Ladies Night at the Blend Wine Shop

LADIES NIGHT AT THE BLEND WINE SHOP
Saturday, February 7th 2015
6:30pm-8:30pm

TICKETS ON SALE NOW - FEB. 6TH
                          $20
(Place ticket money in tuition box w/name and # of tickets wanted)

Come to create personalized Valentine's Day Cards and enjoy some time out with the ladies. The card presentation will be hosted by Co-Op mom Anna Bradshaw from our Evergreen class. The Blend Wine Shop is located in Key Center across from the market. All proceeds will go to the preschool.
Invite your friends for a great time!

Teacher's Update January 2015

EVERGREEN FAMILIES
 
We are starting our winter theme.  We have just read THE MITTEN, we have 

acted it out and the children are helping me retell the story.  We will be 

doing a lot of fun activities regarding winter. We will be starting to 

practice writing and learning the letters of our name.
 
I want to than each and every one of you for letting me enjoy your children, 

I believe that I learn just as much from them as they do from me.
 
Miss Mary

VAUGHN FAMILIES

Welcome Back Everyone!
 
I hope that you all had a wonderful winter break spending time with your families!

I enjoyed time with my boys and family over the holidays, but I sure was 

ready to get back into a routine.  This has been a great first week back, 

the children picked up right where we left off!

This month we will be exploring Snow, Ice, Snowflakes and Snowmen.  We 

have explored ice and snow so far and will continue to talk about Winter. 

Our vocabulary words this month are the number 1, White, Hot Cocoa and Snowman. 

We will read the stories Dream Snow, by Eric Carle, The Missing Mitten Mystery 

and The Snowy Day.  We will even be painting our feet and walking on "snow".
We have been having a lot of fun with different healthy snacks...Last month 

Daddy Zak brought in a wagon full of fruits and vegetables so we could make 

yummy smoothies!  Mommy Joanna brought in fruits and vegetables that we could 

create a turkey with!  Thank you so much everyone for helping to make this such 

a great year!!
Happy New Year!
Kim 

More Rainy Day Fun for the Family

Young children are naturally curious and born to explore. Their natural languages are creativity, exploration and movement. Winter weather, illness or other reasons can restrict families to the house. Creative activities that we can plan for during these times promote language skills, nurture imagination, and reduce stress of both parents and children.

Thoughts on activities at home: When seen as an opportunity to break from routine and spend some family time; bad weather can be a good thing. Messes are easier to clean up than handling a child bouncing off the walls. If I am prepared with a few activities to do with my child, then I can feel better about needing time to do the other essential chores. I feel so much better when I allow my children to create and explore an activity, than when I turn on the television. Some days can be about both of us without me needing to leave home.

