The studio toddler class has taken the month of September to explore our environment, learn routines, and adjust to being away from parents for the first time but it is also a time of socialization and making new friends. Socializing with other children is an excellent way to foster a toddler’s social and emotional development. We set up our environment for purposeful play and social experiences. Children begin to mimic during parallel play and then start to communicate with peers. They learn vocabulary and appropriate ways to express themselves through pretend play, free choice centers, and games. As teachers, we facilitate the environment and activities and then gently guide the toddlers to use words, solve problems, take turns, and have fun through play. The result is a classroom full of new friends!
