We started off our Tree week of EcoVenture by going on a nature walk to the park that is just a couple off blocks from our school. They loved finding sticks along the walk. It is a newly remodeled park with a new rec center and library. There is a small pond that runs across it. 

This park has been around for a long time and the roots of the trees have grown UP instead of down. The kids were walking on them as we talked about how the roots spread out from the tree as the tree gets taller. We also looked at the different lines on the roots and talked about how trees have rings that tell their age. Experience Curriculum focused on that one of the days this week. 

On our walk the kids gathered pinecones to build a bird feeder with. We talked about "Building With Trees" and how we use the wood to build homes and furniture. 

A Make & Play craft for the day we talked about Climbing Trees was a koala puppet. There drew the eyes and mouth, glued cotton balls to the tummy and nose and ears on the head. There hand fit into the two pieces that we taped together. 

Our curriculum comes with fun games and activities each month. This week we took our the tree shape poster and foam shapes. The kids had so much fun matching them that we left it as an option the rest off the month. 

The children created a Tree Story and then dictated it for us to write below their picture. They did such a great job. They were told to draw themselves IN the tree. They decided to put themselves at the very top of their tree. 

I hope you enjoyed out week about trees. We will be closed next week. We will return the following week with more fun adventures!

Our July theme is EcoVenture and it is going to be filled with hands on fun. We are actually closed for one week of July but we will touch on all four topics during the time we do have together. 

I love that each week we have a different teachers guide and it is filled with so many great things. Every day has two pages but there are also pages with extras that we can do. We will be learning more about Trees, Air, Water and Dirt. Experience Early Learning Curriculum really covers everything they need to know at this age and even my early elementary students get so much out of it. We build on the lessons where we see we can or need to. 

Experience Curriculum always puts in a great music CD and the words to the songs. They even offer videos to go along with the songs. We enjoy playing the songs while we are working on activities and then a song here and there when it is time for that specific one in our lesson.

Our monthly theme poster is always filled with cute pictures of children and animals. The I Spy "glasses" are kept pinned next to it so the kids can play with it any time. 

This month's I Can Read book is called I Wash. They get to build sentences with the words and pictures and find the words that match inside the book. Each child gets to take a book home each month. 

Our Forest Friends Book this month is Pond Party. They get some cut outs to use while recreating the story themselves but I also use them when I am telling the story. 

This month our magnets, book, and puzzle are about nature. Our journal is a book they will use to collect nature items and they even have another little nature book to work in. Like I said, lots of very hands-on activities this month and that isn't even the daily crafts and other things! 

​Check back later for more EcoVenture fun!