Artful Lil' Hands

The Sound of C & Caterpillar

2009-02-25T16:30:00.002+08:00

We had a fabulous time in our session on C this week. Once again, let the pictures describe the events of the day...
What do one red apple, two pears, three plums, four strawberries & five oranges remind you of? *smile* The kids sat down and listen to the story on "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" this week. They also had an opportunity to see/touch/smell/taste the real fruits that were mentioned in the book :)
The tracing of the letter C was done through messy art - chalk play this time.
And we did a caterpillar craft before headed downstairs of the apartment to hunt for some caterpillars and butterflies.
The kids decided that the playground was more inviting than to hunt for caterpillars and butterflies.
We ended the session with a feast on the fruits we learned about earlier in the story :)

The Sound of B & Fish

2009-02-18T16:11:00.003+08:00

We followed up with the alphabet B in our second playgroup session. This week we covered the sound of B and some activities revolving around Fish.

I'll let the pictures tell the story :)

Some of the materials prepared for the session.
The kids having fun with balloons after singing the balloon song in the music and movement segment. Then they learned how to trace the letter B in upper and lower case.
We read the book "Fishes You Can Count On"... the kids had an opportunity to see, touch, smell a real fish and learned about the names of the different parts of the fish.
And they played with a fishing game using a home made paper fishes & fishing rod with magnet at the end of the string. They then adjourn for some water play, fishing plastic fishes in a bath tub :)

The Sound of A & Creepies, Crawlies...

2009-02-11T21:53:00.005+08:00

A new season has begun and we are into learning the alphabet A, the sound of A and things that starts with the letter A.

The playgroup started with a proper welcome song, an introduction of each child & parent and every child was given a name tag each.

During circle time, we sang the alphabet song, and Mommy Adeline led us through the "Sound of A" song... watch the video and see her in action...

After circle time, each child was given a folder and they did a simple tracing and colouring of the letter A.
In the folder, there were a tracing sheet, pictures of items/objects that begin with the alphabet A.

For Science play, we adjourn to the garden by the block, and the kids had a good time of running around, observing their surroundings... we were welcome by a group of dogs which their owners were walking them...
The kids had a great time touching, and playing those dogs... after which the children busy themselves with play by the playground, observing ants and running around...
Some even had the chance to play with some kampong style toys made by my helper... they really had a wonderful outdoor time today... *smile*

After a short break from the outdoor play, the kids sat down to make this craft - a dragonfly. Followed by singing a Dragonfly song...
We ended with a goodbye song and it was then free play time!!! What a busy day we had! *grin*

We Are Ready!

2009-02-04T23:16:00.006+08:00

We're all set to roll out our brand new Artful Lil' Hands play group next Wednesday, 11th Feb, 2009, and these are our participants... All eight places have been filled... *smile*Registration is available for our next session, on 18th Feb, 2009, you are welcome to join us. All you need to do is fill out the registration form to be added into our mailing list, a weekly email update and details of the next playgroup will be sent out to you.

All are welcome... though spaces are limited... *smile*

Artful Lil'Hands FAQ

2009-01-11T23:49:00.007+08:00

• What is Artful Lil’ Hands
==> It’s a home-based playgroup where a group of moms and tots come together to share, learn and have fun.

==> It’s a place where we provide kids with age-appropriate learning activities that are fun and engaging. Mastery is not the goal, FUN is!

• What do we do in Artful Lil’ Hands
==> The regulars of the Artful Lil’ Hands playgroup are mothers who believe that learning should be fun, exciting, and filled with many different experiences. During our sessions, we offer the kids opportunities in many areas of development; there will be music, art, math, science, language arts, and physical games.

==> In 2009, we will adopt a thematic approach using a curriculum created by me.

==> In this program we aimed to nurture the love of learning in the children through fun and interactive activities. Making the learning process meaningful, thus assist the children's ability to comprehend and remember what they have been exposed to. We also hope to heighten the children's curiosity, enjoyment of participation and self-direction in this program.

• Who can join?
==> Moms with children aged 2 - 3.5 yrs old

• How often do we meet?
==> Weekly, Thursday
==> 10am – 12pm

• Where do we meet?
==> Thursday – Home-based activities at my humble abode - Toa Payoh (Singapore Central)

==> Weekends - this is dependable on the response. Responses are low thus far but will review once there is more demand for a weekend class.

• How big will the group be?
==> We are limiting the group size to 8 kids per week for home-based activities

• Is there a fee to be paid?
==> Yes, there will be a small fee. Please send an email to artfullilhands[at]gmail[dot]com, to request information on payment details.

• How can I join the Artful Lil’ Hands playgroup?
==> You may send an email to artfullilhands[at]gmail[dot]com, and ask to be included in our mailing list; for new participants you will be required to fill up a registration form .

==> A weekly email will be sent to everyone on our mailing list, containing information about our next scheduled meeting. Simply respond to the email to reserve a slot for you and your child. However, please note that places will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

• What do I need to prepare?
==> We encourage parents to get involved in the playgroup activities, and to provide suggestions for improvements or share ideas. Currently, parents will be given reading duties, e.g. reading aloud a story, poem, or a rhyme during the session. To prepare, simply read and familiarize yourself with the text before the session, so that you can deliver it smoothly. If you would prefer not to be involved, please let us know.

• For further queries and comments, please feel free to contact me at artfullilhands[at]gmail[dot]com.

About Artful Lil' Hands

2009-01-08T21:57:00.002+08:00

About mamabliss:
Hi, I’m mamabliss otherwise known as Pauline. I’m blissfully married to Steven, my husband and am a happy mother-of-two. Please feel free to contact me at mamabliss73[at]hotmail[dot]com. I try to respond to emails and comments, but am not always good about keeping up on them. I do read and appreciate them all however!

My interest in Early Childhood related matters:
When I was a new mother and Timothy (my first born) was still an infant, I had taken a keen interest in Early Childhood Education, purely with the intent to nurture my son and to understand the growth and development of young children better; that spurred me to do a Diploma in Montessori Methods of Education.

Subsequently, I was introduced to homeschooling and have done a lot of research and chatted with many homeschoolers about the matter, which led me to seriously consider the option to homeschool my son during his preschool years.

The Artful Lil’ Hands play group:
After I left my full-time work in the advertising/marketing industry, my interest in Early Childhood Education and all that I’ve researched, learned and read about was finally being put to good use.

I wanted to raise Tim and his sister (Joyce) in a cosy and loving environment where opportunities to learn surrounds them daily. Where play is the centre of their lives. Where creativity & imagination is encouraged. Where it is ok to make mistakes. Where the love of learning is nurtured.

As I wish to have my children to socialize and play with kids of their age, I started The Artful Lil’ Hands with several other moms and their toddlers in June 2008. We have been meeting regularly as a group for a while now and I am grateful that the kids and the mommies have fostered a wonderful camaraderie through this weekly activity group that we often meet outside of our playgroup day.

Why Blog?
I started The Artful Lil’ Hands partly to chronicle and share the experiences and ideas in our playgroup. This will also be a place where mommies and children could participate and have fun in as I’ll be opening this playgroup to all who wants to join us. I welcome you to join us as we journey through this very important formative years of our children.

Here’s some information (FAQ) about The Artful Lil’ Hands and how you can be part of our community. You may get in touch with me via the following:
Email: artfullilhands@gmail.com
Blog: http://mamabliss.blogspot.com