Today we re-read
Each Peach, Pear Plum and played "I SPY". Then we made a fruit collage. I had the fruit cut out already, and just let A pick the color of construction paper, and gave her a stick of glue. She named all the fruits as she glued them to the page. I also started a journal for A using a composition book. I really just record what she says about something, and write it in and let her draw. She can't draw much more than circles, but I just like having a record of the cute things she says and we can watch the progression of her art. I also put the collage in the journal, along with a pocket for our
Jack and Jill puppets. And I added some new baskets to our shelves:
Cutting Work:
I was inspired by My Montessori journey. It proved very difficult for Anastasia, but she actually tried several times. I am not sure whether or not to keep it out, or put it away for a few months.
Split-Pea Pouring:
I put out the pouring activity but added a second cup to make it a little more challenging. This variation went over extremely well. She poured peas over, and over, and over again. I think next week we will do rice, and finally move onto water. I put these out with all the other trays from yesterday. 6 trays seem to be a good amount along with a couple of crafts and puzzles. Later on today, we made apple and pear prints. I used different sized apples that were rotting on the tree and cut off the bad part. I really hate wasting food, so this actually seemed like a way to use the not-so-good food for something fun.
Anastasia just painted the apples with tempura paint, and stamped it onto the paper. She enjoyed stamping and painting for a good hour, but needed a bath afterwards. I need to make her a new smock because her old one is too small and not very helpful. Topless is the way to go!
Last week we made these monsters or "wild things" our of leaf rubbings. They required a lot of help for a 2 1/2 year old. She helped with a few of the rubbings, and pieced them together on a cereal box, but I did the faces and cutting out of the rubbings. It really was a fun project to do together. 
So we got to be the King of the wild things for the afternoon while playing in the freshly raked leaves. This was a GREAT toddler craft as Ana could stick the leaves to the crown herself. Bel was very wild and ripped hers to shreds after she immediately pulled it off her head:
