Here's where our wild things are

We were Wild Things this week!  Yes, extra silly and a tad crazy - spring fever?- but also Maurice Sendak type Wild Things.  Last year I made a wolf suit (there's another w word) out of a hoodie, adding ears and claws.  This year I added a paper bag Wild Thing, and the kiddos loved it!  As we read the book they "roared their terrible roars, and gnashed their terrible teeth, rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws".

 We even played with Wild Thing magnets.

 Of course we did all our routine things... abc books, handprints...

 ... and upper and lower case letters.

The weather this week was lovely, and we took full advantage of our outside time.   I had some wheat and millet seeds to put in the sensory table, so the kiddos drove construction vehicles through it for hours.

 It was also time to do some spring planting.  We made plant starter pots with empty paper rolls, and the kiddos helped me start tomatoes and cucumbers in them.

They also helped me to weed some of the veggie garden and to direct seed beets, and some basil.  We're going to have some yummy veggies to eat this spring and summer!

Is it not spring where you live yet?  It surely is here - our almond tree is in bloom!

 We fed the ducks...

 ... and chased each other around the yard. 

The children also love to search for critters in the yard, and right now is a good time to find snails and slugs.  Unfortunately the slugs have also found the hyacinth bulbs that are trying to sprout!

I brought some of the slugs and snails inside, so we could observe them better.  I read The Snail's Spell by Joanne Ryder, and the children acted out the book, pretending to be snails.  We learned a lot about these interesting creatures.  They have no legs, and one foot - which they slide on.  Their mouth is on their foot - ew! - and they eat by scraping tiny bits of plant with the radula hooks on their tongue.  Their eyes are on long stalks, but they don't see well, and if they are scared, they can pull their eyes down into their heads.  Cool! 

There are so many fun and interesting things to learn about!