Some Centers

This is my science and math center.  I will always have discovery bottles.  I have about 15 or so right now and will switch them out periodically - especially ones that fit our theme.  Also staples like magnifying glasses, flashlights, tweezers, magnets, etc will always stay there.  I like having discovery boxes.  That flat brown box you see has really cool rocks in it.  This center is very basic right now because I need to introduce tools to them before I put them in the center.  It will get more interesting as the year goes on.  On the table is the "invitation to play" highlighting a math or science theme.  This weeks theme in preschool is "I can".  So many of our activities are focusing on cans.  So these are for tin can robots.

 Sorting will also be part of the math center.

I have a little shelf with puzzles that I will rotate though.  If the kids get done with snack early or our large group activity, rather than going back to center time they will be invited to pick a puzzle or a book.

My sensory table.  This thing has been a nightmare.  I knew exactly what kind of sensory table I wanted... and it only cost $300.00.  I looked and looked for almost a year and couldn't find one.  Finally a week before my preschool I broke down and bought this at Lakeshore learning center.  It is nothing fancy and will have to do for now.  I decided to start our sensory table off with water play.  I may or may not end up adding bubbles, we will see what direction the kids want to take it.

My block's center.  These materials will also be fluid.  In my head this is my "engineering center".  I have a lost of different materials that will come and go here. 

And my writing center.  This will be my center that is mostly likely to grow and change as the year goes on and I get more experience.  I know what  I want it to do, but I am not sure how to get it there yet.  In the preschool I worked in before the children rarely visited the writing center.  I have plans to change that - but I need to see how the children want to use it first.  The key is to remember that it is not about producing writing, but building writing skills.  I have a small word wall.  And for this week I am just leaving it simple (paper and writing tools) - but soon I will have more specific purposes.