May/June.....

Well where exactly did May retreat to?

 

Last month we were all about friends :0)

Who are our friends, what we like about them and so on - as well as actively making new friends!

 

This topic was chosen as some of my little ones were having a wobble about 'BIG' school looming... So rather than focusing on the future - we focused on the here and now. We looked at what we had in each other and what we liked, before forging new friendships with people we regularly see at activities such as the soft play sessions in town. I hope that these skills of taking stock, seeing people for who they are to ourselves and how to instigate connections will ease the transitions from preschool to 'BIG' school. We sent letters to friends, made gifts, explored where our friends are - some within the local area, but also around the world! How do we get to see them? Ah; the 'Duplo' aeroplane  and 'Brio' train track came out, the laptop was commandeered to speak to friends via Skype and then the 'house box' for 'tea parties' with the stuffed toys came into the mix too.

 

It was this development that triggered Junes planning of Pets.

 

The setting benefits from an array of animals - dog, cat and gerbils - but we also have a stuffed dog from the 'Bear Factory', gifted to us by a student that joined us as part of her college course, which she named 'Pedro'. Pedro does most things with the children in and beyond the setting, and if it isn't directly connected with an activity he'll be in the background ;) There are naturally other animalistic toys too; the ubiquitous collection of rabbits, cats, dogs, some mice my Mum knitted and so on. There's also some snakes, frogs, farm animals (try telling a farmer the animals aren't pets ;) ).

 

So now we have the farm set available, some pet carriers and pet care supplies, books about choosing the right pet such as 'Granny MacGinty', 'Dear Zoo' and games like the 'Quake quack' game, dressing-up outfits like a vets coat and first aid box, a cat tunic, bunny ears... and finally some accessories for the pets in the setting. I have further linked to May by including the atlas book to discover where pets originate, their natural climate and habitats.

 

The gerbils will soon have a new coconut shell home and some twig balls (that can be emulated with craft straws) to play with, the dog has some new toys to chew and chase and the cat a stick with a feather (to be copied too). We will collect care pamphlets, observe animals at the 'Pets at Home' store and take the dog for walks in a more conscientious manner.

 

The link between May and June could be construed as tenuous, but the animals are, for some of the children in the setting, their primary friendship base. I trust that children create bonds in the manner that they need to sustain their soul. With children, adults and animals... These links always satisfy a thirst and balance is the key. By observing the connections a child makes, a window to their emotional status opens up; how a practitioner responds is the key to a setting and a home-from-home!