F took some time out from her play to come over and sit and interact with AB. For the most part the children play without without taking notice of AD, but from time to time they take notice and deliberately come visit with him. We are interested in the way that each child comes greets him in his/her own way.
The process of getting ready to go outside each day provides the children with a great opportunity to practice self-help skills. We have begun to ask the children to find their own jackets and put them on, allowing plenty of time for this to happen. Those who finish quickly are encouraged to help other children. We have demonstrated a technique that allows the children to put their jackets on by flipping them over their heads, allowing them to do this by themselves. FF and JL are able to it and the others give it their best effort (not all children like that method, but for some it works great). Manipulating the zipper is hard for many, but they enjoy trying their faces beam with pride they are successful. If you can find the time to allow your child to dress themselves and put on their own coat, you might be surprised at how capable they are. A growing sense of independence is huge in the life of children who often have 
These pics have no particular meaning but they were so cute we had to post them! Look for more Cutiosity pics in the future!
A enjoys spending time at the mirror looking at herself and other images behind her. On this day she watched carefully as she made a face, looking at her reflection closely. We would like to provide more reflection and are looking for larger acryllic mirrors so that the children can see their entire bodies as they move and dance. This is one of the first ways children experience a new perspective on the world! The children are all VERY interested in reflection and light. If you find any of these mirrors at a yard sale or have some in your home you are willing to donate please let us know!
CM is mastering her world and it shows with this activity she performs on a regular basis. We chose these images because she is so intentional with these items, which are all very different (small car, plastic playdough can and silver pot). She places the three items on clear surface such as the table and begins to move them from the pot to the table and back again. She stops occasionally to place the lid on the playdough can (notice the fine motor skills she exhibits). She will repeat this shuffle in various patterns, then take the items to the kitchen and do it again. She also has been walking around while balancing a few objects on a plate, inside and outdoors as well. We have noticed that children often return to the same activities, adding something to make the process more complex each time. CM has also taken a leap in her ability to build with Duplos. Lately, she has spent a lot of time manipulating small objects and is drawn to any very small item. We supported this with the 'new' plates and will provide other types of platforms for her to use and watch what happens.
We hear a great deal of language in the kitchen area. On this day, CM was especially talkative. She had been manipulating the objects she's holding in the photo all morning. We usually hear a long sting of what sounds like jabber, but it is definitely purposeful when she's in the kitchen. She makes eye contact and continues the long sting (not many breaks) of sounds, occasionally interjecting a word that we recognize (wha's at?, where go?, ball, names, etc.). She walks around the area, stepping, squatting, and sitting on the platform. CM will jabber whether or not anyone else is in the kitchen with her, but when someone else comes to the kitchen area she will place her hand on their back, tip her head to the side, make eye contact and talk! It reminds us of an adult working in the kitchen while a family member or friend stays and keeps them company. In many homes the kitchen is where we congregate and hold conversations.
This photo of A.N. is a nice example of how children explore the concept of transparency. Using see-through containers and storage allows them to experiement with mass and volume in a powerful way. A was deliberately focusing his attention on this job and some of the children repeated his work later with other objects (we also look for them to re-visit explorations in new ways!). We can always use donations of acrylic transparent storage like the one pictured. Unfortunately this container broke later in the week and had to be thrown out.
JL and F spent a great deal of time manipulating these items. JL stacks and nests items over and over. He is working with wicker containers that are in three graduated sizes (purposefully chosen for that reason). We are interested in the way they fill one container and then move the items to the next. They also chose the other nesting wooden boxes to place near the wicker containers. We watch and wonder what it is they're interested in learning so that we can challenge their experiment, and possibly provide more complexity.
