Nature Preschool Wrap-Up

What a great year Hank had. As I mentioned, Hank's preschool year is over. On his last day we received a CD with over nine hundred pictures on it that his teachers took throughout the year. I've had such fun going through it and thought I would share some highlights (clicking on the picture collage will make it larger).

September 2006: harvesting the garden, making salsa, forming new friendships and exploring Wisconsin wildlife in the fall.


October 2006: chilly, wet hikes, apple harvesting, counting with dinosaurs and collecting falling leaves.


November 2006: raking, lessons on turkeys, duck watching and leaf crowns.


December 2006: snow in the sensory table, visitors from Sweden (and they brought candy--yum!), snake lessons (I believe the snake pictured is a Fox Snake, though you'd have to ask Hank for verification) and sledding (Hank's favorite preschool activity).


January 2007: more sledding, snowshoeing, lessons in animal tracks identification, playing with Spot and Dot, pajama day and snow hikes.


February 2007: making paper snowflakes, building snowmen, a Valentine's Day party (do you see my dad in the background?), a lesson on owls, examining a frozen pond and a touch and feel session with different pelts of fur and animal skins.


March 2007: March is maple sugaring month. The kids tap trees, collect sap, boil the sap (and eat s'mores while they wait!) and make their own maple syrup.


They also go sledding some more, work on their insect identification skills, go looking for birds (clearly a large stick is a necessary tool for all serious bird watchers) and relax with friends.


April: wet, wet, wet spring hikes, climbing trees, learning about eggs and how different animals reproduce, measuring water sources as the snow melts and licking up the last morsels of a favorite snack.


May: soaking wet play times on the playground, catching tadpoles, a Mother's Day party, planting a tree, planting seeds indoors, reading books outside and, finally, time for cupcakes and chatting with other children who are now old, familiar friends.