Play Time In many early childhood programs the climate lately has been towards more education and skills training. However, young children also need plenty of time to play, to explore their world, and to learn social skills. We offer this for your child, by providing a balance between structured and unstructured activities and by recognizing that all children are born with a desire to explore, discover, and learn. The most effective means of accomplishing this is through their play, because we believe that it is through play, that children learn best. Play is critical to the healthy growth and development of children. Children develop socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically through play. Children learn through play, because they are engaged in what they are doing. When children are having fun they are interested and open to new ideas and thoughts. As children play, they learn to solve problems, to get along with others and take turns, negotiate, and to develop the fine and gross motor skills needed to grow and learn. Play is how children experience their world and bring meaning to it. It models the social framework that builds relationships for life and inspires imagination.
In play, children can experiment freely, they can pretend to be different people and take on new roles (like mommy, or daddy, fire fighter, or even their favorite animal). Because play gives children the opportunity to pretend, it gives them the ability to see the world from different perspectives. In play, children can sort and organize all kinds of materials and use objects at hand to represent other objects. How many times have you heard your child hold up an object and say, "Pretend this is (an airplane, a flower, a doggie, etc.)?" The ability to make believe with objects is important in the development of children's thinking. Play is also one of the most powerful tools children have to express their thoughts and feelings.
As children grow, different developmental stages are manifested in their play. At about the age of two, children pretend to cry, sleep, and eat. Then they begin to include stuffed animals, dolls, and other toys in their play. They also begin to pretend with objects - a box becomes a car or a block can be a telephone. When children are about three years old, they like to play make-believe with others. As children grow their play becomes more complex. The play of four and five year olds is focused on taking on different roles, especially those of adults in their lives. These play adventures tend to focus on their experiences at home. Children pretend to cook, clean, care for younger children, go off to work, etc. This kind of play helps children make sense of their world and work through any fears or anxieties in a safe context.
Kind Hearts Home Daycare is successful in part because children learn through play....pretend play, playing games, and active playing. We do not under estimate the importance of play-time on a growing child's mind, body and spirit. Therefore, the children under our care receive lots of both free-play and structured-play throughout each day. During structured-play we primarily have only one group of toys or activity out at a time in order to allow the children to concentrate fully on each thing they do. Age appropriate activities are scheduled with the flexibility allowed to respond to the needs of each individual child and their various ages. Activities that we and the children participate in, include, but are not limited to the following.
Indoor Activities Include
Books and story-time, Legos, circle-time, tumbling exercises, Lincoln Logs, Kids-K-nex, music and dancing, dress up, play food, interactive stuffed animals, cars/trucks/planes, arts and crafts, puzzles, flash cards, animals/dinosaurs, trains, musical instruments, balls, dolls and Barbies, various learning toys, musical instruments, various games, Mr. Potato Head, bean bag toss, blocks, beads and string, song games, play dough, coloring, sing along story books, painting, science, board games, puppets, Simon-says, and singing.
Schedule for Our Program
Kind Hearts Day Care Preschool/Toddler/Infant Schedule
6:00 AM to 7:00 AM: Movie/Books/Puzzles/Infant Floor Time and Quiet Time
7:00 AM to 8:00 AM: Breakfast/Brush Teeth/Free Play/Diapers and Bathroom Break/Cleanup. (Older infants eat with the other children.)
8:00 AM to 10:00 AM: During our morning activities a preschool time is offered to the preschool children, but infants and toddlers are given an opportunity to join in with the preschoolers.
Activities Offered: Circle Time, Snack, Music Time, Craft Time, One on One time with Grandma Judy, Diapers, Bathroom break, and special visitors activities.
Story Time: Flannel boards, finger plays, puppets, action songs, science activities, letters sounds from Zoo Phonics, rhyming books, read along story time, stories.
Infants Activities offered during morning preschool time: Music instruments, science related materials, manipulative, blocks, dramatic play materials, books and puppets, large motor activities, art materials, sensory items, puzzles, tummy time, and mirror play. (Infants are offered one on one with staff for all activities.)
Learning Centers offered during preschool time: Dramatic Play, Blocks and Building, Learning Center, Barbie’s, Lego Table/Train Table, Art Easel, Books and Puppets, Discovery Area, Manipulatives, Writing Center, Discovery Area, Listening Center, Music Center, Math Center, Art Time, and Science Table
10:00 AM to 11:15 AM: Prepare to go outdoors (weather permitting)/If not able to go outdoors large motor activities offered: Big blocks, tunnels, balance beam, tumbling mat, parachute, and Obstacle course, trampoline, and many other opportunities.
(Prepare to go outside for children finished with learning time.)
11:00 AM to 11:30 AM: Prepare for lunch/Diapers/Bathroom break/wash hands/blankets put out/Books, puzzles, or manipulative toys.
11:30 AM to 12:15 PM: Lunch time for children who eat table food. (Infants are fed on demand)/Tooth Brushing/Wash Hands
12:00 PM to 12:30 PM: Table toys offered as a group
12:30 PM to 1:00 PM: Movie/Cleanup/Diapers and Bathroom Break
1:00 PM to 2:45 PM: Nap Time/Get Ready for the next day/quiet time.
(Infants are offered floor time with soft books, age appropriate toys, educational toys, and one on one with staff, while the other children are sleeping.)
2:45 PM to 3:00 PM: Changing diapers/blankets and mats put away/Snack Prepared
3:00 PM to 3:30 PM: Snack offered
3:00 PM to 4:00 PM: Small Group activities/Free play/Snack/Diapers and Bathroom Break
4:00 PM to 4:30 PM: Outside Time (weather permitting) or Large Motor Activities Indoors/Free Play/Table Toys/Coloring Activities.
