Playful Pups Blog | Eco-Kids Preschool

Travel and Holidays

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THEME

Travel & Holidays

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COLOUR

Yellow

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SHAPE

Square

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NUMBER

Recap

j

LETTER

Hh – Hot

Weekly Update: Travel Adventures with the Playful Pups

This week, we embarked on an exciting travel-themed journey, exploring different holiday destinations and dreaming about where we’d like to travel one day. We discussed the various ways we can get there—by car, train, or airplane—and shared stories of places we’d love to visit.

Creative Arts

For art, the Pups had the opportunity to express their travel preferences by painting the outline of their chosen mode of transport—a train or an airplane. They added their own imaginative touches to the artwork and then had fun mimicking the sounds and movements of the vehicles. Their enthusiasm was contagious as they chugged like trains and soared like airplanes!

Water Play

Midweek, we had a refreshing water play session where the Pups helped Teacher Monette clean all the classroom blocks using soap, water, and cloths. It was a delightful activity that combined teamwork with sensory play, and the Pups had as much fun as Teacher Monette did—lots of giggles all around!

Guessing Game: Animals Edition

We also enjoyed a lively guessing game. The Pups took turns pulling animals out of a box, identifying their colors, and making their corresponding sounds. Their ability to recall and imitate the animals was fantastic, and their enthusiasm made it a highlight of the week!

Yoga Yayness

Our yoga sessions focused on listening skills as we explored the sounds of 20 different animals. Each sound was matched with a corresponding pose, and while some sounds were a bit tricky, our little yogis rose to the challenge. Here’s a list of the poses we practiced:
🐵🐶🐱🦁🐯🐴🫏🐮🐷🐑🐪🐘🐁🐻‍❄🦃🐔🦅🦆🦉🐸🐬.

The Pups impressed me with their focus and effort—well done, little yogis!

Little Kickers Fun

This week in Little Kickers, we worked on hitting and catching skills using pool noodles and colorful balls. The Pups thoroughly enjoyed the activity, showing off their coordination and cheering each other on. It was a wonderful way to strengthen gross motor skills while having a blast!

Reminder

Please remember to bring your decorated Christmas boxes by next Wednesday. We can’t wait to see everyone’s creative designs!

I hope you all have a restful and enjoyable weekend. Thank you for making this week so much fun! 🌟

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dates to Diarise:

27 Nov: Carols By Candlelight

3 Dec: Magic Show (during school)

4 Dec: Christmas Party (during school0

5 Dec: Break Up Day

Lots of love

Teacher Monette and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

Shops and Shopping

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THEME

Shops & Shopping

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COLOUR

White

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SHAPE

Oval/Triangular Prism

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NUMBER

Recap

j

LETTER

Qq – Queue

This week was all about *shopping*, and it’s safe to say the Pups were absolutely thrilled! We kicked off by chatting about different types of things we find in shops—from groceries to toys to clothes—and the Pups eagerly shared whether they enjoy going shopping or not. They were all bursting with excitement, and it was clear that many of them were little shopping pros already!

For our art activity, we worked on listening and following instructions. Each Pup received a picture filled with all sorts of toys, and we named specific ones for them to colour in. The goal was to focus on listening carefully and choosing the correct items—and they did a fantastic job! The concentration and pride in their faces as they found each item and coloured it in were so special.

Then came the highlight of the week: our own little “shopping spree.” We set up a pretend store, and the Pups each had a mini trolley to push around, filling it with various items just like they would in a real shop. Watching them toddle around with their tiny trolleys, carefully choosing their “purchases,” was simply adorable. They even had their pretend cards ready, and some of them knew exactly how to tap their cards at the “checkout” with so much confidence—it was too cute for words!

In addition to our shopping fun, we spent some time exploring the outdoors and had a little adventure searching for the baby bunnies under the Eco Babes house. The Pups understood that they needed to be quiet and gentle for the bunnies to feel comfortable coming out, and their anticipation was priceless. As soon as the bunnies peeked out from under the house, their eyes widened with joy, and the entire group lit up with excitement.

To end the week with even more fun, we had a bubble play session, which is always a crowd favourite. The Pups absolutely love chasing the bubbles, and it was delightful to see how they instinctively knew to “pop, pop, pop” them with their little fingers—and sometimes even their tongues, he he! Their giggles and happy squeals filled the air as they danced around, reaching for every bubble in sight.

