Our PreSchool Blog

In the toddler classroom, our students have an opportunity for “free play/center time” two times in their morning. This means that they are allowed to choose in which center they would like to play. This time for free choice is a great way for toddlers to use their own independence to pick their activity. We change our centers each month, so our friends will always have new centers to explore. We have so many different centers for them to choose from!

Sensory Tub

Manipulative Center

Art Center

Light Table

Mirror Table

Train Table

Dramatic Play

Kitchen Center

Library Center

Pre-academic Center

Block Center

The first time I saw a light table was at a Reggio Emilia inspiried preschool in New York City.  Every classroom that we visited had one and I began to wonder what they were all about.  After researching the various ways these could benefit preschool age children in their learning process, we decided to get one for our own classroom.

Our light table allows children to experience everyday objects in a whole new way.  In the coming months we will be using the  light table for a multitude of activities as well as free choice play with ever changing manipulatives.  Here are some of the activities that may take place at our light table this year:  building our names and sight words with special translucent letter tiles, exploring and creating colors with color paddles, using various stencils, using the light table to trace our letters and names, manipulating shapes to become more aware of spacial relationships through the use of translucent geometric pieces while discovering the basics of geometry,  viewing x-rays of various types of animals and shells, and finger painting on parchment paper (just to name a few).  These should be great experiences for your children and ones that they will not soon forget.

Today the preschoolers learned the rules of our centers during free choice time. Ask your little one how we use clips in our classroom and which center is their favorite!

Our Art Center this month is a beading center. This is a fun way to work on the tiny muscles in your preschooler’s fingers. The children have enjoyed making bracelets for themselves, moms, dads, sisters, brothers, and friends in class.

This month on our light table we have tiny colored lights for our preschoolers to practice their sorting skills. Choosing which bowl the light goes in is great practice for developing math sorting skills. Picking up the tiny lights is a wonderful way for the preschoolers to strengthen their fine motor muscles.

The Early 3’s didn’t mind the rainy day today… they had new centers they were eager to explore! Our room has been transformed into a winter candy land full of baking supplies, gumdrops, and other colorful new toys!

Free Choice Time is especially fun on the first day of new centers! The preschoolers loved exploring and discovering all the new activities in our classroom this morning.

I happened upon a group of the Pre-K children making travel plans today during free choice time.  They were finding different locations they wanted to visit and were talking about the different kinds of weather around the world…always great to know that they are listening and learning!