At the beginning of the week, we told the Waterfall children, “We’re going to see a circus today!” Full of excitement, everyone climbed onto the bus, wondering where we were going. To their surprise, our destination was the gym!During the bus ride, some children began asking, “What is a circus?” They were excitedly imagining what the performers in colorful costumes might do to entertain them.As soon as the performance began, their eyes lit up with excitement. Throughout the show, we could hear enthusiastic reactions such as “Wow!! Amazing!!” The children were captivated by each performance, expressing their surprise and delight as they enjoyed the magical world of the circus.
週の始まり、「今日はサーカスを見に行くよ！」と伝えると、ワクワクしながらバスに乗り込んだWaterfallの子どもたち。向かった先は、なんと体育館！バスの中では「サーカスって何？」という疑問も。カラフルな衣装を着た人たちが、どんな楽しいことを見せてくれるのだろうと、期待で胸がいっぱいの様子でした。いざパフォーマンスが始まると、子どもたちは目をキラキラさせながら、終始「わー！！すごい！！」と大歓声。一つひとつのパフォーマンスに驚いたり、笑顔になったりと、サーカスの世界を思いきり楽しんでいました。
We also continued exploring ways to express our feelings through the original monsters the children created last week. Each child used different colors to represent their feelings on their monster worksheet. Then, one by one, they shared their work with the class, talking about what emotion their monster represented and when they experienced that particular feeling.Some children spoke very softly because they felt shy, while others showed signs of nervousness. It was wonderful to see each child reflecting on their own feelings and trying to express them in their own words. We also had the opportunity to discover sides of the children that we do not always see during everyday play.There are many different ways to express ourselves. We would like to gradually create more opportunities for the children to share their thoughts and feelings in front of others, helping them discover the joy of expressing themselves. As we prepare for our Winter Show in December, we hope these experiences will also help build their confidence in performing in front of an audience.
先週描いたオリジナルモンスターを使って、自分の気持ちを表現する活動にも取り組みました。気持ちの色を塗ったモンスターのワークシートを見せながら、「どんな感情なのか」「どんなときにその気持ちになるのか」を、一人ずつみんなの前で発表しました。少し恥ずかしそうに声が小さくなったり、緊張した表情を見せたりする子もいましたが、それぞれが自分の気持ちと向き合い、自分なりの言葉で伝えようとする姿が見られました。普段の遊びの中ではなかなか見られない一面もあり、子どもたちの新たな姿を発見する機会にもなりました。自分を表現する方法はさまざまです。これからも、みんなの前で発表する機会を少しずつ増やしながら、自分の思いや考えを伝える楽しさを経験していきたいと思います。12月のウィンターショーに向けても、表現することへの自信につなげていきます。
On another beautiful autumn day, with clear blue skies above us, Waterfall had the entire playground to ourselves! We decided to make the most of this special opportunity by inviting the children to lie down on the ground and simply enjoy the moment.As they relaxed, we introduced the feeling of being calm, saying, “I think we’re feeling calm right now!” The children naturally began sharing comments such as “It feels so nice!” and “This is fun!”We then asked, “We can relax here, can’t we? What sounds can you hear?” The children listened carefully and noticed sounds around them, responding, “A truck!” and “I can hear birds singing, too!”By slowing down and listening carefully, the children became aware of the little sounds in nature that they might usually overlook. It was a lovely opportunity for them to experience what it feels like to be calm and relaxed, using their whole bodies and senses.
また、青空が広がる気持ちのよい秋晴れの日には、園庭をWaterfallで貸し切り！そこで、思いきってみんなで地面にゴロンと寝転んでみました。「今の気持ちはI’m calmだね」と声をかけながら、体を使ってCalm（落ち着いた、穏やかな）気持ちを体験しました。すると、子どもたちから自然に「気持ちいい！」「楽しい！」という声が聞こえてきました。「リラックスできるね。何の音が聞こえる？」と尋ねてみると、「トラックの音！」「鳥の鳴き声も聞こえた！」と、周りの音に耳を澄ませる子どもたち。いつもは気づかずに通り過ぎてしまうような自然の音にも意識を向けながら、心と体が穏やかになる感覚を味わうことができました。
Starting next week, we will begin preparing for our Winter Show! The children will enjoy imaginative role-play as they decide on their characters and practice saying their lines. We look forward to seeing them build on their ideas together, develop their confidence, and discover even more joy in expressing themselves!
来週からは、いよいよウィンターショーに向けた活動も始まります。配役を決めたり、セリフを言ってみたりしながら、ごっこ遊びを楽しんでいきたいと思います。友だちと一緒に想像を膨らませ、自分らしく表現する楽しさをたくさん経験していきます！