I’m so proud of each and every one of them; it’s incredible to see how they’re growing in confidence, learning to listen, and showing such joy in every activity. This week was full of magical little moments, and I couldn’t be happier to watch these little ones explore, learn, and play with such enthusiasm!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dates to Diarise:

18 Nov: HH Outing

20 Nov: SS Graduation (tbc)

22 Nov: CC & SS Outing

27 Nov: Carols By Candlelight

3 Dec: Magic Show (during school)

4 Dec: Christmas Party (during school0

5 Dec: Break Up Day

Lots of love

Teacher Monette and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

Cooking and Food

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THEME

Cooking & Food

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COLOUR

Purple

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SHAPE

Rectangle/Rectangular Prism

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NUMBER

1-3

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LETTER

Cc – Cooking / Ff – Food

This week, our theme was all about cooking, and the Pups absolutely loved it! We chatted about their favourite foods, and in an adorable twist, every single one of them picked pizza as their number one! We also had some thoughtful conversations about keeping our hands nice and clean before cooking and being super careful around sharp or hot things in the kitchen.

When it came time to cook, they really surprised me with their independence! Each Pup spread their own tomato paste, sprinkled cheese with enthusiasm, and even carefully cut up their little Viennas. They were so focused and determined—it was heartwarming to watch.

For our fine motor fun, the Pups practiced with tiny beads, carefully adding them onto little sticks and using a tiny scoop to collect them into bowls. The concentration on their faces was just precious! Their hard work and focus truly amazed me!

We also enjoyed some music this week where the Pups had to copy the movement I did. We also focused on our spatial concepts while doing music. They loved it!

We’ve also been busy full speed with reports coming soon, and the Pups are doing great with their assessments!

I’m so proud of all of you!

Does pineapple belong on pizza? We wanna know what you think!

Dates to Diarise:

13 Nov: Shopping Activity (during school)

15 Nov: CC Entrepreneur Market

18 Nov: HH Outing

20 Nov: SS Graduation (tbc)

22 Nov: CC & SS Outing

27 Nov: Carols By Candlelight

3 Dec: Magic Show (during school)

4 Dec: Christmas Party (during school0

5 Dec: Break Up Day

Lots of love

Teacher Monette and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

Under The Sea

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THEME

Under The Sea

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COLOUR

Dark Blue

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SHAPE

Circle/Cylinder

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NUMBER

Recap

j

LETTER

Uu – Under

These past two weeks have been splash-tastic under the sea! The Pups surprised me with all they knew about sea animals—big and small, and so many colors! We had so much fun making art too, dipping corks in paint to create a spotty little starfish and fishy friends. The corks made the cutest little dots!

Of course, we had to sing our favorites, Baby Shark and the Jellyfish Song! For Yoga, we practiced matching poses to picture cards of animals and different transport symbols—think lions, elephants, and even trains! Our morning tunes included Silly to Calm and Fly Like a Butterfly, which helped us start the day with big smiles.

Our group project was a hit! We painted together on a giant paper spread on the floor using paint rollers, and the Pups had the best time making big, colorful strokes.

We’ve been busy with assessments too, getting ready for report time, and I’m thrilled with everyone’s progress! Plus, potty training is coming along beautifully, and saying goodbye to bottles has been much easier than expected. I couldn’t be prouder of each and every Pup!

Wishing everyone a joyful weekend, and see you all on Monday!

Weekend ... SHELL YEAH!

Dates to Diarise:

6 Nov: Haircut Day

7 Nov: Mommy/Daddy & Me Yoga

8 Nov: Mommy/Daddy & Me Yoga

13 Nov: Shopping Activity (during school)

15 Nov: CC Entrepreneur Market

18 Nov: HH Outing

20 Nov: SS Graduation (tbc)

22 Nov: CC & SS Outing

27 Nov: Carols By Candlelight

3 Dec: Magic Show (during school)

4 Dec: Christmas Party (during school0

5 Dec: Break Up Day

Lots of love

Teacher Monette and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

Fantasy

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THEME

Fantasy

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COLOUR

Rainbow, Black & Dark Grey

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SHAPE

Recap, Star, Crescent

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NUMBER

Recap

j

LETTER

Mm – Mystical

This week was truly magical as we dove into our fantasy theme! The Pups’ imaginations soared, and it was a joy to witness how creatively they embraced the activities. We focused primarily on finishing up our Art Expo projects, and I can confidently say that we are beyond excited to showcase all the incredible artwork we’ve been working on throughout the year. The countdown to the big day has officially begun, and the excitement is building!

