Grow, Learn, Play, Graduate!

Grow- A close relationship between the child and the caregiver is the best way to nourish the child's growing brain. When a caregiver plays with and sings, speaks, reads, or tells a story to the child and nurtures her or him with healthy food love and affection the child's brain grows. Being healthy, interacting with caregivers and living in a safe and clean environment can make a big difference in a child's growth, development and future potential.
Learn- Impotance of early childhood development. The emotional, social and physical development of young children has a direct effect on the overall development and on the adult they will become.  That is why understanding the need to invest in very young children is so important, so as to maximize their future well-being.
Play-  Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. Play is important to healthy brain development. It is through play that children at a very early age engage and interact in the world around them.

Constructing Our Imaginations!

The children are having a blast constructing their imaginations during construction week! The children have enjoyed building structures using a variety of materials! We have been working on several skills while in "The Power Of Play"! We are developing critical thinking. We help your child learn to talk about the patterns you see in more sophisticated ways, moving from shallow statements ("it's red, blue") to deeper explanations (" I built a building with two rooms and three different colors that stands about two feet tall"). We are also building their memory. We have children study a pattern, and then try to reduce it from their memory after taking the pattern away. Last but not least we like to stimulate creativity. We encourage your child to make patterns out of stuff we provide here at school-like legos, books, pool noodles, colored bears, blocks, colored foam, and the list goes on. Children learn through play everyday!

                            

                           
                                    

                                      

We Are "Digging" Construction Week!

We are under construction here at the Academy! Our teachers have had the best ideas like wheelbarrow races, painting roads with trucks, hammering golf tees in foam, and also letting the babies use their fine motor skills to move the trucks.

The Power of Construction!

Construction play offers open ended opportunities for children to design and create imaginative structures. Using abstract, modular forms construction play presents a "what-if" question and allows children to construct and continually modify their own representations. Construction play requires fine and gross motor skills. Construction play enhances problem solving abilities, mathematic skills, and language skills. Construction play can also boost a child's self esteem! 

"What should we build?"

"We're going to use the green legos!"

"We're going to use the blue legos!"

"I built an airplane!"

"My airplane goes fast!"

Art Exploration!

Art is a natural activity to support free play in children. The freedom to manipulate different materials in an organic and unstructured way allows for exploration and experimentation. These artistic endeavors and self-directed explorations are mot only fun, but educational as well. Art allows children to practice a wide range of skills that are useful not only for life, but also learning.

We are having so much fun with bubble art!

We like spraying chalk paint!

Art Is So Much Fun!

When we encourage our children to explore art, we encourage them to master themselves, their bodies, and a variety of tools and techniques. We give them many ways to express themselves. As parents and teachers, we can offer an environment where it is safe to experiment and create, where questions are encouraged and children have free access to the materials they need and enjoy. We do this so children are confident and comfortable with their creativity in whatever they do.

"Spray paint"

Have you ever eaten your paint? This paint is made of cool whip and kool aid!