Happy Holidays!

Tis the season for family time and new years resolutions.  We are mid-winter break and today is New Year's Eve, the last of the holiday celebrations for a while.  Let's take a look at the last week of the 2013 preschool year as we learned about holidays celebrated around this time of year.

Kwanzaa was first on the list.  We read books about this special African American celebration and made traditional Kinaras and place mats called mkeka to pattern for math and identified shapes as we glued them down in other patterns.  We played cooks as we prepared gathered foods served at meals during these celebrations and played with them to see what might sink or float in our tubs of water.

We had our last star of the week presentation and will continue where we left off next semester.  So, if your child didn't have homework this semester, it will be their turn in the spring.

We next talked about Hanukka and reminded the children while this is sometimes celebrated around the same time as Christmas, this year, it actually started around Thanksgiving.  

We made menorahs using hand prints for the candles and welcomed special guests to play traditional Jewish music for the holiday season. Then, the preschoolers were able to play the instruments as well.

 We participated in science experiments that mixed oil and water to see if which is heavier and if they separate or blend when shaken and mixed together.

 We ended our time together Wednesday with freeze dance to many fun Christmas songs in preparation for Santa's arrival on Friday.  The children were so excited to get to let loose on our last day of the semester.

 
Then the big entertainment arrived on Friday as we sang 'Jingle Bells' loud enough for Santa himself to make a stop in our preschool to share a sneak peak at presents for Christmas this year.  He had gifts for every boy and girl who attended our party and we enjoyed taking pictures with him and eating the yummy treats brought in by family and friends.


As I leave you to enjoy the pictures from our semester party, remember we are still taking children in our PM preschool (great for young 3-year-olds who are interested in school) that runs from 1:00 - 2:30 Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  This time slot is terrific for anyone looking to have some social time for their 3-5 year old after lunch and before nap.  The cost is only a one time fee of $150 so click here if you are interested in learning more, or just email me if that works for you too.

 If you are looking for fun winter projects, don't forget to check out and follow my Pinterest boards so you can stay active with your child during time off of school.  


I hope this new year brings joy to your family and I can't wait to start preschool again in February!  Look for blog posts this January to see what we do at Palatine High School during your time away.

FYI: I wanted to share the information I found about the car seat law changes in 2014.  Check this out and feel free to follow me on Twitter for other family friendly tips as I come across them.