Pictured above: Nate sensei gets a check up after going outside in the chilly autumn weather.
Autumn Fun
Hi everyone. Happy Friday and happy autumn! Are you ready for the weekend? If you are planning to go outside, just make sure to rug up because it’s really starting to get chilly out.
This week was another fun week for us here at Star Kids International Preschool. Recently we’ve been studying all about autumn. Despite the rain this week, we were lucky enough to have a couple of lovely sunny days so we could go outside to collect pine cones, twigs, acorns and autumn leaves. We also had a lot of fun just playing in the leaves.
Shibakoen really is a wonderful place. Not only are we right by the park but we have forested walk ways all along the street plus Zojoji temple and its wonderful gardens just down the road. We had a lot of fun exploring all of these places, looking for different kinds of autumn leaves and interesting pine cones. Did you know there is a Himalayan cedar tree in the grounds of Zojoji temple, planted by General Ulysses S. Grant (the 18th president of the United States) in 1879? We collected a couple of it’s pine cones!
We even learned a little bit about evergreen and deciduous trees. What better time than autumn?
We didn’t spend all of our time outside however, we also had a lot of fun inside, learning songs about autumn and the changing seasons, role playing, as well as making some amazing crafts.
Craft Idea
We found this wonderful autumn craft idea by Pikadilly Charm on Pinterest.
Here’s what you’ll need:
-Brown paper bags
-Scissors
-Glue
-Paper (Fall colors)
Note: if you don’t have any paper bags handy, brown construction paper also works well. Just fold the paper into the center from each side, overlap the edges a little, then tape it together. You will then have a sort of flat hollow tube that can be cut and twisted like the paper bag in the picture below.
For detailed instructions, why not check out the Pikadilly Charm blog? You can get there by clicking on the photo below or following this link – http://pikadillycharm.blogspot.jp/2011/11/paper-bag-fall-tree.html
Craft Idea
If you were wondering what we did with all of those leaves, acorns and twigs we collected on our adventures outside, here is one example. The glue is still a little wet but they will look great up on the wall once it’s dry! We’re saving the pine cones for something else we’re planning for next week.
Books
If you are wondering what books are good to read in autumn, we have a couple of suggestions for you. “The Turning of the Year” by Bill Martin Jr. is a great book about the changing seasons. It is suitable for young readers and has some great illustrations. Another book we can’t recommend highly enough is Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree”. It tells the story of a tree and her relationship with a little boy, and how that relationship changes as the boy grows older. This is a great book for teaching children about sharing, friendship, and empathy. It is also a great introduction to learning about the environment.
Photos
Here are just a few photos from class this week. As you can see, the boys are giving Nathy a medical exam. With this chilly autumn weather he has come down with a cold. Poor little muppet. But the doctors took good care of him so we think he’ll be better soon.
We can’t wait for next week and all the fun we are going to have! Why not join us?
If you are interested in any of our programs here at Star Kids just send us an email or give us a call.
We can’t wait to meet you!
