After a short hiatus due to the haze, we were finally able to enjoy our outdoor playdate again this week. The children really seem to enjoy being outdoors, and sometimes, I think having our sessions outdoors can be even more productive, as there are less distractions (in the form of toys) around.
I’ve been getting too comfortable with taking the reading and craft segment recently, so I opted to be in charge of the Welcome song, and the introduction of animals this time round. (Actually, it’s because I ran out of craft ideas, but it’s also good for all involved to switch things up a little, as it’s a learning experience for both the mothers and children alike.)
I asked the children to work on the zoo animals puzzle together, before highlighting the elephant and giraffe.
Zoo animals
Working on the puzzle together
Learning about the elephant and giraffe
Mummy L read Do Cows Meow?
, and even brought two puppets to help make things more interesting. I loved how animated she was, which really helped to keep the children focused on the story. Mummy C observed after the session that the children have all grown so much, and are now able to sit down for story time properly.
Do Cows Meow?
Craft was also very interesting, as Mummy L got the children to look at the trees around us, and then to paint the leaves on the tree trunks that she had prepared. Instead of giving the children paintbrushes, they used pegs to hold the pom-poms, which they dipped into the paint. This is definitely an activity that can be carried out at home, especially if the kids don’t like getting their hands dirty.
Demonstrating how to paint
Focused on his painting
He was so pleased with his painting!
The little artists and their paintings
We moved the Chinese segment up, to see if the children would be more attentive, and we all agreed that it was more effective to have Chinese before snack-time.
Chinese story-time
Mummy L baked donuts for the children’s snack time, but Noah took one tiny bite of it, before handing it over to me. This is why it’s so difficult for me to lose weight!
Ready to eat
Sampling the donut
Hanging out with E while waiting for the rest to finish their snack
Because we wanted to let the children run around and play with balls for both the Practical Life and Big Muscles segments, Mummy E led us in the singing of two Christian action songs, ‘He’s got the whole world in His hands’, and ‘God is so Good’.
Singing the action songs
The kids loved practising their kicking and throwing skills, although there’s definitely lots of room for improvement. Noah ran around a lot, and was exhausted by the time we got home after our playdate.
Throwing a rugby ball
Throwing a beach ball
It’s really good for the children to play outdoors, and I’m glad we were able to have our outdoor playdate again. I think everyone had loads of fun!
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