We're Going on a Nature Hunt!

Our kindergartners were busy using their sense of sight this week during our science unit on the 5 senses. After making our binoculars out of construction paper and yarn (to hang around our necks), I created an observation journal for our nature hunt. The observation journal has pages to record all of the bugs, cloud shapes, plants, trees, and other interesting things seen on our nature hunt.

The children were so excited to go on their nature hunt! We saw butterflies, ladybugs, bumblebees, flowers, tall trees, bluebirds, a birdhouse, a plane flying over, a boat, and clouds shaped like a horse and a race car. FUN! It was such an amazing way to spend our afternoon recess.

Here is the observation journal I created for our awesome nature hunt...

Cover Page

Recording Pages

Each one of the pages will print to make two journals... click here to download

This activity was such a wonderful way to bring science out of the classroom, and give the children the opportunity to explore all of the nature on the school grounds with their sense of sight.

Kool Aid Painting... A Complete Success!

We are wrapping up our science observation unit on the 5 senses... and today we painted with Kool Aid paint to explore our sense of smell. FUN! We used cherry, grape, lemonade, and orange Kool Aid to paint our masterpieces. The classroom smelled absolutely delicious!

Here are some of our Kool Aid watercolor creations...

Here is how I made the Kool Aid paint for this fun classroom project...

Ingredients:
- Kool Aid packets
- Water
(I mixed 2 teaspoons of water with each packet of Kool Aid)

Materials:
- Ice cube trays
- Paint brushes
- Card stock paper

I just love, love, loved all the wonderful pictures each of the kindergartners painted. This was definitely my favorite activity from our 5 senses science unit!


... and here are some of the other activities we did for the science unit on the 5 senses:

Sight - We made binoculars out of construction paper and went on a nature hunt.
Touch - We reached into the "mystery bag" and described the items we felt (Lego, rock, cotton ball, etc.).
Hearing - "What's in the egg?"(plastic eggs filled with rice, a bouncy ball, dice, googly eyes, etc.)
Taste - We tasted something sweet (strawberries), sour (lemon drops), salty (pretzels), and bitter (olives).

I am a Panther now!

It's official! I am a Crown Point Panther now!! 

This week I sent home a newsletter to the parents of the kindergarten class I am student teaching in to introduce myself. After looking at form letter after from letter for ideas on on what to say and how to put it together, I decided to have some fun with it...

I really enjoyed creating this newsletter for my student teacher introduction letter... I think I just might have to create my monthly classroom newsletters the same way!