A Sweet Day with our Friends at Lighthouse
What a day again at Lighthouse! We searched for our toys and discovered some new vehicles and kitchen toys we could play with. Our faces just couldn’t help but show excitement, and how we played with them brought a lot of happy feelings.
Table Activities
On our table, there was a big mat covering the entire space, and our teachers brought out a big slime! The texture was quite interesting because it became more solid. The temperature played a big part in it as it was really like jelly when we touched it. Here’s what our friends said about the slime:
Fujino: It’s like jelly!
Kaichii: I like it!
Prabal: Can I have some more, please?
Our friends played with the slime and expressed their interest and imagination by making various items. For example, we stretched the slime, made a long spaghetti, put them on a plate, and served them to our friends. Some of us made a strawberry cookie and put it in the pretend oven, ready to serve. However, we reminded our teachers not to touch it straightaway because it was still hot. It was a great opportunity for all of us to articulate and explain how we made each item, and the play process truly taught us how to collaborate with our peers and teachers.
Floor Activities
There were cars and trucks on the floor, and this time, our friend Kaichii and our teacher Rumy played and made stations where cars and trucks could stop and go. It was a beautiful sight because our friend Kaichii explained where the vehicles were going and tried to show us which way they all needed to go. On the other hand, Prabal was very patient, playing with the magic school bus that made a sound. He was also playing with our teacher Minako and helped him to verbalize his thoughts during the play activity.
Music and Movement with Shakers
After our playtime, John gathered us around for another music and movement session. We learned to sing the good morning song and the “It’s sunny today” song. It was lovely to learn new songs with our friends and teachers. It’s always nice to play with words and connect to our environment. Then, we got our bottle shakers (maracas) and started learning about rhythm. Most of us were trying to create our rhythm, and our teachers taught us how to play a steady beat.
Park Time
We went to Roppongi West Park. There, we enjoyed making playdough using sand and some leaves. Shinya, Kaichii, and Fujino led the play experience while Prabal was busy with Minako doing the monkey bars. Fujino was telling her friends what to bring to the table, and all the boys followed her lead. They were kind to her and offered her various items they could find from the park.
Afternoon Imaginative Play
Noah and Una joined the group for more free play activities with their friends. They added a richer learning experience because they guided their friends in various rules during playtime, which helped all of our friends have a set of rules in their game. We also had fun exercises, such as wheelbarrows and pretend horseback riding.
Fun Number writing practice and counting
Today, we practiced writing from 1 - 10. Our friends requested to do “homework” (they call worksheets homework), and they loved tracing and writing the numbers independently. Later, we all sat on the carpet and discussed adding and counting the markers. Each of us had a turn, and we enjoyed counting the right numbers and ensuring we counted them all together.
Snowflake Origami
The last activity for today was to create a snowflake cut-out using origami paper, scissors, and markers. First, we folded the origami into several triangles until the size was right. Then, we drew various shapes on them until we cut around them. After cutting the shapes, we unfolded the origami, and tada! We created a nice snowflake!
How about you? How was your day?
Lots of love,
All the children from Lighthouse Saturday School
