ProgrammingBoth the indoor and outdoor classrooms are developmentally appropriate. Caregivers create an environment that is welcoming, inclusive, predictable, and designed with the childrens’ needs and interests in mind. When environments are developmentally appropriate, children gain confidence and begin to develop life skills and independence.Open-Ended materials are an essential part of our outdoor and indoor classrooms. Both open-ended materials and loose parts are weaved throughout both environments as these types of materials help develop creativity and inventive thinking. Authentic Assessment is used to guide a child’s learning. Through authentic assessment, caregivers will see a child’s development in real time. Caregivers use this information to adjust the developmentally appropriate environment to meet the needs of the children and promote the next stage of growth and development.Children learn best when they are playing without adult interruption. When caregivers step back and allow children to play, they will naturally engage in the type of play they need and find interesting. In addition, children begin to think critically, problem solve, develop social-emotional skills, explore creativity, and most importantly, are happy. Rather than interrupting or directing a child’s play, caregivers are observing each child’s skill set, evaluating how to scaffold their learning, and assisting as needed. Being outside is a child’s right. Spending time outside, engaged in active free play, children will develop strength, coordination, balance, creativity, independent thinking, confidence, healthy bodies and minds, self-regulation skills, social-emotional skills, meet sensory needs, and build a healthy immune system. In addition, when children play outside they learn more about our environment and how to take care of it. Multi-sensory experiences provide multidimensional learning opportunities. Our bodies crave sensory input and children have a deeper sense of learning when multiple senses are engaged in activities. We gain sensory input from our traditional 5 senses, but also 2 additional senses, vestibular(movement) and proprioception(body position). When we allow young children to engage in activities that meet their sensory input needs they will develop their sight, touch, hearing, taste, smell, body awareness and balance. When we allow them to engage in these activities outside, the benefits exponentially increase for future success in learning and growing.Making mistakes is a part of learning. Children making mistakes and “failing” at something means they are learning how to handle disappointment, problem solve, think critically, be creative, and use the scientific method. When we step back and allow children to organically experience mistakes and only step in to guide them through the process, together we are building a foundation of lifelong learning.Children that take risks through exploratory play are more resilient. It is natural for children to want to engage in risky activities that could result in injuries. While it is easy for adults to not allow children to do so, that in fact, is what makes those very activities dangerous. When we allow children to engage in risky play activities such as climbing up the slide, jumping off the log, walking across the balance beam, spin in circles, playing on the ice, swimming, swinging in a variety of ways, children are learning body awareness and risk assessment. Risky play also helps children to think independently, develop strength, overcome challenges, combat fears, and reduce anxiety. Children that experience risky play at a young age, develop a sense of resilience and create a risk foundation that will provide security for life.A messy child is a learning child. Allowing children to engage in appropriate messy play allows room for multisensory learning. When children are not concerned about their appearance or getting dirty they will engage in a deep level of play, have a reduced sense of anxiety and be happier.

ChildrenEach child was created with a purpose and is unique. Each child was created on purpose and with a purpose. In addition, each child has a different background, different home culture and different needs. Each child will be treated as the gift that they are.Children are active learners that need consistency and repetition. Children need multiple opportunities to perform skills before they are considered masters of that skill as it takes approximately 10,000 hours to master a new skill.Whole children are developed through play. It is through organic, uninterrupted play and natural environments that children develop in all five learning domains; health and physical, social-emotional, language and communication, approaches to learning, and cognition and general knowledge. Furthermore, research shows that a child’s prefrontal cortex and amygdala grow stronger when children are engaged in active play. As more neural connections are made, a child’s prefrontal cortex and amygdala is strengthened. It is in these areas of the brain that personality, decision making, self-control, memory, and emotional control are rooted.Each child is respected and valued. Caregivers value each child by respecting where they are in their development journey. No child will be expected to be at specific milestones based solely on age, rather caregivers will individualize learning activities so all children will have the opportunity to engage in “just right” challenges to encourage development.