We read the classic book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault. Then the three little artists created their Chicka Chicka Boom Boom art activity. They had to color and cut out the palm tree, the palm leaves, and the coconuts; assemble them; and then glue them on their paper. Then they had to arrange and glue the pre-cut letters of their first name going up the coconut tree. For the last part of the activity, they had to fill out the sheet that read, "Here comes my name up the coconut tree! My name is __________________ it has _________ letters in it!" They did a super job!

I introduced the lesson by talking about caterpillars and how they turn into butterflies. I showed them the photos of the chrysalises on our playground. I covered myself with a blanket and broke free as a butterfly, and each student wanted to practice becoming a butterfly. I gave the preschool artists a butterfly template with empty raindrop spaces and raindrop base shapes. They colored the raindrop base shapes with markers creating patterns and then cut them out and glued them in the appropriate spaces on the butterflies. For example: the left and right bottom wings have two raindrop spaces that need the corresponding raindrop shapes.

I read the book Bird Builds a Nest by Martin Jenkins to the preschool artists. We talked about pulling and pushing and practiced those movements. We talked about what birds eat and why food is important for our bodies. They each got a bottle of glue, a small paper plate, and scraps of yarn and material to create a bird’s nest. Then each little artist got two cardboard birds to paint to add to her nest. I added googly eyes onto each bird. It was a very successful lesson!

Miss Courtney told me she was working on introducing the Preschoolers to the clock and learning how to tell time. I had flower clocks for each little artist, and we worked on following directions and our listening skills. First, we identified the numbers on the face of the clock. Then I had them use green markers to color the big and little hands of their clock because they were leaves. I had already cut the hands out and fastened them to the face of each clock. Next, they colored the petals of the clock in light pastel markers. Lastly, I had them use a dark marker to color in each of the numbers on the clock. We also worked on our fine motor skills by staying in the lines. When they finished, I collected the clocks, so Miss Courtney could work with each student on learning how to tell time.

I read the story Mouse Paint to the preschool artists, and we followed along with the adventures of the mice as they explored red, yellow, and blue paints and what colors they make when mixed. Each little artist was also a scientist measuring and mixing the paints and painting their sheets with the correct colors. Ex: Red Paint Pot + Yellow Paint Pot = Orange Paint Pot, Blue Paint Pot + Yellow Paint Pot = Green Paint Pot, and so on. They also practiced tracing the letters of each color with the appropriate color crayon. Then they used the colors they had mixed to paint more mice. Good work today!

To reinforce letter recognition, I held up the letters S, K, M, O, and B and asked the students what the letter was and whose name starts with that letter. The little artists got two copies of the first letter of their name to decorate with manipulatives: buttons, felt, pom poms, paper, markers, etc. Their fine motor skills are improving, as they picked up and glued the manipulatives. Then they glued their first name initials on a large sheet of paper, and I helped them write their names.

Each Preschooler got two valentine sheets that read "I love you to pieces!" to create with fabric pieces and other manipulatives that had to be arranged and glued onto the big heart. Then they had to write the name of the recipient: Dear _________ and write their name: Love, _________ at the bottom of each valentine. This art activity helps with fine motor skills and writing practice.

In honor of the Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse, the Preschool artists colored and cut out their horse head and legs and the Happy Lunar New Year sign. We reviewed our letters and practiced our coloring and cutting skills.

To keep in theme with the snowy winter weather, the Preschoolers created a snow hat that they had to design, color, cut out, assemble, and glue together. Then they wrote each letter of their names on small squares, cut each one out, and arranged and glued them on the brim of the hat. This art project was great practice for fine motor skills development and letter writing.

To help the preschoolers improve their motor and letter writing skills, they created a mitten with their names. They had to cut out the mitten pattern and glue a variety of colored felt squares onto their mitten. Then they had to write each letter of their names on puffy cloud shapes that had to be cut out and glued onto the cuff of their mitten.