SEDGWICK PARK

Lil' Pandas

Children registered for 2 1/2 year classes must be 2 1/2 years old

by September 1 of current preschool year.

Class Activities

Circle Time

This is an important time, during which the children meet as a group to discuss the calendar, weather, and other exciting happenings of the day. Appropriate classroom behaviors and listening skills are introduced at this time. Circle time also consists of songs, finger plays, stories, and games. The project for the day is explained at this point, and a brief period of show and tell will occur.

Music and Movement

The children will have an opportunity to explore music and rhythm through songs, finger plays, musical games, records, tapes, and parachute play. Large muscle movement such as hopping, jumping, skipping, stretching, and running in place, etc. may also occur at this time.

Free Play

The class begins with creative free play. The children have an opportunity to choose from a variety of individualized to small group activities including play dough, puzzles, books, table games, building blocks, free art, dress-up, transportation play, kitchen play, and other miscellaneous play equipment.

Arts and Crafts

The children will have an opportunity to create projects that reflect a theme and develop fine motor skills such as cutting, gluing, pasting, tearing, painting, coloring, and cooking. We believe that it is the process of "doing" that is important, NOT the final product. Ask your child to tell you about the finished piece of work. Not all of these projects can or will be brought home. Some may be used as samples and/or decorations at school.

Book Corner

In our classroom we have a wide variety of books for the children to sit and read. Sometimes they may be too young to actually read the words, however, pictures allow the imagination to explore. It is amazing to hear some of the stories they can come up with just from simple images. Children learn to read to themselves, dolls, or even other classmates.

Snack Time

This is a favorite part of the children's day. Each child/parent is asked to provide snack time goodies, juice or milk, cups, and napkins for 10 to 15 children at least one time during the year. These snack times will be assigned by the instructor and will coincide with your child's show and tell day. A recommended snack may be a nutritional, simple to eat snack and light colored/clear juice or milk (one gallon of milk or one 2 liter bottle of clear or light juice is usually enough).

NOTE: Due to peanut products causing severe allergic reactions in come children, we have become a "Peanut Free Environment". We also require that all snacks be packaged, not home baked. Please note that we will not serve home baked goods, items containing peanuts, or red colored juices. This includes special occasions and holidays. Thank you for your cooperation on this matter.

Sand and Water Tables

In our everyday learning environment we have found that children learn a variety of socialization skills while participating at the water table. It's common for two and three year olds to involve them selves only in parallel play, which is the beginning of making friends and group play. Often times the children will be playing the same game, but there isn't any interaction involved. Within time, the children start communicating with each other. Eventually all children are sharing ideas, turns and equipment. Within this activity children are introduced to things such as water temperature, measuring, pouring, volume and weight. They experience textures, floating, sinking and other necessary information pertaining to water and sand.

Easels

Within our classroom we have a variety of easels for our participants. Throughout the week we will put out different tools to be used. The materials we have available include things such as crayons, markers, watercolors, chalk and a variety of paint. This area not only involves art experience, it also allows children to use their imagination and creativity.

Dramatic Play

Pretending provides a way for young children to learn more about the adult world. It helps them increase social and language skills by interacting with other children. Dramatic play gives children the avenue to act out real life situations or to depart into the world of fantasy. Our LOFT provides children a great chance to interact and demonstrate strong social skills.

Playground Equipment

Our playground equipment is a great source for developing gross motor skills. The children start to develop more language skills by socializing around the playground. The climbing, hopping, and swinging provide another great avenue to opening children's imaginations. Soon to the children, the mulch isn't just pieces of wood it is now an ocean and the equipment becomes a boat!