Five for Friday

It has been sooooo long since I have linked up with Doodle Bugs for a Five for Friday. I really neglected my little blog last year, hopefully I can do a better job this year. :-)

On Monday morning my phone rang at 5:30 (after I was in the shower of course) informing me of a 2 hour fog delay. (We get them a lot in our rural area,) It was really foggy, but because I live just a few minutes away from the school I decided to go in early to get some work done before the kids came in at 9:35. At 8:05 my cell rang ~ I was horrified to see the caller ID read our central office's number. School was cancelled! On the EIGHTH day of school! We already had a make-up day before some places even started school! But, as you can see by the pictures just outside my classroom the fog never lifted enough to make travel safe in time for the day to count. It really didn't clear up until after 10:00. (Bye bye Friday of Presidents' Day Weekend...)

I am fortunate to teach in a school where the administration understands the importance of play. We have 20 minutes of unstructured play every day! Here are a few pictures that I took today.

These little guys have been working on perfecting a block ramp for cars all week. Every day it's a little different as they try to figure out how to get the cars to run the length of their race track.

More constructive play ~ domino structures, play doh, and linking "things" (I don't know what they are called...)

Pretend play ~ fishing, farm, and restaurant. The little girls are using books from the library as cookbooks. (Get the number formation posters in the fishing picture HERE.)

Get this free poster HERE to hang in your room to show your support for the importance of play. (Hey ~ if Albet Einstien supported play, then so should school administrators!)

This past summer I decided that I wanted a low table so the kids could sit on the floor to work. I found this gem for $5.00! The kids love it. It's a popular writing space, and often during our "Book Time" (which is time for enjoying books with friends, not quiet Read to Self) I find 2 or 3 little boys under it with the Spiderman book!

Yay! My first Donors Choose project was funded! Thanks to an anonymous donor I now have two great iPod Touches for our Listening Center. It's going to take some time to load all of my CDs onto iTunes, but so far I have nine titles with cover pictures I found on Amazon. I'm so excited for this new addition to my classroom.

We made these cute wormy apples this week to hang on this AMAZING tree that our creativly talented kindergarten teaching assistant made for the wall just outside my classroom. It's hot glued to the wall so it should stay up for a long time. It will be so much fun to decorate for the different seasons! (I'm thinking it will turn into an oak for October, and some sort of flowering tree come spring.)

Now it's your turn to share Five for Friday! Have a great Labor Day Weekend!