Summer is here and it’s time to take our curriculum outside! As with every season at Lil’ People’s World, our focus is to set up every child for successful learning. We offer an array of creative, interactive, and developmentally appropriate curricula for all ages.
All of our activities are documented in each child’s portfolios for families to follow along on the curriculum and engagement journeys. We encourage families to engage in what their children are doing at our centers and build a bridge to learning and development at home. Strengthening brain function takes a rigorous amount of repetition, and for children — who thrive on repetition! — this is a simple task of continued familiar connections.
Here’s an overview of each Center’s curriculum for the summer.
Science Is Seattle’s Summer Focus
At our North Seattle daycare center, teachers are taking an innovative approach to process science. Children are continuously learning from the world around them. Science is based on making a key discovery that often leads to new questions, just ready to be investigated. Children and teachers alike are finding new ways to see the world around them.
In the fall, our preschool classroom explored pumpkins, inside and out. They enjoyed the shapes, colors, and sensory. The children than allowed the pumpkins to continue to ripen, over-ripen, and eventually mold in a terrarium environment. With clear and exposed visuals, the children were able to watch, investigate, and learn as the scientific process changed into something bigger!
The kiddos then helped to transplant the growing project to the outdoors when springtime arrived. Throughout the summer, they will get to watch the growth and development of their new pumpkin patch and truly see the full lifecycle of the plants.
Adventure Is on the Agenda in Kirkland
At our Kirkland preschool, the curriculum has a focus on adventure. Changing the approach to daily activities stimulates brain development. Children benefit from differing routines physically, emotionally, socially, and cognitively.
Our infant rooms are adventuring outside to take in the warmth and experience the smells and beauty of the outdoors. Our waddlers are also headed outside and are playing with colored water, painting with flowers, and experiencing all the world has to offer. Our preschool and toddler children will be embarking on new and exciting scientific rainbow activities — discovering how liquid flows from one container to the next with saturation.
Ladybug, Ladybug, we love watching you!
Bugs & Basil in Bellevue
At our Bellevue daycare, horticulture is at the peak of the curriculum.
Each room plants, cares for, and is growing several items in the new greenhouse. A few plants have already taken bloom, including mint, basil, carrots, cilantro, and an assortment of flowers.
Children build self-confidence, independence, and a sense of pride as they nurture their own plants. They measure, water, and make thoughtful observations and predictions for what will come next.
In addition, our kiddos have enjoyed watching their classroom ladybugs come to life. They will soon set these pertinent insects out and about to help their plants thrive. And, in all this fun, the children are enjoying moments and learning that they will take with them for life.
Our curriculum helps our children relate to the world. We create and then modify what we teach based on each child’s individual learning style and functioning because we want to develop the individual child, not just the class. We inspire children to use the skills they have while giving them open-ended materials to continue growing their minds.