Our Daily Activities—Free play
Free play—Child directed activities-allow the child to make choices and have say in their day. Every child’s interest are covered. Busy children can be busy, quieter children can be quiet. This provides time for the teacher to circulate and interact with the children on a one on one basis. This time allows teachers to observe children, providing us with much needed information on development. Children have an innate drive to explore, discover and master new skills. We provide them with hands on opportunities that will extend their experiences to the fullest, making them as rich as possible. Play requires physical, verbal or mental engagement with people objects or ideas as well as exploration of their environment.
Dramatic Play Area
Provides daily life skills; manipulation of their physical environment as well as the management of relationships and how different roles may feel; allows the children to try leadership roles; requires problem solving and imagination. The child can be an actor or observer simultaneously.
Art Center
Provides opportunities for creative expression, problem solving and physical and sensory development. It also develops fine and gross motor skills. Free art goes along way in raising a child’s self esteem.
Reading Corner
Helps motivate children to read and enjoy books. Looking through books, hearing stories and seeing adults enjoy books help children feel the joy of reading; a positive beginning for future readers.
Construction Materials
Wood working, blocks, Lego, all help develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and strength. This type of play also enhances imagination and provides opportunities for children to work together. Constructing materials will provide learning experiences in measurements, ratio and problem solving. This will also teach mathematical relationships, (2 small blocks = 1 large block). Building generally involves several players and is a great social play experience learning to share materials, ideas, roles, and achievements.
Manipulative Materials
Puzzles, beads, pegboards, etc., are designed to provide practice in hand-eye coordination and help develop small muscles in fingers and hands. This is important preparation for writing and cutting. This also exposes children to concepts of colour, size and shapes, which will help them in the ability to recognize letters, and words. These activities also require different thinking strategies as well as problem solving and creativity.
Cognitive Development
All the above contributes to cognitive development. Activities such as woodworking, cooking, water play, sand and block building are important to help children develop concepts. Other materials such as scales, balances, lotto, and matching games are specifically designed to help children learn about the world through the process of comparison, classification and measurements. Other games and materials are prepared as part of the curriculum.
Free play—Child directed activities-allow the child to make choices and have say in their day. Every child’s interest are covered. Busy children can be busy, quieter children can be quiet. This provides time for the teacher to circulate and interact with the children on a one on one basis. This time allows teachers to observe children, providing us with much needed information on development. Children have an innate drive to explore, discover and master new skills. We provide them with hands on opportunities that will extend their experiences to the fullest, making them as rich as possible. Play requires physical, verbal or mental engagement with people objects or ideas as well as exploration of their environment.
Dramatic Play Area
Provides daily life skills; manipulation of their physical environment as well as the management of relationships and how different roles may feel; allows the children to try leadership roles; requires problem solving and imagination. The child can be an actor or observer simultaneously.
Art Center
Provides opportunities for creative expression, problem solving and physical and sensory development. It also develops fine and gross motor skills. Free art goes along way in raising a child’s self esteem.
Reading Corner
Helps motivate children to read and enjoy books. Looking through books, hearing stories and seeing adults enjoy books help children feel the joy of reading; a positive beginning for future readers.
Construction Materials
Wood working, blocks, Lego, all help develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and strength. This type of play also enhances imagination and provides opportunities for children to work together. Constructing materials will provide learning experiences in measurements, ratio and problem solving. This will also teach mathematical relationships, (2 small blocks = 1 large block). Building generally involves several players and is a great social play experience learning to share materials, ideas, roles, and achievements.
Manipulative Materials
Puzzles, beads, pegboards, etc., are designed to provide practice in hand-eye coordination and help develop small muscles in fingers and hands. This is important preparation for writing and cutting. This also exposes children to concepts of colour, size and shapes, which will help them in the ability to recognize letters, and words. These activities also require different thinking strategies as well as problem solving and creativity.
Cognitive Development
All the above contributes to cognitive development. Activities such as woodworking, cooking, water play, sand and block building are important to help children develop concepts. Other materials such as scales, balances, lotto, and matching games are specifically designed to help children learn about the world through the process of comparison, classification and measurements. Other games and materials are prepared as part of the curriculum.