Life’s a Picnic

This week’s theme was “Life’s a Picnic”. We all spent time exploring different aspects of having a picnic. The Dolphins classroom made picnic baskets out of very large pieces of paper that they painted brown. Miss Tara cut the paper into strips and the class assembled a huge picnic basket to hang on their wall (complete with thumb print ants)! All of the classes enjoyed the beautiful weather we had this week by taking their lunch outside for a picnic. We learned about all the yummy foods you can take on a picnic and discussed our favorite foods. Of course no picnic would be complete without ants so we spent time on Friday making some silly ant art! The Lobsters class made ant hills out of construction paper and painted ants with their finger prints.

Gymboree also visited us this week at the Goddard School of Wall and all of the Infant, First Steps, Toddler and Get Set classes enjoyed spending time singing, making music and playing games with Gymboree.

We hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and see you back at school on Tuesday!

Outdoor Activities & Park Play with Your Children

A day at the park may seem like ‘just another day,’ but learning and bonding experiences flourish at the park!

Pack for Safety
Drinking water, sunscreen, hat, water to wash as well as wipes for hands, sneakers or other closed-toed shoes, a change of clothes or a towel for the seat, small first aid kit for those little scrapes and a small trash bag to keep the earth litter-free are all important.

Expect to Get Dirty
Going outside is about the freedom to explore and the only way to explore is to touch it, and yes, it is dirty – it’s outside! Dirty does not mean ‘germy’. Roll in the grass, stomp in the mud, touch the frog and splash in the puddles.

Infant to Six Months
• Pack for safety: A blanket to crawl on and a sturdy pair of pants for crawling on rough surfaces. Be prepared to change diapers on the go.
• Be prepared to climb and crawl yourself. This is the best way for you to ensure your child’s safety. Watch for items going into your child’s mouth.
• Hydration: the outside air and activity increases the amount of fluids you both need to consume. And while you’re packing the water, pack a snack.
• Point, name and describe: As your child explores, point out the details; name objects and talk about your experience.

First Steps (12 to 18 months)
• Pack for safety: Bring a blanket and a sturdy pair of pants for crawling on rough surfaces. This is not the place for skirts or dresses.
• Plan for breaks and pack snacks, water and a few books.
• Dig and touch: Collect items to further explore when you get home.
• Walk the trail with your little one on a riding toy. Don’t forget the helmet.
• Park Play Etiquette: If your little one finds a playmate, ask the other parent if both of you may join in the play. Your child will learn to ask for your approval before playing with strangers and the parent of the other child will appreciate this overture.

Toddler and Get Set (18 to 36 months)
• Plot the potty path!
• Bring balls to throw and kick or bean bags and a bucket.
• Move beyond the park and walk a trail or explore a nursery. Go to the stream, lake or pond and skip rocks. Turn the rocks over to find creepy, crawly things.
• No breaks required – but pause for a moment to re-hydrate.
• Look through binoculars – even two toilet paper tubes offer a new view of the world.
• Tent it! A pop up tent is an instant playhouse.
• Take an umbrella and put on your galoshes – take a walk in the light rain.

Preschool to Pre-K (36 months +)
• Lie down and look up: Children like to see the world from a different perspective.
• Picnic: Let your child be a part of packing the necessities and preparing the sandwiches.
• Play “I Spy” or “I Hear.”
• Read or draw under the trees.
• Bring a magnifying cup for bugs and objects to view. Research your bugs and objects when you return home to learn more about each.
 
Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend everyone!

It's A Bug's Life!

This week’s theme at the Goddard School of Wall was “It’s A Bug’s Life”! We spent every day of the week exploring something new about bugs. Throughout the week, all the classrooms worked on art projects and participated in various activities related to bugs. The Seals classroom talked about the lifecycle of a butterfly and learned a new word: metamorphosis! They also used dot-dot markers to create a butterfly during art. The Whales classroom looked at the habitat of a butterfly and created butterflies with blot art. The First Steps class used red paper and glued on black dots to make ladybugs and the Infant class made ladybugs with red paint thumb prints! The Guppies and Goldfish classes created their own caterpillars by gluing different colored circles to paper. At the end of the week, the Dolphins class used yellow and black paper to create patterns and the Tropical Treasures class made bees with construction paper.


We had a great time talking about bugs this week and all the classrooms especially enjoyed making and eating their personal bug creations out of bananas and Cheerios/Fruit Loops!

Choosing A Summer Program

Keeping a child's day consistent throughout the summer months keeps the brain focused and helps prevent learning losses during the summer. In addition, this can potentially ease the anxiety that often accompanies transitioning into a new classroom or school come fall.

 Research has shown that programs like The Goddard School that have specific learning goals, use learning and developmental standards and are age-appropriate are ideal in preventing summer learning losses.

 Tips for Choosing a Summer Program:
• Choose a program that is based on each child's interests and natural curiosity – this allows children the opportunity to direct their own learning.

• Ask for credentials, experience and training of the teachers/counselors.

• Check the health and safety practices of the program. Make sure you are comfortable that the program will be able to handle your child’s unique needs.

• Inquire about the daily schedule of the program. Does the program combine songs, stories, exploration, art, physical activities and learning adventures in a safe, nurturing environment? Ask how much freedom a child has to choose activities.

• Ask for references.

Summer Camp starts June 27th. For more information about Summer Camp at the Goddard School of Wall, please call Miss Samantha at 732-974-8314.

Muffins for Mom

Muffins for Mom is this Friday, May 6th at 3:30 PM.

We will be holding this special (early Mother's Day) event in our classrooms.

Any special women in the students' lives are welcome to join!

We hope to see you there!