Every Thursday, our Pre-Kindergarten class participates in science day full of experimentation and discovery! Last week, the children learned all about pumpkins, just in time for harvest season! One of the best ways for children to fully engage in a lesson is through small group learning centers. The children travel from center to center to learn about each topic. We had 4 stations this week for the children to visit and discover more about pumpkins.
First, we learned the four main parts of the pumpkin: stem, seeds, pulp and skin. At the first station, we opened up a pumpkin to get a closer look, and took out the “gooey” insides. A few children were hesitant to do this! Then, the children hammered nail designs in the pumpkin.
At another station, we learned about the life cycle of pumpkins. The kids sorted through 8 cards with pictures of the pumpkin’s life cycle and put them in numerical order on a paper pumpkin. What a fun and easy way for children to put into practice what they’ve learned about during our science lesson.
The children traced and painted a pumpkin at one center. Some were very imaginative and made bumpy pumpkins! Painting and tracing are important early literacy processes that improve fine motor skills. These simple activities help in a big way to mature the children’s developmental skills!
Finally, they played with pumpkin pie scented play-doh. Sensory play is such a dynamic way for children to experiment with new ideas and lessons. This was a big hit! As always, science day is one of the favorites among the children!
To learn more about our Pre-K class or our school, please schedule a tour today! We’d love to meet you!