Free play is a big part of our program where we allow children to play with having access to all areas in the room. During free play staff encourage social skills, help build on ideas and create play. Play is a tool children use to make sense of what they see in the world around them. Knowing that we as staff are always looking for those moments to build onto their play, expand their ideas, and help define the world around us.
Circle time is when we separate the children into smaller learning groups, sing songs together, have puppet or felt stories. We also teach about the alphabet, counting, the calendar and put focus on our weekly theme. To expand learning we teach themes in a way that can be relatable to children. We encourage their feedback and participation in group conversations.
Planned activities are when the staff have prepared an activity to do with the children. Our planned activity is focused on our weekly theme, it includes basic skill development for coloring, drawing shapes, writing letters, numbers, cutting with scissors. We also do a variation of craft activities,
~one is where we work with children step by step and work on comprehensive skills, help children adapt to following direction and creating a product.
~two is placing loose materials or basic instructions and allowing children to use their creativity and imagination to create their work of art.
Come and Go activities is where staff place loose materials on a table for art, or work with small groups doing a science experiment. These activities are free flow as in they allow children to choose whether they would like to participate or not. It allows children to have a choice and an opportunity to try something different. These activities can be either self guided or staff guided.
We love singing and stories. Stories are a great opportunity to familiarize children with letters, and reading. They show a picture but also encourage children to comprehend what they are hearing and to imagine the story as they listen along.
Through songs and singing we learn about body parts, numbers, letters, days of the week and much more in a fun way. Almost all our songs include movements to do along with the words. Some songs include social skills by finding a partner to row a boat with, or to ask to come up and dance.
Gross Motor is doing activities that encourage children to use their large muscles with their mind to coordinate movements, tuck through a tunnel, or hop from one stone to the next. Gross Motor activities allow children to problem solve and challenge their agility.
It is a great way to help keep children healthy, and a great break to burn off some energy, release tension while having fun.
Our Gross Motor activities include but are no limited too, siting on scooters and rolling around, going through an obstacle course, bouncing balls and throwing them threw a hope, walking on balance beams, and of course playing outside.