who are sick or traveling, and we pray before eating snack.  We talked about at what other times we might pray, such as at bedtime, in the car, while taking a walk or playing outside.  We can pray prayers of thanks, prayers to say "I'm sorry", prayers to ask for help, and prayers asking God to bless others.   We can recite a prayer that someone has taught us, or we can just have a conversation with God.  We realized that we can pray any time, any where, because God is always listening.  What a wonderful feeling!  This week we are learning all about Easter, from Jesus' triumphant arrival in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, through his sad death on Good Friday by "men who just didn't understand who He was", and culminating in the joy of his resurrection on Easter!  We will visit the sanctuary and retell the story using real palms and the draped cross on the altar.  After vacation we will talk about insects.  We know the children will have a lot to say on this subject! 

The month of April brings our thoughts to the sights and sounds of spring.  The birds are back, and the nice out-door weather has finally come (with the exception of the late snow showers)!  We are able to open windows and enjoy the fresh air.  We ended the month of March talking about birds.  We discussed different kinds of birds, what they look like, where they live, and what they may eat.  We also talked about spring and what changes come in the spring.  We made a list of some of these changes and came up with the weather gets warmer, the leaves and flowers come out, and outdoor activities start up again.  We ended March talking about "opposites."   The children were able to come up with many opposite word pairs.  We started April with Prayer week.  During circle time the children discussed what they thought prayer meant.  We also discussed the fact that you can pray anywhere and for everyone.  God is always listening.   We are now talking about Easter, and the children will visit the Sanctuary during Holy Week.

made an appearance at the craft table as the children learned all about birds' nests.  Questions posed ranged from how nests are constructed to which birds might occupy them.  A brown cornstarch playdough mixture, which started out soft but quickly hardened, provided a different texture for the children to manipulate and served as the base of the nest.  Feathers, twigs, and grass were added to complete the creations.  This craft elicited great conversation, encouraged critical thinking and increased awareness and appreciation for one of God’s most enjoyable creatures.  

Utensil painting followed adding some everyday household items to the painting canvas.  Items included an egg slicer, whisk, strainer, spatula, apple cutter, potato masher, and hand juicer.  Magenta, turquoise, and violet paint provided a colorful imprint for the utensils on manila paper.   

With Easter fast approaching, the children articulated and illustrated what they would pray for during this joyous season.  Prayer requests included family, friends, nice people, brothers, pets, and one child mentioned that when he hears an ambulance, he prays that no one is hurt!   Currently at craft, the children are enjoying filling their clear plastic bags with Easter grass, decorative Easter eggs, and jelly beans.  This craft always elicits great enthusiasm and enjoyment.

The children really enjoyed a hands-on experience at the science center this month.  They were able to touch real birds' nests, and try to match the right stuffed birds to each nest.  They also loved walking around the school with binoculars, pencils and clipboards with pictures of birds on them, and looking for the matching bird hanging some where in the school!  Next up will be decorative Easter eggs and kaleidoscopes to view them with.