#Wonder Wednesdays

Sending Love Across America: Our Preschool Valentine State Project ❤️

This February, our Purple Class (5-year-olds) is learning about the United States in a very special way — by receiving Valentine’s Day cards from all 50 states!

Our goal is simple: connect our little learners to the big, beautiful country they call home — one Valentine at a time.  (A great Social Studies project)

How It Works

The teaching team invited family members, friends, grandparents, aunts, uncles, former neighbors, college roommates — anyone they knew who lives in another state — to send our preschool a Valentine’s card. As each card arrived, the educators:

• Found the state on our classroom map
• Talked about its weather, landmarks, animals, or traditions
• Added a heart sticker to mark that state as “received”

The excitement when a new card arrives is contagious! The children eagerly gathered around to see which state sent us love that day.

Why This Project Matters

At the preschool level, learning is most meaningful when it’s hands-on, visual, and connected to real life. This project helps children:

• Understand that the United States is made up of many different states
• Develop early geography skills
• Practice map reading and spatial awareness
• Build anticipation and patience as we track incoming mail
• Strengthen our sense of community

Most importantly, they begin to grasp that even though people may live far away, we are all connected.

Building Community Connections

One of the most special parts of this project is how it brings our preschool families together. Parents are reaching out to relatives, former coworkers, military friends stationed across the country, and college friends who have moved away. It’s a beautiful reminder of how connected we all are.

For our students, seeing envelopes addressed to their school from places like Texas, Oregon, Florida, or Maine makes learning feel real and exciting.

Watching Our Map Fill with Hearts

The class has a large U.S. map displayed in their classroom. Each time they received a Valentine, they proudly placed a heart on that state. The class goal is to fill the entire map with love by the end of February!

Will we reach all 50 states? We can’t wait to find out.

The Purple Class turned Valentine’s Day into a joyful geography adventure.

#Wonder Wednesdays

The Importance of Block Play in Preschool

At first glance, block play may look like simple fun—but for young children, it is powerful learning in action. When preschoolers stack, balance, build, and rebuild with blocks, they are developing critical skills that support their growth in every area of development.

1. Builds Early Math and Science Skills

Block play introduces children to early math concepts such as counting, sorting, measuring, shapes, and patterns. As children experiment with balance and structure, they also explore basic science ideas like gravity, stability, and cause and effect. These hands-on experiences create a strong foundation for future learning.

2. Encourages Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking

When a tower falls or a bridge won’t stand, children are challenged to think, adjust, and try again. Block play teaches perseverance, planning, and problem-solving skills in a natural and meaningful way. Children learn that mistakes are part of the learning process.

3. Supports Language and Social Development

Block play often happens with friends. As children build together, they practice communication skills—sharing ideas, negotiating roles, and explaining their creations. Teachers and peers can introduce new vocabulary such as “taller,” “shorter,” “under,” and “balance,” strengthening language development.

4. Strengthens Fine and Gross Motor Skills

Picking up, stacking, and arranging blocks helps children develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Larger block play also supports gross motor development as children lift, carry, and move pieces around the classroom.

5. Sparks Creativity and Imagination

Blocks can become anything a child imagines—a castle, a zoo, a road, or a rocket ship. Open-ended play allows children to express creativity and explore ideas without limits, helping them gain confidence in their own thinking.

6. Builds Confidence and Independence

There is a great sense of pride when a child completes a structure. Block play allows children to make choices, take risks, and see the results of their efforts, building self-esteem and independence.

Our Commitment to Learning Through Play

At our preschool, block play is an important part of our daily routine. We intentionally provide time, space, and a variety of blocks so children can explore, create, and learn through play. These experiences help prepare them for school—and for life—by developing skills they will use for years to come.

Next time you see your child building with blocks, remember: they aren’t just playing—they’re learning.

      

#Wonder Wednesdays

What is STREAM class?

STREAM is an expanded version of STEM and STEAM. It integrates:

• Science
• Technology
• Reading/Language Arts
• Engineering
• Arts
• Math

In early childhood education, STREAM is not about formal instruction—it’s about weaving foundational concepts into play-based, inquiry-rich experiences that nurture curiosity, problem-solving, language, and creativity.

⭐ Why STREAM Matters in Early Childhood

Young children learn best through exploration. STREAM:

• Builds critical thinking and early problem-solving skills
• Nurtures creativity and innovation
• Strengthens language and literacy within hands-on learning
• Encourages collaboration and communication
• Supports brain development by connecting multiple domains of learning
• Reflects real-world, integrated knowledge—how children naturally learn

⭐ How Each STREAM Component Looks in Early Childhood

Science

• Observing nature, weather, plants, animals
• Simple experiments (e.g., sink/float, magnet play)
• Asking questions and making predictions

Example: “What will happen if we mix these colors?”

Technology

• Using age-appropriate tools: tablets for storytelling, digital microscopes, coding robots
• Understanding that technology includes simple tools too—magnets, wheels, pulleys

Example: Taking pictures of plant growth.

Reading / Language Arts

• Storytelling and retelling
• Vocabulary development
• Integrating books that spark inquiry

Example: Read The Three Little Pigs, then explore building materials.

Engineering

• Building structures with blocks, recyclables, or outdoor materials
• Solving problems like stability and balance
• Testing and revising ideas

Example: “How can we build a bridge strong enough for the toy car?”

Arts

• Drawing, painting, music, dance
• Using art to express scientific or engineering ideas
• Developing fine-motor skills

Example: Painting the life cycle of a butterfly.

Math

• Counting, sorting, measuring
• Comparing size, weight, volume
• Recognizing shapes and patterns

Example: Measuring ingredients for sensory play.

⭐ What STREAM Learning Looks Like in Practice

1. Integrated Thematic Units

A unit on “Weather” might include:

• Science: observing clouds
• Math: charting daily temperatures
• Engineering: building a windmill
• Art: creating rain paintings
• Reading: weather-themed picture books
• Technology: using a digital thermometer

2. Learning Centers

• Engineering + Math: block play with blueprints
• Tech + Reading: listening centers or digital story creation
• Science + Art: nature collage exploration

3. Play-Based Problem Solving

Teachers introduce “challenges”:

• Drawings

• “Build a house that won’t blow down.”

• “Create a ramp that makes the car go faster.”
• “Sort these objects in your own way and tell us your rule.”

4. Inquiry and Documentation

Children ask questions, teachers scaffold, and learning is documented through:

• Photos
• Dictated stories
• Science journals (scribbles count!)

  

     

We were building inclined planes to see how fast penguins could slide down them!

#Wonder Wednesdays

Our Class Pets!

We enjoy our classroom pets!  One classroom has an American Eastern Toad and a Hermit Crab, one classroom has a Hermit Crab, and one classroom has an American Eastern Toad and fish!  Our pets are safe in aquariums and are cared for by the children and our wonderful Mrs. Sawl (who also works at a local pet shop)!