Last day festivities...Water Play and PE
Thursday, August 7th
Lake Farm Park
Wednesday, August 6th
Making Maple Trees
Science with Miss Ellis
Today we talked about how Vermont is world famous for it's Maple Syrup. We also discussed where maple syrup comes from and how it's made. In the photos above we compared sap to maple syrup and we also tried to separate the water from the sugar in a process called evaporation. We used a blow dryer!
Tuesday, August 5th
Honeybees and Red Clovers
Bear Hunt
Monday, August 4th
Creative Play...Look what we can do!
Nature Walk
What can we see and hear on Lyman Circle?
Thursday, July 31st
The Zoo
Yoga with Mrs. Porris
Wednesday, July 30th
Dragonflies and Goldfinches
Tuesday, July 29th
Today we read more stories and made a George Washington mask because we learned that Washington State was named for our first president.
Then we made an Orca whale, Washington's state mammal.
Oh what a journey it has been! Our travels have brought us to Washington State this week where we talked about the Orca Whale (Killer Whale) and watched a video, which you can see below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r462Hf69E_4
This afternoon in Science we talked about volcanoes. Did you know that Washington State is home to 5 major volcanoes. We talked about how volcanoes are mountains that connect the surface of the Earth to deep parts of the Earth. Deep in the Earth it is SUPER Hot! So hot that it melts rock into a liquid called MAGMA (melted rock)!! When magma is released from the volcano it is then called LAVA. ASH is also released. This is a huge cloud of hot, tiny dust and smoke and ashes that can take away the air we need to breathe!
Thursday, July 24th
Today we visited the Lake Metroparks Penitentiary Glen for a schoolhouse nature program. We learned about animals and their habitats. We got to see a puppet show and sort animals with their proper habitats and then we went outside to see the forest, meadow, and pond which are some habitats for lots of animals. Our campers learned that the four components of a habitat are food, water, shelter, and space.
*Tomorrow is water play. Please remember swimsuits, towels, and proper shoes. Full day campers will have PE tomorrow. Please make sure your camper wears tennis shoes.
Wednesday, July 23rd
Today was all about the color green. We finished the final phase of making our alligators and then we moved on to making sea turtles. Glitter makes everything better!
* Tomorrow is field trip day. Please remember to send your camper to camp with his/her Summer at Laurel t-shirt and comfortable shoes for walking.
Tuesday, July 22nd
Our second day in Florida began with phase 1 of making an alligator. The campers painted part of the Gator and made etchings in the wet paint making creative designs. Then for our second craft of the day they made stain glass dolphins that they can hang up and watch the sun shine through.
In Movement class today, the campers did the Chicken Dance. Then Mrs. Porris read a wonderful book called Alberto the Dancing Alligator and taught the campers how to Tango. After learning how to Tango they did the Tummy Tango.
Monday, July 21st
We have arrived in the sunshine state of Florida. The day began with stories, songs, and educational videos on Florida and the Florida Panther.
In the afternoon for our Science special, we did a very intense comparative anatomy lesson on the human skeleton and the dolphin skeleton. We even got to touch a real dolphin skull.
Campers were able to compare a human swimming to a dolphin swimming, and they found things that were similar and different between a human skull and a dolphin skull.
The day came to a close with a game of sharks and minnows.
Poor Miss Amanda!
Friday, July 18th
Today was a great day for water play. We had such beautiful weather!
We made the word OHIO with our bodies.
We ended another Friday with playing on the big playground. Once again it was a big hit.
Thursday, July 17th
Today we went on an adventure to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. We saw live animals that actually live in Ohio. We also enjoyed a program called "Animal Secrets" where our campers learned about forest animals and their habitats. Take a look at the video below to see what we saw today!
*If the weather permits, we will have water play tomorrow. Please make sure your little camper wears their swimsuit underneath their clothing and brings a towel. Also make sure they wear appropriate shoes (water shoes, Crocs, shoes you don't mind getting wet).
Wednesday, July 16th
Today we made crafts of the Ohio state bird and insect, the cardinal and lady bug.
This afternoon our campers worked with Bee Bots. Bee Bots are programmable floor robots that our campers learned to control and program to go forward, backward, turn left, and turn right on a floor mat. Watch the Youtube video below to see how the Bee Bot works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za6wHl50fJU
Please enjoy the video below of our day.
*Please remember tomorrow is a field trip day. We will depart the pre-primary circle promptly at 9:30. Campers should wear their Summer at Laurel t-shirt and comfortable shoes for walking.
