Working HARD!

Pesach, where did it all start?

Our block center turned into Mitzrayim (Egypt). Our friends created part of the backdrop by block painting the buildings the Jewish people built. 

So many options to build with, hallow blocks, package boxes our friends knew exactly what to do. 

We wanted them to get comfortable using this new center before learning the Pesach story.

Levi "I made a laminating machine."

Now we wanted our friends to be familiar with what a desert is like. 

We learned about being hot.

What do we like to do when it's hot outside? Ariella and Chaya Mushka picking swimming in a pool and the beach. We learned how we can take care of ourselves when it's hot outside, by putting sunscreen and drinking water. 

A desert is hot and sandy.

At our morning centers we experimented building with sand.

We also tried blocks and shaving cream to create buildings.

Making our own desert scene using glue and sand.

Our sensory table turned into a desert with sand, mud and rocks.

Now it was time to learn about what happened along time ago in the desert of Mitzrayim during the Pesach story.

CHOICE

How can we have our friend feel a little bit what it was like to be a Jewish slave to King Paroh?

We started with talking a lot about choices.

Yosef, showed us he can choose what toy he wants. Yocheved Sara said she like to choose her snack. 

We are so fortunate that most of the time when it is appropriate we get to choose!

Chaya Mushka and Levi drawing what they like to choose to do.

It was all fun and games playing in the desert until King Paroh showed up by circle time.

He was forcing Ayal to build it a certain way and wanted him to go faster. By the look on his face it was defiantly more fun building his own way. Our friends were starting to get a feel what it was like thousands of years ago under the King Paroh.

 

Well, we brought out the Jewish leader of that generation, Moshe and heard the difference right away!

Yosef was beaming when Moshe said "Wow! You're doing it, what a nice building!"

At the Pesach seder we talk about this bitter times by dipping a vegetable in salt water. 
Ayal, tasting it and realizing it taste like salty tears that the Jewish people cried back in Mitzrayim.

Working on our Haggadahs!

The power of TEAM WORK!

Eli, really want to pick up a heavy box, it was quite a struggle on his own.

Yosef, coming to help and this was such a powerful hands on learning lesson how we need each other.

Enjoying some relaxing moments together.

During aftercare, enjoying making our very own banana ice cream!

 

Happy Purim! 🎉

What an FUN week we've had at Gan!

 Each day of the week had a different silly theme that kept the fun going! From “Crazy Hair Day” to “Face Makeup Day” and “Wacky Socks Day,” the kids loved dressing up in their silliest clothes and sharing lots of laughs. These themed days made our Purim celebrations even more exciting!

One of the most delicious highlights of our week was baking Hamantaschen! The children had a blast rolling out dough, choosing their favorite fillings, and shaping the dough into the traditional three-cornered cookies 😋

To wrap up the story of the Megillah, we had a special visit from Rabbi Mendel, who brought in a real, kosher Megillah scroll! The children were thrilled to see the beautiful, handwritten letters. It was a fun challenge as we searched for the letters in our own names. Rabbi Mendel also put on a hilarious Purim-themed show that had everyone laughing non-stop! 

The kids did an amazing job with the Purim questionnaire! They knew all the answers and impressed us with how much they had learned about the Chag. It was such a fun way to review the story and celebrate everything they’d absorbed in a playful way.

To stay in our frontal lobes, we practiced some fun, silly breathing exercises and movement activities. We did "Purim character breathing," where the kids breathed like Queen Esther or King Ahashverosh! Whether we were taking deep breaths like Esther preparing for her big moment or puffing out our chests like King Ahashverosh sitting on his royal throne, the kids had so much fun imagining and acting out the different characters while practicing calming breaths.

Pre-K Kria

This week, we learned and practiced the letter "Ain," which also means "eye"!

K Kria

This week, the children were asked to write a word that they know. We were so excited to see how many Hebrew words we know!

Mendy wrote אריה (lion) and Nechama H. wrote זחל (caterpillar)

Academics

At Circle Time we played a compound words game.

Shai completing a Language Arts worksheet.

Aftercare

The children were building castles with magnet tiles, sparking their engineering skills.

Happy Birthday Nechama L. 💛

🎉 Happy Purim! 🎉

Nosh Nosh a Hamentash!

Purim is finally here!!

This week our palace came alive with the miracle part of the Megillah story. 

Esther, being brave continued to be a proud Jewish girl while being the Queen. 

It was now her turn to save the entire Jewish nation! 

Haman, was getting really angry when he approached friends and demanded them to bow down to him. They all told him no and they will only daven to Hashem!

Well, he went to the King and got permission to be really not nice to the Jewish people. Now Mordechai and Esther called on all the Jewish people to help out before Esther told her secret. 

They gave extra Tzedakah, they davened to Hashem, and because of this Haman was taken away forever!! Now we celebrate this every year, Hashems miracle !!

We remember by listening to the Megillah and blot out Haman's name. Eli, practicing with his gragger he made. 

There is a tradition to eat hamentashen that either remind us about Haman's triangle hat or ears ;)

Before making real hamentashen we had fun making a craft. Noticing the triangle shape inside the circle. Fun pom poms were the filling!

Levi, figuring out the technique of turning his circle into a triangle hamentashen. 

Now it was time to make REAL hamentashen.

Using circle cutters to create the first part. Zalman, choose chocolate chips to add to his filling.

Tal, using muscle memory to create his triangle.

Eli, making space for all his friends delicious looking hamentashen.

The very best part, tasting it!

Adar crafts in the afternoon.

So proud of our work.

Our gross motor skills have been getting more and more creative these days.

One of the highlights of our Shabbos party is making the chicken soup! Choosing realistic pictures. 

                        

Good Shabbos and Happy Purim!