Theme: All About Apples!

During the month of September we learned all about apples! Here are just a few of the activities I did with my three year old class...

   

I purchased two red, yellow, green and pink apples. When you ask a preschooler, "what color are apples?" The normal response is, "Red!" I wanted to show my  students that apples come in a variety of colors.

We talked about the different parts of an apple. 1. Skin 2. Stem 3. Flesh 4. Seeds

"From the seeds of an apple, a new apple tree will grow and make more apples!"

I gave the name of each apple as I placed it on the corresponding construction-paper color strip.

I cut one of each apple in half to show the students the "surprise" hidden in each apple: a Star!

"In the star is where the seeds hide."

Then it was time to taste the apples! Before tasting I asked each child to tell me which one they think they are going to like best. I handed them a paper apple in the corresponding color they said they thought they would like.

We tasted each apple one by one. We talke about how each apple tastes. I asked them if the apple tastes sour, sweet, or tangy?

After we tasted each apple, I asked them which apple  they liked best. I then gave them a paper apple in the color corresponding to their response. We looked to see if they ended up likeing the apple they had predicted at the beginning.

Investigation Station: I set out trays with an apple, seeds, a stem, and a magnifying glass. We sat together and talked about what we observed. 

Here is my son looking at the Golden Delicious up close. 

Apple Craft Acticity: after we finished tasting and investigating I had each child pick the apple they liked best and I gave them a strip of construction paper in the color corresponding to their response. They cut the construction paper strip and glued the cut pieces on a paper plate. When finished glueing, they adorned it with a stem and leaf.

Seasonal Tree: this tree in our class changes with the season. In September it had bright green leaves with the apples the students made.

Sensory Tub: Aa is for apple! I added red, yellow and green pom poms in three sizes (small, medium and large), foam apples, an apple strainer, and nesting bowls to group the apples by size and color. 

Thank you for stopping by. Hope these activities inspire you to create and learn with and for your students. :)

Blessings,

Erica

Love to hear from you!

Follow on Etsy:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MyLittleSonbeam

Follow on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleSonbeam

Follow on Pinterest:

http://pinterest.com/pin/345721708866250375/

Now on Instagram!

January Week 1: Theme {Snow-man}

Theme: snowman

Math Concepts:

-sizes: big, medium and small

-Shapes: circles, square, rectangle and triangle

Science: solid-liquid-gas 

Sensory Tub:

Materials: "Instant Snow," styrofoam balls in three different sizes: big, medium and small and tooth picks (cut in half).

**{You can get the snow and a bag of the styrofoam balls at the Dollar Tree}**

First, I showed E how to build a snowman with the styrofoam balls and tooth picks. Then we built one together. By the third time E wanted to do it all by himself! He did really a really good job!

As he played with the "snow balls" we talked about the different sizes: big, medium and small. 

As he built a snowman I would ask him which size he would need first? (big)...second? (medium)...then last? (small). 

I had him point and identify the different sizes. 

Art project:

With this Shapely Snowman we again reviewed sizes and shapes. E glued the big, medium, and small circle to make a snowman. He then glued the brown square and rectangle for the hat. And lastly the orange triangle for the nose.

We added three dots of glue for him to add buttons (we used clear plastic pony beads). Then we headed outside to find two small sticks for his arms. E showed me were he wanted the arms and I added the glue.

Science:

I filled up some ice cube trays and small plastic bowls with water. I had E touch it and asked him, "what is this?" He said, "water!" I responded by saying,"Yes, it's water and water is a liquid." I asked him to say the word "liquid." 

I then placed the trays and bowls in the freezer. I asked him what his prediction would be ; what he thought would happen to the water. It was too cute, his response was, "burr, cold." :)

That evening we took out the trays and bowls and took a look at what happen to the water. I opened the freezer and ask him, "what happen to the water?" His response was, "it's ice!"

I shared with him that the water turned into ice! The freezer is so cold that the water turned into hard cold ice and that ice is a solid. The water was once a liquid and now it's a solid.

I placed the ice in a tray and E got to touch, observe and play with it. I added some salt, in a salt shaker, and E loved pouring the salt over the ice. We observed the ice melt and started to become a liquid again!

When E was done playing I rinsed off the salt and placed the ice back in the tray. We will go back and check to see if all the ice melts.

Once the ice melts, I will place it in the sun and hopefully it will eventually evaporate! We will see how long it will take with this weather! :)

Thank you for your support and stopping by! Hope these activities inspire you!

Blessings,

Erica

Love to hear from you!

Follow on Etsy:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MyLittleSonbeam

Follow on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleSonbeam

Follow on Pinterest:

http://pinterest.com/pin/345721708866250375/

Take a look at what else we learned this week:

January Week 1: Bible {Noah Part 1}

http://mylittlesonbeam.blogspot.com/2014/01/january-week-1-bible-noah-part-1.html?m=1

January Week 1: Alphabet {Letter Kk}

 http://mylittlesonbeam.blogspot.com/2014/01/january-week-1-alphabet-letter-kk.html?m=1