Mitten Memory Matching Game!

​We have enjoyed playing a mitten memory-matching game consisting of ten pairs of mitten shaped cards.  On each pair there is a number from one till ten and the corresponding number of shapes on that pair.  The children have to choose a mitten and find its match. The children's observational skills, number recognition and counting skills are progressing beautifully!

 

​

Winter Snow Scenes

The children enjoyed painting their own winter snow scenes using "koosh" rings dipped into a mixture of white paint and glitter on blue and black paper.  The "koosh" effect truly resembles snowflakes falling from the sky.

 

Science and Art Come together!

​We created our own ice crystal art work using Epsom salt.  First we water colored on card stock and then we proceeded to paint over it with an Epson salt and water solution.  When dried, an icy, snowy effect was created. Very "cool"!

​

Our Wonderful, Wintry, White, Winter Unit has Begun!

​At our art table this week white will be a dominant color.  We made a collaborative snowman (we began it on special Visitors' Day) collage using all different types of white materials.  We used white doilies, white yarn, white cotton balls, white tissue paper, and white napkins.

 

​

Chanukah is Finally Here!

Chanukah is finally here!  Our Chanukiout are completed, and our gifts have been wrapped up and sent home.  We look forward to spending the week of Chanukah experiencing many new holiday related art experiences, games and cooking activities.

Chanukah and Science, What Fun!

In keeping with the theme of the season, "The Festival of Lights" we conducted numerous science experiments using candles and a glass jar.  We placed three candles, a Shabbat candle, a Chanukah candle, and a birthday candle side by side and lit them simultaneously. The children predicted which candle would burn down fastest and which would take the longest to burn down.

We then took a glass jar and covered another lit candle.  We watched the candle beneath the glass jar begin to flicker and then go out while the other candles continued to burn. We discussed how burning candles need air to breathe and stay lit just as we need air to breathe.  Due to lack of air, the candle underneath the glass jar  was extinguished.  It was so cool that we repeated this experiment again and again!

 

 

 

Five Little Sivivonim!

Our children had lots of fun acting out this poem about five little Sevivonim.

 

Five Little Sevivonim

Five little Sevivonim spinning all around.

The first one said, "I'll never touch the ground."

The second one said, "I'll spin all day."

The third one said, "I'll spin away."

The fourth one said, "I'll never stop."

The fifth one said, "I'll never drop."

Five little Sevivonim spin so fast.

Five little Sevivonim fall at last.

 

 

The building of our Chanukiot Continues...

​At our art center this week we are continuing to design and build our Chanukiot.  The children are combining their knowledge of what the requirements for a Kosher Chanukiah are together with their creative skills and artistic talents.  

 ​

What's Missing?

We played a "what's missing game" with Chanukah related objects and pictures.  We used a candle, Sevivon, Chanukiah, Kad Shemen, a candle, a picture of King Antiochus, and a picture of Yehudah HaMacabi.  This truly tested the children's observational and memory skills while reinforcing some of the information that we have learned about Chanukah!

 

Preparing our Chanukiot!

We have begun the many tiered process of making our own individual Chanukiot to bring home for the Chag.  The children have begun sanding and painting their wooden bases that they will then use for their finished product.  Stayed tuned next week as our Chanukiot progress.

The Story of Chanukah!

​We have told the story of Chanukah through flannel board and song.  The children are becoming more and more familiar with King Antiochus, Yehudah HaMacabi, the reclaiming of the Beit Hamikdash through belief in Hashem, and the miracle of oil that occurred so many long years ago.  ​

Getting into the Chanukah Spirit!

Gan Reut has been working together as they have begun their Chanukah unit. They have been busy gluing, painting, and constructing with paper towel rolls to create two large class Chanukiot to hang up on their bulletin boards. Our Chanukah fun has only just begun!

Thanksgiving Table Accessories

Gan Reut painted napkin rings in fall colors and then completed them by rolling them in a mixture of beans and corn for that fall harvest feel​.

​They then proceeded to prepare placemats to go along with their Thanksgiving napkin rings.  This was accomplished by collaging  the body of the turkey in red, orange and yellow tissue paper, and using their hand prints for the turkey feathers, and their fist and arm for the head and neck.  

The children are most definitely ready for a sumptuous Thanksgiving feast!

Beating upon the Drum...

Gan Reut has begun to learn numerous fun and interactive Thanksgiving songs and they have also begun beating upon the drum just as the Native Americans might have.  The children are truly beginning to gear up for a very special Thanksgiving day!

More Thanksgiving!

We enjoyed listening to the story of the Pilgrims and why they left their native land of England, their journey to America and their encounter with the Native Americans.  Gan Reut now knows why we celebrate Thanksgiving! 

Thanksgiving Fun Has Begun!

In conjunction with the start of our Thanksgiving unit, the children imitated the Native Americans by making their own beads.  They mixed equal parts of flour and salt, and then added water to form dough that was just the right consistency for making beads.  When dry, they will paint and string them to complete their works of art. 

Rocket Balloons and Pompoms!

The wind was another important theme relating to fall.  We used rocket balloon science to reinforce the concept of how wind might blow leaves off of the trees.  We continued this experiment many times as we blew a little air, a lot of air and medium amount of air into the balloon to see the correlation between the amount of air and the distance the balloon traveled.​

​We then gave each child a straw and a pom pom and asked the children to use air from their lungs to blow through the straw.  The children found out that the harder they blew the farther the pom pom went.  They had a great time working to get their pom poms going!

 

​

Fall Leaf Baking!

To round out our art experiences with leaves; we cut out and baked leaf shaped cookies and then "painted" them with yet, more fall colors!  The best part about this experience was that we were able to enjoy our cookies for a yummy snack!  

Nature Walk!

We initiated our fall unit this week with a nature walk outside and studied the way the trees look now as compared to our walk a few weeks ago.  The leaves are changing color, beginning to collect on the ground, and the weather is becoming a little cooler, but not too cold to have had a wonderful time enjoying nature!​

Fall is Here!

​The children have been having fun learning numerous fall  poems and acting them out at the same time!​

Our Simulated Desert Trip!

Gan Reut took a class "trip", but  had no idea where they were going!  Just like Avraham who had never been to Eretz Canaan (Eretz Yisrael) and simply followed Hashem's instructions; Gan Reut followed their Morot without knowing where they would end up.  For his efforts and Bitochon, Avraham received a great land, and a promise that his children would be as many as the stars in the sky.  Gan Reut was rewarded with an ice cream treat!  Perhaps, not quite as great as Avraham's reward, but so delicious!   ​

Sand Art

​Gan Reut  created their own individual ;sand art to depict the desert that Avraham may have traveled through to reach his destination; Eretz Canaan (Israel).

 ​

Rainbows and Science!

We watched a rainbow appear before our very own eyes when we squeezed drops of food coloring into milk, and then added a few drops of dishwashing liquid.  The dishwashing liquid broke down the fat in the milk and caused the drops of food coloring to blend together creating a beautiful rainbow effect.  

Rainbows and Art!

​Gan Reut made their own rainbows using giant sized coffee filters, water colors and droppers​.  As the children squeezed the water colors from the droppers onto the filters, the colors blended together creating a magnificent rainbow effect. 

A Cake for Noach!

In honor of our Parashat Noach unit, Gan Reut baked a Teivah cake complete with pairs of animals.  So much fun to bake, even better to eat!