Scavenger Hunt

Join us at 10 AM on Wednesday, June 19 at Castle in the Clouds in Moultonboro, NH.

We will meet at Shannon pond and together we will walk around and explore the grounds while finding the items on our scavenger hunt list. After exploring, we will enjoy a snack together (which will be provided).

Do not enter through the main gates to Castle in the Clouds (unless you want to pay and do a tour of the Castle. Check out the link above for info on that) Enter the grounds off of Route 171 and take Ossipee Park Road. Park at the white gates and walk down to the pond. We will see you there!

There are some kid friendly hikes and the pond has LARGE rainbow trout that can be fed, so bring your quarters for the fish food!

A Good Day

On Thursday, May 23 we will:

• Read Open This Little Book by Jesse Klausmeier and A good Day by Kevin Henkes.
• Have a discussion about "good days" and what can we do when things don't go our way. 
• Make our own Little books of happiness.

This weeks Discovery Hour will be the last for the summer. We will have monthly "specials" for June, July and August. I will post the specials as soon as I have them planned!

Music Time

On Thursday, May 16 we will:

• Sing the "Good Morning Song."
• Rhythm stick fun: sing our ABCs, practice rhythms, syllables, loud and soft.
• Play "Where are the shapes?"

Moving

One of our Discovery Hour Families will be moving to a new home and we are going to miss them!!! So on Thursday, May 9 we will:

• Read A Home by Nola Langner Malone.
• Make a hand-print collage for our friends that are moving.
• Share and enjoy some yummy treats: zucchini muffins, carrot sticks, crackers and dip, strawberries, and fruit/veggie juice.

Time for music

On Thursday, May 2 we will:

• Find some rhythm with rhythm sticks.
• Explore some new instruments, then see if we can guess which instrument is making that sound.
• Shaker fun.
• Have a musical parade.

Hope to see you there!

On Thursday, April 25 we will explore some centers:

• Playdough
• Arts and crafts
• Kitchen and picnic area

Then we will enjoy a special snack for someone's birthday!

There will be no Discovery Hour tomorrow, April, 18. 

 

Enjoy the spring weather!

Shapes All Around

Join us Thursday for some fun with shapes! 

Songs, games and crafts too!

"We will teach you compassion by practicing compassion on ourselves first, then with each other. We will set and respect boundaries; we will honor hard work, hope, and perseverance. Rest and play will be family values as well as family practices."
~Brené Brown, from her Wholehearted Parenting Manifesto

Bunnies!

On Thursday, April 4 we will:

• Read Knuffle Bunny by Mo Williems.
• Sing some bunny songs (for someone special who loves "In a cabin in the woods!)
• Play "Knuffle Bunny Freeze Dance."
• Rhythm stick fun

Just an FYI, I will need to leave at 11 o'clock tomorrow for an appointment.

There is no Discovery Hour today, March 28.

Hope to see you all next week!

Numbers

On Thursday, March 21 we will:

• Read Seven Hungry Babies by Candace Fleming
• Make counting cards for 1-10

Great ideas for counting and numbers from PreKinders

Dots and Mud!

On Thursday, March 14 we will:

• Read Mud by Mary Lyn Ray.
• Read The Dot by Peter Reynolds.
• Do "squiggle drawings."

A little something to make you laugh.

Alphabet Fun

Join us Thursday, March 7 for some alphabet fun!

50 Early Literacy Activities 

Hope to see you all soon!

1. The highest truth cannot be put into words.
   Therefore the greatest teacher has nothing to say.
   He simply gives himself in service, and never worries.
   ~ Lao Tzu

No Class

There will be no Discovery Hour February 21st or 28th.
We will resume classes on March 7th at 10 AM.

See you then!

Colors!

On Thursday, January 14 we will:

• Read Sky Color by Peter Reynolds.
• Make coffee can paintings.
• Practice "blowing colors." Idea from Seattle Mama Doc
• We tried this in the car today. We were just about to pull into the grocery store and the kids were on the verge of "loosing it" and we weren't even in the store yet!!! So we tried blowing colors and it worked! I even had the kids blowing into each others faces and mixing colors, it was a silly way to let out aggression towards each other after spending the afternoon in the car side-by-side. Then we were able to do our food shopping, no problems :)
• After helping children find their breath, moms will practice a way to stay calm during moments when we need it most. From Learning Motherhood.

Owl Babies

On Thursday, January 31 we will:

• Read Owl Babies.
• Have fun with some bird movement and dance.
• Make a nest of owl babies.

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

As I am typing, the temperature outside is -4 and dropping!!! Let's get our bodies moving and create our own heat! On Thursday, January 24 we will:

• Read The Animal Boogie by Debbie Harter and Fred Penner.
• Do the animal boogie and move like a bear, monkey, elephant, bird, jaguar, snake, and polar bear.
• Free dance time!

Hope to see you all there!

“You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,
Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like there's nobody listening,
And live like it's heaven on earth.”
― William W. Purkey

Fun on the Farm

On Thursday, January 17 we will:

• Sing "Here Today."
• Read No Sleep For The Sheep by Karen Beaumont.
• Sing Old MacDonald and use the flannel board.
• Play "Animals are Sleeping."
• Complete a farm themed craft.

The Runaway Bunny

Happy New Year! I wish you all peace and love for the new year.

On Thursday, January 3 we will:

• Read The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown.
• Have a quick chat about feelings.
• Practice walking a tight-rope (jump-rope) like the Runaway Bunny.
• Sail in boats (sit on a bath towel while caregiver pulls).
• Make hand print crocuses.

Ideas for home:

• There are some cute printables on Homeschool Share to go along with The Runaway Bunny.
• More ideas and printables at Homeschool Creations.
• Read Goodnight Moon by Margret Wise Brown.
• Always tell your children that you love them no matter what, just like Mother Rabbit loved Runaway Bunny. And no matter where they are, your love for them follows.

Some resources:

• Child's feelings and needs chart, from Peaceful Parent Institute.
• Expressing Boundaries assertively, yet non-aggressively. Mother Rabbit does this very well in the story ;)