Our fantasy play was a highlight, where I handed out various props and let the Pups’ imaginations run wild. It was heartwarming to see each of them step into their own little worlds, fully embodying different characters. Their enthusiasm and creativity were contagious, and I couldn’t help but smile watching them explore their roles so confidently.

For art, we created an adorable dragon using paper plates, painting it orange. This piece, along with another project for the Art Expo, truly showcased the Pups’ creativity and dedication. They have worked so hard, and I am incredibly proud of what they’ve accomplished!

In FunFit sports, we focused on gross motor skills, climbing the big jungle gym outside. The Pups showed great strength and coordination! Thursday’s Yoga session also helped us stretch and relax after such an active week.

I’m sending lots of well wishes to the Pups who are feeling under the weather—hope you all get better soon and can join us for the final push to the Art Expo!

Let us know on your class WhatsApp groups folks ... Are you part of the Indian TRIBE ... or do you with the Cowboys RIDE?

Dates to Diarise:

18 Oct: Art Expo

24 Oct: Break Up Day

25-28 Oct: Mid Term Break

29 Oct: Back to School

Lots of love

Teacher Monette and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

Insects and Bees; Frogs and Ponds, Rivers and Dams

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THEME

Insects & Bees; Frogs & Ponds, Rivers & Dams

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COLOUR

Yellow; Light Blue/Turquoise

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SHAPE

Hexagon; Oval/Tear Drop

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NUMBER

4; 5

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LETTER

Ii; Mm

As we kicked off the new season back at school, we dove into the wonders of insects and bees! We explored the bright, cheerful colors of different insects all around us and talked about what bees like to eat and the colours ft them. Our little Pups truly shined as they learned about shapes and colors while counting up to 10—I’m overflowing with pride at how well they did!

With the Art Expo just around the corner, our creative projects are in full swing, and I can’t wait for all the lovely Pups’ parents to join us for this exciting night. The children have been working hard, and their enthusiasm is contagious!

Next, we hopped into the delightful theme of frogs and ponds. We learned all about the different colors of frogs, the funny sounds they make, and their favorite places to hang out. When it came time to sing the Froggy Song, the joy on their faces was priceless—they absolutely love it!

For our art project this week, we made adorable frogs using paper and green paint. To make it even more fun, we got a little messy by painting with our hands! Watching the Pups giggle and enjoy getting their hands covered in paint was such a joy. The creative process was as delightful as the final creations!

On the potty training front, I’m excited to share that several Pups are proudly on the “undies” train and doing an amazing job. It’s heartwarming to witness their progress and growing independence. This spring is off to a wonderful start, filled with learning, laughter, and creativity!

Let us know on your class WhatsApp groups folks ... Are you part of the Indian TRIBE ... or do you with the Cowboys RIDE?

Dates to Diarise:

18 Oct: Art Expo

24 Oct: Break Up Day

25-28 Oct: Mid Term Break

29 Oct: Back to School

Lots of love

Teacher Monette and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

Countries and Cultures

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THEME

Countries & Cultures

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COLOUR

Flag Colours

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SHAPE

Rectangle / Rectangular Prism

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NUMBER

3

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LETTER

Pp – Pride

This week, we had so much fun exploring countries! The Pups learned about the colorful flags from around the world, perfect for their little imaginations.

In art, we created beautiful African necklaces using paper plates, making them just the right size to wear around their necks. They looked adorable!

We also worked hard on our art expo projects to ensure everything is just right for the big day. Everyone is so excited!

During FunFit Sports, the Pups had a blast with gross motor activities, trying to throw balls into a basket. They did an amazing job!

Our Reggio activity was a hit, too! The Pups enjoyed tracing lines, and some got super creative, even making up their own activities—so clever!

And here’s the sweetest news: potty training is going wonderfully! All the Pups are doing such a fantastic job, and soon they’ll be wearing their big kid undies. I’m so proud of them and can hardly believe how quickly they’re growing up!

