2/17/14 — Winter Wonder

Trees of the MACH playground

Well, it was obviously a short week for us at MACH.  I hope everyone stayed safe and warm during the winter storm.  Did your toddlers enjoy looking at the snow and watching it fall?  Did they get a chance to play in it, feel it crunch under their boots, or watch it melt?  Children at this age are so fascinated by nature and nature’s events, and it is up to us as adults to nurture this innate sense of wonder.  Winters are tough when temperatures and precipitation don’t allow us to take the class outside but when we do go to the playground, we can see toddlers soak in the sunshine and enjoy the fresh air.  Of course they love going down the slide, riding the tricycles, and sitting in the toy cars, but they also enjoy gathering sticks, pine cones and leaves.  We look at the clouds, watch the birds, and if we’re lucky, we see a bug!  The teachers try to keep the kids dry but we don’t stop them from getting their hands dirty and feeling the grit of the mud.  It is our hope that we are encouraging a respect for nature that will last a lifetime.

Miharu matches socks

James and Adil working with the felt color circles.

Even though we only had two and a half days last week and unfortunately did not go outside, we still managed to squeeze in plenty of work indoors.  The felt board and matching (colors, textures, or shapes) continue to be popular works of choice for the toddlers.  We also worked on several Valentine’s crafts.  The children enjoyed sponge painting hearts, painting their Valentine take-home bags, and gluing colorful hearts.  We hope you enjoyed these toddler creations and had a happy Valentines Day!