1. Play in old cereal or beans, etc. ~ Set out buckets, funnels, measuring cups, spoons, and bowls. Then fill the buckets with rice or old cereal, etc. The kids are happy to "play cook".
2. Play doh or any comparable knock-off, is cheap and versatile. There is a recipe in the Bates “Song Book”. Using household utensils are favorites. Older kids get might enjoy making it for the youngers. Plus, you can find recipes that harden in the oven for painting.
3. Paint ~ Watercolors are fine, and washable paint is okay. But any acrylic craft paint can be washed off if caught in a relatively short period of time, and the colors are so much more bright and vivid. Simply “painting” with water on colored paper, including boxes, cardboard, etc. shows results quickly, then dries for use another day.
4. Shaving Cream Paintings ~Mix shaving cream in a bowl with the desired food coloring. Then they can spread the colored fluff all over a page to make intricate designs that bleed into each other. Shaving cream does a great job of cleaning surfaces like tables and counter tops. Let the kids spread it all over the place, and when it is wiped off, the table is shiny clean. Cookie sheets, the fridge, and windows LOVE shaving cream!
5. Build a Fort ~The only drawback of turning the couch or the beds into a fortress is how often they'll want to do it in the coming days. Having small, cozy places to hide and stay is wonderfully comforting to a toddler. It may serve as inspiration to make a cozy reading nook in their room. If you can allow it to be left up awhile, it is more fun for the kids.
6. Throw a Party~ This can be especially fun if you know that the next day is going to be unpleasant and you want to turn the tides by setting up a morning surprise. Put up streamers, hang balloons, bake a cake, play dance music, set up simple games. Have a theme of the day such as beach day and turn up the heat for an hour and make tropical smoothies.
7. Music Time~ Getting the family together to sing is engaging and very good for child development. If you're not musically inclined, look at it as an opportunity to learn along with your child. Get a used guitar, buy a book, and learn some children's songs. Check out some good children’s music that won’t drive you crazy. There are companies who will make a DVD/CD/book with your child’s name in it.
8. Dress-up ~Collect a dress-up kit full of old clothes, aprons, sunglasses, Halloween
costumes, and the like. It's great to pull out on rainy days.
9. Bake something ~ It’s a lot of fun for kids, especially if they know they're going to get to eat it
later. You may want to separate out theirs from the rest of the treat.
10. Tunnel ~ Move your sofa or table away from the wall far enough to make a crawl space -
this is your 'tunnel'. Put a chair at either end that your toddler can crawl through. Now drape 1 or
2 sheets over the chairs and stretching along the tunnel's length.
11. Find The Timer -Hide a kitchen timer that ticks loudly enough to be heard, and your toddler
looks for it. Be careful not to make the hiding place too hard - go with your child if you think she
might get frustrated by this activity. For younger toddlers, hide the timer in the same room.
12. Housework Ideas~ Sort out all your clean laundry, while making it into a game for your
toddler. Get him to put all socks, trousers etc in different piles. He can then match up all the
socks. Toddlers who are not scared of the sound of a vacuum cleaner can 'help' you vacuum
up by sweeping. Wiping, dusting, unloading are important skills.
13. Outdoor play ~ As long as they are dressed for the weather; provide shorter, frequent
times for outdoor exploration. It’s good for everyone!
14. Bring outdoor activities indoors~ roll the ball into a basket/box/tunnel, etc. Use some
summer outdoor equipment in the house/garage such as the wading pool or slide. Make a ball
pit, pillow pit, fluffy pit, etc. Wad up newspaper/socks/fabric/etc. for tossing into targets that are
OK such as laundry baskets, boxes, tubs, etc.
15. Recycle! Kids love the left over junk…boxes of any kind or size, sacks, containers, paper
tubes, tape, packaging, etc. They will learn sorting, combining, categorizing and much more.
16. Empty/Fill ~ toddlers like to “help” and carry things around. Provide bags, purses,
containers with handles, etc. for filling and taking out and carrying around.
17. Kitchen cook~ since kids like the “real” things you use, designate a safe spot for kitchen
gadgets, pots, pans, containers of all types so they can whip up something while you do!
18. Rotate toys ~ moving toys to another location promotes new problem solving, creativity
and language skills. Try it for 2-3 weeks at a time. Reducing the number of toys available can
be an advantage also.
19. Sensory bins ~ anything you want to put in a large bowl or shallow tub can turn into a
sensory activity. Put it on a floor cloth and fold it all up at the end and take it outside to clean
up. Try: large aquarium gravel, sand, cornmeal, cornstarch, shells, water, feathers, cotton
balls, paper shreds, paint with marbles in the bottom, etc.
20. GO OUT! Visit play areas at the malls~ Children’s Museum of Tacoma.org for Play to
Learn programs ~ Odyssey I ~ play dates with friends ~ neighborhood walks/visits ~ Pt.
Defiance Zoo appeals to all ages ~ find a warm swimming pool.

20 Fun Toddler activities and Games

 

Many parents don't know the meaning of cabin fever until they're stuck indoors with a bored toddler. But never fear! These kid-friendly activities and games are guaranteed to keep even the busiest toddler happy on a rainy day.

Toddler activity 1: Paper bag puppet

 

 

There's plenty of fun to be had turning a simple paper bag into a simple puppet that toddlers can get creative with and decorate.

 

 

Toddler activity 2: Indoor basketball

 

 

This is a fun game for toddlers and boosts their eye/hand coordination. All you have to do is get a bin or bucket and some rolled up balls of newspaper and try and get the 'balls' in the bin.

