We also used the key houses, where small doors are unlocked by matching the shape on the key to the shape of the lock on the corresponding door.  We challenged the children with a key and lock puzzle which held clues to help them solve the puzzle. (Small shapes were on the back of each lock with the same shape on the corresponding key.)  The children also worked together on some of our floor puzzles, cooperating and sharing until they figured them out.

We used measuring cups in our rice bin to see how much each one held. We also talked about measuring with rulers and each child got to take their very own 6 inch ruler home with them.

We used some little cardboard bunnies and frogs, who competed in seeing how far they could jump in another measuring activity.

The children used owls in a seriation activity where they identified the small, medium and large owls before gluing them on paper. We also did some A-B patterning using some St. Patrick’s Day coins and clovers.

To uncover some hidden numbers, the children painted with watercolor paints on papers which had crayon-resist numbers. It was a fun surprise when the numbers magically showed up as they painted.

Many of the children worked together with our wooden unit blocks to build bridges and other structures on the rug.

To end the week, the children all worked together to complete large shapes using smaller shapes in an engaging floor activity that everyone was excited about!

Our weeks-long service learning project ended with a field trip to the Wildlife Learning Center.

We began by collecting cans and water bottles (thank you families!) to reach our goal of $50 to contribute to the care and feeding of a Eurasian eagle owl named Edith.  We studied owls and what they ate, and featured them at Night School.

Finally it was time to go and meet Edith and see where she was living.  We were awarded a certificate of adoption for our efforts, which we will put up in the classroom.

The Wildlife Learning Center welcomed us with a presentation of some of the animals in their care.  We learned fun facts about them, where they lived, and what they liked to eat.

Then it was time to explore the grounds.  The WLC is set up like a small zoo, and the children were free to follow their interests as they wandered the paths and saw the animals up close.  There was even a small reptile house!

Our beautiful eagle owl was asleep, but that was okay as the children knew that Edith was a nocturnal animal.

We met up for lunch under the pavilion amid green and well-kept surroundings.  Thank you to all of the parents and family members who accompanied us to make sure that this was a happy and well-supervised experience.  Special thanks to Shar and Breanna for finding this opportunity for us, and to Shar and Sofia for making many, many trips to the recycling center.

It was a wonderful way to teach the children that small things can make a big difference in helping others.