Mighty Learners Dayhome

Testing the properties of objects in relation to gravity through this simple Pingpong and hair dryer experiment.

Hair dryer set on level 3 (cold) pushing the pingpong ball upward and made it float.

Tissue ply could float longer and higher in the air than the pingpong ball because the lift force from the air stream was way stronger than the gravity. 💡

First fire drill of the year! 🎇

Michelangelo is the inspiration for our art activity today.

He is a famous sculptor, painter and architect who painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling within the span of four years.

And in an obviously unique way, children conveyed ideas through lines, colours and texture.

They also practiced fine and gross motor skills as they held on the brushes while laying on their back.

Overprotectiveness is a rejection of your power (and thus of you). -David Richo

K and L were understanding the concept of gravity through tossing balloons in the air.

The invisible force (gravity) was pulling the balloons towards the ground.

Aside from building motor skills, L and N were also practicing ;

* hand-eye coordination when catching, kicking and throwing

* spatial awareness when aiming for the goal net

*balance when properly positioning legs and arms to maintain stability

*fine motor skills through holding and picking up the ball from the ground

Happy Holidays, everyone! ☃️❄️

Such a simple yet important fine motor activity!

https://www.theottoolbox.com/torn-paper-art-awesome-fine-motor

K. was coiling and rolling the play-dough when B. approached the table.

B. sat on a chair beside K. and picked a play-dough to play with.

"I noticed that you got some play-dough in your hands.", I commented.

B. looked at me and then focused his attention back to the play-dough.

"Would you like to play with K.?", I inquired.

"Yes.", B. responded to my question.

"How about we say, Can I play with you, K.?", I suggested

B. calmly and briefly looked at K. and again, back to his play-dough.

I waited for a bit before saying, " That's a great start. We can do it again next time."

Goal: Communication and Literacy

Facet: Communicative Practices

Through his facial expression, B. was able to expressed his intention to make friends and share materials with K.

This is B's attempt to build relationship with new friends around him using language.

N. found this paper tube on our recycling station and decided to carry it around the dayhome.

At one point, he dropped it on the floor, followed by positioning his body to a half-kneeling posture.

He began to move the paper tube to a rolling manner.

" Roll!", N. screamed.

"Paper tube can actually roll. Great observation, N!", I commented.

He then uttered the word "roll"again as he rolled the paper tube back and forth.

I plan to give him different objects that roll. This is to provide him opportunities to compare properties of objects with similar shape or form.

Goal: Play and Playfulness

Facet: Playful Exploration and Problem Solving

N. was engaged in playful exploration and investigation of the properties of objects around him.

Round objects and similar forms do have the ability to roll unlike others that usually sit.

He was also testing action and reaction of the force he was exerting on rolling the paper tube.

Did you know that we have worked with Communities to translate and publish The Very Hungry Caterpillar into Aboriginal English, Dhuwaya, Karwar, Kriol, Murrinhpatha, and Pitjantjatjara!

And we are working on translations in five other First Nations languages.

Every child deserves to have popular titles in their First Language 📖😊

Why Reading the Same Book Repeatedly Is Good for Kids (Even If It Drives You Nuts) Despite its annoyances for parents, repetitive reading offers a surprising number of benefits for new readers.

Candy Cane Experiment. 💡

We found out that candy cane does dissolve faster in water than in vinegar. It is because the acetic molecules in vinegar don't dissolve sugar as well as water does.

Transportation Yoga Poses

I expected children to roll some balls through the plastic tube but they would rather use it to experiment with sounds or hide anything that fits in the openings.

Children are creative and full of imagination. They see things in different ways.

Gingerbread man number matching activity.

Goulash for my dayhome children. 🍲

Inspired by Alexander Calder's abstract painting called "Directions".

We used bold-coloured cut-out shapes to mimic this one of a kind painting.

One of the children interpreted her art as " rainbow shapes".

