Blog: PreK

Good morning! The weather today is going to be much like yesterday, so we suggest spending some time outside in the early part of the day.

Science Invitation: Making potions or perfumes

This invitation is another exploration for the senses as well as for science. You will need a selection of small, clear containers, some water, herbs and possibly spices or edible flowers for perfumes, or vinegar and baking soda and other edible, non-toxic odds and ends for potions. Invite your child to experiment with and explore these materials using small spoons, a mortar and pestle, or other gadgets like a garlic press. This will probably be fairly messy, so it might be wise to set it up on a tray.

Nature Invitation: Checking in on your tree, examining its leaves

There has been some extremely hot weather and heavy rains lately, how is your child’s tree friend doing? This is also an opportunity to look closely at your tree’s leaves. You can supply paper and colored pencils, a magnifying glass, or a camera for documenting your child’s tree’s leaves.

Art Invitation: Exploring balance with mobiles

For this invitation you will need a stick or clothing hanger, wire or string, and some objects like shells, stones, or beads. Invite your child to explore connecting the objects to the stick so they hang down in interesting ways. You can explore the work of artist Alexander Calder for inspiration as well.

Good morning! It’s Monday again and we are back with three more invitations for preschoolers today.

Science Invitation: Water displacement experiments

For this invitation you will need a clear or translucent container, preferably one with straight sides, water, and rocks or other objects that sink in water. Make a line on the side of the container using a permanent marker or a piece of tape and fill the container to that line. Invite your child to make predictions about what will happen when they add rocks to the container. They can draw their predictions as well. Then invite them to conduct the experiment, adding the rocks slowly so they can see what happens. Is it a surprise? It is how they thought it would be? What do they think would happen if they take the rocks out?

Cognitive/Art Invitation: Photo Riddles

For over twenty years, Lakewood has been inspired by the preschools and infant-toddler centers of Reggio Emilia. This global pandemic has given us an opportunity to share some of their work with you, including this invitation to solve and create some photo riddles. 

Art Invitation: Markers and paper

In the preschool room at Lakewood, art supplies are available all day and children often choose to work with markers and paper. The smooth lines and bright colors are appealing. We offer both thicker markers and thinner ones for more detailed work. Sometimes we also offer fine-line artists pens. What can you offer your child for drawing or writing today?

Good morning and happy Friday! We are so happy you have joined us this week. There are only a few days of Lakewood at Home left before we open the school building and playgrounds again on August 5th. Here are three invitations for preschoolers today.

Art Invitation: NCMA City in the Grass

If you did not have a chance to see City in the Grass at NCMA, you can see it virtually through their website. It is in the outdoor sculpture park, so it is possible to go and see it in person, but the park tends to be very popular and it might be difficult to socially distance at certain times of day. We really enjoy this piece of art because it is so accessible for young children. It has texture, color, and is at their level. We hope the link above gives you and your child a sense of the piece. You can find additional activity ideas here. 

Your child and family might also be interested in viewing or participating in the virtual sculpture race.

Building Invitation: Making 3-D maps

We have been inspired many times by the block maps children at Carolina Friends School Durham Early School often create as part of their work. Today we wonder how your child might use materials in your home to create a 3-D map. Will they create a map of your neighborhood, the city, or an imaginary place? This is an opportunity for children to explore map making, building and spatial relations. 

Language/Literacy Invitation: Blackout by John Rocco

You can listen to the author read the book aloud here, or check it out through Durham County Library. We really appreciate the city skylines in this book and how they relate to Leonardo Drew’s work in the invitations above.

Good morning. Here are three more invitations for preschoolers for today, or any day you need an idea.

Fine Motor Invitation: Making binoculars

This invitation uses a paper towel tube, scissors, a hole punch, some string or yarn, and tape. You can also offer markers, pencils or crayons for customizing the binoculars.

Cut the paper towel tube into two equal cylinders and punch one hole at the top of each piece. Invite your child to connect the two tubes together using tape with the holes on the outside edges. This is the time to decorate them! 

To complete the binoculars, loop the string through the holes and adjust. To prevent creating a strangulation hazard, only tie the string through one of the holes. Even though there is no glass or magnification in these binoculars, they do narrow your vision and create a slightly different perspective.

Science/Nature Invitation: Birding adventure

Your child might want to take their new binoculars on this birding adventure, but they are completely optional. You will need a window with a view or an outdoor space, preferably in the shade. Along with their binoculars, your child might appreciate having a clipboard with a piece of paper and pencil/pen and a bird book if you have one. Invite them to sit quietly, listening and observing the world around them. What do they hear? What do they see? Are there any birds nearby? What do they look like? 

Art Invitation: Creating birds from clay or salt dough

After watching and thinking about birds this morning, we are wondering if your child would like to explore birds through making one from clay or salt dough. You can try this recipe for salt dough also, though we have not tested these exact proportions. If you have feathers or wire, you could offer those as part of the invitation as well, or invite your child to create feathers from other materials.