It’s Just Play

Whether children start their day in our infant, preschool or school-age program, they come ready to play. The educators set the rooms up to invite, enhance and encourage children’s play, knowing their interests, developmental needs, and strengths. The educators observe children playing naturally in their rooms, make notes, and discuss what they observe with each other in order to extend the children’s play.

The educators observing the children playing are actually making assessments and notes about the play as a “verb”, not a “noun”. So if a group of children is playing with a miscellaneous bunch of blocks, the play isn’t the noun – blocks- but the verb – what the children are doing with the blocks.

The children are challenging themselves – how high can we build it? This takes coordination, teamwork, balancing, and expressing ideas.

They are using hollow blocks to put different objects inside. They are ordering and organizing, learning about size, and volume.

They are balancing – either themselves on the blocks, how each block fits without falling down or creating a natural scale with one object balanced on one side, and a heavier object on another.

Observing children playing occurs in our other areas as well – art, role-playing, music, and discovery so we can help to enhance their development naturally by providing materials and meaningful activities.

So if your child comes home and replies to your question – “What did you do today?” as “I played”, know that a rich amount of learning occurred!