“Play is the highest expression of human development, for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child’s soul.”
-Friedrich Froebel
There are several crucial aspects of our day including (these are just a few!):
Fine motor activities allow for children to problem solve, push their personal boundaries, and strengthen hand/finger muscles. Lulu and Franklin partook in separate fine motor activities this morning. Lulu challenged herself by attempting a new pattern that she’d never done before while Franklin used his hand muscles to connect gingerbreads together.
Sensory activities allow children to explore using all of our senses. Our sense of touch is the one we utilize the most and this morning, children took turns at the corn sensory bin. Friends used bowls, spoons, and funnels as well as their hands to transport the corn around the bin.
Gross motor play is vital to our everyday flow. On a rainy day like today, we usually don’t get to enjoy our outside environment. This doesn’t mean that we still don’t need to move our bodies in a productive and positive way. A group of children set up a gross motor obstacle course using a tunnel from downstairs. Our friends jumped, rolled, and ran in the habitrail area.
A friend was kicking in the housekeeping area. Instead of saying ‘no’, we were able to give him an alternative: “I can see that you want to kick. The housekeeping area isn’t the place for that but if you still feel like you need to kick, we can find a wall to kick or find space in the habitrail area to move your body that way.”
It’s all about turning a ‘no’ into a ‘yes’! (in an appropriate manner of course!) 
“It is a happy talent to know how to play.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Breakfast– Whole grain oatmeal with honey and banana.
Lunch– Farm fresh scrambled eggs, whole wheat bread, PPC pears, and PPC broccoli.
PM snack– Air popped popcorn with butter and banana.
Wee Sprout– Fresh cucumbers.
Have a lovely night.
-Mindy
The link is not working so I will try to post it with tomorrows blog! Sorry!