Ways to make hexagon

Yvonne wanted to stack up a tower as high as possible with the yellow hexagon blocks.

Having limited hexagon blocks, she discovered that she can create more hexagons with other blocks too.

Take a look at the combination of different shapes to make a hexagon that she has discovered.

This is the learning that will stay with her forever and ever; that is through own discovery.

Theme on Plants

We had a few activities related to our theme "Plants":

• visited a small farming area nearby the tadika
• naming part of plant
• planted mung beans under different condition - with water but in darkness, with water under sunlight; without water under sunlight
• planted tomato, french bean and papaya

In the small farm, we saw lady fingers, young banana tree, young rambutan tree, young jambu air tree, pandan and also weeds like lallang and semalu.


"See, I can make the leaves close up!"

Do you know what plant are they talking about?

Yeah! It is semalu.







Yvonne checking out parts of the lady fingers plant.






The children discovered that

• some plants do not have certain part like pandan has no stem and no flower
  
• some stems are soft like the banana tree, some are hard like the hibiscus
  

Yvonne confirming that pandan has no stem; while the other children look on.


This stem is soft.






Planting mung beans.
Hui Yi carefully arranged the mung beans into the container. See...children can be very careful too.

Jolin stretched out her hand with her mung bean.

Teacher: What are you doing, Jolin?

Jolin: need sunlight.

Frog babies are so small

While playing in the field, we noticed black insects hopping around. We decided to check out what insect is that. Surprise! they are froglets (already without tails) . Then we saw another 3 more froglets leaping around.

Then I used a plastic container to let the froglets leap in, so that the children can get a closer look at the froglets.

The children were fascinated with the froglets.









We learned that:
1. froglets are very small
2. froglets look like the adult frog (unlike tadpoles)
3. froglets can leap high
4. when in the container, the froglets stayed close to the side and do not leap

After taking a good look at those froglets, we let them go into the drain.

Last Friday, we found a dead froglet in the school's compound. The children started discussing what caused the froglet to die.
Isn't it interesting that this simple discovery can lead them to more thinking, questions and discussion. I love it when they are so spontaneous with their questions and discussion.

Practical life - pouring

Pouring water from jug to cups or bottle to bottle are actually fun. They can pour over and over again. Then exchanging their materials on their own accord. So sweet of them. Their social skills are amazing.

Creative Art Time

Designing my own photo frame.

Hui Yi putting on her thinking cap to decide which color to use next.



Yvonne and Jolin prefer to position the photo frame upright and paint the frame like an artist.







Artist at work. Very serious ler!
Chi Ern putting the finishing touch to her photo frame.






In their faces, I see their thought as "Cool! I am designing my own photo frame." instead of "Oh no! This is not an easy task." This is the kind of thought that I wish to see in every child. Children should NOT see tasks as obstacles and hard to accomplish work. Instead, they should have the enthusiasm and confidence in themselves to work on tasks assigned.










The children can use glue independently as they are used to doing thing on their own. You will be surprised that they know the sufficient pressure to press the glue bottle so that the glue will not overflow.
I am very proud of them that they can work independently with the glueing work. Aren't you proud of them too?










Leave printing. The child experiencing painting colour on the both surfaces of the leave to discover only the bottom part of the leave will print better on paper.

Restaurant by the children for the children

Playing restaurant is something that you don't have to help them to plan out.

You can see here that they have divided the roles among themselves and the scene created below are like a real fast food restaurant.


Chi Ern taking order from a customer (Jayden) while Yvonne prepare food the customer.

Jolin is another customer, waiting in line for her turn to order food.







Jayden taking his order to get a place to enjoy his food.









Jayden and Jolin enjoying their yummy food while the restaurant "Tau-keh-soh" checking whether the customers are happy with the food or not.

Making cookies 1

These are the cookies that the children made during the first term school holiday. Although, I've sent my elder son to be in-charge of taking photographs while the children make the cookies.

This is the only photo that I have. He said he was too busy making the cookies too that he forgot.

The children each took one cookie home for mummy to try their 'sau-sai'. Unfortunately, most came back and said "I ate the cookie. I only show mummy the cookie"

Phase 3 - Saloon Project

After visiting the saloon, the children included more representation of equipments into their saloon play.

Now, we have mirrors and books provided for the customer to read. We have area for washing hair.










The children took turns to be customer and hairdresser.









We even made a steamer. Yvonne realized missing part of the steamer and asked "there is no container for the water. Where can we put water?" I told her that we will pretend to put water into the long pole - which she agreed.

Link to Phase 1
Link to Phase 2