Älvsborg nursery – “Look deep into nature, and you will understand everything better.” – Einstein

We celebrated Earth Day together. We learned about protecting the Earth and how to treat it well. The children used their imagination to paint their own pictures of the Earth after we looked at examples. We then went outside and collected sticks which we then painted with different colours, and then made into a rainbow wind chime.

When the weather is good it’s great to go out into the forest together. The children learn how to walk over and climb over different terrains, and they can become more confident. When we went down to the football field we practiced balancing by walking across the lines that are painted on the field.

At lunch time we try to show our friends how we like to eat our food. Some of us prefer to use spoons, some of us forks, and some of us prefer to use our hands. The children understand that every way of eating is okay, and the important thing is to be who you are, even if that means that you get a bit messy!

When we practice free play the children learn how to play together as friends. They get to decide to do what interests them, whether that be reading books, playing with cars, or playing in the sand. The children can learn about friendship and the ways in which they can play with their friends, through sharing and showing kindness.

Lunch time is a great time to show the children how we all are different, and that we all like and prefer different things and that nothing is wrong, because with food its all right! Thank you for also sharing your outing in which they learned about balance and coordination and the earth day where they appreciated the earth a little bit extra!

Majorna Nursery – Planting sunflowers –

As we make good use of the Spring, we are able to learn as we enjoy new activities that are possible with the new season. As we plant some sunflower seeds. We are able to watch how they grow, and if we take good care of the seeds through watering them and giving them sunlight – the seeds can grow faster.

“The preschool should strive to ensure that each child to develop their understanding of science and relationships in nature, as well as knowledge of plants, animals, and also simple chemical processes and physical phenomena”. (LPFÖ98)

Thank you nursery for inspiring us with the pleasure of making things grow.

Biskopsgården yellow nursery “Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression. – Dr. Hiam Ginnot

We are teaching our nursery children how seeds grow through both our books and our activities this week.

Spring is here! Planting seeds is a fantastic activity and a lot of fun. The children learn about seeds which can be planted to grow new plants. We are planning to see a Sunflower Garden close to our preschool, and talk to our children about different types of plants around that area.

Back at preschool , our children can get a good look at their own containers with seeds and soil by using a magnifying glass. We are talking about what seeds need to be able to grow the best as possible. Then, the children give their seeds some water and plant them outside in a sunny spot.

Song for Gross Motor Movement (Row Row Row Your boat)

One of the children said “Row Row Your Boat”. Then they started to sing and jump all round!

The song  “Row Row Your Boat” is a perfect action song for children, and they can easily grasp the actions (Rocking Back and Forth with A Partner. )

This action song has endless opportunities to improvise together with the children, creating actions with our bodies.

The children were very keen to explore all of these movements through music. They are getting exercise by developing their coordination balance, concentration and cognitive abilities.

Activities with our children occur in many diversified ways such as making trains using Lego which builds our kids self confidence, and an openness and respect for differences in views, perception and expressions.

Marble ball rolls in paint of different colors is a good activity which shows a child the beauty of colours.  Whilst opening children minds to the fact that we may be of different colours, but still the same in the inside.

Circle time made fun on a beautiful sunny morning as children, and teachers observed this in an unusual way. The children showed great interest by wanting to hear the teachers plans for the weekend. This activity helps stimulate and encouraged a child´s social and communication development.

With all these activities, our children are able to put their social, language, fine and gross-motor skills to good use.

A great week for the IPS children to learn about everything from construction to self confidence while also enjoying each others company and the weather, thank you for sharing your events with us!

Älvsborg preschool 1 – Reflections of us

Outdoor play

In the beginning of this month we had a couple of really lovely outings. We went to a football field and playground to practice some obstacle games. The walk to the playground was a pretty long one, so the children really had to practice walking far that day. When the sun was shining we also used the natural obstacles that you can find in nature, and took a walk in the forrest. The children did a brilliant job going over and under obstacles such as stones and fallen trees. Big fun!

“The preschool should strive to ensure that each child develop their motor skills, ability to co-ordinate, awareness of their own body, as well as an understanding of the importance of maintaining their own health and well-being,” – lpfö98, revised 2016

Second step and art lesson

We’re still doing our theme project “art, music and movements” and as a second step lesson, we painted mirror frames. The mirrors were used to see your own face when you experience different feelings, and what that does to your facial expressions. After that the children painted happy and sad faces on papers using water colors. A good way of combining second step with our theme!

“The preschool, should strive to ensure that each child develop their creative abilities and the ability to convey impressions, thoughts and experiences in many different forms of expression, such as play, pictures, song and music, dance and drama,” – lpfö98, revised 2016

Our theme is taking a big part in the pre1 group at the moment. In May we will have our very own art show and now we’re finishing all our projects for the show. We have made ladybugs, spiders, jelly fish and different vehicles out of recycling materials. The children have developed a lot in this area and they’re all excited to participate.

We are the world

We’ve also been talking about our ideology and that we’re all equal. We created our own world and put our faces on it. We come from all over the world but we all have the same rights and values.

“The preschool should strive to ensure that each child feel a sense of participation in their own culture and develop a feeling and respect for other cultures.” – lpfö98, revised 2016

Finally the weather allows us to be outside in the sun and play together, so happy to see the children of IPS enjoying themselves!

