April 2023: Spring is Here!
FINALLY!
Mindful Focus: Compassion
Explorations: Spring, birds, nests, eggs, gardening
Longest winter ever! Usually by April, the SimpleLife garden is going in full bloom, but because of the long winter, it is just starting. Can you believe there is only one more month of school left? Each year we have tried new things, made changes, and adaptations to become the most high quality early learning program we can be! We are excited for the big changes and growth that will be happening soon! Thank you for the support from our families and community! We couldn’t do it without you.
Birds ignite a relevant and natural curiosity in children. The way they sing and dance the song that is spring allows children to experience the world around them fully. We had some successful explorations about birds, nests, and eggs!
We strive to teach children life skills that goes beyond academics. Children cannot learn math, reading, and writing until they feel safe, seen, and heard. We encourage team work, cooperation, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and compassion!
Books read to enhance learning experiences:
Hands are Not for Hitting by Martine Agassi, Illustrated by Marieka Heinlen
Thank You, Earth by April Pulley Sayre
The Earth and I by Frank Asch
Love the World by Todd Parr
10 Thing I can do to Help My World by Melanie Walsh
Nest by Jorey Hurley
Birdsongs by Betsy Franco and Steve Jenkins
This is the Nest That Robin Built by Denise Fleming
You Nest Here With Me by Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple, Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Birds’ Nest by Eileen Curran, Illustrated by Pamela Johnson
Have You Seen My Duckling? by Nancy Tafuri
The Earth Book by Todd Parr
Birds by Kevin Henkes, Illustrated by Laura Dronzek
I Love Our Earth by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson
New songs we sang this month:
Little Bird, Little Bird by Elizabeth Mitchell
This Pretty Planet by Tom Chapin
Birds, Nests, & Eggs Exploration:
“A bird does not sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”
— Maya Angelou
Children are interested to learn about the world around them and follow the cycles of the Earth and seasons. Birds play a crucial role to our ecosystem. They do so many beautiful things and are such incredible creatures. Children learned abut nests and how birds make them, where, and why. We talked about the materials they use and examined real birds nests! Children had multiple opportunities to make their own birds nests and use tweezer “beaks” to put together a home for play eggs and birds. This Exploration Table activity is called bird world, and the children love it! We compared feathers and different types of birds, listened to birds, and talked about animals that come from eggs.
Gardening:
Planting seeds and getting the garden going
Last month we began germinating and getting some of the early spring vegetables planted, but because of the long winter, we weren’t able to spend as much time in the outside garden as years past, but that didn’t stop us! We got so many starters going and planted a flower to take home on Earth Day. After the vegetable starters sprouted up we transplanted them to a bigger up-cycled container. The children will get the take their very own tomato plant home with them at the end of the school year. It’s awesome to think that these little plants will be providing us with yummy snacks in the fall! We learned lots of gardening vocabulary so the children will be able to apply these practices to their everyday life. We will be spending lots of time in the garden next month!
Earth Day Celebration:
“We Do Not Inherit the Earth from Our Ancestors; We Borrow It from Our Children”
Every day is Earth Day at SimpleLife! We enjoy using this special calendar day to celebrate our love for the Earth! Feeding birds, picking up garbage, and spending time with the people we love! On our Earth Day Celebration the children made bird feeders, walked to the nearby park where we did a garbage clean up, had a picnic, and got to play on a playground! Thank you to all the adults that were able to help out and support!
Hatching Chicks:
21 days in the incubator
Wow! What an incredible experience! Just looking at these photos, the facial expressions say it all! These little birds brought us feelings of wonder and love. Saying our egg hatching was successful would be an understatement. We ended up with 19 chicks! They even hatched during school hours so most of the children got to see it happen! We even got a photo of the very first chick emerging. So much excitement around these babies!
Over the school year we have talked about what our hands are for: building, creating, sharing, helping, etc. We reminded the children about how hands can be used to hurt and how not to let that happen. These small hands were gentle, loving, and compassionate holding and caring for our chicks.
The children enjoyed pretending to be chicks inside an egg and hatching out! Before the chicks hatched we showed through movement how they first use their beaks to peck a hole and make a crack and then they start using their body movement to break free. We talked about how much energy that takes and they have to stop to take breaks to rest. When the chicks first hatch they are wet, but the warm incubator dries their fluffy feathers quick! It was hard for the children to not help the chicks break their eggs, but they were very understanding of the concept of the chicks building their own strength!
The children have been observing them daily and watching them change and grow. We are excited to hear these deep thinkers make connections, predictions, then be able to reflect on the experience.
Art Explorations:
Bird Nest Projects & Mobiles
We centered our guided art activities around birds of course! with shredded paper, yarn, and glue, the children first made a nest. We used baker’s clay to make tiny eggs to go in our nest, and got to paint them intricately. We used pinecones, branches, and craft supplies to make a bird mobile. This activity is engaging because the children get to stand around their hanging branch to create their feathery friend. We had the children observe their creation from all angles and think about how they feel while they are making their project. These projects shows the skills that the children have developed over the school year. How to use art tools and supplies, how to make a plan, try new things, hand eye coordination, and recognize how it makes you feel!
Compassion:
Being considerate of other people’s feelings
On a deeper scale, compassion is suffering with someone. As parents, we easily experience passion each time our child is hurt or sick. The want to take that pain away from our child is so strong it becomes frustrating. Brené Brown represents true compassion in one of her books. She reflects on the horrible events that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School. She says, “Maybe if all the mothers in the world crawled on their hands and knees toward those parents in Newtown, we could take some of the pain away. We could spread their pain across all of our hearts. I would do it. Can’t we find a way to hold some of it for them? I’ll take my share. Even if it adds sadness to all my days.”
Research suggests that compassion has a deep evolutionary purpose to keep our kind happy and healthy. The children got to cultivate compassion while caring for the chicks, helping their peers, taking care of our planet and nature, and stepping up to cover some chores for their injured teacher. Children have the natural desire to help. We showed the children how compassion is when you help without getting anything in return.