 

 

Toddler activity 3: Leaping lily pads

 

 

This easy activity turns your lounge room into a fun frog pond. Place cushions around the room and get your toddler to leap like a frog from one to the other.

 

 

Toddler activity 4: Make a foil crown

 

 

Let you toddler become a little prince or princess they are with some everyday items. Take some cardboard and tin foil and whatever else you can find to bejewel your creation. Fun to make and then fun to play with.

 

 

Toddler activity 5: Cardboard box car

 

 

A small cardboard box is all you need to make a fabulous car for a favorite bear or doll. Take a bigger cardboard box and turn it into a car for your toddler!

 

 

Toddler activity 6: Balloon bop

 

 

All you need is a couple of balloons, then get your toddler to bounce, throw, hit the balloon across the room without it hitting the ground. Fun and great for hand/eye coordination.

 

 

Toddler activity 7: Pillow jump

 

 

Toddlers love nothing more than jumping on pillows - so why not create a playground full of them? .

 

 

Toddler activity 8: Treasure hunt

 

 

Distract your child while you hide some 'treasure' around the room for your child to find. Your toddler will love the game of finding it!

 

 

Toddler activity 9: Table tent

 

 

A simple table tent will have kids occupied for ages. Create your own campsite indoors and you can pretend to sleep under the stars, sing around a camp fire or just hide out in the 'tent'.

 

 

Toddler activity 10: Musical jars

 

 

Spark the inner musician in your toddler with by making these easy musical jars.

 

 

Toddler activity 11: Cotton tip painting

 

 

Pour out some paints and forget about the brushes, instead use cotton tips to create a different type of artwork. Your toddler will have great fun experimenting with art.

 

 

Toddler activity 12: Ringing phone

 

 

Toddlers love 'talking' on the phone, so with a few ordinary household items make one for your child.

 

 

Toddler activity 13: Trail's end

 

 

Take a roll of toilet paper and create a trail for your child to follow. Tie a little surprise at the end for your toddler to find.

 

 

Toddler activity 14: Binoculars

 

 

 

Go on safari in your lounge room and create a pair of binoculars for your child. They're fun to make and then your toddler can create a whole imaginary world to use them in.

 

 

Toddler activity 15: Color collage

 

 

Watch your child paste and create his own masterpiece with this fun activity. Great to boost imagination.

 

 

Toddler activity 16: Indoor cubby house

 

 

A few cushions and a sheet will make the perfect cubby house. A fun place to hide out in and then it can be a base for countless role-play games, from a hospital to a school.

 

 

Toddler activity 17: Pretend cooking

 

 

All you need are a few bowls, wooden spoons and saucepans and get pretend cooking. Whip up a feast to whet your toddler's imaginary appetite.

 

 

Toddler activity 18: Rainy day box

 

 

A fresh and fun rainy activity for your toddler is to create a rainy day activity box.

 

 

Toddler activity 19: Butterfly paintings

 

 

Amaze your child by teaching them to make their own beautiful butterfly! All you need is a few bits and pieces to get painting.

 

 

Toddler activity 20: Egg carton treasure box

 

 

This egg carton treasure box makes the hidey-hole for your toddler to store all those little treasures he

Teacher Updates- December 2014

Hello Vaughn Families,

I cannot believe that it is already December!  We have had such a great

beginning to our preschool year.  The children have come together as great

groups in each class and I am seeing friendships being formed.  
During the month of December we will be reading different stories of

The Gingerbread Man.  Our concepts will include Small, Medium and Large.

Our vocabulary words are 2, Red, Gingerbread Man and Excited.

I hope that you can all make it to our annual Gingerbread House Decorating

Potluck on Friday evening from 6:00-7:30...it is always a night of fun and 

excitement.  At the end of the evening, the children will be reading to you

the story of The Gingerbread Man.

Thank you so much for sharing your children with me!
We are having a great year!!!

Teacher Kim

Hello Evergreen Families, 

In our class we have been working on letter recognition of names, counting 

1-5, and colors.  During December we are continuing letter recognition of names, 

and will work on writing our name. We will also read the Gingerbread Man and learn

two new nursery rhymes, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and I'm a Little Teapot. 

