ScheduleArrivals--> 8:30 AM: Quiet free play
8:30 AM -->9 AM: AM Snack/diapers and potty (If your child arrives before 8:30 AM please make sure they have had breakfast BEFORE coming!) 9 AM --> 10:30 AM: Free Play and learning activities 10:30 AM--> 12 PM: Outside (weather permitting)--usually a walk with the dog followed by play in the yard) 12 PM --> 12:30 PM: Lunch prep/free play 12:30 PM --> 1 PM Lunch, diapers/potty 1 PM --> 3:15 PM: Naps 3:15 PM --> 3:30 PM: Wake up, diapers/potty 3:45 PM --> 4 PM: Snack 4 PM --> 5:30 PM: Outside/free play 5:30 PM --> close: inside free play with quiet activities |
(These times are approximate; I use more of a "rhythm" for our day and it varies with weather, moods, sleepiness, etc) |
Free Play and Learning Activities
We use a home-grown preschool curriculum that draws heavily from such proven methods as Montessori and Reggio Emilia. Our activities are play-based and developmentally appropriate, teaching children important preschool and kindergarten readiness skills while helping them learn about the world around them and develop strong social, emotional, and self-help skills.Our learning domains (or subject areas) include math, language, sensory, fine and gross motor, creative, and science. We also incorporate many sensory activities into our daily curriculum as well as social-emotional skills, practical life skills, and self-help skills. I focus most strongly on the sensory, creative, self-help, and motor skills (both fine and gross) in the toddler years, adding more as the child grows. In a curriculum such as this one, worksheets are rare or non existent, as the learning happens in an "authentic" (meaning naturally occurring in the child's day and play) way. You may not see evidence of your child's learning coming home with neatly filled out sheets of paper or mass-produced crafts, but you will see it all over their hands and clothes (though we *try* to stay neat) and in their language abilities, their physical abilities, and their social abilities.
Outside
Weather permitting we spend quite a lot of time outside! As long as it's not raining or snowing too hard, and the temperature is above 35 degrees F, we try to get outside for at least a portion of our two "outside" times per day.
On days when it's raining hard (and this means more than a light sprinkle; a few drops don't worry us!), snowing hard (a few flakes don't worry us either!), or too cold to go out, we will have more playtime! This is the kind of time when we tend to break out the Special Toys and activities--have a dance party, put up a ball pit, fort-building, bowling, etc.
What about heat? We aren't afraid of the heat, but we do stay inside when either the heat or the humidity is making everyone miserable. This is most likely in the high nineties with high humidity, and even then, we will usually just adjust our schedule to get out for a long period in the morning and then stay in all afternoon.
On days when it's raining hard (and this means more than a light sprinkle; a few drops don't worry us!), snowing hard (a few flakes don't worry us either!), or too cold to go out, we will have more playtime! This is the kind of time when we tend to break out the Special Toys and activities--have a dance party, put up a ball pit, fort-building, bowling, etc.
What about heat? We aren't afraid of the heat, but we do stay inside when either the heat or the humidity is making everyone miserable. This is most likely in the high nineties with high humidity, and even then, we will usually just adjust our schedule to get out for a long period in the morning and then stay in all afternoon.
Snacks and Meals
I provider lunch and snacks to all children who are eating table food (as opposed to infant food). Lunches are balanced and nutritious and I take great care to serve a great variety of main dishes, fruits, and veggies every week. Morning snacks are simple, kind of like a little breakfast. Afternoon snacks are our chance to have a bit more fun, especially if everyone ate well that day! We will have "sweeter" snacks in the afternoons several time a week--a couple times a month we might bake cookies or have an extra-special snack that is sweeter/junkier than our norm. We believe that it's okay to have a treat sometimes and teach kids how to enjoy those treats in balance with everything else.
We adhere to the Federal Food Program guidelines which can be found here. Personally, I merely offer milk at each meal and do not offer it at snack-time because I believe in the importance of drinking plenty of water. I balance that belief with offering plenty of foods that provide the necessary calcium, protein, and other nutrients that are found in milk as well. I try to balance snacks to have a grain OR a protein and a fruit OR a vegetable.
We buy organic/local whenever we can and avoid high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, and artificial flavors. Very little of what I serve is highly processed (bread products being the only ones I can think of) or has added sugar (yogurt), and only a few things are canned--all veggies are either fresh or frozen. I bake and cook a lot as well as buy things in season and freeze for later.
We adhere to the Federal Food Program guidelines which can be found here. Personally, I merely offer milk at each meal and do not offer it at snack-time because I believe in the importance of drinking plenty of water. I balance that belief with offering plenty of foods that provide the necessary calcium, protein, and other nutrients that are found in milk as well. I try to balance snacks to have a grain OR a protein and a fruit OR a vegetable.
We buy organic/local whenever we can and avoid high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, and artificial flavors. Very little of what I serve is highly processed (bread products being the only ones I can think of) or has added sugar (yogurt), and only a few things are canned--all veggies are either fresh or frozen. I bake and cook a lot as well as buy things in season and freeze for later.
Naps
We feel that adequate rest is VERY important for the growing body and mind of the very young child. We take our naps as seriously as we take our play! Kids usually sleep better here than they do at home...we're not sure why but we suspect it has to do with how hard we play each day!
Infants nap according to their body's needs and toddlers/preschoolers nap once a day from around 1 until around 3. I try NOT to wake children up at a predesignated time as I trust their bodies to know how much sleep is needed for their growing brains and bodies.
We have a dedicated room for napping--this allows children to fall asleep in a dark, cool environment. We use white noise (a CD of radio static) to help drown out sounds coming from outside or above the napping room. The white noise also helps them to stay asleep and get plenty of rest despite the noise and chaos of other children around.
Infants nap according to their body's needs and toddlers/preschoolers nap once a day from around 1 until around 3. I try NOT to wake children up at a predesignated time as I trust their bodies to know how much sleep is needed for their growing brains and bodies.
We have a dedicated room for napping--this allows children to fall asleep in a dark, cool environment. We use white noise (a CD of radio static) to help drown out sounds coming from outside or above the napping room. The white noise also helps them to stay asleep and get plenty of rest despite the noise and chaos of other children around.
TV Time
You might have noticed that there's not much room in that schedule up there for TV shows--this is because we rarely watch TV! The only exception is children who have outgrown a nap do get to cuddle up on the couch with blankets and a nice movie or some kids shows during nap-time--they may not need to sleep, but it's still important to get some time to just chill after lunch. In my experience, the nap will drop sometime between 4 and 5.
Transportation and Field Trips
We do not transport daycare children nor go on field trips.