Play. Be. Discover.

This program offers a gentle and strong foundation in preparation for preschool. Focusing on nurturing each child physically, emotionally, and mentally. Encouraging their natural wisdom and curiosity.

This program utilizes a Play-Based Expressive Arts Curriculum including: Art, Music, Creative Dance, Yoga, Poetry and Dramatic Storytelling and learning through Nature.

The four pillars of this program are Safety, Love, Respectful Relationships and Meaningful Education. In a safe, loving environment, we pay attention and connect with the peaceful place inside as a center point for relating and being in the world. This centered approach nurtures the beginnings of social development. We practice and talk about gentle hands, creating hands, celebrating hands and touch our hearts and say good morning as we begin each class. Beginning to explore the balance between internal and external relating.

The curriculum provides a Meaningful Education by providing an ample amount of movement throughout the program which matches the natural exploration of toddlers. The curriculum also aligns with the sensorimotor and pre-operational stage of cognitive development for this age. Each class offers visual, auditory, verbal and tactile symbols, ideas and choices of play to engage all learning styles.

Time engaged in the expressive arts and the natural world stimulate a multi-sensory environment for learning and discovery. Engaged play supports gross motor and fine motor skills. Throughout the class props, tools, art materials, natural elements, toys and obstacle courses are introduced for manipulation and practice of locomotive and nonlocomotor skills encouraging coordination and problem solving. Circle dances and simple games like red light/green light and squirrel in the tree are introduced to support social development in a fun ways.

Time, encouragement, as well as simple structures invite participants to be the storyteller, the dancer, the artist, the poet, the naturalist and the musician as well as the audience, the listener and the steward.

The curriculum also focuses on supporting sensory integration of all the learning that takes place. Each class offers the BrainDance which is a mind-body neuroexcercise program that focuses on balancing the nervous system. Pauses for processing information and rest times are encouraged and supported. In our fast paced world, it is important to learn from an early age how to integrate all the stimulation and information around us. Digging in dirt in the backyard during outside time is one way that brings calm as we listen to nature sounds around us. We will explore other techniques and tools that work well. For example, during rest time after a light sensory scarf wave, we place our hands on our bellies as the wave of our breathe rises and falls.