Under the Big Top

As I've mentioned before, AJ's preschool program rotates classroom themes throughout the year.  One of the biggest challenges we've had with AJ is keeping him occupied in the afternoon after he is home from school.  Honestly, I think he could do full days next year.  Anyway...

At first, AJ's daily activities were far different from what his peers were doing.  This was for a number of different reasons, with the most important being this: What was developmentally appropriate for AJ's peers was not appropriate for AJ.  I love that I just used PAST TENSE. 

Now that he has grown as a learner, his activities involve the current classroom theme.  Activities are adapted to AJ's level if need be.  AJ's also been interacting more with his peers, both 1:1 and during the group activities. Its a "lets try it" aura I'm feeling when I'm fortunate to see him in the classroom setting. 

His teacher has been giving me a heads up on the next theme just as the last one is ending.  We've been trying to create a smooth and fun transition from school to home.  How can we continue the theme here at home? The last theme was the Circus & The Little Engine that could.  At school, AJ pasted tickets onto paper, matched same color clown face pieces, made clown hair, made "cotton" candy, painted with popcorn, and made this adorable elephant from an old CD.  They had snowcones and all kinds of circus treats one day for snack.  So, what did we do?

Circus &The Little Engine That Could

Clowning Around-Clown Hair & Jokster Glasses

Making Popcorn

This is how you do "snow cones"

when your blender is packed in a box

Painting a Circus Train Car

(Yes, it came with the monkey)

Enjoying the carousel Great Grandma gave him
{So perfect for this theme!}

Sorting Clown Noses & Wood Trains

We also played with clown noses, taking them off and putting them on,

 trains, train tracks, and read books that had to do with trains and/or the circus. 

 I found a book for 0.39 cents at a thrift shop

about a circus elephant and Thomas the Train.

We ate hot dogs and all kinds of other fattening foods

you would find at the circus. 

(This theme is grrrrreat for his calorie needs!)

Some of the items I already had, some I bought. 

Had: trains & train tracks, stuffed elephant, silly string,

carousel, popcorn, popcorn popper, paintbrushes

Bought: Circus Train $5, Paints 3/$1, Stick-On Jems $1,

Icee Cups $1, Jokster Glasses & Nose Sets 4 @ $1,

Wood Trains 4 @ 0.59

Step Right Up!