Enrollment

Monday through Friday
7:00am – 5:00pm

Drop-Off Times: 7:00am – 8:00am
Pick-up Times: 3:30pm – 5:00pm

Children Ages 4 or 5 years old

First let me congratulate you for choosing play as your desired mode of education for your child. Play is how children learn. Children are movers, explorers and naturally born thinkers if we allow those areas to function. At Acres of Play, learners will be encouraged to explore materials; a lot of different items that might not be viewed as “toys”. They will explore tools, hardware, and art materials just to name a few.

Children learn and master different skills at different times but in reality there is a typical sequence that is followed in their growth and development. While motor skills will naturally occur without much ‘teaching’ the emotional and social development requires much more experience and practice and a lot of observation. Sharing, team work, and friendships require practice and modeling along with trial and error opportunities for success. Through play children can practice and grow in ways that will allow them to master that social and emotional development.

At Acres of Play learners will be outside often and in all kinds of weather. There is no better way to learn about winter than to experience winter. Rain is a wonderful glorious experience and we will play in it. Fall is an experience for every sense in our bodies.

We will cook and choose menus together. Processed food will be kept to a minimum. Young brains grow optimally when they have nutritious food and are well hydrated. Children will often be timid to new foods but when given several choices and given an active role in the meal preparation they will often eat healthier than we give them credit for. So breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided. We will eat together, talk with each other and share our days during meal time.

During play traditional academic items will be tossed into the play arena in a fun and developmentally appropriate way. Children will learn those academic pieces as their brains are ready to accept them. Just like those motor skills, the brain is open to mastering them at various ages. No two children do it exactly alike or at the same time. BUT they will do it when their brains are ready and when they feels safe and most of all have some reason to learn it.

Expect your child to get dirty. If your child doesn’t come home with some sort of stain their day was misused or I didn’t provide enough to do. Your child will be tired. Play is hard work, some days it can be hard getting along with other learners and team work can often bring tears, bumps or mishaps. It’s ok and should be expected we are LEARNING how to ask for turns, learning how to respect others’ space, learning new vocabulary so that we can put our desires into words instead of physical actions. Four year old children are not mean, are not bullies and are not experts in getting along. They are learners and each conflict with be a learning opportunity for every person involved. Please refer to children as learners and question what was learned in moments of conflict instead of “was someone mean to you?”