Sink or Float?

All the kids were surprised when they arrived to find the touch and feel pool full of water!  Water play started early this morning as everyone joined links together to make a "fishing pole" and "fishing nets," poured water from easter eggs, and tried to find various modes of transportation in the water (buses, firetrucks, cars, boats).  I heard great spontaneous requesting from both Ryan and Ethan as they asked friends to hand them certain items that they saw across the pool.

If you remember, Tuesday's touch and feel pool was full of items that might sink or float.  We didn't actually test these items out in water, so I decided that our center time today would involve water tubs  for both Ryan and Ethan once again.  We started out center time with tubs just full of water and nothing else.  We talked again about the names of the different boats that we learned on Tuesday and then I reviewed that an item that floats on the water stays on the top, and an item that sinks, drops to the bottom of a tub of water.  Ryan and Ethan took turns pulling items from my magic hat.  Before placing these items in the water, they first had to name the item, touch it and tell us how it felt, and then decide if it would sink or float.  Then we got to test each item and see if we were right!  Some of the objects in my magic bag included toy boats, a rock, a foam ball, blocks,  a foam fish, and a plastic giraffe.  The boys had a blast, and their clothes were drenched once again!  But an activity well worth it!  HOMEWORK: Take a variety of items into the bathtub with Ryan and Ethan tonight that will sink and float and revisit this new concept at home.

Does a giraffe sink or float?

After getting some dry clothes, we headed outside for a beautiful morning on the playground.  To keep things interesting, today I brought some hula hoops!  All the kiddos and the teachers on the playground were hilarious to watch as we all tried to make the hoops spin around our waists.  When most of us were unsuccessful at this skill, we used the hula hoops to make an obstacle course.  We put the hoops in a line and showed all the kiddos how to jump with two feet from one hoop to the next.  After each had several turns with this, we held them up so that each child could go through the hoop, and then finally we turned them into basketball nets to see if they could throw a ball through the hoop.  Needless to say, the hoops were a huge hit.

Ryan's using his bike to pull up to the take-out window.
Today, Ethan offered to serve banana cake to Ryan without him even asking!

Ryan said, "The big bad wolf can't blow our house down!"

Just relaxing....

Worn out from our playground games, the boys were ready to settle down to a good book.  For language circle today we read, Little Tug by Stephen Savage.  This book teaches that Little Tug is not the tallest, fastest, or biggest boat in the harbor, but when the sailboat does not have wind or the speedboat's motor is broken, or when the cruise ship can't fit into the harbor, tug boat pulls and pushes all the other boats to safety.  This book was a great review of all the boats we have been learning this week.

After we finished our book, Ryan and Ethan made their own little tug boats using construction paper shapes and cotton balls for the smoke.

 It's been a very busy but super fun week of boats.  We have covered transportation by air and by water,  and I look forward to seeing both of your cute kiddos to learn about transportation by land after spring break!