We will be starting a lesson calle Mat Man, this is where we learn how to draw people.

On Thursday December 18th, during class time, we will be making Gingerbread men

cookies. You are welcome to join your child to make the cookies and play. 

Thank you for sharing your child and I hope you have a wonderful holiday season! 

Teacher Mary 

• Remember winter break is December 22nd through January 2.

• Remember to collect your box tops to help raise funds for the co-op!

Thank you to The Gig Harbor Garden Club!

The Gig Harbor Garden Tour Association graciously provided a $3000 grant to the Key Peninsula Cooperative Preschool to purchase state-of-the-art, computer compatible projectors for each class. The projectors allow the teachers to use on-line programs and much more to help further classroom instruction.

Proceeds from the Garden Tour benefit local organizations that promote literacy. Last year, the tour supported the Boys and Girls Club, Communities in Schools of Peninsula (CISP), the Gig Harbor library, Reach out and Read (Pediatrics Northwest) and the Reading is Fundamental program at Evergreen Elementary School.

The Gig Harbor Garden Tour Association is a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization and is an all-volunteer organization.

 Key Peninsula Cooperative Preschool Award Presentation: back row left to right Laurie Dahl Isacson, Janice Reeder, Mary Tyler, Amanda Warfield with children, left to right, Ben, Julia and Mason

Inclement Weather and School Closures

Luckily, the recent snow that graced us was during a school holiday.  But what if it was on a school day? Here are a few tips to see if school will be in session:

• We follow school district closures.  Our school district is Peninsula School District 401.
• If school is two hours late, then we do not have preschool.
• School Messenger will notify you or listen to the major radio and TV station for school closures and delays.

 

The Importance of Play

Carol Gulczynski shared this article with us for September's parent ed credit. Along with this article it makes for some wonderful reading about children and play and learning. Enjoy and gain some valuable insight into these amazing little creatures we call our kids!   

The Countdown Begins!

Hello 2014-2015 Preschool Families!

Saturday September 6th will be here before we know it - less than 3 weeks to go until Paperwork In The Park. Do you have your paperwork printed out?

Here is a link to everything you need!

Now is also a good time to get birth certificates photocopied, and to give your pediatrician a call to ask for immunization records.

I hope everyone is enjoying this gorgeous August!

'Good Job' Alternatives



Parents and teachers often say 'good job' as an automatic response to a child's action.

"You ate all of your peas. Good job!"
"You did such a good job putting away the toys!"

A 'good job' now and then is fine, but it doesn't help children understand whyhat they did was good. Preschoolers need to know what they did, why it worked, or why it shows they are capable. Try the following suggestions to give preschoolers specific, detailed information that recognizes their achievements and encourages their learning.

1. Use sentence starters. Say "I see you," or "I hear you," or "I noticed you sorted the leaves into two piles. These ones are from an oak tree and those ones are from a maple tree." Or try openers like "Tel me more about" or "You worked really hard to."

2. Notice and give feedback about efforts. "Jocelyn, you spent a long time figuring out where to put the last two pieces of the puzzle. You kept working until you were done!"

3. Invite children to talk. Children's learning is enhanced when they talk about their explorations and creations. "That looks really interesting. How did you do that?" "You wrote a lot of words on your paper. Would you tell me what they say?"

4. Pay attention to details. When talking about a painting, tell the artist what shape, lines, colors, textures, and forms you see in the work. "Look at all of the green polka dots in the sky! You mixed many shades of green and blue to paint this picture."

5. Say "thank you." When children are helpful, thank them. "Thank you for opening the door for me. While you held the door, I could use both hands to carry our bag of balls into the classroom."

6. Identify a goal before responding. Ask yourself: Do I want to acknowledge a positive behavior, an act of kindness, or use of problem-solving skills? To encourage self-regulation you might say, "How kind you are. You helped Jorge zip his coat, even though you wanted to run and play."

7. Give nonverbal feedback. A gentle pat on the back, a smile, a wink, or a fist bump tells a child, "I see you are learning." This is especially appropriate for children who are dual language learners.









8. Use mirroring. When a child goes up and down the slide on her own for the first time, notice her smile, then smile back with a specific comment. "Look at what you did! Just yesterday you asked me to help you and now you can do it on your own."

