enjoyed as they learned about gravity and the earth’s rotation all in the name of fun! 

At present we have brought the outside inside.  There are a variety of Autumn objects including pinecones, chestnuts, acorns, different leaves  (laminated), pumpkins and gourds along with magnifying glasses for a close-up look and scales for weighing the objects.  The children love playing “scientist” with the magnifying glasses. 

The writing center is always stocked with a variety of crayons, markers, pencils, colored pencils, paper and alphabet books, all with the goal to encourage “writing” at all levels.  Remember, every mark your children make is writing!  We also include other items or games to encourage writing and language development. 

At the beginning of school “animal” markers were available.  These markers are short and chubby and the cap is the head of an animal.  The shape of the marker encourages the “pincer” grip which is the appropriate way to use writing  utensils.  Next, there was a play farm tracing set out along with tracing paper.  This consisted of different farm shapes like a pig, sheep and tractor that the children could trace on paper.  They enjoyed seeing their creations while strengthening their hand muscles and practicing eye-hand coordination. 

Currently, an “ABSeas” fishing game is available.  The children “fish” for sea creatures that display an upper or lower case letter using small wands with a magnet at the end.  They then match their “catch” to game cards that also display the letters.  Some children simply enjoy “fishing” (a great way to practice and develop fine motor skills) while others enjoy identifying and matching letters of the alphabet.  The 

game also promotes social skills as the children work together cooperatively, take turns to fish, and converse about their “catch”.

The math center is a fun place to learn math concepts such as sorting and classifying, and to discern differences in size, shape, color, and patterns.  We began the year with small plastic farm animals of different sizes and colors for the children to sort and count.  We then had an apple sequencing chart available.  The children matched and lined up apples in order from smallest to biggest.  They were also developing language as they described the different objects, and recalled their experiences with animals and apples. 

Currently available is a game called “Colorama”.  The children roll dice and arrange pieces according to shape and color.  The game encourages them to look carefully, compare and name the geometric shapes. 

The computer is next to the math center, and recent games have provided the opportunity to put together puzzles, find and count hidden objects, connect numbered dots to create a picture, and supply a firefighter with the equipment necessary to fight a fire, as well as develop eye-hand coordination and work cooperatively with one other peer who sits in the “co-pilot” seat.

The Dramatic Playroom is the place to try out an assortment of personalities, careers, and adult roles.  Suit jackets and ties, dresses, hats, shoes, boas and pocket books are just the beginning of imaginative play!  There is a sink, stove, microwave and refrigerator, brooms, vacuum cleaner, high chairs, strollers, baby dolls, play food, play money, telephones, tool boxes and cameras all readily available for the children to let their