紙でアジサイ作り Hydrangea in Full Bloom

今日はあじさい作りをしました。お友達が来なかったのは残念でしたが、かわいいでんでん虫などができました。折り紙やお花紙等を使うときれいな花が咲きます。次回のPOTATOはお散歩なのでお天気がいいといいですね。梅雨に負けずたくさん遊びましょう。もし雨が降ってしまったらお部屋で遊びます。

Hydrangea is in season. If you take a stroll in Atsugi, you will notice the hydrangea flower blooming. The craft that we prepared today is Hydrangea Craft. For the kids, they will tear colored papers and stick on a round circle to make the hydrangea flower and for the mothers, hydrangea origami in various colors. However sad to say, probably due to the rain, no one came. For next week, we will be taking a stroll to the kids community center and park. If it is raining, we will play in room 403. Do come and join us.

ぱっちんかえる Jumping Frogs

今日は、’ぱっちんかえる’を作ってみんなでぴょんぴょん飛ばして遊んだり、もうすぐ梅雨になるので’てるてる坊主’を作り、てるてる坊主の歌を歌ったりしました。’ぱっちんかえる’には、それぞれ素敵な絵を子ども達は描き、ピョ―ンっと飛ぶかえるに「おもしろ～い！」の声。満足そうな笑顔がみられました。日本語、英語の本の読み聞かせ、英語の歌にあわせてダンスをしたりもしました。リズムに合わせて体を動かし、とても楽しそうでした。次回は、６月１１日（木）に’あじさい製作’を行います。

Today, we made jumping frogs and "Teru Teru Bozu" which is a doll to hang out when you want to wish for good weather. In Japan, the rainy season is usually around mid June. When you want to go out and hope for good weather, Japanese will make the "Teru Teru Bozu" doll and hang it out on the window and there is also a song to sing with it. Using tissue paper, colored paper, rubber band and yarn, we made the "Teru Teru Bozu" doll. The face is drawn using markers. As for the jumping frog craft, it was a great hit with the kids. Using hard card board taped together in the middle with cellophane tape and binded with a rubber band, the frog can jump up really high. It was really fun. As for the kids creation, they ended up with jumping rabbits, jumping butterflies and all sorts of designs. As usual, we have story book time in English and Japanese and also dancing and singing to English songs. Next week, we will be making hydrangea flower craft. Do come and join us. We will be waiting.

POTATO Schedule

Schedule for June, July and August is up. In July and August, if the weather is fine, there will be water play at the small pools that we have. Please bring along a swim suit, towel and change of clothing for the kids.

Schedule

Father's Day

Raining today. What a shame. Our stroll is cancelled. In Japan, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June. Due to that, the craft that we prepared is a door knob hanger to be made by the kids and given to the father as a present with the message "I LOVE YOU DAD". Japanese are supposedly not good at expressing their emotions so when the principle saw the craft that was prepared, she said that this craft is definitely not from Japan. Maybe due to the rain, no participants came today. 　Let's do the craft again another day. Next Thursday, we will be making jumping frogs. Do come and join us. We will be waiting.

ゲーム Game

今日は沢山の遊びをしました。新聞紙で輪投げとボールを作りました。ボールはかごに投げいれます。
後、的当てもしました、子ども達には輪投げと的当てが人気でした。輪投げは遠いとなかなか入らないので
最終的にはみんな上から落とすという形になりました。的には点数が書いてあるので高い点数になるとみんなから拍手され嬉しそうです。手遊びは日本の「グーチョキパー」と「げんこつ山のたぬきさん」みんなノリノリでした、最後のダンスは、最近ダンスがとても上手になってびっくりです。子どもの吸収力の速さには感心しました。

Today we have a new friend joining us from Hong Kong. Welcome and do continue to join us. Game time today. Target ball throwing use soft felt balls thrown to a soft felt mat, ring toss, and ball toss today. We hand made the ring toss game using newspaper. Also for the ball toss game, we hand made the balls using newspaper and toss it into a small baby bed that we have here. For the ring toss game, the younger kids just walked near the pole and put the newspaper ring over it. Very innovative. The kids also had a nice time singing with finger play to Japanese songs. As usual, we have story time in English and Japanese and singing and dancing to English songs. Next week, we will be going for a stroll to the park if weather permits. Please gather at room 403 at 10. Care to try out jazz dancing with your kid? Come and join us at room 202 on next Wednesday at 10. See you there.

フィンガーペイティング Finger Painting

フィンガーペイティングをしました。指絵の具を使って好きな色で絵を描きました。最初は人差し指でとんとんと色をつけましたが次第に手の平全体に絵の具をつけて描きました。お花やハートや木やひまわりそしててんとう虫も描きました。にぎやかな作品が沢山できました。筆で書く絵とはまた違った味わいがあります。お母さんも一緒に楽しみました。絵の具は水で洗えば落ちるので気楽にできます。またやりましょう。来週はゲームです。そして27日の水曜日は保育園202号でジャズダンスで遊びます。来てください。

Finger painting today. For today, we used paints and the kids painted pictures using paint brushes and their fingers. Initially the kids used one finger and then as they got more involved, they used their whole hand to paint. As usual, we have story telling in Japanese and English and dancing to English songs. Next week, we will be playing games. What type of games? Come and find out.

風船遊び Balloons

Mother's Day is just around the corner. We prepared a folding card for the kids to decorate and to give as a present. Apart from that we also played with balloons. Using an air pump, we pumped air into the balloons and made some shapes with the balloons. Then using markers and stickers, we decorated the balloons. One of the mothers made various shapes with the balloons. As usual, we read some English books and sang and danced to some English songs. We have a new Japanese volunteer today. She helped to read some Japanese story books to the kid and helped to enquire about how to get free books from the library for the kid. Next week, we will be making fingerprint art. Do come and join us.

今日は初めてのPOTATOお手伝いでしたが1人だけでした。
一緒に風船遊びと歌を歌いました。
小さい子と遊ぶと自分の子どもの赤ちゃんのころを思い出して
懐かしく楽しいですね。
次回は沢山のお友達と遊びたいと思います。
待ってます＾＾