Bud Families,
Dear Bud Families,
Happy New Year to everyone! This past year has gone by quickly, and we are excited to start 2026 with your children!
December ended with our curriculum exploring different ways to think about and use boxes! We started by painting small individual boxes, then decorated medium boxes to stack, measure, count, and play with in the block center. We also focused on pre-reading skills by opening our imaginations and using ideas from the book “This is Not a Box.” The children created art with squares and then shared what they had made, and we wrote down their words.
There is no shortage of imagination in the Bud classroom, and these 2-3-year-olds can take the simplest objects like a box and turn them into a world of creativity. It was fun to watch them explore and develop their skills. Their favorite area was the block corner, where we replaced the usual blocks with many different-sized boxes for them to build and construct. We drew inspiration from books like “The Box Turtle,” “Box,” “What To Do With A Box,” and many more. We are still working on our construction skills and are excited to see what the new year brings!
We also had a special visitor, “The Elf.” The Buds first named him: Jolly! He appeared on the “North Pole Express” airplane! He went from building a snowman, to planting candy cane seeds, leaving us treats (Reindeer Poop), and even playing with our toys while we were gone! We said goodbye to him on Christmas Eve and read the “Twas The Night Before Christmas” book he brought us.
As we start the new year, we are excited to explore our next topic – Arctic Animals! It’s a wonderful time for children to actively discover the world during the cold month of January, which we hope brings us. We believe that great learning happens through encouraging exploration.
We will also start an “All About Me” activity where the children will use their imaginations and pre-writing skills. They will share their favorite things, and we will celebrate them! We love the saying “new year, new me,” especially for this age as they enter new stages of self-expression and exploration!
Reminders:
- Mark your child’s clothing items to help us keep them all where they belong, as we see many identical items, such as gloves and hats.
- Our cubbies are very full this time of year with snow gear! If you can please make sure your child only has one jacket to help us keep their bins manageable.
We’re so grateful to celebrate the New Year with you and your children! All our love,
Mrs. Stephanie, Ms. Maci, and Ms. Gale
