Joy School: Unit 9: Creativity

This lesson focuses on creativity using art, our brains (problem solving), and body.

First to show what being creative is, we were supposed to have a "proud board". Instead of putting the art work on a poster board, I pulled out the folder that had Hailey crafts from past lessons. I used the word creative over and over. Hailey enjoyed looking at her art work.

Then we did a flannel board story about Creative Carl. Then we read "Little Cloud" by Eric Carle and "It looked like Split Milk" by Charles Shaw. Hailey likes these books a lot. These books are about using your imagination to see different images in the clouds.

So our follow up art activity was seeing different shapes in the lines.

Hailey and I kept talking about what we saw or mainly what I saw and she talked about it. I saw a slide and a ball in the top picture. And an orange elephant trunk and a blue snake wearing a red hat in the bottom picture.

Then I read a story about problem solving called "Fred, Fred Use your Head." We tried to think through different scenarios on how to creatively solve problems. I never really thought about solving problems as a creative act until I married Nathan. When I see something broken, I use want to replace it. Nathan on the other hand thinks to figure out how to fix it.

To end the lesson use used our bodies to make different shapes. Here's Hailey making an "X".

Cookies

For Christmas, we got a huge bucket of cookie cutters. We've used it with play dough but I've really wanted to make fun shaped cookies. So, while Hannah took a short nap, Hailey and I made the dough. Then Hailey, Luc, and Chloe were able to do whatever they wanted with their dough.
Cutting shapes out.

Everyone could eat one cookie but needed to save the rest.

We used these squeeze tubs to decorate. However, Chloe and I were the only ones who could squeeze frosting out. Next time, I'll use the powder sugar frosting recipe and put it in bags with food coloring. That will be easier for Hailey and Luc.

Here's Chloe's plate. She had to go to piano and didn't finish.

Here's Hailey's plate.

And finally, when Hannah calmed down a little, I was able to make and decorate my own cookies. I couldn't let the kids have all the fun. Robert was napping during this time. Next time if Hannah sleeps longer, I'll include Robert since he'll need more help.

Joy School: Unit 9: Imagination

Hailey asked for Joy School last week and it took about 3 days to get ready since I'm short on hands and time with three kids. So finally I was ready today and even though Hannah was awake she was content as long as I held her.

We are on the second lesson of Unit 9: Joy of Imagination and Creativity. (I have a lot of blog entries to do the occurred in November.) We started the lesson with a little story that we needed to use our imaginations to complete. It was about what the three bears did on their walk while Goldilocks was ransacking their place. Hailey had a hard time coming up with things to fill the blanks. She wanted the right answer and didn't understand that she could mention anything. Though she did talk a little about what I used to fill the blanks.

Then we made a picture using the different shapes I cut out. The page closest to her are the bridges.
In the picture below, she is telling me about the other picture. First she was making a car, then it turned into a road. On top of the road she built a rocket, then turned it into a building that fell down.

After that, we pretended to go fishing. She enjoyed this activity a lot.

We ended the lesson with "Where the Wild Things Are." I skipped reading the "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" and acting it out because we ran out of time. The most important thing was that we did do a lesson and that Hailey was able to have fun using her imagination.

Joy School: Unit 8: Shadow and Foot Print

I tried really hard to do a profile shadow of Hailey. It was not easy to get the right angle and was hard to trace.
Hailey had a hard time keeping her head straight and not looking at what I am doing.

We also did footprints.

Joy School: Unit 8: Hands and Foods

After cutting of all the food pictures I could find from a magazine (next time I'll use an Albertson ad), Hailey picked out which foods are her favorites.
We also did a hand print page for her book.

Joy School: Unit 8: Names

We started this lesson with a hide-and-seek game with our name tags.
Hailey loved finding her name. I think Hailey is so cute with her glasses upside down. When the sun is too bright, she tells us that the sun is biting her.

Then we made two name pages to put into her book.

Chloe thought the activity was cool and wanted to join us.

Preschool: X is for X-ray

Hailey had a great lesson about x-rays with Josie. However, Hailey picked up on the fact that our bodies have bones then the letter X. Oh well, she's learning something. Later that day, I hugged Hailey a little too tight and she told me I was hurting her bones!