Infants: how cute are they? My 2 to 9 month old class is full of firsts. Learning to roll through music and practice rolling. Doing the crawling exercise, mirror play and massage. A lot of hands on activities using music and finger plays. Parachutes, balls , bolsters and ramps - we use them all to stimulate brain waves. Exercising little muscles is a must, plus mom (or dad or whomever) will get some exercise too! Eye/hand coordination, focusing on colors exercises are preparing the eyes for reading. Laughing, smiling, singing and dancing. Its all about baby!
Transitional babies are just about ready to walk or early walkers. These are busy babies with naturally short attention spans, but are they fun! Music, dancing, spinning, rolling, exploring, lots of fun. Push toy, putting things in, taking things out. We do all the things the infants do, only faster.
Toddlers are little people that are starting to listen to directions and they love to please you! (well, sometimes) Sitting in a circle on their own little rugs, exploring musical instruments and marching . Finger plays, stories, scarf play, bean bags and lots of laughin
g. Playdough, easel painting, puzzles and riding toys - we never have a dull moment! Children are most comfortabe with the same routine. I change the activities within that routine. We do have a small snack and short outside time with this class. The children love it as they learn how to play in a group setting. It's very fun!
Preschoolers are ready to do and learn everything. I try to incorporate things for all interests from kitchen play to dinosaurs. Puppets, play dough, puzzles and creative play. The 3 to 4 year old is busy, busy, busy! Learning the child's name, letters, and stories are all important to the growing mind. Parallel play while building with blocks, shapes or Lego's. Art projects, crafts, and learning to put things together, preschoolers love it! A lot of the class themes follow the seasons and holidays along with songs and finger plays.
During the spring classes we will be meeting at the Santa Ana Zoo. It is the perfect zoo for infants through 5 year olds. I will be changing the blog about every three weeks to include words to songs, materials used for art activities, and anything else parents want or need information on. I stress positive and happy classes.
