Big Tree Little Preschool

Happy Monday!

We are all so excited to begin our Cartography unit. We are starting the week off with learning about measurement and spatial awareness. Out on the preserve we collected different nature items to take back to the classroom to measure. We also found a roly poly and decided to build it a home, searching for different items such as sticks leaves and flowers- building their connection to nature and awareness of where to find different items.
At the classrooms we began our measurement activity, using rulers they measured how long or how short their item was. Introducing rulers is an early math skill building on counting and comparing shapes and objects.
In the afternoon we created our own scale to see which item weighs more and which weighs less, again working on our early math skills with comparing weights and sizes of different items.

We are back from winter break, and the rain has made for some fun mud and puddle play! We are out exploring the nature preserve and learning about Burrowing Animals/Insects and underground tunnels and dens.

We have had such a great week so far! Yesterday the kiddos created their own winter trees with pinecones and art supplies! Open-ended art builds confidence and helps them learn that there’s no single “right” outcome!! Using real pinecones connects our kiddos to nature, helping them explore textures, weight, and shape. Nature-based materials support sensory processing and foster curiosity about the environment and seasons! 🌲❄️

Today we made snowman catapults! We used paper cups, balloons, and a ping pong ball! They were all so excited and amazed to see their snowman launch a snowball! 😊 Pulling back the balloon, aiming the cup, and releasing the ping pong balls strengthen hand muscles, grip strength, bilateral coordination, and arm control!! ☃️

Happy Monday!! We started our day learning about rocks and minerals!

TK and Preschool did a geology science lab today! We observed different rocks and sediments! We also talked about the three different types of rocks igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic!

When kids observe rocks, gems, minerals, and fossils with magnifying glasses, they strengthen critical thinking, problem-solving, and early scientific inquiry skills. Talking about their discoveries with friends helps to boost communication, collaboration, and confidence skills, while introducing them to rich new vocabulary! Most importantly, this exploration nurtures curiosity and helps the kiddos understand how scientists study the natural world, allowing them to see themselves as young scientists! 🔬🧪👩‍🔬🪨

We love nature walks this time of year! 🐌🐚🌱

Happy Monday! We kicked off our week with some Root Smashing and painting with the juices! The kids had so much fun creating their own paint out of these root vegetables.

Painting with worms was such a big hit! Young preschool had a blast exploring and creating art with rubber worms. 🪱 We opened 2 water tables and two paint areas! They absolutely loved getting their hands messy! Lots of laughter and social play. Some expressed how the worms looked like noodles and hot dogs. Others expressed how the worms were slippery and slimy! Very fun and silly day today!

We have had such a great start to the week! ☀️Yesterday the kiddos created bug potions! They loved this activity and got so creative! They really enjoyed getting messy and experimenting with different textures! The combination of slimy, gritty, and smooth along with colors engages multiple senses, helping them regulate and process sensory input! “Potion making” encourages imagination,

This fun activity beautifully combines STEM, art, and sensory play, it promotes curiosity, experimentation, and social interaction while keeping learning playful and hands-on! 🐛🐞🧪

Today we explored pomegranate art! Each kiddo got a piece of pomegranate to play with and smash! After getting the juice (and their anger 🤣) out on the pomegranate, they got to paint with it! They thought it was so cool that they made their own paint! This was such a blast and they really enjoyed getting messy! The kiddos feel the texture of the fruit, smell the juice, and see how the colors change on paper! Squeezing, smashing, and using hammers strengthen hand muscles and coordination, which are important for writing. This is a wonderful hands-on, nature-based art activity, using pomegranate juice as paint encourages creativity and appreciation for natural resources! 🫟🖌️🔨

Happy Monday! We had a great start to our week playing sensory, pumpkins, and building snail homes.

Out on the preserve we found a snail and decided to make it a home. Everyone came together as a group and created this awesome space for our little snail friend to explore!

We then gathered on the playground and had some shaving cream sensory fun. They came up with a bunch of different dramatic play ideas and stayed engaged for a long while.

🫧🎨 Bubble Painting Fun! 🎨🫧

Today our preschoolers explored creativity and color with bubble painting! Using colorful bubbles and straws, they created beautiful, one-of-a-kind artwork — and had a blast doing it!

This playful activity helps build:
✔️ Fine motor skills
✔️ Creativity & self-expression
✔️ Sensory awareness
✔️ Social and language development

Yesterday and today have been a lot of fun! We started our week with some pumpkin sensory! We all had a blast talking about harvest, and what’s inside a pumpkin! YP used their critical thinking skills to guess what could be inside. Some guessed pumpkins, some said bugs and some said seeds! We all chatted about the smell, feel and look of the inside of the pumpkin. Some loved the feeling and others definitely did not! 😅 Once our pumpkins were pretty empty, YP helped put in baking soda and Vinegar (stinky water as yp calls it). They all enjoyed seeing the pumpkins bubble up! Today we continued the sensory play and practiced using our fine motor skills; using pinchers to pick bugs from our water table! Lots of fun! 🪱🐛🪲🎃