Adventures in Learning
November Leaves and Thankfulness
by Adventurous Learning Childcare on 11/12/17I just love this time of year! I love to watch children learn mostly through play, as we go outside and play in the leaves! Simple yet important. The children discovered the smells, textures, and colors of the leaves. They learned cooperation with each other as they worked together to pile up the leaves and throw them up in the air to make it rain leaves. We collected the leaves, and made leaf imprints with our air dry clay. When they dried the children painted the leaves. They were very proud of their work.
October Harvest Fun
by Adventurous Learning Childcare on 10/22/17
This month we have really dialed in on activities that focus on fall, we have been harvesting veggies that the children grew, learning using apples, taking an educational trip to the pumpkin patch, made a pumpkin volcano an more!
Gardens are a natural area for learning, children love the colors, smells, dirt, and plants. We have also found that when they have a hand in growing vegetables they are much more likely to eat them! We are already looking forward to spring when we can plant our 2018 garden!
In addition to harvesting our garden most of our learning activities have been centered around fall, we have used apples to talk about the 5 senses, made apple stamps to use for art. Kids could count the number of apple stamps they had on their papers, play with patterns and colors, and improve dexterity. We have also made pumpkin projects, paper bag apple trees, applesauce, celebrated birthdays, and we even took a field trip to the pumpkin patch.
Our annual pumpkin patch trip is one of everyone’s favorite days all year. This year we went to a farm that taught us about all the different varieties of pumpkins, animals, and even apples. We are fortunate to live in an area that welcome preschool groups like ours to come and learn. The children all had such a great time and we were lucky enough to come at a time when the weather was nice outside and not too wet or rainy. While at the pumpkin patch we made sure to get a pumpkin for our science project- a pumpkin volcano.
Meet the pumpkin volcano! We were so excited to find this idea on Pinterest and decided it would be the perfect way to incorporate some science into our Halloween fun. The kids enjoyed the process and learned about the reaction that happens when you mix baking soda and vinegar.
When combined, the two active ingredients; sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and Acetic acid (found in the vinegar) combine to form carbonic acid which breaks down to water and carbon dioxide creating an “eruption” of epic proportions, at least it seems epic when you watch it coming out of a pumpkin. Overall the project was a great success and the children had a great time.
I look forward to the next week as we continue with our fall learning and have our harvest party with all the children in their costumes. Check back next month to see how much fun November brings!
Getting to Know Adventurous Learning
by Adventurous Learning Childcare on 10/22/17
Enriching the lives of children in this community has been my goal and my passion for thirty years. I have always loved children and have always wanted to make a difference; Adventurous Learning has allowed me to do that. This program is a culmination of my dreams, combined with an amazing support staff that love and nurture the children who attend our childcare program as much as I do.
Every day children come to Adventurous Learning they have the opportunity to participate in circle time and engage in learning through participation in lessons, games, art, stories, and more. In addition, they get to be in a home-like setting that creates comfort, encourages them to be themselves, and allows them to feel safe, and happy. I want to see a smile on their face and know that they are thriving in our care. When a child is happy from their successes, I see their excitement and I feel young! It brings out the child in me when I realize- I am living my lifelong dream!
As passionate as I am about Adventurous Learning my greatest accomplishment is my own three, thriving, adult children along with my two grandchildren who are my pride and joy. In my (sometimes limited) free time I enjoy the outdoors, hiking, camping, and gardening. I come from a large family where I am the youngest of seven. In my sophomore year of High School I took a childcare class that gave me the opportunity to be bused to a child care center nearby to work with the children in person. I loved them, and the children loved me. When I walked through the door each day they would yell my name and run and give me a big group hug. It just felt right to be there. From that experience on I knew I wanted to work with children.