Have a wonderful LONG WEEKEND!

Dates to Diarise:

23 Sept: School Holiday

24 Sept: Public Holiday (Heritage Day)

3 Oct: Haircut Day

18 Oct: Art Expo

24 Oct: Break Up Day

25-28 Oct: Mid Term Break

29 Oct: Back to School

Lots of love

Teacher Monette and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

Spring, Flowers & Planting; Trees, Plants, Wood & Paper

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THEME

Spring, Flowers & Planting; Trees, Plants, Wood & Paper

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COLOUR

Green & Brown

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SHAPE

Circle & Triangle

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NUMBER

1 & 2

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LETTER

Vv -Vase; Tt -Tree

Spring Blog: Our First Week of School

Our first week back was short but oh-so-exciting! We welcomed some sweet new friends into the Playful Pups classroom, and they’re already fitting in so wonderfully. It’s the best feeling to see all of our little Pups happy, thriving, and growing every day!

For our first art project, we made the most adorable see-through butterflies! We used laminating paper and colorful tissue paper, tearing them into tiny pieces and sticking them together. They’re so cute that Teacher Monette just had to keep them hanging on our classroom windows for everyone to admire—because they’re way too precious to send home just yet! He-he! 🦋

We also took a fun little trip down memory lane, refreshing our skills by practicing our colors and shapes. The Pups did an amazing job remembering them all!

We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect start to the season! 💕🌸

Trees and Plants Blog: week 2

This week’s theme was all about trees and plants, and the Pups were so amazed to learn about all the different kinds of trees and how they grow! 🌳 When we talked about what plants need to grow, my clever Pups already guessed I was going to say water! He-he! They were all so excited to share what they knew.

For art, we made our own little trees by using our handprints as the tree trunks and rolling tiny tissue paper balls to create beautiful blossoms. The Pups weren’t too thrilled about rolling all those little tissue balls—ha-ha!—but the trees turned out *so* cute and colorful. 🌸

We also had lots of fun with our FunFit sports, doing gross motor activities, and oh my, these Pups are strong! 💪 They have such steady hands and impressive coordination.

We’re also hard at work on our Art Expo projects, and I’m *so* excited for you all to see the amazing creations we’ve been working on throughout the year! 🎨 It’s going to be pawsome!

Happy Monday!

Dates to Diarise:

20 Sept: Hat Parade Day

23 Sept: School Holiday

24 Sept: Public Holiday (Heritage Day)

3 Oct: Haircut Day

18 Oct: Art Expo

24 Oct: Break Up Day

25-28 Oct: Mid Term Break

29 Oct: Back to School

Lots of love

Teacher Monette and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

Dinosaurs – Under the Soil

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THEME

Dinosaurs

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COLOUR

Green

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SHAPE

Triangle/Cone/Sphere

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NUMBER

Recap

j

LETTER

Dd – Day

These past two weeks always land up being very WILD and LOUD! Raaaawrrrrr!!!! 

 A huge favourite amongst our boys and girls. We have had so much fun exploring the magical world of dinosaurs these two past weeks.  

It is amazing how much the Pups already know about these amazing, legendary and extinct creatures… what IS IT about DINOSAURS?! 

We spoke about all sorts of dinosaurs and we were extremely impressed with the pronunciation of these little people. Some Pups could say Brachiosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, Pterodactyl, Triceratops… the list goes on! We learnt that some dinosaurs were soooo big and others were a lot smaller. Some had feathers and some had scales! Some could fly, some could swim, some walked on two legs and had tiny little arms, and some walked on four legs and had really big feet like an elephant! Some had exceptionally long, sharp, scary teeth and they ate meat! We call them carnivores! Others had smaller teeth and ate plants, and they are called herbivores! We don’t know exactly what the dinosaurs looked like, but we think they looked something like lizards do now!  

So, when we painted our dinosaur art this week, we made sure to make it very colourful! Oh, what FUN we had! We made a special surprise dinosaur which you will see at our art show. We also made some fun dinosaur facemasks which the Pups were able to take home and show Mom and Dad how well the can STOMP, STOMP,STOMP!. The Pups loved our sensory activity.

We added sand to our messy play table and hid some dinosaur eggs and allowed the Pups to use a paint brush to clean the eggs and collect all the different dinosaurs, it obviously didn’t end there because we added big dinosaurs in the sand, and all of the Pups just went CRAZY when they saw all the dinosaurs around them.

