Welcome back to HCS in 2012!  The Tugboats were all so excited to see one another this morning–for some of them, this is the longest they’ve been apart since school started!  Peter and I were likewise ecstatic to see them; we missed them so much!  Our excitement was all compounded by the fact that we welcomed not one, but two new Tugboats to the crew.  We are all so thrilled to have you join us, Mia and Sofia!

After an extra long free play this morning, coupled with a wind chill of only 18 degrees, we elected to skip outside time and spend a little bit of extra time getting to know each other.  We read our favorite book, One, and sang one of our name game songs at Circle Time.  We also taught Mia and Sofia the Popcorn Dance and spent project time making one of our favorite sensory projects:  Flubber!  We had two tables set up with a challenge between the two.  One group made Flubber with me, following a recipe, while the other group made Flubber with Peter using estimations.  After careful examination, the children unanimously agreed that it was “icky, sticky, ooey, gooey” either way!  We love making Flubber in the classroom because not only is it super fun to play with, but it also gives the children a chance to practice several important skills.  Following the recipe helps them see how children and adults alike have to listen and follow directions.  Measuring the ingredients helps them begin to understand concepts of quantity.  Even free-styling the recipe, as Peter’s group did today, gives them a chance to experiment and develop new ideas of their own.  It’s always an adventure!