Wednesday is Pizza Day here at Oak Lane. Our kiddos start announcing it to us and each other long before lunch time: “Today is Pizza Day!!!” Yes, triple exclamation points — that’s how excited they are, every week.
This morning, our kiddos came inside after their morning adventure and sniffed the air. “The pizza is here — it smells so good!” (A couple little ones even pointed to their noses to be sure I understood.) Pizza Peddler double-cuts the slices for little hands and we serve fruit after the first two slices of pizza. After fruit, if a child is still hungry, we serve another slice — or two — or three.
Before meals, we take a moment to sing a song to give thanks for our food. There are variations by room; here’s what our toddlers chant, with hand motions:
Open, shut them, open, shut them
Give a little clap
Open, shut them, open, shut them
Lay them in your lap
Thank you for the birds so sweet
Thank you for the food we eat
Thank you for every single thing!
Our preschool rooms sing this cheerful song:
Oh, the earth is good to me, and so I thank the earth,
For giving me the things I need,
The sun and the rain and the apple seed,
The earth is good to me.
And every seed I sow, becomes an apple tree,
And soon there will be apples there
For everyone in the world to share,
The earth is good to me!
Apples, pizza, enthusiasm, gratitude — there’s always plenty to share!