Onam- remembering the olden days

Kids will always like something shiny and new, even if they have an older version of the same thing.
Last week was actually the perfect time to show them the importance of remembering and honoring people and things from the past. First there was  Independence day when as a nation we celebrate the valor of men who led our freedom struggle, and then this week as Malayalees we start to celebrate the Onam season.
This time around we thought to have a different view of the onam festivities.  Its important that while we show children new things, they also understand the value of old ideas.
The new- a farmer's song with a display of the bountiful harvest at this time of year, a payasam parade to challenge the moms, and a robust team event- a tug-of-war for the kids!
The old -our joy was triple fold! we had as guests at school this morning one of the founding partners of Friends playschool,an ex-teacher and storyteller par excellence,and best of all -  old students visiting with us!

We had a mixed bag of treats for the children  this Onam -celebrating the new with the old!

Hurrah for Curiosity!

What a leap of daring and imagination!Curiosity on Mars....a realization of a dream and years of hard work.

There's this hole in the wall in the school yard that at some time in the seasonal calendar, harbors ladybirds. Over the years it has been a source of unending fascination for pre-schoolers at Friends. All the question words- what? where? why? how? when? -tumble out of their mouths and we are hard pressed for answers. Actually its not just ladybirds, any new situation or phenomena is bound to bring on the incessant questioning.  Count yourself lucky if you have the energy to keep up with their agile minds.

So, when kids get more and more curious, just remember only curiosity got to Mars! 

Exam Fever!!!

Isn't it funny how parents, teachers and kids (in that order!) get wound up about tests and performance levels?

Just watching the children while they play in the yard and noticed one cautious toddler stand on the edge of the sand pit, judge the difficulty of the jump , flex her knees slowly and take that leap into the sandpit ! She did that at least 10 times and then when she was satisfied that this particular skill needed no more consideration, she moved on. That was a test for her ...she set the limits, chose the time and then did her best. Wish we would all let them grow at their own pace instead of rushing them. 

Let them be little cos they're only that way for awhile!

Heres how we celebrate friendship

a routine day at friends but made special cos heres how we celebrate friendship

......quiet ones exchange happy smiles and hold hands....

..... the spunky girl who is a match for the 14 boys in her class and jumps, runs, climbs jus as well as the guys....

..... the caring friend who let out the loudest wail on realising he'd hurt his pal( he fooled us into thinking he was the injured party!)

......the thick as thieves pair, who despite being seated at opp sides of the class- somehow, wriggle, creep, wander - till inevitably like iron filings to magnets they are drawn together...

......the 21/2 yr old newcomer who strruck this instant bond with a much bigger 6 yr old - cos he looks and feels like his older brother- buddies and brothers!

......the one who volunteered to demonstrate to the class what a hug is! and he chose to hug me!! 

Many Hearts One Playground

After months of listening to my kids tell me over and over again, I finally heeded to their pleas. I have decided to take the plunge and get my not so tech-savvy self to do something new for FRIENDS. Start blogging!

‘Step one: Learn how to be tech savvy…’ Considering this is what we do for living_teach and learn, I am hoping this shouldn’t be too hard a task, but not without help. I am going to need all the help I can get. So from today, look forward to more updates. We’ll tell you more about how we celebrate each day with friends, where many hearts come together in one playground.