Playful Pups Blog | Eco-Kids Preschool

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

j

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

j

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!

See you on Monday!

Dates to Diarise

18 July: Nelson Mandela Day

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 Pups!

Winter, Temperatures, Fire and Ice

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THEME

Winter, Temperatures, Fire & Ice

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COLOUR

Grey

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SHAPE

Triangle & Pyramid

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NUMBER

3

j

LETTER

Ww – Winter

We had the most amazing last week of school before mid-term started! This week, we explored fire and ice, learning that fire is hot, hot, hot, and ice is cold, cold, cold. The Pups understood these ideas perfectly. We also learned about opposites, which they picked up so well, making me super proud of them.

For our art project, we made adorable polar bears using stuffing for their fur, and the Pups knew exactly where to put the stuffing on the bears’ bodies. We also worked on our art expo projects during this busy week. The Pups had fun with fine motor activities, sitting together on the carpet and enjoying threading exercises, showing off their amazing skills once again.

For Yoga this week we did:

Foot Rolling

Our prop for the day was a drumstick, we sat in boat pose and by using our feet and core muscles, we rolled the stick backwards and forwards.

First we rolled the stick with hands on our knees, then behind our back and lastly with our hands on our head.

Even with all the learning, we practiced our concert songs and dance moves for our upcoming performance. It’s so impressive how well the Pups can move their little bodies! We ended the week with some fun activities, which I shared in a video on the class group. This was truly the best way to wrap up our week!

I hope you enjoy reading the Pups’ reports. I am incredibly proud of how they have developed into wonderful little individuals since I first met them at the beginning of the year! I’m so excited to see what the rest of the year has in store for us as a class. I love each and every one of you!

I hope everyone has an amazing mid-term holiday!

Have a wonderful Mid-Term break!

Dates to Diarise

8 July: Back To School

11 July: Haircut Day

12 July: Reptile Day

18 July: Nelson Mandela Day

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 Pups!

Caring For Our World: Recycling

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THEME

Recycling

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COLOUR

Green

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SHAPE

Triangle & Pyramid

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NUMBER

2

j

LETTER

Rr – Recycling

What an exciting and important theme this is for all of us at EcoKids Preschool! This is what we’re all about! This is who we are! We had a wonderful and informative week, learning all about recycling and reusing instead of just throwing things away.

This week, we learned that there are four main types of recyclables: paper, plastic, glass, and tins. We also discovered that a lot of rubbish that isn’t recycled ends up in the oceans, hurting sea creatures and polluting the water!

We even had a practical activity where the Pups threw papers in the dustbin and cleaned their hands afterwards to make sure they were germ-free. The Pups did such a fantastic job!

For art this week, the Pups and teachers teamed up. We sprinkled grated wax crayon on wax paper, then cut out old plastic bags that said RECYCLE and placed them in the middle of the wax paper with the wax crayons. Teacher Tebeth then used an iron to melt the wax paper, creating a stunning mix of colours. We wrapped the colourful creations around formula tins, turning them into upcycled “dustbins” for your bread plastics and bread tags. Once you and your Pup fill the tin, please bring it to school so we can use them for our nappy-changing stations for the little ones – we are always REDUCING, REUSING, AND RECYCLING!

We also worked hard on our Art Expo projects, making them as exciting as possible. The Pups absolutely loved painting and sticking different objects!

Another wonderful event this week was welcoming two more Pups to our class. We are so happy to have them join our EcoKids family!

Recycling turns things into other things ... which is like MAGIC!

Dates to Diarise:

28 June: Book Character Dress Up Day & Mid Term Break Up Day

8 July: Back To School

Lots of love

Teacher Monette and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

Father’s Day and Sport

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THEME

Father’s Day & Sport

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COLOUR

Gold

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SHAPE

Star

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NUMBER

1

j

LETTER

Dd – Daddy

This week has been so exciting as we celebrated Father’s Day and explored different sports! The Pups were so knowledgeable about sports, and we even got to practice some of them. It was heartwarming to see how much they knew! We also had a wonderful time talking about our dads and how amazing they are. Their faces lit up with joy as they shared stories about their awesome daddies. Well done, Pups!

Our activities were so much fun! We drew with chalk on the floor, and I must say, the Pups were absolutely adorable and enjoyed every moment of it. We also had a blast with some gross motor activities, like balancing and throwing balls to our friends.

For art this week, we made special cards for our dads and worked with some tools to create our masterpieces. Those tiny little hands did an amazing job!

We also had some dough activities, which are always a hit with these little ones. It was such a joy to see them so engaged and happy. Great job, Pups!

