The focus of this month is on the continent of North America and the celebration of the winter Holidays.

North America

In our Montessori studies, we explored the orange continent, North America. We learned that there are many countries within one continent, and people look different and speak different languages. Our exploration included Canada, the United States, and Mexico, where we looked at their flags and discussed famous geographic landmarks, people, languages, clothing, animals, and foods. Using our five senses, we practiced mindfulness eating to explore the differences between potato chips and tortilla chips, noting they are made from different vegetables. Along with our sound of the week “f,” we also made typical American food: French fries.  To end the study, we finished off the week by making delicious pancakes topped with a bit of maple syrup from Canada. We also made warm hot chocolate to go with it. What a treat!

Winter Celebration

 We crafted ornaments from salt dough, which we also air-dried before painting them. These handmade creations hold special memories of our time together and will beautifully decorate our Christmas tree.

To add to the festive feeling in the classroom we created three collaborative projects. The beautiful draping garlands were strung with great care with dried oranges, eucalyptus leaves and wooden cranberries;  hung off our Manzanita branch. The wreath made of pine branches took center stage, lit with twinkle lights and decorated by the children with antique Christmas ornaments.  Finally, we created a Christmas tree of paper colored with paintsticks and decorated with hand-designed paper ornaments.

We also read stories about Hanukkah and made hand-printed menorahs. These activities allowed us to explore and appreciate the traditions of different holidays, fostering a sense of inclusivity and cultural understanding among the children.

Besides celebrating our holiday party with families, we made warm apple cider drinks with fresh spices and oranges the next day. Inspired by the story “Night Tree,” we made popcorn chains mixed with cranberries and placed them around the Christmas tree. We added some stuffed animals around the tree, pretending they enjoyed a festive feast. These activities brought warmth and joy, connecting us through shared stories, creativity, and the magic of the holiday season.

Other Projects

Building on our pumpkin study from last month, we used our last fresh pumpkin to create a delicious, creamy pumpkin soup. Noushin prepared the pumpkin by cutting it and pre-cooking it until it was soft. The children then joined in to add spices, and milk, and cook it further, working together to complete this flavorful project.

Jesus Sosa, a visiting woodcarving artist, demonstrated various carving techniques using different tools and showcased his impressive completed pieces. After that, we colored with Julianne based on Jesus’s carving pieces.

Inside and Outside Time