January Preschool Update

December Highlights

Evergreens
December was full of great activities as the weather started to get cold. We began exploring the world of evergreen trees as these are the only trees that remain green throughout the year. We painted with them and looked for them in the many habitats on the nature center grounds.

Animals in Winter
We searched for animals that stay active in the winter. The squirrels hid their nuts and pine cones and the deer started growing their warm winter fur. Turtles, snakes, and frogs were hibernating and many of the birds had migrated to warmer climates.

Jim's Snakes
Mr. Jim, a SANC naturalist, did a special program for all the classes about snakes. We learned that snakes hibernate in the winter and that they shed their skin as they grow larger. The children even got to touch a snake.

Winter Solstice
We celebrated the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, in different ways in each classroom as the children let us know their favorite holiday celebrations.

January Nature Experiences

Snow
Snow is a blanket for many animals and plants. Snowflakes have six sides and no two snowflakes are the same. We'll experiment with snow and ice by letting it melt in our sensory table and we will have fun sledding and visiting the ice canos by the lake.

Animal Tracks
Animal tracks give us clues to find out which animals stay active in the winter. We use the 3 P's of tracks (print, pattern, and placement) to identify them. Each individual print varies by size. The pattern of the tracks indicate how the animal moves (walks, hops, or waddles), and the placement of the tracks tells us where they live.

Vet Area
Each class will set up a veterinarian office full of stuffed animals, doctor tools, and X-rays. The month that this is set up will vary by classroom. At least one classroom will set up the area this month and will have a visit from a real veterinarian.

PJ Parties
The classes will be having Pajama Day parties at the end of January and the beginning of February. Your teachers will be sending home more details in the weeks to come.