Free play time- making birthday cupcakes

After we came back from the playground, a few children played together with play dough at a table.

This play dough is homemade.  Every Monday, we make a fresh batch.

Miguel made a cupcake for Quintus.

  

He gave it to him and singing the happy birthday song for him.

And said,

"Quintus, make a wish and blow the candle.

 

Quintus blew his candle with a big smile.

That sweet thing made everyone happy.

Luigi made a cupcake for somebody.

"I am making a cupcake"

"Who is the cupcake for?" I asked...

 

 

Luigi said," It's for you".

Everyone at the table sang a song for me,

and I brew my candle out.

 

              Miguel made another cupcakes for himself, and blew his candle out and
                                                     sang a song all by himself.

 

 

This time is Teacher Emma's turn, Miguel made another cupcake for Emma,

  

 

 

                                          At the beginning of the school year, many children are new to CM, they are learning English as an additional language.

         

                                     Through play the children  develop vocabulary and learn how to communicate in English.  

Friday's art

For the month of September, we planned about wonderful ideas for Friday's art.


Every month on Fridays, the children will focus an artist and explore one art technique.


This month, we forcus one of a great painter Pablo Picasso.

We talked about a picture titled:  "The Old Guitarist-1903-".

" What do you think this picture?"

"He is playing a guitar"

" Do you think is this happy picture?"
"No"

"Is anyone laughing?"
"No"

" When people look down, do you think there is a feeling they might be having ? "

"Maybe Angry"
"Sad"

"He is old"
"He is maybe crying"

We read a book about Pablo Picasso to the children.
After we looked at  "The old guitarist" painting, we found another painting, where a child was inspired by Picasso's Blue Period.
 The child called the painting: "When my cat died"

  
We talked about this painting.

" Cat is swimming. Because there are two fins on his back"
" It is heaven, she is flying."
" Cat is sleeping and flying ."

We setted up two activities to explore the Blue Period.

I set up a station to explore Self portraits. 

Drawing a self portraits is a wonderful activity to do and watch.
It helped the children build their vocabulary about part of the body and they thought more about themselves.

The teachers demonstrated drawing her own face.

"How many eyes does Naomi have?"
"Two"

"Do I have a nose?"
" Yes. "

"Where ? "
" Here" - some children pointed to their own nose with their fingers.


"What do you think does Naomi have a big nose or a tiny nose?"
" a tiny nose"

The children drew their own faces using crayons.

When they finished they began to paint using watercolours, the children only use Blue and Green just like in Picasso's Blue Period.

Learning about famous artists can be lots of fun and a great opportunity for the children to explore different techniques and they can feel expression and feeling of artists.