Lakewood Avenue Children's School

Preschool Ages 1-5

Lakewood at Home

Lakewood for PreK: July 24

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Happy Friday! It’s hard to believe we have only one more week of this blog before Lakewood reopens for in-person learning. We hope you will join us again next week.

Dramatic Play Invitation: Coffee shop water play

This invitation would work well outside or in the bathtub. You will need some water, cups, something to serve as a coffee pot, spoons, and possibly a coffee filter or two and sand or soil if you are outside. We know it has been a long time since families could hang out in  beloved Durham coffee shops like Cocoa Cinnamon and Nolia. Today we wonder what your child will do with materials similar to those they might find in a coffee shop or that they might see when someone at home makes a cup of coffee. Your child may already help make the coffee or other morning beverage. We are wondering what these materials might spark in terms of explorations for your child. Will they want to investigate sand and coffee filters? Will they be drawn to pouring and dumping? Will they engage with you or siblings in an elaborate dramatic play experience?

Building Invitation: Block building with vehicles

As a block building invitation this week, we wonder how your child will engage with blocks and vehicles. These could be trucks and interlocking blocks, strollers and unit blocks, or wagons and alphabet blocks. Your child might engage in transporting, filling and dumping, exploring ramps or something else entirely. 

Cooking Invitation: Making herbal iced tea

Making cold brew iced tea is simple and delicious. You will need a pitcher or other easy-pour container, some herbal tea bags, water, and a long spoon for stirring. You can also add fresh herbs (mint, lemon balm, lemon verbena, etc.), lemon juice or honey. Invite your child to explore the tea bags. How do they smell? What do you think will happen when you add them to a pitcher of water? Fill the container with water and invite your child to add tea bags, herbs, etc. They can stir it gently and watch to see if anything happens (tea bags with hibiscus in them will quickly turn the water pink/red). Put the pitcher in the refrigerator for an hour or more to chill and infuse. Then share a glass to cool off.

Lakewood for Middlers: July 24

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Happy Friday! We are delighted to bring you three more invitations for middlers today. Hope you have a wonderful weekend and join us next week for the final week of Lakewood at Home!

Dramatic Play Invitation: Exploring pretend cooking

Creating a play kitchen is simple and can be done with a cardboard box and a marker, and a collection of old pots and pans. Use the marker to draw burners and knobs on the cardboard box and offer some pots and pans and a spoon for stirring. Invite your child to explore and create with these materials. What might they create?

Art Invitation: Markers and paper

At a recent webinar, we were asked to look for the richness of possibility present in simplicity, and today we are thinking of that question through the lens of art invitations. There are so many possibilities contained in a simple piece of paper and a container of markers. The paper could be large, to hold whole arm movements, or very small to make a letter to a doll or an ant. What might your child draw? What marks will they explore making today?

Cooking Invitation: Making herbal iced tea

Making cold brew iced tea is simple and delicious. You will need a pitcher or other easy-pour container, some herbal tea bags, water, and a long spoon for stirring. You can also add fresh herbs (mint, lemon balm, lemon verbena, etc.), lemon juice or honey. Invite your child to explore the tea bags. How do they smell? What do you think will happen when you add them to a pitcher of water? Fill the container with water and invite your child to add tea bags, herbs, etc. They can stir it gently and watch to see if anything happens (tea bags with hibiscus in them will quickly turn the water pink/red). Put the pitcher in the refrigerator for an hour or more to chill and infuse. Then share a glass to cool off.

Lakewood for Toddlers: July 23

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Good morning! It’s going to be another warm day. Here are three invitations for you and your toddler today.

Cooking Invitation: Making frozen fruit pops

We often make frozen fruit pops in the summer. You can do something as simple as freezing orange or apple juice in molds (or paper cups covered with foil and a clean craft stick stuck through the foil). Jessica Gavin also has some interesting sounding recipes, or you and your child can make up your own using what you have in the fridge/pantry and your imaginations! Remember it will take several hours for the pops to freeze, so make them in the morning for a late afternoon snack, or plan to enjoy them the next day. This project engages multiple senses and creativity in the kitchen.

 

Art Invitation: Big paper drawing

During a recent webinar we were inspired by the Seneca Lab School’s practice of creating large spaces for exploring paint or drawing. They cover the floor and wall (to child height) with large pieces of paper and allow children to explore freely. You might have space for this in your home, or in a nearby outdoor space. You can use the back of wrapping paper, flattened cardboard, or easel paper to create the drawing/painting space. We wonder how your child will interact with the space and materials when their canvas is really large.

 

Language/Literacy Invitation: Books

The toddlers at Lakewood love books and have opportunities to engage with them on their own, in small groups with the teachers, and occasionally as a whole group. We have baskets of books outside, and baskets in the classroom. Today we are wondering how your child would like to engage with books. Would they like to read with an adult, to share a story with a friend or relative virtually, or to sit in a quiet and cozy space with some of their favorite reads?

Lakewood for Middlers: July 23

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Good morning! It’s Thursday already, in today’s invitations we have a recipe suggestion, as well as art and large motor offerings.

Cooking Invitation: Making fruit pops

We often make frozen fruit pops in the summer. You can do something as simple as freezing orange or apple juice in molds (or paper cups covered with foil and a clean craft stick stuck through the foil). Jessica Gavin also has some interesting sounding recipes, or you and your child can make up your own using what you have in the fridge/pantry and your imaginations! Middlers can help measure, mash, stir, taste and pour. Remember it will take several hours for the pops to freeze, so make them in the morning for a late afternoon snack, or plan to enjoy them the next day. This project engages multiple senses and creativity in the kitchen.

Art Invitation: Color mixing with paint

This invitation extends yesterday’s colored water mixing offering to paint. How will it be different to mix paint colors as opposed to water? What shades would your child like to create?

Outdoor Invitation: Take your obstacle course outside!

Last week we suggested looking at the Durham County Library indoor obstacle course video and working with your child to create an indoor obstacle course. Today we are wondering how you and your child can reimagine the obstacle course outside. Could you incorporate water play elements to cool off?