Cooking this week:

We made dad a little medal using smarties, icing sugar and strips, obviously the Pups ate some of the ingredients while making the surprise for Dad He-he!

Playful Pups Yoga:

The Dancing Bear was our warm up yoga song. Our stretches were tree, boat and chair poses.

We then practised a few other poses as well whilst counting to 10.

My yogis did very well. Playful Pups you are all amazing !

Have a wonderful day on Sunday our Eco Dads!

Dates to Diarise:

16 June: Youth Day

17 June: Youth Day Holiday

19 June: Hearing Tests

28 June: Book Character Dress Up Day & Mid Term Break Up Day

8 July: Back To School

Lots of love

Teacher Monette and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

Land, Air and Sea Transport

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THEME

Land, Air & Sea Transport

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COLOUR

Blue/Navy

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SHAPE

Diamond

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NUMBER

5

j

LETTER

Jj – Jet

Oh my goodness, this week was an absolute blast! We dived into the wonderful world of different types of transport, and let me tell you, the little Pups knew exactly what they were talking about. They impressed us all with their knowledge and enthusiasm!

We kicked off the fun with some imaginative play, pretending to drive cars and be trains. The Pups absolutely loved it! Their giggles and excitement filled the room as they zoomed around and chugged along.

For our art project, we got super creative. We coloured in a beautiful train and even painted wheels using toilet rolls. The Pups’ artistic talents shone brightly, and their colourful creations were simply adorable.

Of course, transportation week would not be complete without singing “Wheels on the Bus” – and boy, did we sing it a lot! Their cheerful voices and big smiles made each rendition more delightful than the last.

We also put a big focus on fine motor skills and counting. The Pups did such an amazing job, showing off their growing skills and making us all proud. Watching them learn and have fun at the same time was just the sweetest thing ever.

All in all, it was a week filled with learning, laughter, and loads of love. Our little explorers are already looking forward to the next adventure!

We wanna know folks ... what is your DREAM car?

Dates to Diarise:

14 June: Bike-A-Thon

16 June: Youth Day

17 June: Youth Day Holiday

19 June: Hearing Tests

28 June: Book Character Dress Up Day & Mid Term Break Up Day

8 July: Back To School

Lots of love

Teacher Monette and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

The Farm: Farm Animals

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THEME

The Farm: Farm Animals

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COLOUR

Red

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SHAPE

Circle

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NUMBER

4

j

LETTER

Ff – Farm

This week was short but super busy and filled with fun activities! Our theme was all about farm animals, and the Pups absolutely loved it. We talked about the different sounds that farm animals make and what they like to eat. I was so impressed with how much the Pups knew and how excited they were to share their thoughts and ideas!

For our art activities, we had a bunch of fun projects that the Pups really enjoyed. We finished one of our special art expo pieces (it’s a secret, so shhhh!). There was also lots of messy play, which, of course, the Pups had a blast with. One of the most fun activities was decorating a sheep with icing sugar and adding popcorn for its wool. The smiles on the Pups’ faces as they carefully placed each piece of popcorn were absolutely priceless!

In addition to our art projects, we also practiced our concert songs this week. It was so wonderful to see the little ones dancing and singing with so much joy and energy. They really enjoyed themselves, and their enthusiasm was contagious. I loved seeing them boogie and have a great time!

We also made time for some educational activities. We read stories about farm animals and sang ‘Old MacDonald” probably 10000 times . The Pups did such a great job and learned a lot while having fun.

You make me so proud my Pups!

Have a HAPPY weekend folks!

Dates to Diarise:

7 June: Haircut Day

14 June: Bike-A-Thon

16 June: Youth Day

17 June: Youth Day Holiday

19 June: Hearing Tests

28 June: Book Character Dress Up Day & Mid Term Break Up Day

8 July: Back To School

Lots of love

Teacher Monette and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

The Farm: Fruit and Vegetables

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THEME

The Farm: Fruit & Vegetables

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COLOUR

Blue

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SHAPE

Circle

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NUMBER

3

j

LETTER

Vv – Vegetables

Oh, what a delightful week we’ve had learning about fruits and vegetables! The Pups were absolutely thrilled! During free play, we had a blast washing the fruits and veggies while chatting about why it’s so important to clean them before eating or cooking them. The little ones were so engaged and curious!

For art this week, we made adorable watermelons out of paper plates. The Pups worked on their fine motor skills and did such a fantastic job. Most of them knew exactly what we were making and could identify all the colours perfectly. It made my heart swell with pride!

We also put a lot of effort into our art expo pieces. The Pups are working so hard to make everything look just right for our mommies and daddies. This art expo is going to be a hit for sure!

And, of course, we practiced our concert songs throughout the week. The Pups are bursting with excitement to show off their moves and sing their hearts out!