9. Highlight children's work. Invite children to help find a place to hang a painting. Plan a time when children can share their work with classmates. Include photos that demonstrate children's efforts and accomplishments in a blog or a family newsletter. "Petra and Janine, please help me choose some photos for our weekly update. I'd like all the families to see how you worked together to make a boo about our trip to the nature center."

10. Encourage next steps. After a child has one positive experience, suggest something that he or she can do that leads to another accomplishment. "The boat you drew has two masts and lots of portholes. What materials could you use to build it? (Note the introduction of a new vocabulary word - portholes!) TYC

*Special thanks to Kathy Charner, the Devereux Center or Resilient Children, Linda Gillespie, Mary Mackrain, Sue Mankiw, Ben Mardell, Marie Masterson, Mary Benson McMullen, and Karen N. Nemeth for their contributions.*


Excerpt taken from TEACHING YOUNG CHILDREN Vol.7, No.1
Illustrations by David Clark

Positive Guidance Tips

Many of you have asked for parenting ideas. . .here are very simple guidelines that are easy to implement!

• Have REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS!
• Let children clearly know what they can and can't do (SET LIMITS!).
• MODEL the behavior you want to see from your children.
• Give children CHOICES.
• Talk with your children about their FEELINGS.
• RE-DIRECT children to things they can do safely.
• PRAISE children for their good behavior choices.
• Look for ways to PREVENT misbehavior.
• Have lots of FUN ACTIVITIES!

Pasta FUNdraiser Update!!

Hello Preschool Families,

I want to thank everyone who participated in our pasta fundraiser.  We doubled our sales goal of $1000, with total sales being $2063.50 earning a profit of $825.40 for our preschool. Please thank your family and friends for their orders that helped us to achieve this success. Our big winners for each class are;

Wyatt Harding in our 4 day class

Reva McGilvery in our 3 day class

Ben Warfield in our 2 day class

Thank you again for all your hard work in making our preschool the best it can be!! I will be receiving the pasta right before Christmas Break and bring it to each class so you can distribute to your friends and family.

Happy Holidays,

Amanda Warfield

Fundraising Chair

Pearls of Wisdom from Carol. . .

Dear Parent,

Over the years, one of the common complaints that I hear from parents, especially at this time of year, is that their children have too many toys. This seems like it would be a problem easily fixed, but somehow it isn’t.

In an article from the ExchangeEveryDay, the 8/13/2012 issue called “Unneeded Toys”, I read the following: “The United States has 3.1 percent of the world’s children, but buys 40 percent of all toys sold wordwide”. Obviously there is a huge disconnect here.

The author, Carlo Rotella, continued by speculating that if a family with children under 12 were marooned on an island where there was no electricity and no need for sports equipment, what five toys would fulfill their needs.

He and his two children came up with the following list:

1.     A medium-size ball – unlimited games to play and useful for all ages.

2.     A board game – probably one with a lot of play value and variety.

3.     Legos – not the kits, but a free assortment of the blocks that could be built into anything.

4.     Playing cards – again only limited by one’s imagination.

5.     A stuffed animal – providing comfort and an infinite variety of imaginative play opportunities.

I would suggest that you and your family construct your own list and find out what you and your children really value. What can you easily give up and what would you find very difficult to do without. For gifts this year I would also suggest that you think outside the toy box and think in terms of experiences, memories, volunteer work, family activities, etc. Let’s really do something about too many toys. We have that power.

Happy Holidays!

Carol

Thankfulness. . .

As we near the Thanksgiving holiday, I've been seeing a lot of 'Days of Thankfulness' from my friends on Facebook. Each day leading up to Thanksgiving they all make a post saying what they are thankful for on that day.

What if we were to all start that with our kids? If nothing else, it'd be a neat way to see what kids are thankful for, what truly matters to them, what is viewed as important, through their eyes.

It's something simple, it's something easy, its something meaningful to do with your kids. So as this most Thankful holiday approaches, start a new tradition, and show them what it means to be Thankful. . .for the big things, and the little!