Diapers and Bathroom Breaks
Infant's Schedules
Infants should be fed as they are hungry and put to bed, as they are tired. Infant's should be talked to and played with on their schedules. It's best to interact with the babies when they are awake and happy. Some of the activities offered to the babies will be: talking and smiling with them, singing to them, cuddling, reading to them, floor time with a variety of toys, and encourage them to move their bodies.
In play, children can experiment freely, they can pretend to be different people and take on new roles (like mommy, or daddy, fire fighter, or even their favorite animal). Because play gives children the opportunity to pretend, it gives them the ability to see the world from different perspectives. In play, children can sort and organize all kinds of materials and use objects at hand to represent other objects. How many times have you heard your child hold up an object and say, "Pretend this is (an airplane, a flower, a doggie, etc.)?" The ability to make believe with objects is important in the development of children's thinking. Play is also one of the most powerful tools children have to express their thoughts and feelings.
As children grow, different developmental stages are manifested in their play. At about the age of two, children pretend to cry, sleep, and eat. Then they begin to include stuffed animals, dolls, and other toys in their play. They also begin to pretend with objects - a box becomes a car or a block can be a telephone. When children are about three years old, they like to play make-believe with others. As children grow their play becomes more complex. The play of four and five year olds is focused on taking on different roles, especially those of adults in their lives. These play adventures tend to focus on their experiences at home. Children pretend to cook, clean, care for younger children, go off to work, etc. This kind of play helps children make sense of their world and work through any fears or anxieties in a safe context.
Kind Hearts Home Daycare is successful in part because children learn through play....pretend play, playing games, and active playing. We do not under estimate the importance of play-time on a growing child's mind, body and spirit. Therefore, the children under our care receive lots of both free-play and structured-play throughout each day. During structured-play we primarily have only one group of toys or activity out at a time in order to allow the children to concentrate fully on each thing they do. Age appropriate activities are scheduled with the flexibility allowed to respond to the needs of each individual child and their various ages. Activities that we and the children participate in, include, but are not limited to the following.
Indoor Activities Include
Books and story-time, Legos, circle-time, tumbling exercises, Lincoln Logs, Kids-K-nex, music and dancing, dress up, play food, interactive stuffed animals, cars/trucks/planes, arts and crafts, puzzles, flash cards, animals/dinosaurs, trains, musical instruments, balls, dolls and Barbies, various learning toys, musical instruments, various games, Mr. Potato Head, bean bag toss, blocks, beads and string, song games, play dough, coloring, sing along story books, painting, science, board games, puppets, Simon-says, and singing.
Schedule for Our Program
Kind Hearts Day Care Preschool/Toddler/Infant Schedule
6:00 AM to 7:00 AM: Movie/Books/Puzzles/Infant Floor Time and Quiet Time
7:00 AM to 8:00 AM: Breakfast/Brush Teeth/Free Play/Diapers and Bathroom Break/Cleanup. (Older infants eat with the other children.)
8:00 AM to 10:00 AM: During our morning activities a preschool time is offered to the preschool children, but infants and toddlers are given an opportunity to join in with the preschoolers.
Activities Offered: Circle Time, Snack, Music Time, Craft Time, One on One time with Grandma Judy, Diapers, Bathroom break, and special visitors activities.
Story Time: Flannel boards, finger plays, puppets, action songs, science activities, letters sounds from Zoo Phonics, rhyming books, read along story time, stories.
Infants Activities offered during morning preschool time: Music instruments, science related materials, manipulative, blocks, dramatic play materials, books and puppets, large motor activities, art materials, sensory items, puzzles, tummy time, and mirror play. (Infants are offered one on one with staff for all activities.)
Learning Centers offered during preschool time: Dramatic Play, Blocks and Building, Learning Center, Barbie’s, Lego Table/Train Table, Art Easel, Books and Puppets, Discovery Area, Manipulatives, Writing Center, Discovery Area, Listening Center, Music Center, Math Center, Art Time, and Science Table
10:00 AM to 11:15 AM: Prepare to go outdoors (weather permitting)/If not able to go outdoors large motor activities offered: Big blocks, tunnels, balance beam, tumbling mat, parachute, and Obstacle course, trampoline, and many other opportunities.
(Prepare to go outside for children finished with learning time.)
11:00 AM to 11:30 AM: Prepare for lunch/Diapers/Bathroom break/wash hands/blankets put out/Books, puzzles, or manipulative toys.
11:30 AM to 12:15 PM: Lunch time for children who eat table food. (Infants are fed on demand)/Tooth Brushing/Wash Hands
12:00 PM to 12:30 PM: Table toys offered as a group
12:30 PM to 1:00 PM: Movie/Cleanup/Diapers and Bathroom Break
1:00 PM to 2:45 PM: Nap Time/Get Ready for the next day/quiet time.
(Infants are offered floor time with soft books, age appropriate toys, educational toys, and one on one with staff, while the other children are sleeping.)
2:45 PM to 3:00 PM: Changing diapers/blankets and mats put away/Snack Prepared
3:00 PM to 3:30 PM: Snack offered
3:00 PM to 4:00 PM: Small Group activities/Free play/Snack/Diapers and Bathroom Break
4:00 PM to 4:30 PM: Outside Time (weather permitting) or Large Motor Activities Indoors/Free Play/Table Toys/Coloring Activities.
Diapers and Bathroom Breaks
Infant's Schedules
Infants should be fed as they are hungry and put to bed, as they are tired. Infant's should be talked to and played with on their schedules. It's best to interact with the babies when they are awake and happy. Some of the activities offered to the babies will be: talking and smiling with them, singing to them, cuddling, reading to them, floor time with a variety of toys, and encourage them to move their bodies.