Lego Stamping

Toddlers were busy doing Lego stamping for "Let's Build It" week. Using their imaginations and crazy intuitions to make masterpieces! Handling different textured object, especially using them to paint, is important for their motor skills and creativity. We love to see how different each painting becomes! 

 

Under The Sea

 

It is under the sea week at Academy of Seaboard Lane! Our Infant 2 class is really loving the feel (and taste) or our ocean sensory buckets. We used blue Jell-o and made our very own ocean to explore the animals in. More of them dug right in and once they figure out it also tasted good, they were even more eager to dig out the whales, sharks, start fish and other ocean friends. Using sensory buckets with this young age group is essential for their small motor development and they allow them to explorer more than one sense at a time through hands-on play. Who doesn't love an activity they can eat! 

Elephant Toothpaste for Circus Week

Pre-K 2 wanted to incorporate animals into their science this week with..  ELEPHANT TOOTHPASTE! Science experiments are so much fun outside, making a mess! Talking to the kids about the ingredients, the reactions, the hypothesis, and then watching it all unfold is a great way to keep their curiosity engaged at this age. We ca not wait to see what else they will come with this summer! 

 

Sensory Paint

Sensory art at this age is a fantastic way to engage their senses and foster creativity. You can use materials like colored rice, sand, puffy paint, or water beads for them to explore. Finger paints, playdough and textured papers are also great options. Always remember to supervise and keep a close eye on this age, curiosity gets the best of them!

 

Big Motor Skills

Big, giant, enormous motor skills! Intentional outdoor play is vital for physical and emotional growth. Infant 4 was busy this morning with tunnel peek-a-boo. Learning to navigate something new, watching others' turn and repeating a new skill are all great ways to develop big motor muscles and build trust.  

 

The Sweetest of All Circle Times

Circle time in our Infant Three looked like this today! They were busy with Frog Street curriculum, learning baby signs and singing songs with Ms. Hilda. Spending time outside is great for building observation skills and has a positive effect on focus, skills they will use ongoing.  

 

Building New Relationships

Sometimes when a new child enroll, it is likely it is their first experience with other children their age or at all. We love to see the different interactions throughout the day between the babies. Although they do not have the skill to speak yet, they are still communicating with each other through play and actions. When they connect with each other this way, they build the necessary responses they need to carry on relationships at all ages. 

 

Moving a Skill from Learning to Memory

The masters at color sorting are in Preschool 3 today! They are practicing not only their colors but also their counting. Doing simple worksheets like this daily will drastically improve these skills at this age. The only way to move these skills from learning, to memory, is to practice! 

 

Outdoor Time!

We love the changing of the seasons, especially into spring! Everything is blooming, including our kids! They love being able to take advantage of the sunshine and play outside. Push bikes, play sets, trikes and balls are the favorites. Using big motor skills is crucial for physical development at all ages. Challenging themselves and gaining confidence in their every day play! 

 

Importance of Sensory

 As if Infant One was not already loaded with sensory toys and activities, the teachers in there have added even more! One of our friends uses hearing aids and is learning to communicate through other senses. Having the feels and sights throughout the room for him will help develop all the same styles of communicating as his classmates. 

Baby Chats

 Morning baby chats are an imperative part of the schedule in our Infant One class. They love to not only face each other and play independently, but to be able to communicate while doing so. With all the babbles and bubbles, they sure are a chatty bunch! 

Imaginative Play

 Preschool 3 was busy this morning in open centers. We love seeing them choose their own center to play in and more importantly how they choose to play in it. Imaginative play at this age allows each child to play and learn about different topics in their own way. Whether they are using the tool bucket and tools the correct way as they have been shown, or if they are using them for a completely other activity, they are still engaging with their developing mind. 

Shape Makers

PreK 2 was busy making 3D shapes with their connector cubes this morning. They discussed shapes and how to make them out of various objects. Letting this age group design and have their own thoughts about how to make the shapes themselves is great for the development.