Let's play outside!

While the weather is still gorgeous, we are playing outside in our beautiful yard. There is lots of shade and plenty of sunshine too. And if you think that the learning stops when our jackets go on, you'd be wrong! Just check out all the stuff we are learning every time we go out to "play"...

Sharing our space and learning what our bodies can do

Learning to trust our instincts and get past our fears

Communication and self expression

Strength and agility

Random dinosaur pushing a toy bin over.... HEY! How'd that get in there?

See? Learning at school doesn't end at the door. It happens anywhere and everywhere (just like dinosaurs attacks)...

Miss Karen

Just another day in paradise

As we settle into normal routines, the children are finding more and more opportunities to explore the classroom. We have lots of interesting activities available and the children are free to expand upon them as they wish. That's the basis of emergent curriculum which is a teaching philosophy we follow here at BCCNS. So, for example, we have cars out in one area and soap and water in the sensory bin. One child decides to see what will happen when he combines the cars and water and voila! Next thing you know we have a car wash area and it was all prompted by the child's interests. As teachers, we are keenly observing play in all areas of the class to best take advantage of the emergent play opportunities that arise.

Playing village on the magnet board

Dino play is always popular

There are a lot of fun options to glue onto paper

Thanks for reading and checking in on us this week. Stay tuned for some spooky fun as Halloween approaches!

Miss Karen

Let's try something new!

Last week we put out a modified "ball pit" by filling a play bowl with coloured balls. The expected play was what you see in the first photo but as play went on, what we got was much more, errr... creative! don't you love the minds of 3 year olds?

Who doesn't dream of relaxing in a ball pit?

Knock knock! Is anyone home? The children started hiding inside!

Look what happens when I kick myself out! Balls everywhere...

You think you're a clever hider but we're starting to suspect there's someone here...

Welcome back!

Welcome to a shiny new school year at BCCNS. We teachers are so excited that you've entrusted your children to us. At this, the beginning of the year, we are teaching new routines and expectations, and learning to be away from mum and dad for a few hours. For some children it takes time but every one of them will learn that school is a super fun place to be, and that mummies and daddies come back every single time. It may be hard to leave while your sweetie is crying but don't worry! For the most part the tears are over in a few minutes once they see how much fun there is to be had here.

I mean, check this stuff out!

Our fish Bubble 

and Squeak

"Way up high in an apple tree..."

I see you!

And you!

Digging in the ball pit

See? Playing at school is so much fun! Don't you wish you were young again?

Yours with love and learning,
Miss Karen

Bye Bye Chickies!

In case you didn't get to visit our class last week, these are the 5 chicks we hatched! They went home with Miss Heidi on Friday and are now living a life of leisure at Red Door Farm. Their names were inspired by Miss Celina who jokingly suggested BBQ sauce favours for our little friends. But not to worry... these are laying chickens that will never know those flavours first hand!

Meet Pepper (short for Peppercorn Ranch)

Bullseye (a personal favourite)

Chip (Chipotle)

Honey (short for Honey Mustard)

And the newest and tiniest, Smoky (Hickory Smoke)

We look forward to lots of updates from Miss Heidi and thank you for your patience. After all, 2 weeks is an awfully long time to wait for these beautiful, fluffy sweethearts!

Love and learning,
The 3s teachers

Look what we found!

We had such a great time outside today because we discovered the biggest, wettest, muddiest puddle in the whole wide world! We explored it with every part of our bodies and got so very wet. Very, very, VERY wet. How lucky were we that the biggest puddle ever chose our yard to hang around in? (And that our emergent learning teachers let us have some preschool appropriate fun?)

Yours in learning,

The 3s teachers

We ran through it

We threw it at the wall

We danced in it

We stomped in it

We tried to catch it before it hit the ground

We shovelled it

We hopped in it

We scooped and dumped it

We spread it

Creativity and teamwork

We love when we put out toys expecting one manner of play, then the children take over and do whatever they want! These magnet blocks were meant for the table. One child realized that they "stick" to the filing cabinet and lo and behold... another play opportunity. Another joined in on the fun and here we have it: creative, imaginative play with friends that lasted much longer that it would have had the blocks been on the boring old table.

A great example of how emergent play is so important. We teachers let play flow and let the children steer the boat, not the other way around. They often have such innovative ideas!

Yours in love and learning,

The 3s teachers