Our Homeschooling Co-Op

So mainly due to circumstances (trying to reduce too many changes) we are currently homeschooling for preschool.  Another huge draw, is that we have a great group of friends, with whom we created a homeschool co-op.  Our little co-op meets about once a week, with a week off every 3rd week.  Each mom takes turn hosting and teaching a lesson.  Each lesson is generally based on a book, with activities to go along.  We started last September and have been going strong since!  Here are a couple pictures from when I hosted back in January.  Our theme was snowmen, based on the book Snowmen at Night. 

We started with a sensory station, while we waited for everyone to arrive.  To introduce the wintery/snowman theme, I set up containers with 'snow dough' (cornstarch and shaving cream) complete with arctic animals and items to make snowmen.  Needless to say this was quite messy, but they loved it!

For art and fine motor skills, I made outlines of snowmen, then let the kiddos paint snow on them with Q-tips.

For the science angle, I made snowflake ice cubes- called 'ice bergs', placed on trays...then I gave them small droppers and containers of water and let them see what happens when they put water on the 'ice bergs.'  You could go more in depth on the science (global warming...) but seeing as how most of them are 3, we stuck with learning that water melts ice.  And a bonus, using the dropper was super fun for them and  great fine motor skill practice.  Oh, and I don't have a picture but for a gross motor and group activity we played Ring Around the Snowman!