Little Wonders — A Parent-Child Center

Art

This is an area of development so necessary for young children. They love to use their hands and experience things, or at least most do! We set up a variety of art/sensory experiences that allow the children to explore various mediums and supplies and we let them do what they want. The focus here is not on a finished product, rather on the process. They may be more interested in watching as they drip the glue than actually gluing something, or more interested in painting their hands than the paper. Art is generally done at the red rectangular table in the non-carpeted area of the room, or sometimes outside.

It is very important that children be allowed to experiment and really experience various mediums. Painting at the easel and/or painting boards encourages the large muscle skills important to develop prior to the smaller muscle skills. Our bodies develop from the inside out, so larger movements are important before more precise and smaller ones can develop.

First semester teachers will plan and prepare the art experience, modeling some great ideas that may be repeated. In the second semester, the parents will plan and execute the art experience. We start art when the youngest child reaches 15 months. In the baby classes, this station parent will usually help in the carpeted area near the driving toy.

Bouncer

The bouncer area is in the north-east corner of our yard, from the climber at the wall to the gate. The station parent engages and pays attention to the children at the bouncy tire by talking and/or singing. This is a great place to expend some of that physical energy as well as encourage socialization.

Children love to jump and it actually stimulates the proprioceptive sense. This is the sense that takes in stimulation to the joints and muscles allowing us the very simple action of being able to step off a curb without loosing our balance. Young children need to jump in order to develop this coordination.

The bouncer is a fun place to have children work together, whether it be jumping or singing. When one wants to get on or off, the others should “freeze” so the child can get on or off safely. Modeling this will encourage the children to be thoughtful and more aware of each other. Again, no lifting, just spotting them to climb! This station parent will also keep an eye on the climber near the wall and the “grass” area along the fence.

Climber

The climber is located right outside our classroom door. It helps the children to develop physical skills and competence in using their bodies, just like the loft. Physical play activities abound in our children’s world and are crucial to their development. The climbers and the loft offer plenty of good gross motor practice. Station parents should encourage the children by showing them hand and footholds and by letting them climb by themselves rather than picking them up and placing them on the climbers.

In order to learn children need to do for themselves. They may be frustrated at not being able to get up on the climber on their own, but frustration is a significant developmental motivator and all children will develop the capability in their own time. Children who cannot get up on the climber by themselves (with some helpful spotting of course), should not be there because of their inability to get down safely.

Dress-up

The area including the kitchen, table and chairs and the dress up clothes will be primarily used to capacity by the older classes. A child approaching 2 years of age is beginning to develop her imagination and this becomes evident through her choice of play. Pretending, or imaginative play, is one of the cornerstones of a young child’s world. Here children can indulge their imaginations with costumes, puppets, and replicas of “real” things found at home such as the kitchen utensils, food and vacuum cleaners.

While all of these things can be used to encourage imaginative play, the best plaything is YOU. Try on a hat and encourage the children to do the same. Sit down at the table and pretend you’re having dinner! Model how to pretend eating food without putting it in your mouth. Talk about what you’re eating and/or doing. This area is wonderful for the enhancement of language and social skills as well as imagination. Have Fun!

In younger classes this station parent is often an extra set of hands at loft, as we usually put all food stuffs away so as not to end up being mouthed by the babies. We also move the table and chairs away for more needed floor space.

Food

The food parent is responsible for bringing a snack for the class from home. For children, this is often:

• Cut-up fruit or vegetables
• Crackers or other starch
• A cheese or other protein

For parents, snacks include the above and often salads or pastas, as well. Our PM classes span lunchtime, so those snacks need to be heartier and will include an additional menu item. We appreciate parents bringing healthy foods for the children as well as the adults. We are a nut free school.

Food parents are also responsible for answering the phone when it rings and taking messages on a pad provided.

Loft

The wooden climbing structure on the carpeted area is important for the children’s development of physical skills and competence in using their bodies. They are taking pleasure in testing budding abilities, learning how well their limbs work and practicing their various uses. All children have their own pace for developing these capabilities, and it is important for parents and teachers to support them, while allowing each to go at his own pace. They need to practice these gross motor skills for themselves with us as spotters.

Station parents should encourage the children by directing them to the steps for climbing up and the slide for going down. Children will enjoy rolling objects down the loft to explore gravity, and station parents should encourage them only to use the smaller balls and vehicles for this. Larger objects can hurt a child below the slide.

