Most of us don’t spend much time thinking about trash and garbage. We might give the problem some thought when our community needs a new landfill, a crisis about dangerous waste arises, or litter gets out of control. But then we often forget about the ever-present challenge of dealing with trash and garbage. We think studying how to reduce, reuse, and recycle trash and garbage will engage children because they are familiar with and curious about the topic. 

As we study trash  and garbage and how we can reduce, reuse, and recycle, we will learn concepts and skills in literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts, and technology. We will also be developing thinking skills to observe, investigate, ask questions, solve problems, make predictions, and test our ideas. 

What You Can Do at Home

Talk with your child about trash and garbage. Help raise your child's awareness of the kinds of trash and garbage your family creates each day. If you dispose of your trash at a dump or landfill, take your child along to see where the trash goes. Borrow some library books about trash, garbage, and recycling. If you recycle at home, help your child take responsibility for sorting items into your family's recycling boxes. 

When you are outside with your child and you notice a piece of trash on the ground, point it out and talk about it. For example, say, “I wonder why someone dropped that candy wrapper on the ground. Is it supposed to be there? Is there a better place to put it?”

Thank you for playing an important role in our  learning.

Healthy eating is important at every age. Our students have been investigating all of the nutritious food our lunches have to offer, so we are diving in to discuss the benefits of Healthy Eating and Exercising. The following are some tips I found to help make trying new foods easier! We will be discussing and trying different foods inside the classroom. If you would like to help by sending in a snack, please choose one of the food groups and message me for further information. 

 Offer preschoolers a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy or fortified soy alternatives. When deciding on foods and beverages, choose options that are full of nutrients and limited in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. Start with these tips

Preschoolers tend to copy what parents or caregivers do at the table. If you eat your veggies, they'll eat their veggies. And, it's good for both of you.

Think about their drinks

Sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas and fruit drinks are sources of added sugars that are often high in calories. Beverages with no added sugars like water, unsweetened fat-free or low-fat milk (including low-lactose or lactose-free options), or fortified soy beverages should be the primary choice for children.

Prevent choking

Encourage children to sit at a table for meals and snacks and not wander around carrying food. Check out the USDA Team Nutrition worksheet for foods that are choking hazards at different ages.

Try new foods

Involve your kids in online and in-store grocery shopping and let them pick a new fruit or vegetable. This can help improve their interest in trying new things.

Get kids involved

Preschoolers can help at mealtimes by washing produce, tearing lettuce, stirring mixes, scooping ingredients, or setting the table.

Offer choices

Like adults, preschoolers like to have a say in what they eat. "A pear or an apple?" "Whole wheat toast or some crackers?" You offer the healthy options, but they get to choose.

The benefits of healthy eating add up over time, bite by bite!

1. Let children have long periods of time daily to plan and take part in play activities. When you ask children ahead of time to choose what they want to play, you help them focus attention and follow through on plans. "Demitri, your plan was to play a board game. What game do you want?"
2. Offer open-ended materials so children can plan creatively: blocks, sand, water, colorful scarves, streamers, etc. They may turn blocks into a city, a hill, or a bed. The scarves may become clouds, a waterfall, or blankets. 
3. Help children put disappointments into words so they can calm themselves and focus on putting things back together. "your clock tower fell and you feel frustrated. You could build another one. Or do you want to put away the blocks and play with something else?"

1. Provide props so children can take different roles: Parents, baby, rescue workers, perts, dancers, magician. A child who pretends with others learns to follow the "rules" of the role he plays. "I am the waiter. I give you a menu, and you tell me what you want to eat."
2. Observe to find out if children internally patrol their own behavior as they play their make-believe roles. "I can't play with Celia now, I am being the waiter for Kaya and Will."
3. Give children a chance to set limits when a playmate doesn't follow the rules. They will often remind each other to control impulses during make-believe play: "Don't growl at me, Waiter. Waiters don't scare people."

1. When children disagree, encourage them to talk to each other about what they want. 
2. If plans have to be changed, remind the children that they have options. "You want the magic wand. But it is still Emma's turn. You can sit and wait. Or you can play with that cape that is magic and wear it until Emma's done."