We have had a fantastic two weeks, but we can tell the children are tired, sick of winter and in need of a break, and Teacher Net too! Hee Hee!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and see you all soon!

Have a wonderful holiday folks!

Dates to Diarise:

9 August: Public Holiday (National Women’s Day)

12 August: Holiday Club Starts

2 Sept: Holiday Club Ends

3 Sept: Staff Return To School

4 Sept: First Day of Term 3!

6 Sept: Haircut Day

9 Sept: School Photographs

10 Sept: School Photographs

11 Sept: School Photographs

20 Sept: Hat Parade Day

23 Sept: School Holiday

24 Sept: Public Holiday (Heritage Day)

Lots of love

Teacher Monette and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

Space

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THEME

Space

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COLOUR

Orange

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SHAPE

Diamond

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NUMBER

5 Recap

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LETTER

Nn- Night

Over the past two weeks, our adventure into the wonders of space has been an absolute blast! In the first week, we just touched on space because we were so busy practicing and preparing for the concert.

Space is one of the school’s favourite themes! There is so much room for exploration and learning. However, explaining space to a 2-year-old is quite a challenge. It’s hard for them to grasp that they live in a country called South Africa, let alone on a planet called Earth, in a galaxy that’s bigger than they could ever imagine! So, we focused on things they can see and understand, like stars, rockets, the moon, and astronauts. We talked about the planets and the solar system, and we feel that they really grasped the concepts we were introducing!

In our art sessions, we worked on some art expo pieces and also our birthday art. We engaged in fine motor activities like playing with playdough, making little worms out of the dough. The Pups had so much fun squishing and rolling the dough, and it was a great way for them to strengthen their little fingers.

In our FunFit sports sessions, we played a game where we had to throw 10 balls into a bucket using only one hand. The Pups did amazingly well! They were so focused and determined, and it was wonderful to see their hand-eye coordination improve. While working on our counting, we counted all the way up to 10 and then blasted off into space, just like real astronauts! The Pups loved shouting “Blast off!” and imagining they were zooming through the stars.

We also sang “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” while lying on the carpet and making stars with our hands. It was a magical moment, seeing their little faces light up as they sang and made star shapes with their fingers.

We are so excited to see all of you on Saturday for our big concert day! The Pups have worked so hard, and they can’t wait to show you all the wonderful things they’ve learned and practiced. See you there!

ONE MORE SLEEP UNTIL CONCERT!

Dates to Diarise:

27 July: EcoKids Concert

8 August: Pyjama Dress Up Day & Break Up Day

9 August: Public Holiday (National Women’s Day)

12 August: Holiday Club Starts

Lots of love

Teacher Monette and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Precious Stars!

Reptiles

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THEME

Reptiles

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COLOUR

White

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SHAPE

Hexagon

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NUMBER

1-4

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LETTER

Ll – Lizard

This week was super busy and exciting! Our Pups were thrilled to be back from holiday after the mid-term. They couldn’t wait to reunite with their friends and meet the new friends who started on Monday.

We did lots of fun activities this week. The Pups loved drawing with chalk on the floor, using their imaginations to create pictures. Some drew airplanes, and others drew ice cream—so cute! We also did some colour recognition exercises with Teacher Monette, who called each Pup one by one to show her different colours. They all did amazing!

We went all out practicing our concert songs and dance moves for the upcoming concert. I can’t wait to see all our lovely Pups shine on that day!

For art, we made little geckos using mostly recycled items. We used empty espresso capsules for the gecko’s eyes and ice cream sticks for its legs. The Pups also painted paper plates for the body. It was such a creative and eco-friendly project!

In yoga, we practiced our reptile poses and focused on spinal twist exercises. These exercises activate the spinal nerves and enhance flexibility and blood circulation. Yay for Yoga Day!

We also had a blast with Little Kickers this week, practicing our hand-eye coordination by throwing and catching a ball. The Pups did amazing!

A highlight of the week was the reptile show on Wednesday. The Pups couldn’t believe what they saw! Some of them were very brave and touched the reptiles being shown, while others kept their distance but were still very curious. Seeing their big eyes light up as the snakes and spiders came close was definitely something special.

Well done, everyone!