Upcoming Important Dates for 2013-2014 School Year

The 2013-2014 School year is almost here - can you believe it?! In an effort to help the start of the year go off without a hitch, there are some important dates to keep in mind. Please check out this link from our Coop's webpage and be sure to let us know if you have any questions!

http://www.keypeninsulapreschool.org/important-dates/

FREE Events. . .Courtesy of Key Pen Parks!!

Hey Folks!

I thought I would share this email from Jess Smeall, Recreation Coordinator with Key Pen Parks. Tons of FREE events listed starting this week!! Register today and enjoy a ton of FREE things to do with the kiddos!! :-)

Hello!

I hope you are having a great summer so far!  Here at Key Pen Parks we are looking forward to TEN free events for all ages, starting next week through August.  Please help me share this information with the people who will benefit from these programs, and consider joining us yourself!

I have attached flyers for each program—Play Day (4-10yrs), Family Fun Nights and Landscaping Workshop, Movie Nights (Cinema Under the Stars), and Drum Fest (I am giving you the Drum Camp flyer, at the bottom is the Festival information…still a few spots left in camp too).

 

LISTING OF FREE PROGRAMS BY DATE:

·        Thur. July 25^th 2:00pm-3:30pm @ Volunteer Park –PLAY DAY for 4-10 yr olds, meet at Picnic Shelter.  Register here: http://bit.ly/151U2AX (free program, but we’d love to know a bit about the ages ahead of time to plan accordingly—feel free to just show up too!)
·        Fri. July 26^th @ Volunteer Park—CINEMA UNDER THE STARS, pre-movie activity (7:00pm): DUCT TAPE ART, movie (8:30pm/dark) is WRECK IT RALPH.  Bring a donation for the local food bank!
·        Thur. Aug 1 6:30-8:30pm @ Gateway Park—FAMILY FUN NIGHT, theme is “Worms and Dirt: Composting Fun.”  So many fun and interactive booths to explore, and get a little dirty!  Camp Seymour is bringing their live reptiles, we’ll have songs and prizes, and a great time for all—thanks to the Tacoma Pierce County Health Dept. for their partnership on these events.
·         Fri. Aug 2 @ Volunteer Park—CINEMA UNDER THE STARS, pre-movie activity (7:00pm): TBA, movie (8:30pm/dark) is RISE OF THE GUARDIANS.  Bring a donation for the local food bank!
·        Thur. Aug 8 2:30-4:30pm @ Gateway Park—LANDSCAPING WORKSHOP FOR ADULTS.  Garden expert Greg Butler is travelling all the way from Seattle to host this great workshop, and help you make your yard naturally beautifully.
·        Thur. Aug 8 6:30-8:30pm @ KP Civic Center—FAMILY FUN NIGHT, theme is “H2oh! Exploring Water”  So many fun and interactive booths to explore, and get a little wet!  We’ll have a free car wash, live shellfish from Taylor Shellfish, songs, prizes, and much more!  Come by to learn through fun about the water around us and the creatures in it.
·        Fri. Aug 9 @ Volunteer Park—CINEMA UNDER THE STARS, pre-movie activity (7:00pm): TBA, movie (8:30pm/dark) is ET.  Bring a donation for the local food bank!
·        Sat. Aug 10 10:00am-6:00pm @ Longbranch Improvement Club—DRUM FEST!  Our Drum Campers will perform at 10am, come see some adorable kids, and then every hour is a new and different drumming act, from steel drums to a drum set, you’ll see it all, and get to play on some drums too!  (This event is in the vein of the former event, Beyond the Borders, if you liked that event, come to this one!)
·        Fri. Aug 16 @ Volunteer Park—CINEMA UNDER THE STARS, pre-movie activity (7:00pm): TBA, movie (8:30pm/dark) is DESPICABLE ME.  Bring a donation for the local food bank!
·         Fri. Aug 23 @ Volunteer Park—CINEMA UNDER THE STARS, pre-movie activity (7:00pm): TBA, movie (8:30pm/dark) is HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA.  Bring a donation for the local food bank!

 

PS. Don’t forget about our great camp programs, they are not free, but we do have very reasonable rates and also offer scholarships.  Eco Adventure, Drum Camp, Yoga & Meditation, PeeWee Theater, and Mad Science—all still have room for you camper!  Call or email for more info.

