey, you have an A, like me." The children that wanted to make lanterns for the Solstice Stroll worked on them throughout the week. We've also expanded our discussions about "wet" and "dry" playdough ingredients to "wet" and "dry" snow and what is the best snow for making snow men. Team Shannon wishes everyone a happy holiday season and a bright start to 2018!

Preschool II
This week we couldn't get enough of the snow! We build snowmen and made snowballs when the rain made the snow perfectly sticky. We went to the Woof Trail twice this week with Pre-K. We had a blast sliding down a few really big hills, playing hide and seek, and snacking on snow. On the back playground, we continued pursuing our favorite snow activity: sledding! The hill got very icy with the rain and we got some speed sledding down. Happy holidays and have a restful break!

PreK
We did lots of practicing "This Little Light of Mine" and created our Solstice Lanterns out of glass jars, watercolor paintings and lots of glue. We also enjoyed building in the snow. After nap we've been working on puzzles and games like Memory. On Friday we had some wonderful high school volunteers visit our classroom and read a holiday story with us. We also continued our gingerbread theme by decorating our door. Sarah joined us to document the children's stories. We are all very VERY excited for the holidays and spending time with family. Enjoy your time together and don't forget your "homework."