currently filled with construction paper scraps, scissors, large plastic containers, and tongs.  This is helping with fine motor skills as well as their imaginations to figure out what to do with all of the items that are in the table!  There have been many children helping each other out and working together to cut paper, use the tongs and fill the containers.   Using scissors reinforces the skills learned at our recent small group time. 

 The playdough table never seems to get a rest!  With all of the cutting tools available the children have been very busy cutting, sculpting and rolling out the dough, making great creations one after another.   Many of the children have met new friends at the playdough table, as it is a time to sit and talk to one another.  With Halloween coming up, the children will look forward to seeing orange dough with maybe a few little surprises inside! 

In the Dramatic Playroom we have many items for imaginative play to act out careers and adult roles.  There are dresses, shoes, hats, suit jackets, ties, and of course, boas. There is a sink, stove, microwave, refrigerator, brooms, high chairs and strollers for our baby dolls, telephones, cameras, a cash register, a toolbox and measuring tape available to the children allowing them to express different emotions while playing.  Through dramatic play children are learning social skills while conversing with and listening to each other, and they experience that there is no right or wrong way to pretend.  We will be transforming our dramatic playroom into a grocery store in a few weeks where the children will experience the fun of “shopping”.

At the writing center we provide a variety of crayons, markers, pencils, colored pencils, paper and a copy of the alphabet to encourage “writing”.  We also include other activities or games to enhance language and writing development.  At the beginning of the school year animal-shaped markers were available.  The shape and size of the marker promotes the ‘pincer” grip – the appropriate way to use writing utensils.  Next, there was a farm tracing set out along with tracing paper.  This activity helps strengthen their hand muscles and practice eye-hand coordination.  Currently we have magna doodles available.  The children are enjoying seeing their creations appear by using a stick-like utensil to draw on a white plastic erasable screen.  This also helps strengthen their fine motor muscles in preparation for “real” writing.

While we could still enjoy the warm weather, we made fresh lemonade at our first “Wacky Wednesday” class.  This involved some measuring of water and sugar, and squeezing several lemons.  Squeezing the lemons was a great way to develop and strengthen the fine motor muscles in the children’s hands.  It sure took a lot of squeezing!  Along with enjoying the lemonade with our snack, we also gave each child a tee shirt with our “Wacky Wednesday” logo on it for them to decorate any way they chose using fabric markers.  Our second week we made our own personal pan apple pie.  Using a hand-cranked apple peeler and slicer, each child had a turn to build their muscle power. They each filled their own pie tin with apples, then sprinkled on cinnamon and sugar, and topped