LVCC Preschoolers Honor Mothers Through Kiwanis Project

Happy Mother's Day! Ask the mother of any young child about her favorite Mother's Day present and you will most likely be shown lovely handmade artwork, made with love. The preschool and Pre-K Counts classes from LVCC on Walnut Street won't disappoint! They worked diligently to create a beautiful floral gift to present for mother's special day. The Kiwanis Club of Allentown generously sponsored the project by providing the gardening supplies, then helping out in the classroom.

Painting outside of the lines was not only permitted, but encouraged! By allowing the children to choose their own colors and designs, their imagination soared. Ordinary flower pots were transformed into a creative display of color.

Using motor skills and brainpower while measuring, the children filled biodegradable seedling pots with potting soil.

While planting the flowers into the pots, the preschoolers were introduced to the different parts of a flower - from root to petal. Gardening is an excellent activity to nurture a child's natural curiosity by exploring the workings of nature hands-on.

Volunteers from Kiwanis assisted the teachers and children 

throughout the two-day project.

The finished project, ready to take home to mom! 

To complete the memorable gift, the children made their own card for mom. A decorative inkblot pattern was created by (1) painting half of a sheet of paper, (2) folding it in half, and then (3) pressing down evenly on the paper. The result - a one-of-a-kind symmetrical piece of art to be cherished by mom forever.

Thank you to Kiwanis Club of Allentown for making this program possible.

Bricks 4 Kidz Makes Engineering Fun

Bricks 4 Kidz after school labs have joined LVCC at Lincoln School for LEGO Engineering classes every Wednesday in October. From 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., the children will use science, technology, engineering, problem-solving skills, and teamwork to build mechanical LEGO creations based on different themes.

This week, the children were introduced to an energy theme while constructing an oil pump jack. They learned the difference between a renewable energy source (i.e. sunlight) and a nonrenewable energy source (i.e. fossil fuels). Other models in the energy theme include solar panels and windmills. Another theme the children may explore is space. Using LEGO components and creativity, they will build satellites, centrifuges, or the Discovery space ship.

 "These programs are educational and fun," explains Erik Wright, Bricks 4 Kidz Educator, "working with gears, motors, and simple machines may spark an interest in science."