Älvsborg preschool 2 – Creativity through snow, puppets and our senses

We have been working with recycling together with the children. The children have grasped an understanding of the whole concept of sorting the garbage into the right place. We collected the cardboard pieces, and went for a little walk to the main garbage room by the local school. The children by doing this have learned more about recycling, and its benefits to our planet. They practiced their gross motor skills, and fine motor skills while holding the recycling materials as they walked with the walking rope. They learned how to balance two tasks cognitively and physically. We talked a lot about this and even sang a song ” this is our world” in connection to this job.

Snow painting

The children experimented by spraying different colors in the snow. They helped each other, and even guided their friends about how the spray bottle with water and food colouring could be used. Finger coordination (good fine motor skills) were developed in the process.

The children made a card expressing their love for their family. Creativity was enhanced and the ability to make choices was encouraged. They chose their own colors and how they wanted to decorate their card.

Puppet theatre visit

During the visit to the puppet theatre the children, gained a creative and cultural experience. Learning through observation, and in a new environment gave the children an exciting and enjoyable time for all.

Sensory play

The children learned how to make different shapes. Their sensory skills and muscle flexibility was developed, through feeling this texture they found it a great deal of fun, and also very calming.

Thank you for sharing your eventful week with us through these beautiful collages.

Majorna Nursery – sharing moments together

As the weather has started improving, we have enjoyed going out together with preschool class. By sharing moments with children of other classes, the children are becoming familiar with the new routines, and with children that they will join next term.

Our IPS-children are always interested in new challenges – and at the moment many of the children have started to learn how to use scissors. It is a challenge for the children, but it is interesting to see how they try again, and again until the scissors finally cut the paper. A proud moment – as they develop their ability to play and learn,

“The preschool should strive to ensure that each child to develop their curiosity and enjoyment, as well as their ability to play and learn, developing self-autonomy and confidence in their own ability” (LPFÖ 98)

Älvsborg Preschool 2 – The Bumble Bee

The children were building on a project which we have been working around and introducing this month . It is the Bumble Bee project which we expressed with different activities, an outing to coop konsum ( where they met some bumble bees and learnt how important flowers are for our environment, and why living ecologically is also essential). Learning was executed through observation , a different environment, doing an activity and listening. The parents were subtly asked to participate by sending collages of their children with questions. It was a method where the parents could visually connect with their children and communicate about their experiences at preschool. The pictures also helped the children to express themselves and fill the gaps where they might verbally lack the right word. Communication skills were uplifted, and last but not least the children had a lot of fun.
The goal was to give the children a very different perspective now when it comes to insects and flowers and nature as a whole. We also connected this project with second step, and asked the children to talk sweetly ( like the honey), be nice to our friends, and help each other like the honey bees.

They identified themselves with the honey bees this month. We discovered that the children related immediately,  when it came to living things surrounding them, they could identify in a gender neutral way.

World Book Day

The children listened to stories from different cultures, countries and languages. Through this the children experienced a journey of different concepts, and learned about “the proud pen”, “the friendship of the scissor and needle”, “the cat who ate ducks”, “the talkative parrot” and many more. The stories gave the children different perspectives and the ability to learn the moral of the stories. This activity was an exhibit of their advanced cognitive skills. The children learned to connect step one to step two and further on in the stories. They built on their previous experiences and learned something new.

It’s really a great idea to follow the same theme and to also bring the project home for further reflection, and discussion with the parents.

Älvsborg kindy – Exploring Universeum

Älvsborg Kindy visited Universeum. We explored the health exposition, and enjoyed the many different activities, where we were able to experiment with our bodies through trying different abilities: climbing, balance, strength, flexibility.

After that we went to visit the rain forest. Kindy has been traveling around America in preschool the last 2 months and we talked about the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil. The children loved it!

What an adventure, it’s amazing to know our IPS children have the opportunity to have so many new experiences in preschool.

Älvsborg Nursery – Playing, jumping and splashing with water fun

Sensory Play with water and colorful paper boats

Our Nursery children love sensory play. For this activity we made colorful paper boats. We then filled up the sensory table with warm water and mixed food colors in the water. The children had fun playing with the boats in the water, and experimenting with sinking and floating. The children were very good at sharing their space whilst taking turns playing with their boats.

Outdoors Fun 

Children thoroughly enjoy going outside especially after rain.With the rain comes wonderful puddles to play, jump and splash. The children were laughing, and saying jump, jump, jump! They improved their gross motor skills, and learned how to play together.

A week filled with water play inside as well as outside while simultaneously working on gross motor skills and their sensory skills sounds like a lot of fun! Thank you to the teachers in Älvsborg nursery, for sharing your week with us, and allowing us to be a part of the children’s day while at preschool, and giving life to their experiences through your pictures!

Guldheden Preschool 1 – Exploring what helps us move around, in our world of differences.

This month our theme was about transportation – so our goal was for the children to learn about transportation, how we can travel, and by what means.
In this activity the children glued  ice cream Popsicles and after that they are painting them to the colors of their choice. Learning what an airplane is, how it sounds and how we can travel with it.

Here the children are drawing the shapes of a car, a boat and an airplane, with three different colors to separate one from an other. After that we put our creations on our art corners.

Here we are playing with cars, trucks, busses, airplanes and many other vehicles inside and outside of the classroom.

On this day our children made their own traffic light! Using the colors red, yellow and green for “stop” “wait ” and “go” with their handprint.

This day was “rock your socks day”. A day for us to support and honour those with Down syndrome.

Amazing to see the children and IPS bringing awareness and showing respect to the people living with down syndrome, and to understand that we all are different in many ways but we are all equal! Thank you for sharing your week with us through your text and pictures.