Pumpkin Guts Exploration

 Ooey, Gooey, Slimey, Gross! 

Pumpkin Guts explorations make for some SPOOKtacular sensory play! Activities like this always get the kiddos so excited. What's better than getting all messy and exploring something new? Did you know that when a child is engaging in sensory play they are not just having fun and getting messy. They are also building nerve connections to the brain's pathways that, in turn, lead to the child's ability to complete more complex learning tasks. Who knew digging into a pumpkin could be so important! When observing the kiddos during this activity we heard things like "Oh its slimey!", "Wow! There are seeds in here!" "Can we plant these seeds?" "Can we eat these seeds?" This type of play ignites provocation that lead to these awesome, open-ended questions and discoveries. Check out all the fun in action below! 

Look! We found a seed! 

I wonder what we can do with this seed? 

Ms. Yolanda preparing her class for all the fun about to be had! 

So anxious to dig into these pumpkins! 

Toddler Three cant wait to see what's inside! 

Ms. Kristen is explaining things they might see and feel. 

Brave! He stuck his hand right in! 

Can you feel it squish between your fingers? 

This friend is digging out all the seeds! 

Separating the slimy guts and the solid seeds. 

This activity was hands down a school favorite! 

We cant wait to see what else we will explore! 

Fall activities at AOFC

 We had such a fun and busy week at AOFC including lots of fall activities that the kids loved.  There was an apple craft,  hedgehog magnets, a haunted Halloween snack and we topped it off today with Mother Goose and all her animals! This is our favorite time of year as it brings cooler weather, awesome fall activities, and excited talk in classrooms about what they will be for Halloween this year! AOFC loves the fall! 

We love Mother Goose!

Greeting their friends with a smile !

Pretty girl giving a smile to her friends! 

Cheese!

Look at my awesome hedgehog magnet!

Apple crafts are my favorite! 

Friends and family at AOFC

 This month the kids are learning all about friends and family and obviously AOFC would not be the same without our awesome families that we get to see each and every day. Our families are made up of kids, moms, dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles, dogs, cats, fish, and everything in between which makes our school shine with love, lessons, smiles and differences. We love hearing the chatter of parents and children, excitement with grandparents, and playing with friends at school each day. All families are unique and AOFC's families happen to be some of best and our teachers are privileged to love, teach, and learn from all of them. 

One of our special AOFC families! 

Look at all these family and friends! 

Pre k 2 made a drawing of their families! 

Some family examples! 

Mommy, Daddy, and me

We love grandparents at AOFC!

What a lucky girl! 

He loves is grandparents! 

Rachel Atherton, author and Assistant Director at AOFC

 AOFC is so honored to have our very own children's book author, Rachel Atherton, our Assistant Director as part of our school. Rachel has written three of her own children's books; Ostriches Can't Fly, Hip Hip Hooray, A Hippo Parade and finally Mamma Meerkat which were all inspired by her time as both Program Coordinator and the Enrichment teacher for the Academy and the interactions that she had with the kids. What was a dream soon became a reality with her books being published and available to the public just a few weeks ago and, as her school family, we couldn't be more proud of her. To learn more about Rachel and her books, please visit her website, rabookclub.com , and, as she likes to say, Welcome to the club! 

The very first book Rachel wrote! 

A hundred and one hippos in a parade

The last of the series and one all moms can relate too

With her website on display

All three amazing books! 

Reading Ostriches Can't fly

Showing off the amazing illustrations! 

The kids were at rapt attention listening to Ms Rachel read! 

He got a bookmark!

Her second book! 

Another bookmark for answering a question about the story!! 

We love Ms Rachel and are so very proud of her! 

Grandparent's Day

 Last Friday we celebrated one of our favorite days, Grandparents Day! Grandparents are a huge part of our school and we love seeing them pick up, drop off  or even come for a visit. We especially love seeing the faces of all the kids when they look at their grandparents as well as the faces of the sweet Mimi's and Pop's as the pick up their sweet grandchildren for the first time or the hundredth time! AOFC is lucky to have such and awesome group of grandparents that our kids love and learn from each day.  Celebrating them with a pancake breakfast and a sweet gift was just a small token of appreciation for all the love, treats, wisdom, hugs, kisses, high fives and play time that they give each and every day! 

We love our Grandparents! 

Yes!! 

 So sweet! 

He loves his grandparents! 

Grandmother of boys ! 

Sweet girl and her grandparents! 

Cheese! 

Hooray for Grandparent's Day! 

Play

 What is play?! The actual definition is to engage in an activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.  Why do we play?! For fun, for enjoyment, to learn,  to be silly and to use our imaginations. Play is one of the most important aspects of preschool as it teaches our kids conflict resolution, it helps with socialization but mostly it allows the kids to be free to play, pretend and enjoy all of the things around them. I asked several kids, What are you playing? and I got several amazing answers like, " I am a Pirate", "We are pretending that she is a kitty and I am chasing her"., " I am putting my babies to sleep" and finally " I don't know what I am playing I just like it"!  The importance of play in classrooms is evident by smiling kids that learn and grow with us each day! Hooray for play! 

This is my house! 

Pretending to take an order at McDonalds!

Playing music!

Peek a boo with friends! 

She is a kitty and I am chasing her! 

I am a Pirate! 

Putting my babies to sleep! 

Awesome me

 This week we started our Frogstreet curriculum in all of our classes and one of themes the kids are learning about is called Awesome Me.  We love having friends that are tall, short, curly haired, and everything you can think of because those traits are what make us Awesome and also what make AOFC a special place to be.  Celebrating differences and even things that are alike is what it is all about and teaching the kids that no matter what you enjoy doing or what you look like doesn't make you different when it comes to playing and learning at school.   Our kids love being Awesome and being themselves and that is what makes AOFC the place to be! 

I am Awesome with my curly hair and glasses!

They are Awesome in Preschool 2!

She is Awesome with her dark eyes and dark hair! 

Preschool 1 is Awesome with all their different faces! 

He is Awesome with curly red hair! 

Toddler 3 is representing Awesome as well!