What children do:
Pretend to be pirates, train engineers, fire fighters, kings, queens, princesses, police officers, animals, families, mail carriers, super heroes, storybook characters, roller skating babies, dancing horses, and others, have tea parties, create restaurants, space ships, stores, animal houses, and more.

What children learn

• Socially & Emotionally: Play out real life situations, group interactions, experience different roles and see from different vantage points, jobs in the community, respect for self and others, self expression, flexible thinking, confidence, self esteem, verbalizing their needs, conflict resolution, negotiation skills, expressing/representing emotion.
• Cognitively (Literacy, Math & Science): Language development, planning skills, vocabulary, problem solving, classification, develop representational thinking, and creating cognitive models of how the world works
• Physically: Fine motor skills: Buttoning, snapping, zipping, tying, dressing skills, body awareness, spatial awareness, and physical expression.

What children do:
Use materials: wooden unit blocks, large hollow blocks, small pattern blocks, legos, and more, build roads, train tracks, homes, buildings, towers, animal worlds, airports, dinosaur environments, artistic designs, and more.

What children learn

• Socially & Emotionally: Cooperation with others, making choices, negotiation skills, respect for self and others, self expression, represent and understand real life situations
• Cognitively (Literacy, Math & Science): Identifying shapes, understanding scale, classifying and sorting, counting sequentially, making predictions, creative use of materials, cause and effect, creative thinking, problem solving, developing concepts of balance, measurement, and gravity, language development skills, vocabulary, pattern identification skills, and developing spatial reasoning skills
• Physically: Gross motor strengthening, small motor development, visual perception, muscle control and coordination, core muscle strengthening

What children do:
Explore: sand, water, play dough, clay, gak, flour, cornmeal, bubbles, and more, use measuring cups, funnels, sifters, tubes, hoses, objects for imprinting and molding, garlic presses, scissors, rollers, etc.

What children learn

• Socially & Emotionally: Negotiation skills, turn-taking, cooperative play, group social skills, dramatic play (using flour to make a pretend birthday cake or creating an environment in the sand), making sense of the world using representation and playing out real life situations
• Cognitively (Literacy, Math & Science): Properties of various materials, how materials change with heat, water or manipulation; measuring, sorting, basic math concepts, conservation, volume, and cause and effect
• Physically: Fine motor control, eye-hand coordination, and tactile stimulation/soothing, energy modulation

What children do:
Painting, cutting, gluing, drawing, play dough, clay, mixing colors, sculpture, 3D construction, stringing beads, making books, collage, sewing, finger painting, etc.

What children learn

• Socially & Emotionally: Creative expression, self-esteem, creative use of materials, and problem solving
• Cognitively (Literacy, Math & Science): Unique properties of materials, colors, shapes, textures, planning skills, how properties change, symbolic representation (precursor to reading/writing), ecological awareness (using recycled materials), cause and effect, and picture/illustration relations
• Physically: Fine motor development, eye-hand coordination, and balance

What children do:
Puzzles, pattern blocks, dominoes, geo-boards, peg boards, Brio-Mec, Cuisenaire rods, bottle caps, marbles, magnets, pipettes, tweezers, and sorting materials.

What children learn

• Socially & Emotionally: How to work in small groups, to see peers as models, and perseverance
• Cognitively (Literacy, Math & Science): Classifying, sorting, creating patterns, understanding matching skills, concepts such as color, size, shape, and number, sequencing, problem solving, vocabulary, observation skills, and logic
• Physically: Fine motor development, eye-hand coordination, visual discrimination, and motor planning

What children do:
Discussion, storytelling, introduction to science materials, planning for choices, group writing, singing, dancing, rhythm sticks, instruments, creative movement with music, imitating animals, yoga postures, group games, and graphing experiences.

What children learn

• Socially & Emotionally: Respect for self and others, negotiating skills, verbal expression, cooperating with others, group social skills, confidence, appreciating differences, self-regulation, and public speaking
• Cognitively (Literacy, Math & Science): Following patterns, predicting outcomes, new vocabulary, beginning writing skills, listening skills, pitch, tempo, learning classifications like colors, body parts, shapes, etc., observation skills, body awareness, balance, and keeping rhythm
• Physically: Coordination, agility, listening skills, observation skills, and spatial awareness

What children do:
When the weather permits many activities from the above curriculum categories may also happen outside along with running, climbing, throwing and kicking balls, digging in the sandbox, pretend play, wood working: hammers, saws, and screwdrivers, swinging, spinning, sliding, riding tricycles, scootering, playing with snow, discovering bugs and birds, gardening and planting, ball games, group games, obstacle courses, and climbing trees.

What children learn

• Socially & Emotionally: Self confidence, cooperative playing, environmental appreciation, negotiating and taking turns, connection with the natural world, perseverance, and practice makes better
• Cognitively (Literacy, Math & Science): Problem solving, physical properties of materials, planning skills, cause and effect, vocabulary development, observation skills, and listening skills
• Physically: Body awareness, spatial awareness, large muscle development, small muscle development, eye-hand coordination, balance, motor planning, and sequencing

Note: Gross motor play is also available indoors on foul weather days with an indoor climber, mats, large blocks, etc.

What children do:
Birthdays, Family days, Harvest Celebration, Winter Celebration, Silver & Gold (year end). Note: These celebrations take place in each classroom and are designed expressly for young children.

What children learn

• Socially & Emotionally: Ritual, social skills, respect for others, cyclical nature of life, experiencing membership in a community, and contributing to the community (by making food or gifts, singing, and participating)
• Cognitively (Literacy, Math & Science): Planning, vocabulary development, and cultural history.
• Physically: Fine motor skills used in cooking, gross motor skills used in dance or movement.