For more information call: Key Pen Parks, (253) 884-9240 x22

 

Jess Smeall

Key Pen Parks - Recreation Coordinator

DIY Paints!!

So while I was perusing Facebook, a friend of mine shared a picture and description of DIY Paint for Kids! I haven't tried it yet, but I sure plan on doing so soon!!

 

Are you looking for something to make or bake? How about these diy paints! It's one of the things you'll find on The Whoot so be sure to drop in now http://bit.ly/19pAFmY

For more great ideas visit Paging Fun Mums

Summer Fun

Summer Fun Activities

Summer is in full swing out here on the Key Peninsula (okay, everywhere really). It's the middle of July. . .beaches have been explored, the sun has been shining brightly overhead, the sprinkler has been dashed through, and copious amounts of bubbles have been blown.

So. . .now what? Packing up the kids and taking off an the next great adventure on a moment's notice isn't always feasible. Seems like these days, family get-away vacations get more and more expensive. More and more folks are looking to do 'stay-cations' closer to home.  The closer, hopefully the cheaper.

So. . .as I mentioned previously. . .the beaches have already been explored, the sprinkler's been dashed through about a gazillion times, and if I have to run out to the dollar store for a pack of bubbles one more time, I just might scream. ;-)

A momentary sense of panic set in. . .as I realized that summer was only half-way through, and my household of little munchkins were getting bored with repetitive backyard antics. Luckily, I received an email newsletter from a local family resource website - Gig Harbor Macaroni Kids. It's a great parent resource website, and the best part is their calendar of events. It's main focus seems to highlight those summer activities that are either FREE or fairly cheap. Craft Day at Michael's, Touch Tanks at Skansie Park with Harbor WildWatch, baby/toddler story times at the library. Whew!! I'm saved!! :-)

So feel free to peruse their website (see link below), jot some family-friendly (and best part cost-effective!) activities on the calendar, and enjoy the rest of your summer!

http://gigharbor.macaronikid.com/calendar/

Parent Ed Info from Laura

Dear Families,

Remember, you need to get 8 credits before the end of the school year.  This is coming up fast so please attend as many events as you can if you are still needing credit.  If you know you are going to have trouble meeting this, please email me so we can work together to meet this requirement! laurajstafki@gmail.com

Here are some upcoming opportunities:

Play Date at Home Park

Friday April 26th from 1:00PM - ? at Home Park

Come met with other parents and children from our Key Peninsula Co-op preschools. Help your child develop their gross motor and social skills while playing and having fun.

Livable Community Fair

May 11th 10am - 3pm at the Key Peninsula Civic Center.

Key Peninsula Annual Garage Sale

May 18th 9am - 4pm at Waypoint Church Parking Lot

We are looking for volunteers to be on this committee. It takes many hands to make this a successful event. There will be a sign up sheet in the classroom to sign up to help. We will be looking for donations of tables, people to help make signs, people to work the sale in 2 hour shifts, people to help set up and haul away. If you have not yet had the chance to volunteer on a committee this is a fun one to be on. We have a lot of fun during the sale and hope to see many of you there!

Parent Ed Opportunities at the Key Center Library

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Read with a Princess

Key Center  1:00 PM

Event audience: Children, Family

Come and enjoy story time with a Daffodil Princess! The princess will read stories, talk with the children and be available for photos.

No registration required.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Block Play

Key Center  11:00 AM

Ages 3 - 7.  

Event audience: Children

Building with blocks develops a child's math and science skills, and provides lots of fun! Bring your children to a block party and build, talk, explore and create together. All you need is imagination!

No registration required.

Happy Spring from Miss Mary

Parents,

 

     It is hard to believe that it is already April. Where has the year gone?  In April we will have a bear week where we will do all sorts of fun activities surrounding bears.  When we get back from spring break we will start out butterfly unit. We will raise butterflies from the caterpillars to butterflies. 

    We will also be looking at the changes that happen during Spring. 

    We will also be working on our skills that will get us to the next developmental level in their lives.

    Thank you for sharing your children with me.  They make each and every day something special for me

 

Miss Mary