Tuesday, July 15th
To show that we are true buckeyes (most of us), we made buckeye necklaces with real buckeyes.
Then we made Ohio pillows, stitched and stuffed by our very own campers.
Some even used them during rest time.
During Movement class this afternoon our campers enjoyed a bean bag activity and marching to the tune of "When the Saints Go Marching In". Watch out Ohio State marching band!
Monday, July 14th
The train has just arrived home to Ohio. We are learning so much about our beloved state of Ohio. We learned about state symbols such as the buckeye tree and cardinal, as well as the effect of glaciers on Ohio.
We began the day decorating our craft bags. I wonder what fun and creative crafts will go in them this week.
This afternoon in science class we learned all about glaciers and how water makes snow and snow builds GLACIERS at the top and bottom of our planet Earth.
Did you know...
-a glacier is a HUGE chunk of ice that forms on land
-glaciers move across the land slowly
-glaciers change the land and along their path they leave
clues behind!
-glaciers can pick up
soil, pebbles and HUGE rocks as they move – leaving big rocks in weird
places
-glaciers can scratch
the earth as they move across it – leaving grooves
-glaciers can smooth
down tall hills leaving small hills and flat areas
-glaciers can create
big holes that fill up to make new lakes and rivers
Then in today's science experiment, we took our own glaciers and tried them out on land (Play-Doh) to see what they would leave behind.
We ended our first day in Ohio making interesting Play-Doh creations.
Thursday, July 10th
Today we went to Holden Arboretum for "Stories in the Garden". What a lovely day it was to listen to stories out in the garden about bumble bees, trees, and different types of flowers. The campers even got to make their own bumble bees.
This afternoon for Yoga, Mrs. Porris showed the campers some poses that they can do at home. Then they went through a very complicated obstacle course in which the kids were all successful. Way to go campers!
Finally to end our day we went to the big kids playground where they played in the wide open field and of course tried out the big playground set. I think they'll want to go back tomorrow.
Check out our day on the video below.
*Full-Day campers MUST wear tennis shoes tomorrow for PE.
Wednesday, July 9th
Today we had our Mardi Gras party out on the playground. The campers enjoyed some healthy snacks such as watermelon, grapes, strawberries, and apples before the parade began. We put on our masks and beads and marched to the sounds of Dixieland's Jazz for Children.
We ended our day with a nature scavenger hunt. Look what we found.
* Tomorrow we will be traveling to The Holden Arboretum. Remember to wear your camp t-shirt!
Tuesday,July 8th
We started this Tuesday morning making Fleur De Lis. Fleur de lis translates from French to mean "Flower of the Lily". On July 9, 2008 the fleur de lis became the official symbol for Louisiana. It has been, however, a symbol for the state of Louisiana and more profoundly in New Orleans for some time. Louisianans take pride in celebrating their French heritage, and the fleur de lis is a symbol of our early settlers. Our campers have settled on calling it "Fleur De Flower", because that's what they can remember.
After lunch we made our Mardi Gras shakers for our party tomorrow.
Rain Rain go away come again another day! They're not too happy about the rain.
Monday, July 7th
All aboard to Louisiana! We kicked off our trip with an old school Reading Rainbow video all about Louisiana, its swamps, and alligators. We also watched a video story called Mama Don't Allow by Thacher Hurd. Follow the link below to watch the video for yourself.
http://vimeo.com/6240048
In the afternoon our full-day campers enjoyed a lesson on "Oil Spill Clean-Ups" and the best way to clean oil off bird feathers. In this lesson, our campers learned some geography and the location of the Gulf Coast and Louisiana. We talked about what an oil spill is, how they happen, what happens to the animals that get covered in oil, and specifically the Gulf Coast oil spill of 2010. As an experiment, we tried different temperatures of water to clean feathers, cold water and warm water washing, and finally warm water washing with detergent. We discovered that using Dawn dish washing liquid and warm water works best. Below is a before and after picture of an oiled Pelican.
Our little scientists did a wonderful job investigating and cleaning oiled feathers.
Thursday, July 3rd
Is there a better way to end the week than with a Bounce House, 4th of July Parade, and Popsicles?
We don't think so!
Have a wonderful Independence Day weekend! The Gator Train goes to Louisiana Monday.
*There is no camp on Friday, July 4th.
Wednesday, July 2nd
Today we we created our own "Big Apples" in tribute to New York city. We also read a story about Broadway. The campers learned so much more about the state of New York, like its location on a map, the state fruit, tree, and flag, in their weekly state reading books.
