Daily Rhythm

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The morning begins as children are welcomed by the teachers and say good-bye to their parents or caregivers at the gate.

The day begins with FREE PLAY – For young children, play is work, through which they make the world their own. To stimulate healthy imaginative play, the child needs time, a quiet, positive atmosphere, and play materials taken from nature that allow open interpretation. When supported by the adults who are engaged in meaningful, practical tasks of life, children can experience and understand the purpose and process of these activities and their play is deepened.

The day often begins with OUTDOOR PLAY – We go outside rain or shine to run, climb, swing, sled, garden, construct, push wheelbarrows, pull wagons, and jump rope. This is essential free play in which the children delight.

Each day children are welcome to join the teacher in COOKING – During this time, the children participate in the preparation of the meal we will share that day. This may include the kneading of bread dough, chopping vegetables for soup, or grinding a grain to make flour for baking.

Artistic forms of expression include the CREATIVE ARTS – For family festivals, we use many mediums to create seasonal crafts. Activities such as watercolor painting, crayon drawing, finger crocheting, sewing, and woodworking all encourage each child’s natural sense of beauty and the development of fine motor skills.

When playtime is over it’s CLEAN-UP TIME – All playthings and materials are returned to their places and the table is set. This activity teaches children to be good stewards of both their belongings and their environment. It also begins to develop good organizational skills.

The in-breath of CIRCLE TIME  brings everyone together– Songs and verses throughout the seasons are learned, sung, and explored with gesture and movement. Hearing and seeing, feeling and imagining, moving and acting are all intertwined and become a whole experience through the child’s participation. Older children familiar with the words and choreography from the previous year act as models, strengthening the self-confidence in older children and giving the younger ones incentive to imitate them.

Time to eat, but first remember HAND WASHING AND LUNCH – A lunch of organic whole grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, and cheeses is served family style. Clean up is shared by the whole group, with rotating assignments. Table manners and warm conversation are practiced.

Gathered in a cozy circle for STORY TIME – Children love stories and fairy tales. These carefully chosen tales contain wisdom and life experience, profundity and cleverness, thoughts and logic–all of which is expressed not in abstract terms, but through imagery. With countless details, entire landscapes are painted, delighting the soul. As the teacher presents a puppet play or tells the story by heart, it is the individual child who creates the pictures with his or her own imagination.

It’s time to say GOOD-BYE VERSE – This is for those children going home for the afternoon.

After a full morning it’s REST TIME – After clean up, a quiet time begins until everyone is ready to lie down on a mat or go back outside for a ‘Forest rest’.  The teacher tucks each child in and sings a lullaby, or tells a story.

For those who are ready to rise comes QUIET IMAGINATIVE PLAY/PROJECTS – Some children continue to sleep while others wake up gradually in the care of the afternoon teacher. Those that are ready and awake engage in creative play indoors and out in the company of the teacher until pick up time at 3pm.