SEWING-PART 1; PRACTICE

For the month of January, we focused on sewing.  We had dabbled a little with sewing in December with some embroidery thread and felt.  The children really enjoyed it, so I thought it would be great to focus on sewing for a whole month.  Sewing is such a grounding activity.  A few of the children's grandparents sew and it can be such a bonding activity to do.  It is also great for building fine motor muscles in their hands which will help the children as they start writing more and more.  We started practicing putting yarn in and out of embroidery hoops with burlap.

After practicing on the embroidery hoops with yarn, we moved to meat trays with embroidery thread.  The children drew a picture on the tray and then stitched the picture.  It was tricky to poke the needles through the trays!

This child made part of his family.

One of our challenges was knowing where to put the needle in from the bottom!

HANUKKAH

Some classrooms choose not to learn about holidays, but I really enjoy sharing holidays with my preschoolers.  I think it is really important to help children be aware that not all families celebrate the same way.  Each family has their own traditions, celebrations, and holidays they celebrate and some choose not to celebrate any holidays.  Being a teacher who is Jewish, I teach the children each year about the major Jewish holidays in addition to some of the other holidays throughout the year.  I want to be the first teacher to introduce and expose them to the Jewish Holidays.  I love to share things that are important to me with my preschoolers.  Last year, when I took the driedels out, they loved them so much that each time I tried to put them away, they begged me to keep them out.  Dreidels are great for fine motor strength and for being introduced to Hebrew letters that are printed on each side.  

We found this at the grocery store and had to bring it home for the children to do.  A spin on a gingerbread house, I love it!!  Putting together a Hanukkah house made of vanilla sugar cookies!

Adding blue and white sprinkles and candy balls...

Adding the finishing touches!

Dipping dreidels into blue and yellow paint and spinning them on paper to see the different designs they make!

Rice and fillable dreidels.

Spinning fillable dreidels

I brought the Menorah out before Hanukkah started and some of them remembered it from last year.  The children love setting up the menorah with the candles and flames and pretending to cook potato latkes.  We made real latkes later on in the week!

An AB pattern that feature colors of Hanukkah, blue and white!

The children are playing with a Little People Hanukkah set that includes a mom, dad, grandma (bubbe), grandpa (Zayde), a kid, baby and dog.  The table is set and ready for a Hanukkah feast!     

This child is using her finger to position two triangles, one right side up and one upside down to make a Star of David to decorate the paper plate menorah.

Now, for some candles and a base on the menorah...

This child is finished making his menorah, now he is writing his name.