w/o 7/15Sprouts Camp

We had such a busy and exciting week at camp! Your children were such a delight and we truly enjoyed all of their unique and enthusiastic energy. We focused on insects as our theme of study this week. We discussed many types of insects but specifically focused on bees, butterflies, snails, worms, and praying mantises. We read a book about a praying mantis named Manuelo who just wanted to make music like many of his insect peers who use their own bodies to create sound. Luckily, he was able to create a cello from natural objects with the help of an unlikely spider friend and be an integral part of the summer symphony of insects. We also learned about the integral function of bees in our society and were amazed to learn that their back legs have little baskets utilized for collecting pollen. The live snails were an absolute hit! The children loved helping the teacher’s cut up fruit to put in the bin and we enjoyed counting the cute babies and also watching them slide on their bellies across the dirt. We learned that snails can change genders throughout their life and also that they grow with their shell.
 
 Your children were so happily engaged in all of the classroom works and activities this week as well.  They happily used our kitchen and beloved ice cream stand to engage in dramatic play with their friends and many chose to paint, build with a variety of building materials, put together puzzles and so much more. Although it was hot, our outdoor time at McGolrick was filled with so much creative and spontaneous interactions with nature. In the new playground, they used the climbing ropes, slides, swings, and the sprinklers. In the green space, the children were immersed in the joy of digging and creating mud, climbing the climbing tree, using sticks to build homes and structures and also engaging in a variety of games like red light green light. Thank you kindly for sending your lovely children to us this week and we hope to see you at another week or around the neighborhood!