Jiu Jitsu with Mr. John

We have so many awesome special guests visit us throughout the year that perform shows, teach us new skills, and bring us joy! What if our special guest was right here in our building though? Well, our very own PreK 2 teacher, Mr. John, was just that! Mr. John trains in the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and was kind enough to bring his talents to the PreK One and Two classrooms as he demonstrated some of the basic skills of Jiu Jitsu. One of his students also trains in martial arts and was so excited when Mr. John asked him to be his helper. Mr. John and his helper demonstrated basic safety skills and even showed off a couple of super cool moves! They were such a fun team. Mr. John called on some special volunteers to help him with some moves and then went around to tech each child a neat safety trick. He also explained to the classes the proper etiquette to use. The friends learned that if they are playing together with other friends and another friend accidentally bumps into them, causing them pain, they can tap them lightly and say "Please stop, that hurt." At the end of his performance, Mr. John taught everyone how to shake hands the "jiu jitsu way" Everyone was so excited about their gained knowledge!

Mr. John and his help are ready to get this Jiu Jitsu party started! 

They were both so excited to teach their friends cool new skills! 

Mr. John demonstrates bowing and explains why you would bow in Jiu Jitsu 

Teaching the Jiu Jitsu handshake. 

This is a way of letting opponents know you are their friend. 

A special volunteer is practicing a forward roll. 

Another excited volunteer is practicing a safety fall. 

This skill teaches friends how to catch themselves if they fall down. 

Mr. John's helper took his job very seriously and did a great job showing his friend all of his skills. 

For mor info on AOFC and the programs we offer, please click HERE

For resources on fun extra curricular classes your kiddo can be a part of, please click HERE

Waffles with Elsa and Olaf

Friday's are already THE BEST. What could make them any better? How about Waffles with Olaf and Elsa!? Thats exactly what we did to kick off our weekend. The pair came to AOFC to hang out, take pictures, and offer face painting while our friends indulged in yummy waffles, fresh fruit, sausage, eggs, juice, fun BLUE milk, and so much more! As the kiddos were munching on a delicious breakfast, they were invited to participate in coloring and stamping activities. Some of the older friends made fun pictures for Olaf and Elsa to keep! How sweet! As breakfast came to a close, Olaf and Elsa made their way around to each classroom for one last visit. Everyone was so excited to see them again and did not want them to go! Until next time, friends! 

Such a pretty picture this friend is making! 

We love watching how creative they get! 

YUM YUM!! 

To make things extra fun, we dyed the waffles BLUE! 

This sweet friend was so interested in Olaf. 

He wanted to be right by his side the whole time. 

WOW!! Olaf, taking a picture with a friend in an Olaf hat, holding a stuffed Olaf. 

Thats a lot of Olafs!! 

Today, Else is going to wear red! 

This friend is doing such a good job using her imagination! 

HIGH FIVE!! 

Everyone loved getting to hang out with these cool friends. 

These brothers were so excited to take a picture. 

There was quite a long line to snap a quick pic. 

What a treat for Olaf. 

How flattering!! 

Even the babies were excited to see the characters! 

They were all so intrigued in the giant snowman! 

For more info on AOFC and the programs we offer, please click HERE

For some fun Frozen snacks and crafts you can make at home, please click HERE

Jake the Music Man Returns

What an awesome way to kick off the new year! Our favorite music man came back for a visit recently and boy did we have a BLAST! We got to hear our favorite silly songs and even hear some brand new ones! Jake the Music Man even brought some cool new instruments and friends to help make his show that much better! The kiddos loved when they got sing along to the Statue Song and Shake Your Sillies Out. Those are always a true crowd pleaser. Several puppet friends made appearances and helped draw silly pictures, sing songs, and dance along to the music. One silly puppet that came to visit tried to eat a friend's shoe! How funny is that!? Jake the Music Man always leaves us laughing and humming finny tunes the rest of the day. At the end of his show he invited the kiddos to play this upright bass which they LOVED! Always such a fun experience for them. 

Listening very intently to Jake the Music Man's songs! 

I wonder what song will be next! 

We are so excited to the friends that Jake the Music Man brought with him today! 

Meeting new friends is so fun! 

This monster is trying to eat his shoe!! 

Munch munch much! 

Doodle break before the music resumes. 

Hello to our new robot friend! 

Is that a BANANA PHONE?!?! 

Yellow? Who's there??

So much laughter is shared during these fun shows.

We are so thankful for the joy that Jake the Music Man brings! 

For more info on AOFC and the programs we offer, please click HERE

For ideas on fun music activities you can do with your kiddos at home, please click HERE and HERE

Tiny Artists

Art is so much fun and there is so much to be learned through creating masterpieces big and small. Our friends at AOFC are pros at making the best works of art. When children are creating, you'll notice how proud they are to show off what they have made and your "WOW" reaction, in turn, helps to continue build their confidence. When a child picks up a paint brush, they are working on their fine motor skills! Even the littlest of friends can experience this. When our friends experiment mixing materials, they are learning about science. Similarly, when a child counts out pieces to glue down or picks out and matches colors, they are experiencing basic math skills! There are so many neat ways to learn through art. Check out some of our AOFC kiddos doing just that! 

We can make art out of anything! This group is using feathers and paint to make a collage! 

Painting is a great way to create beautiful masterpieces! This friend is using puffy paint. When it dries, its 3D!

Simple utensils like paper and a crayon make for great works of art

Look at what he's made! So very proud!! 

These girlies are making igloos by gluing cotton balls to a flipped over cup. How creative! 

We LOVE art. Thats why we're making heart collages! 

These kiddos are experimenting with different materials. They are able to create whatever their imagination comes up with. 

Friends hanging out making snowmen! How fun is that!?!?!

For more info on AOFC and the programs we offer, please click HERE

For ideas on fun art projects to do with the kids, please click HERE