It’s been a week filled with joy, creativity, and so much love. I couldn’t be prouder of our little ones!

Peace Out Folks!

Dates to Diarise:

29 May: Voting Day

31 May: Tractor Ride Day & Slipper Day

7 June: Haircut Day

14 June: Bike-A-Thon

16 June: Youth Day

17 June: Youth Day Holiday

19 June: Hearing Tests

28 June: Book Character Dress Up Day & Mid Term Break Up Day

8 July: Back To School

Lots of love

Teacher Monette and the Playful Pups Assistants

Spreading Hap-pea-ness!

Wild Animals and Birds of Prey

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THEME

Wild Animals & Birds of Prey

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COLOUR

Black

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SHAPE

Square

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NUMBER

1 & 2

j

LETTER

Zz – Zebra

This week has been so much fun as we got to learn about wild animals.

We started off the week by practicing our wild animal sounds and can I just say these Pups knew exactly what sound each wild animal makes, some of them even had a little role-play session! it was the cutest thing ever.

For art this week: we made lions out of paper plates and added some googly eyes for some extra cuteness , but I’m keeping this art piece for art expo because it came out so so cute!

We also did some free play this week where the whole class had bouncy balls lying around everywhere on the floor and the smiles on the pups faces when I told them we could play with the balls inside was just the best.

We also worked on our fine motor activities this week by threading beads onto a shoe lace and can I just say I was so impressed with all of them!

Please also ask the Pups to sing the song “Lions and Tigers” as they know this song off by heart and it is one of our concert songs… shhhh

We wanna know folks ... what is your favourite WILD animal?

Dates to Diarise:

24 May: Eye Screening

29 May: Voting Day

31 May: Tractor Ride Day

7 June: Haircut Day

14 June: Bike-A-Thon

16 June: Youth Day

17 June: Youth Day Holiday

19 June: Hearing Tests

28 June: Book Character Dress Up Day & Mid Term Break Up Day

8 July: Back To School

Lots of love

Teacher Monette and the Playful Pups Assistants

Stay Wild And Free Our Pups!

Mothers and Babies, Mother’s Day

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THEME

Mother’s & Babies, Mother’s Day

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COLOUR

Pink

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SHAPE

Heart

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NUMBER

1

j

LETTER

Mm – Mommy

Welcome back to the wonderful world of Term 2!

This week has been all about celebrating the incredible love we have for our mommies and just talking about how special they are for all of us!

It is proven that all these Pups absolutely adore their Mommies, because their faces just light up when they hear the word “Mommy”. Its definitely the cutest thing ever!

For art this week we got crafty in our art sessions, making sweet handprints out of salt dough for our mommies to cherish forever, and oh, the joy of crafting special cards filled with all the love in our little hearts!

This week we’ve been exploring our colours and counting all the way up to number 10! I’m so proud of all of you my Pups!

We also enjoyed our first yoga session for the term and the smiles on those little faces was priceless!

We’ve been practicing this week for our concert coming up, and can I just say that I can’t wait for all of you to see these little people throw out their dance moves!

We hope you have a very special Sunday our very special Eco Moms!

Dates to Diarise:

24 May: Eye Screening (Details to follow)

29 May: Voting Day

31 May: Tractor Ride Day

7 June: Haircut Day

14 June: Bike-A-Thon

16 June: Youth Day

17 June: Youth Day Holiday

19 June: Hearing Tests

28 June: Book Character Dress Up Day & Mid Term Break Up Day

8 July: Back To School

Lots of love

Teacher Monette and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

Occupations And People Who Help Us

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THEME

Occupations & People Who Help Us

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COLOUR

Blue



SHAPE

Circle



NUMBER

Recap

j

LETTER

Xx – X-ray

What a fantastic week of fun and learning about all the awesome people who help us! From doctors and dentists to hairdressers, firefighters, and police officers, we’ve been on a super cool adventure exploring different jobs and what they do to make our world better.

Even though the weather was a bit chilly this week, we still made the best out of our last week of school. We enjoyed our time in class by singing and dancing and playing inside a big tent that we found in the container, we also went on a little nature walk, exploring the fresh air and looking at all the beautiful flowers growing because of the rain!

We’ve been busy having a blast while also working on our hand skills. With a little help from our awesome teachers, we’ve been threading, matching colours, and getting active with Funfit sports. Doing these activities not only makes us happy but also helps our little hands get stronger and better at doing stuff.

For our art project, we made adorable police badges! And guess what? We even learned how police officers use their badges to tell us to stop. It was so much fun! We loved getting creative and imagining ourselves as part of the police team.

See you all in the second Term!