Tuesday, July 1st
Today the campers made US flags and Statue of Liberty Hats. At the end of the day during the Organized Games period, they tinkered and built some amazing structures. We got to see future Architects and Designers in the making.
Monday, June 30th
We are setting our sights on New York this week as well as learning about the 4th of July. We watched a video all about the 4th of July and fireworks. Follow the link below to see for yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOavm9l-a3Y
In our New York State Science Special, we learned that water is stronger than rock! Really, it is! We studied images of the most majestic waterfall in New York State! It is called Niagara Falls. We talked about how water can flow over hard rock until the hard rock ends and the water meets softer rock. Once it meets softer rock, the water can break that type of rock down into little pieces. The breakdown of rock by water is called EROSION! We practiced this word and it was easier for our campers to say than it was for them to understand so we just HAD to do an experiment to demonstrate what erosion looks like and how water can break up something strong like rock!
We made a model of a waterfall using sand as a thick layer of the softer rock and styrofoam board as the harder rock on top. Before we turned our waterfall on, our campers predicted that "the sand would get wet," "the sand would get GOOPY" and that "the sand would move away." When we poured water over the hard rock, it flowed over the "cliff" of hard rock onto the softer rock below and carried it away. The sand sound flattened out and even started to "wear away" beneath the hard rock, leaving the hard rock hanging over nothing but air. When asked what would happen if that heavy water kept flowing over that hard rock with nothing underneath it one of our friends shouted "it would break!" They were right! When it broke there was suddenly more soft rock for the waterfall to break up and the process started all over again. Our campers loved seeing the power of water and especially liked the feeling of wet sand when they were allowed to explore the waterfall. We then passed around two big stones that had been in a river. When asked what was different about them than other rocks you might find, our campers used their sense of touch to figure out that these rocks were "SMOOTH!"
It was fun to discover the power of water and the beauty of New York's largest waterfall - Niagara Falls – today!!
Friday, June 27th
What an exciting week we had in Arizona. We ended our week with more stories, dances, and crafts. But the best part of the day was Water Play and bubbles!
On Monday we board the train to New York. See you there!
*Please remember to send your camper in appropriate attire for PE on Fridays. It's really challenging to participate wearing dresses and sandals.
Thursday, June 26th
Today at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, we learned how plants are apart of our every day lives. The clothes we wear, the food we eat, and even the chairs we sit in come from plants.
We were amazed to see so many different types of cacti! Our journey to Arizona wouldn't have been complete without seeing real live cacti.
We also had an opportunity to explore the Glasshouse, Hershey Children's Garden, and the other outdoor gardens. The Hershey Children's Garden currently has Lego sculptures on display as apart of their Nature Connects exhibit.
Check out the movie below to get a taste of our experience!
Wednesday, June 25th
It's mid week already! It wouldn't be a great visit to Arizona if we didn't make our own cacti.
We have great designers here at Gator Train camp. Our campers have designed beautiful Bolo ties with great detail.
See you Thursday with pictures from The Cleveland Botanical Gardens.
Tuesday, June 24th
Happy Tuesday Gator Train campers and families!
Our second day in Arizona started off with us making Dream Catchers, which are one of the most fascinating traditions of Native Americans. The traditional dream catcher was intended to protect the sleeping individual from negative dreams, while letting positive dreams through. The positive dreams would slip through the hole in the center of the dream catcher, and glide down the feathers to the sleeping person below. The negative dreams would get caught up in the web, and expire when the first rays of the sun struck them. So be sure to hang these in your little dreamer's room as they slumber.
During Movement class with Mrs. Porris today, our campers did several activities that showed their ability to follow directions and remember the moves that Mrs. Porris taught them.
We celebrated our dear Mrs. Porris' birthday with a cold treat!
Happy Birthday Mrs. Porris!
*Please remember to send in water bottles with your campers. It's a hot one here in Arizona!
What will we do tomorrow while in Arizona? Hmmmmmm.
The dream catcher has been a part of Native American culture for generations.
Monday, June 23rd
Hello Gator Train campers and families!
Today we began our journey in Arizona with a couple of stories and a song appropriately titled "A-R-I-Z-O-N-A." The campers learned about the Saguaro Cactus and other things they might find in the lovely state of Arizona.
Today in our Stately Science Special, we talked about Arizona being the home state of the Grand Canyon – in fact, it is often called "The Grand Canyon State!"