Current interest of children is construction play.

They often diagnose a furniture to be broken and they tend to it like a real handy-men with their respective tools.

Children would also build playgrounds and skyscrapers using Lego blocks.

We further elaborated construction play to recognizing heavy equipments-which are crucial to construction field .

Excavator is commonly known to children but we widened our vocabulary even more by naming a few like loader, dump truck, and grader.

Favourite library books for the month of November.

Child L. uttered the word " flour " while mixing the ingredients for our play-dough.

This activity had provided him the opportunity to grow his vocabulary and sensory play experiences.

Mighty Learners Dayhome in Eaux Claires area, NW Edmonton

We offer:
1. Spots available for 3yrs old and older
2. Engaging and developmentally appropriate activities.
3.Comfortable and safe space for learning.
4. Healthy meals and snacks.
5. Level 3- Early Childhood Educator
6.Affordability grant and Subsidy available to qualified families.
7. Approved dayhome
8.Open from 7:30am-5:30pm.Monday-Friday

Please reach out for more information and scheduling of dayhome tour.

Children were extending their vocabulary as they role-play in the zoo dramatic area.

They were also developing social skills as they engage in taking turns with dayhome friends.

via Mrs. Cowman’s Classroom

Olivia Poole was raised on the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota. She was inspired by the traditional practice of using a bouncing cradleboard to soothe babies. In 1957, she patented her invention of the baby jumper, under the name Jolly Jumper, making her one of the first Indigenous women in Canada to patent and profit from an invention.
Susan Olivia Davis Poole
born: April 18,1889, Devils Lake, North Dakota
died: October 10,1975 in Ganges, BC.

Children wanted to play with all the lights off. They carried some flashlights around the dayhome and I thought of using my phone as one.

They observed and compared their shadows on the wall as they moved their big muscles around.

Children were engaged in learning about spatial awareness, as well as cause and effect. The shadows they created were highly dependent on their positions and angles from the light source.

Practicing their flexible thinking through building Lego blocks.

These children envisioned a pretend playground, and through working with each other, they came up with a model which is elaborate and functional.

After looking and understanding their creation, I realized that this model is pretty much similar to our play structure in the yard.

Sharing this wonderful book to all parents, like myself, who are having challenging times with their little ones.

Despite being an early childhood educator, I also find myself in difficult situations guiding my little girl.

This book is truly a great reminder that children count on grown-ups to keep the promises we made to them.

Have a great day ahead!

Can somebody guess what play schema this child was engaged in?

Little Bear's Big Adventure is one of our favourite meal time books to read these days.

As opposed to what little bear did in the story, my two dayhome friends wanted to keep hibernating in their den.

"We wake up in Spring!", one child exclaimed.

I better watch out for these little bear cubs as they may go exploring sooner than they should. 😀

Beef Stew season 😍

Today we explored play possibilities of ice and paints.

Through our exploration, we discovered that colour-mixing on ice was a unique way to learn and be familiarized with primary, secondary and possibly tertiary colours.

When children observed the cause and effect of blending paints together, they were practicing critical thinking skills.

Problem solving skills played a role when children decided to use more or less of paints to achieve a certain colour or shade.

My dayhome children. 😆

Let's hear it for all the teachers being called Mom, Grandma, etc. 😂😍

What have you been called before!?

I gave children scarves and small blankets and they came up with Superhero costumes!

One child asked me to wrap a big scarf around her waist and said, "I want to be a super mommy like my mom!" 🥲

Upon observing children being engaged with covering and hiding objects in a container, I decided to further support those interests with this play provocation.

Along with enveloping play schema, children are also being engaged in numerical literacy activity.

Quick pumpkin experiment before saying goodbye to our few-days-old Jack-O lantern.

Each had a turn to add a scoop of baking soda to the pumpkin.

The white powder, smell of vinegar and the frizzling sound from the bubbles ignited curiosity in children.