Children in the 2 year-old classes are allowed to work on their “balance” by walking up the loft slide. They may be frustrated at not being able to get up to the top on their own. Frustration can be a powerful motivator and is necessary to propel children beyond their comfort level. Parents should help with the notion of “right of way”. Each child must learn that if there is another child at the top wanting to come down, that child has “right of way” and he/she must wait. It is important to encourage children to climb safely…if they are carrying an object, parents should ask to hold it until they reach the top.

Manipulatives

The round red table on the carpeted area and the adjacent floor space is a great place to enhance small muscle and eye-hand coordination as well as many other concepts. Each week the teacher will bring out 2 to 3 new items with which the children can play. Parents can help by sitting and interacting with the children; talk about what they are doing, the colors and shapes they see, and encourage turn taking when needed. Younger children will love the trains and vehicles. Older children will be interested in shape sorters, games and puzzles.

Toys may become scattered throughout the room. It is important to straighten up the room to minimize clutter when the opportunity arises as children are often discouraged from playing when too many things are out. Younger children will enjoy climbing on the large vinyl shapes. When children are climbing, please position yourself closer to them. They may need to be “spotted” and supported to be kept safe. In baby classes, the art parent will be assigned to a portion of the floor space near the driving toy and mirror. Babies may need spotting and support getting on and off the driving bench.

Playdoh

Done at the red round table in the non-carpeted area of the room, playdoh is another terrific sensory experience. Children can be shown how to pound, pull, poke, flatten and make shapes. Social interaction is vital at this area. Talk to the children about various shapes and what they are doing. Encourage them to take turns and begin awareness of “sharing” as you make sure each child at the table has a bit of playdoh with which to work. The older children will begin cooking with the playdoh and pretending it is food. As children listen to us talking about what is going on, they are improving their language skills and learning new words. Concentration is enhanced when a child becomes engrossed in the activity and stays focused for a bit.

Please try to keep children near or at the table with the playdoh so it doesn’t get on the rug. Check under the table often so the playdoh is not tracked to the carpet or outside. Playdoh won’t be introduced in younger classes until most children are at least 15 months old. Playdoh that has gone in the mouth should be immediately thrown away! In the baby classes, this parent will usually be placed at the book area on a padded surface brought out for the babies safe exploration.

Sand/Water

Sand/water play happens at the sand and water tables, which are never out at the same time and provide great sensory exploration. Grasping and releasing the sand and using tools to manipulate it also helps exercise a child’s fine motor skills and stimulates her sense of touch.

Station parents should model using the various play things in the sand. Pick sand up with a shovel and fill a container or run a truck through the sand, pour sand into the truck bed and then dump it. Show them what happens when they pour sand in the sand water wheel…great cause and effect! In the water, submerge cups to fill them, then pour them out. Use strainers and toys with holes to sprinkle the animals and give them a shower. Children may like getting rained on their arms!

Both of these mediums introduce concepts of empty and full, more and less. It is very important to phrase directives in the positive…keep the sand low, water stays in the table, etc. Sand parent should be aware of children walking off with sand and try to keep them at table. Sand parent should also sweep up sand prior to coming in for song time and check the playhouse for sand, too. Sand starts at about 15 months and is usually set up by the playhouse. The water table is brought out when weather is warm enough, so please bring a change of clothes for your child.

Wheel Toys

This is the area from the Play-Tree to the Castle. In baby classes, most of the children will flock to the tree climber and play with push toys in that area. In older classes, this area involves predominantly engaging children with the various wheel toys and balls.

Pushing and pulling helps children build large muscle skills and sitting on ride toys improves balance. All of these activities improve coordination as well as general body control. Large motor skills, such as running, throwing, and pedaling, improve first, with fine motor skills not far behind. This station affords plenty of opportunity for development of these skills.

There is also a nonphysical benefit of physical play, as it helps children work through stress and crankiness! Station parents promote physical play by modeling it – engaging in physical activities with the children like throwing a ball, running, playing hide and seek, tossing beanbags, etc. This station parent is also responsible for the climber near the wall and needs to make the safety of climbing children their priority (and keep an arm–length away if children are climbing). Wheel toys must stay outside, but balls may travel in or out.