Northeast Stars Preschool - DC

Today our campers had an exciting hands-on experience during Ooey Gooey Science Week as we explored Slime Lab Day! 🟢✨

Our young scientists created their very own slime using simple ingredients like glue, baking soda, and contact solution. Once the slime began to form, campers added glitter, foam beads, and colors to make their creations unique and fun!

🧪 Slime Lab Exploration
Campers had the opportunity to:
• Mix and observe ingredients changing form
• Stretch, pull, and squish slime of different textures
• Compare sticky, stretchy, and gooey materials
• Experiment with adding different materials to change their slime

* 1/2 cup white school glue (like Elmer’s)
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons contact lens solution
(must contain boric acid + sodium borate)
* Optional: glitter, food coloring, foam beads

💡 What Our Campers Learned
Through this messy and engaging activity, children explored important science concepts including:
• States of matter (how materials can change and behave differently)
• Texture and material properties (sticky vs. stretchy vs. firm)
• Cause and effect (how mixing ingredients creates slime)
• Early scientific observation and experimentation skills

Today, our young scientists explored the curious world of solubility through a hands-on activity called “Will It Dissolve?” Each child received a clear cup of water and a variety of materials to test—salt, sugar, sand, flour, rice, and baking soda. Before adding each material, we paused to make predictions: “Will it disappear or stay?”

As the children stirred and observed, they were amazed to see that some things, like sugar and salt, vanished into the water, while others, like rice and sand, stayed right where they were!

What were we learning?
🔍 Observation Skills – Our stars used their eyes and words to describe what happened when each item was mixed with water.
❓ Scientific Predictions – Children made thoughtful guesses about what would happen and then tested their ideas.
💧 Solubility Concepts – Through real experience, they began to understand which materials dissolve in water and which do not.
🗣️ Vocabulary Building – Words like “dissolve,” “float,” “sink,” and “disappear” came to life during the experiment!

💦Today, our stars had an exciting time with water play and water blasters! More than just a way to cool off, water play is an excellent hands-on learning experience that helps children develop important skills while having fun.

What We Learned:

✅ Science & Exploration – Understanding how water moves, flows, and sprays
✅ Fine & Gross Motor Skills – Squeezing water blasters, pouring water, and aiming at targets
✅ Hand-Eye Coordination – Controlling water streams and hitting targets
✅ Social Skills – Taking turns, sharing, and working together in play
✅ Cause & Effect – Observing how water reacts when squeezed, poured, or splashed

Why Water Play Matters:

Water play fosters curiosity, strengthens muscles, and enhances sensory exploration. It also encourages creativity and problem-solving as children discover new ways to play and interact with water.

We love bringing learning to life through active, engaging play experiences!

🦕Today our campers stepped into the role of paleontologists as they explored Fossil Casting Art using air-dry clay!

Children created their own “fossils” by pressing different objects into soft clay to make detailed imprints. They carefully flattened their clay, selected objects, and used their hands to press and lift, revealing unique fossil impressions—just like scientists studying remains from long ago.

Each child received a piece of air-dry clay and flattened it into a thick disc using their hands. They then selected objects to press into the clay, creating detailed impressions. Teachers modeled how to press firmly and lift carefully to keep the imprint intact. Some children added extra details by drawing lines and textures into their fossils. The fossils are now drying and will be available for optional painting once fully set.

What Our Stars Learned Today:
- STEM Skills: Children explored how fossils are formed through imprints, building an understanding of mold making and preservation
- Fine Motor Development: Pressing, flattening, and lifting objects strengthened hand coordination and control
- Observation Skills: Children noticed details in textures, shapes, and patterns left behind in the clay
- Creativity: Each child designed a unique fossil using a variety of materials and ideas
- Language Development: We introduced and practiced new vocabulary such as fossil, imprint, texture, and observe

The children were excited to compare their fossils and talk about what their imprints looked like. It was a wonderful combination of science, creativity, and hands-on discovery!

⭐At Northeast Stars Montessori, we are committed to providing a safe, nurturing, and high-quality learning environment for every child. As part of that commitment, our staff participate in ongoing professional development throughout the year, including health and safety, child development, Montessori education, and best practices in early childhood education.

Here are just a few of the courses our staff has completed in the past 30 days:

- Infant Safe Sleep Practices
- Protecting Young Children
- Children and Fires, Fire Extinguisher Training, and Storage of Hazardous Materials
- Emergency Preparedness Training for Early Childhood Professionals
- Social-Emotional Development in Early Childhood

These trainings help our teachers strengthen their skills in supporting children's physical safety, emotional well-being, social development, and overall learning experiences!

🦖🦕Today, our stars went on a Dinosaur Scavenger Hunt! 🦕🦖

We transformed our classroom into a prehistoric adventure zone, hiding dinosaurs for the children to discover. With excitement and curiosity, they searched high and low, using their problem-solving skills to find every last dino!

How We Played:
1. We hid plastic dinosaurs around a designated area.
2. The children worked individually or in teams to search for the hidden dinosaurs.
3. As they found each one, we counted them together and discussed the different types of dinosaurs they discovered.

What We Learned:

✅ Problem-Solving – Using observation and thinking skills to locate hidden dinosaurs
✅ Counting & Math – Counting how many dinosaurs were found
✅ Teamwork & Social Skills – Working together and taking turns
✅ Gross Motor Development – Moving, bending, reaching, and exploring the space

This exciting activity kept our stars engaged while building critical thinking, motor skills, and teamwork. We love turning learning into an adventure!

Volcano Fun! 🌋🦖

Today our Stars continued exploring our dinosaur theme by creating erupting volcano art! Using colorful liquid watercolors and straws, the children blew “lava” down their volcanoes, creating exciting eruption effects while strengthening their fine motor skills and breath control.

To complete their masterpieces, the children added dinosaurs around their volcanoes, bringing their prehistoric scenes to life. This activity helped reinforce the concepts and vocabulary we learned during the day while encouraging creativity, problem-solving, and imaginative play.

Today, our little stars took an exciting journey back in time to learn all about the Ice Age! ❄️🦕

We learned that the Ice Age was a period in Earth’s history when the climate was much cooler, and about one-third of the Earth was covered in sheets of ice. The Ice Age began around 70,000 years ago, peaked around 20,000 years ago, and ended around 10,000 years ago.

🧊 Our friends became young explorers as they worked to rescue dinosaurs trapped in ice! They carefully used tools and teamwork to break the ice and free their dinosaurs from a “glacier.” This hands-on sensory experience was both exciting and educational.

❄️ How We Created the Ice
We prepared our dinosaur ice in two different ways:
• Freezing dinosaurs in Tupperware containers filled with water
• Placing dinosaurs inside balloons, filling them with water, and freezing them to create “dinosaur eggs”

📚 What Our Stars Learned
• Explored sensory play through touch and temperature
• Compared water as a liquid and a solid (ice)
• Observed how ice melts when exposed to warmth
• Explored basic physics by applying force to break ice
• Discussed the Ice Age, climate changes, and prehistoric life

This activity encouraged curiosity, problem-solving, and lots of hands-on exploration. Ask your child how they rescued their dinosaur today! 🦖💙