Day Nursery Friday Faces: Making a fruit pizza

The students in Ms. Laura and Ms. Katrina’s preschool class at Day Nursery Northwest on W. 73rd Street in Pike Township, have been trying new fruits this week to see what they like. To wrap up the week, the class made a fruit pizza as a special treat. The bright colors in the fruit bowl reminded them of a rainbow. Eating a full rainbow of foods regularly helps give your body the nutrients it needs. In addition to fiber, vitamins and minerals, naturally colored foods contain powerful nutrients called phytochemicals. While the three-year-olds aren’t likely to remember that term, they will remember their favorite fruits and the beautiful colorful snack they helped make today.

Day Nursery two year olds enjoy discovering world around them

MaKenna’s mommy is having a baby soon!  Ms. Tammia’s class at the Day Nursery IU Health Center has been experimenting with their play stethoscope and this offered a real life opportunity to discover!  In the Day Nursery centers, we encourage our families to come into the classroom and be a part of their child’s learning environment. MaKenna’s mommy spent some time interacting with the two-year-olds offering an opportunity to experience the real world around them!  

Day Nursery Northwest Indianapolis shares culture with preschool in Australia

Miss Shanna’s class at Day Nursery Northwest is in a “culture swap” with Holy Trinity Early Learning Center in Australia. Shanna shared this picture today of her showing her class the contents of the package from their friends in Australia which included an Australian flag, some stuffed koalas, stickers and a poster of Australian wildlife. They also received letters and pictures from the children at the center. In exchange, Shanna’s class sent them some handmade fun dough made by the class, a Colts jersey, crayons, some Day Nursery pencils, checkered flags, and some pictures they colored.

Day Nursery preschooler expands vocabulary through cooking

It is not every day that you see a Day Nursery student “mincing” playdoh hot dogs. This Northwest Center student loves to pretend to cook. She rolls out the playdoh in a hot dog shape and then carefully minces it with a plastic knife. Her teacher, Shanna Nowosielski says she chose the word mince herself to describe what she’s doing.

Light center gives Day Nursery preschoolers a new outlet for learning

Preschoolers in Matt Miller‘s classroom at the Day Nursery Hendricks County Early Learning Center in Avon are eagerly waiting for their turn to play at the light table in their classroom’s new “Light Studio.” Mr. Matt created a small learning center where children can experiment with light and shadow using light tables, overhead projectors, mirrors, flashlights and any other materials that catches their eye! Thanks to Matt for sharing this picture of Shannon and Brayden enjoying the classroom’s new learning center.

Day Nursery toddlers explore 5 senses through ketchup

The toddlers at the Day Nursery Hendricks County Early Care and Education Center are exploring the color red this week.  Here are a few pictures of them  “painting” with ketchup.  Activities like these are planned as links to the foundations of the Indiana Academic Standards for Young Children (Science-using 5 senses to learn about the environment and Visual Arts-delight in the touch and feel of materials rather than what is being produced).

Play helps toddler understand how the world works

Indiana’s Academic Standards for Young Children tell us that early geometry concepts involve position and movement of self and items. To a child, this is a step in understanding how the world works.    Benjamin went around his classroom at the Day Nursery IU Health Center recently gathering items to put into his plastic jar, pushed the baby doll repeatedly to get it to fit inside the jar, even attempting to put the lid on top when he felt the baby was inside enough. Benjamin spent about 20 minutes on this play process.

Day Nursery Indianapolis students participate in earthquake ShakeOut drill

From the preschoolers down to the toddlers, over 50 students at the Day Nursery Federal Center in downtown Indianapolis participated today in the “Great Central US ShakeOut” earthquake drill.  Students learned to “Stop, Cover and Hold On.”  In the preschool classroom, teachers bounced balls on top of the tables to simulate the importance of finding shelter under a sturdy table to protect the children from falling objects.  Learn more about protecting your family in an earthquake by reading the Seven Steps to Earthquake Safety.

Students in the Toddler 2 classroom practice their “Drop, Cover and Hold On” earthquake drill.

Stone Soup provides Day Nursery preschoolers a delicious opportunity for learning

January is National Soup Month, and Ms Tomi and Ms. Jannel’s preschool class at our IU Health Center read the story ‘Stone Soup’ with the children, a story about working together for a common goal and the ‘magic’ that can bring to a person/group/community. The children then made the soup together, discussing math skills in measurement and cutting. The children then sat together to eat the soup for snack, this gave them the opportunity to build language skills and build relationships with their peers. Thanks to Assistant Center Director Amy Cavin for sharing this great learning experience!

Day Nursery Indianapolis students add ingredients to soup

Students practice making soup in the dramatic play area of their classroom.

Day Nursery preschoolers enjoy the soup they made together.

 

Toddler Tuesday at Day Nursery Ruth A. Lilly Center

Happy Toddler Tuesday! Shannon Garrity, Center Director at Day Nursery Ruth A. Lilly Center, 3522 N. Central shared this fun picture from this morning with this note: This is a toddler who just finished playing with cool whip and food coloring.