Week 1 - AATAT (All Aboard the Animal Train)

That's a wrap for week 1!

We've settled into a good routine for our preschool. 

We start each day out with breakfast (that they usually help me prepare) and a morning show while they eat. I'll usually let them play in the playroom after this while I get a few things set up for the day. 

We usually start out each school day with 'calendar time'. First, we sing and dance to Shake Your Sillies Out by The Learning Station. Next we sing and move around to their 7 Days of the Week, 12 Months of the Year, and ABC Songs. If they still have a ton of energy, we sing Shake Your Sillies Out again before sitting down. I have a magnetic calendar where we talk about today's date, the seasons, and the weather. 

After that, we move over to the wall where we have our train taped above the window. We do a silly follow the leader train game around the house then back to that wall where we recite our Bible verse, look over our unit poster, and talk about the theme. Week 1 was all about LOVE. 

Next, we have a snack (sometimes with sometimes without a playroom break) then choose something from the MFW lesson plan to do (read a book, sing a song, make a craft, surprise box, etc.) I don't have any particular order in which we complete the lesson plan activities for the day. I just pick whatever goes best with the mood and activity level my boys are at in that particular moment.

After this, we do something more active like go outside to play, go to a jump place, have a friend over to play (or go to their house), swim, story time at the library...just whatever the rotation happens to be for that day. 

Friend fun and red juice-icles with strawberry bits

It's usually time for lunch after this, so we eat, watch a cartoon/show, then have naps. My boys sleep anywhere from 1-2 hours. I use this time to try to get some sort of household chore taken care of. When they are up, they are raring to go again. 

We usually try to go outside to play, but sometimes it's just too unbearably hot so we may play inside instead.

'Invisible' water bead fun

Next, they'll usually have another snack and watch a short show, play in the playroom, or choose a surprise box activity. Then I usually choose another activity or 2 to do from the lesson plans.  

Red Playdoh!

This week, we also had a red silly string fight, had friends over for swimming, went on a red color hunt, made 'get well soon' heart cards for our neighbor, and made cookie brownies for daddy :)

All in all, it was a great start to preschool!