This month, we welcomed 13 new toddlers into our program! As one may expect, transitioning into childcare can bring big emotions for everyone - especially the children and families. Therefore, the educators focused on building connections and strengthening relationships with everyone. Early in the first week, we discovered that the toddlers all collectively love the song Old McDonald, and so we read the book together. Educator AJ started off reading the book but the children helped by identifying the animals and the sounds they make respectively in each page. "It’s a cow," Natalie noticed. "Moo!" Jude said. "It's a chicken, cluck cluck!" Amay shared. The children enjoyed it so much that we read the book over and over! During outdoor time, the children are very engaged in exploring their environment. We discovered that they particularly like anything that rolls, such as wheels, logs, bikes, and balls. Educator Simmy set up some ramps, logs, and balls, and the children had a fun time watching the logs and balls roll down the ramp. In this activity, they were introduced to early concepts of physics. They were curious to see how balls compare to logs as they roll. "Down!" Nathaniel said as he pointed at the log that rolled down the ramp. The wheelbarrows and bikes were also popular toys during outdoor play time. "Bike! I want bike!" the children said. These pieces of equipment helped the children develop their gross motor skills and coordination as they help strengthen various muscles in the children's bodies. By the end of the week, the children were happily playing in the program and participating in activities, and at the start of their second week, we noticed a huge change compared to their first week. The children are clearly feeling more comfortable in the program and are fully engaging in play. What a great start to the school year!
