Registration for 2023-2024!
PALZ registration is open for the 2023-2024 school year. Reserve a spot for your child in a creative, play-based early learning program that he will love! Accepting ages Toddler through Pre-K. Located at Harvest Point UMC in Locust Grove, Georgia.
Keep Cool with This Frosty Sensory Bin
There’s nothing we love more than sensory bins! You have probably noticed sensory bins throughout each classroom and in our centers area in the House. Sensory bins are easy, generally inexpensive to make, and don’t take up a lot of room. They encourage all sorts of skills including language and vocabulary, math, science, fine motor, and social. Mrs. Hope sent over this awesome idea for a sensory bin guaranteed to keep you cool as the weather warms up.
Frosty Frozen Sensory Bin
Materials
- Plastic container
- Food coloring
- Shaving cream
- Spoon or tweezers (optional)
- Objects to freeze in shaving cream*
*We used different colored plastic ants but any items you can count, sort, and create patterns will work. Be creative and use what you have on hand!
Instructions
- Mix shaving cream and food coloring in the plastic container. This is a great opportunity to talk about mixing colors!
- Place your objects into the shaving cream and freeze the container for about an hour.
- Remove the container and start digging! Use your fingers, spoons, or tweezers to really get those fine motor muscles moving.
- Ask questions! What do you see? What do you feel? What do you smell? What does this make you think of? Can you come up with a story for the -object- you found?
Why We Love This
Sensory bins are play-based learning which we LOVE! They provide tons of fun and tons of learning opportunities by engaging all of the senses. With a little creativity, you can make one from just about anything you have laying around at home.
Gross Motor Skill Games
You hear a lot about fine motor skills when it comes to your child’s development. These skills generally involve the coordination of the eyes, hands, and fingers – for example, writing, cutting, and drawing. A lot of preschool activities focus on fine motor skills because they are an important step in moving onto kindergarten. But what about gross motor skills?
Gross motor skills involve whole body movements. Examples of gross motor skills are things like crawling, walking, climbing, catching, and throwing.
Gross motor skill activities involve balance and affect your child’s ability to navigate their world and perform everyday tasks — like sitting upright at a table to practice fine motor skills! You cannot do one without the other.
So how do we work on gross motor skills at PALZ? Easy! We get up and move! Here are a few simple ideas to get your kids playing and working on those gross motor skills.
Dice Game
Each side of the dice represents a specific action. For example, roll a one and you have to hop like a frog. Roll a two and you have to crawl like a crab. You don’t even have to own a physical dice for this game since there are dice rolling apps!
Obstacle Course
Clear out space in your living room and get to work setting up an obstacle course! Use painters tape to create lines on the floor where they can run, skip, and hop from line to line. Use chairs and blankets to create tunnels to crawl through. Use a pool noodle or pillows as a balance beam. Be creative and keep the actions varied.
Yoga
Not all gross motor activities are high-energy, run around games – although those are fun! Simple yoga poses are a great way to work on your child’s balance and bring calm. Here’s a great resource for kids yoga poses from kidsyogaposes.com.
Science Friday: How to Scavenger Hunt Like a Pro
Learning at home doesn’t mean being stuck inside. In fact, let’s get outside a bit today! I think we should go on an outdoor scavenger hunt. Scavenger hunts exercise both brain and body, teach teamwork, and help little ones use their observational skills. Together, you can identify colors, shapes, textures. and the number of objects. All you need for an outdoor scavenger hunt is a yard and a list of items to look for. You can shorten or lengthen the list as needed. Let’s get hunting!
Outdoor Scavenger Hunt
Materials
- a bag for collecting items
- scavenger hunt list (see below or make your own!)
Items to Collect
- 5 leaves that look different
- A stick that is longer than your hand
- A rock with spots on it
- A flower
- A smooth rock
- 10 blades of grass
- Something you love to play with
- A piece of trash you can recycle
- Something that is brown
- Something that is heavy
- Something that is light
- Something that needs sun to live
- An item smaller than your thumb
- Something that starts with “M” (or any letter you choose!)
- Something that smells good
The Science Behind It
Observation is essential in science! Before you can begin to hypothesize about how or why things work, you have to observe them. Exploring the outdoors provides your child with the opportunity to observe and notice things they might otherwise overlook. Happy hunting!
Story Time at PALZ Preschool
Is it to cold to go to the park? Well come have a play date with us! Join us for stories, music, arts and crafts and more!! Don’t forget to reserve your space by emailing palz@harvestpointumc.com for this free community event!
Wednesday, February 7th 9:30-11:00am
PALZ @ Harvest Point UMC
911 Simpson Mill Road
Locust Grove, GA 30248