Our little ones have been having a blast in Younger Pod this fall! Check out some highlights from our enrichment patio and outdoor classroom that will LEAF you smiling!
Enrichment Patio Library
Our friends are learning how to handle books! Turning pages with tiny hands is a major fine motor challenge. Book handling, orientation, turning pages one at a time, pointing to pictures and talking about the illustrations develop important early literacy skills.
Writing Center
Our little ones are so creative and love to color, stamp and sticker. Scribbling is so important to build dexterity and begin to understand that marks and lines can represent shapes, letters, objects, and people! We’ve been working with crayons, colored pencils, oil pastels, and chalk! As the year goes on, we’ll continue to progress using other fun materials.
Art
You’ll commonly see art alternate between table art and easel art on the patio. This intentionally engages a different set of muscles. The easel is a fantastic medium for our little ones! It allows them to take a step back and see their creation from a different perspective or physically lean in to their art.
Science and Sensory
At this age, science is sparking curiosity, exploring textures, colors, cause and effect. We are giving our little ones early exposure to a wide array of tools to manipulate and move objects around–tools like safe scissors, tweezers, scoops and measuring cups.
Dramatic Play
Pretend play expands our imagination, language and social skills! We’ve enjoyed home and kitchen, a pet shop, a farmer’s market, western and are currently enjoying a petting zoo.
Building
When we build we’re making connections, exploring cause and effect (filling and dumping), developing spacial awareness and so much more! We love to build!
Gross Motor
Movement is our favorite thing to do at two! We’re putting our muscles to work, practicing skills, developing eye-hand coordination and having fun while we do it! Our October pumpkin toss was a blast. Currently, our little ones are working on coordinating upper body movements with lower body movement via our yarn ball game. Practicing gross motor movements is so important and enables our little ones to perform everyday functions and self-help skills.
Friendship
Everyday, our little ones are practicing how to show love to each others by sharing, taking turns and of course HUGS! They especially like to help each other with their “jobs” (classroom routine tasks).
A Personal Note
It is such a joy getting to spend time with your little ones in younger pod. Their unique personalities and preferences are expressed everyday in our outdoor classroom and on the younger pod enrichment patio. The time I have with them is so special to me because I get to see their faces light up with intrigue and excitement in response to the carefully planned activities that I set-up for them everyday. I can’t adequately express just how much I value each relationship and bond that I get to build with each child. I pray for your family and your little one often!
💕
Ms. Kristen
YP Outdoor Specialist
