This week was all about Thanksgiving. During circle time the children heard the story of the Mayflower and how the pilgrims arrived here in America. We also talked about what it means to be thankful. It all started with a book called Thanksgiving Is For Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland. It gave the children many ideas of what to be thankful for. Some said mommy and daddy while others said my baby or even ice cream. This conversation gave the children a chance to learn and use new vocabulary. This also allows them to strengthen their self-esteem and feel comfortable speaking and sharing ideas in front of a group.
The children also had their first experience with clay. Most toddlers, when given a piece of ordinary soft pottery clay, are instinctively motivated to explore its inviting soft and responsive sensory qualities. They poke it, squeeze it, hit it, pick it up and pound it down, and so on. Each time they act on the clay, the clay adjusts and responds. The child is naturally fascinated, motivated, and empowered to keep experimenting. If they can notice a change in the clay, they are learning that their actions have consequences. This is empowerment. It encourages more experimentation. The child’s brain is taking shape along with the clay. Clay stimulates the child’s curiosity. Intelligence, imagination, and creativity are engaged and fostered. Manipulating a piece of clay develops the child’s large and small muscles. Clay play fosters eye-hand coordination. Soft clay is receptive and responsive to all kinds of emotional expression. Clay is so fascinating that some children work for long periods without any adult motivation to maintain their interest. It can be a great way to extend the attention span of some children. Reminders:
Shabbat Shalom, Courtney and Cindy
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