Dr. Campbell-Malone asked campers if they knew what a canyon was and campers gave some impressive answers! Most thought that a canyon was a 'big thing that shoots out bullets and makes a loud noise." One camper corrected them to say that bullets weren't shot by a canyon – cannon balls were. After repeating the words Grand Canyon a few times we understood that we were a little confused because cannon and canyon sound so much alike!
We looked at images of the Grand Canyon. One of them had two people hiking through the grand Canyon and we were able to count 19 colored stripes or layers of rock in the picture next to them! We then looked at a picture from farther away and campers agreed that they could see somewhere between "a hundred," "THOUSANDS!" and "a million!" layers in the second picture. (Photo by Randy Pertlet) We learned that the oldest layers are at the bottom and the top layers are the youngest. Of course it wouldn't be science class unless the campers made something cool. So today they made mini canyons with edible treats which they enjoyed immensely.
We can't wait to see what tomorrow brings n Arizona!
Hi Ya’ll!
We have had a great week at Ranch Laurel! Today we made our
cowboy hats and filmed our Porris/Gallagher Productions "The Lonesome Trail". The filming crew and
directors had a great time with the cowboys/cowgirls! The video is included for you to enjoy!
After lunch, we went to the watering well down
at the Ranch for water play, bubbles, and the sprinkler. We hope to see our
cowboys/cowgirls again soon! Signing off to ya’ll, hope you have a great
weekend! Thanks again for sharing your cowboys/cowgirls with us at the Ranch!
THANK YOU!!
Mary Gallagher, Ida Porris, and Erika Globits
Howdy everyone!
We had a great time traveling to the Lake Erie Nature and
Science Center. We saw a fun film called, “The Little Star that Could.” It was
about the sun, stars, and planets. We explored some of the displays of snakes,
turtles, and fish. We had lunch in a lovely pavilion. We are looking forward to
making our movie production tomorrow. We have had a wonderful week in Texas
getting to know your cowboy/cowgirl! We look forward to seeing ya’ll again
soon! YEEHAW!!!
IMPORTANT REMINDER:
*As we ‘round up our week in Texas, we will be having water
play throughout the day tomorrow. Please make sure that your camper comes to
school wearing their sunscreen and bathing suit. Please make sure you pack a
towel to dry off, and an extra pair of clothing to change into at the end of
the day.
At the end of the day tomorrow, please be sure that you
collect all of your campers items including their art work from the week and
all of their items from their cubby.
THANK YOU!!
Mary Gallagher, Ida Porris, and Erika Globits
Howdy!
Today was a great day in Texas! The children enjoyed playing in the Multi-Purpose room as we anticipated the rain which never came. Campers made cowboy & cowgirl vests as well as horses for a complete Texas experience. After lunch, we practiced our creative movements for our song, “Walk the Lonesome Trail.” We are so excited for you to see our video taped performance on Friday! We had so much fun making projects and learning more about Texas today!
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
****Tomorrow, Thursday, June 19th is our field trip to the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center. When the children arrive at school, we will give each camper a t-shirt to wear while we are on the field trip. We ask that you please be sure your child has their water bottle and a snack for tomorrow’s trip. Please pack the snack in a separate bag with your child’s name clearly marked. Thank you so much for your help with this!
We look forward to seeing ya’ll tomorrow for our field trip!
THANK YOU!!
Mary Gallagher, Ida Porris, and Erika Globits
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Welcome to Texas Ya’ll!
Today all of the campers hopped on a train and rode to
Texas! It was a fun-filled and warm Texas day! Everyone had a great time
meeting each other and their teachers for the week. We played on the
playground, made Texas bags, played in the classroom, watched a short video
about Texas, and heard a silly story. The story was called Prairie Chicken
Little by Jackie Mims Hopkins. We were “rumblin’ and grublin’ and a
tumblin’ and heading lickety-splickety toward the ranch.” We made fun hand
motions to go along with these fun words! We had a wonderful day! We look
forward to seeing ya’ll tomorrow for some more Texas enjoyment!
PLEASE NOTE!
**Be please sure that your camper brings a snack everyday!
Half-day campers only need 1 snack. If they stay all day they need 2
snacks.
**Tomorrow is supposed to be a very warm day! Please be
sure your child brings their water bottle to stay hydrated!
**If your camper stays all day, please send in some rest
items with your child. These can include a small blanket, pillow, and cozy toy.
This helps campers to settle down and have some relaxing rest time.
THANK YOU!!
Mary Gallagher, Ida Porris, and Erika Globits
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