****Andrea's Childcare****

  Play is a child's work. Children gain knowledge about the world through play - alone, with others and in groups. Learning occurs when the environment allows children to role-play, practice social rules, express emotions in a non-threatening way and develop mental abilities through play. Children are born learners and are naturally curious.  

Circle Time Activities

Songs, fingerplays, stories, movement activities, games all related to a weekly theme. We also spend some time working on a social skill every week.

Sensory Activities

Shaving cream, mix colors, textures, beans, rice, raw oatmeal, dry pasta...the possibilities are endless.

Small Motor Skills/Math & Manipulative

Preschoolers are PRE-readers and PRE-writers. Children are provided with activities that give them the skills they need BEFORE they learn to read and write. These skills strengthen small muscles, reinforce left to right eye movement and build language skills. Puzzles, pattern blocks, file folder games, magnetic numbers and letters, matching/memory games, geoboards, lacing buttons, and many more unstructured activities are available to children. We also work on classification, sorting, patterning, counting, and recognizing numerals.

Creative Art

The creative art projects the children do encourage self-expression. Our activities are process-oriented (rather than product-oriented) and open-ended.

Science and Discovery

Our science and discovery activities revolve around our weekly theme. Children are able to experience things like a butterfly hatching from its chrysallis, watching a tadpole become frog, and watching seeds grow into plants. The children may also experiment with magnets and make a cyclone in a bottle.

Letter of the Week

Each week, the children learn a new letter. The children are involved in various activities that incorporate their senses. For example, we might do crayon rubbings over a sandpaper S or glue beans on a B.

Scissor Skills

Several times a week, we work on using scissors.

Literacy

The children learn about reading and writing by being involved in several activities such as shared reading, following recipes, making books, journal writing, rhyming games, show & tell, role play, and using various materials to be involved in writing.

We do a wide range of activities, I have named just a few below:

Free play

including books, toys, ride-ons, large swimming pool in summer,bouncy castle, jigsaws, construction blocks, dolls, cars, dressing up, light and sound activity toys, role play, pull along toys and toy animals, large play kitchen, lots of learning cards and puzzles plus we have lots of Little Tikes garden equipment including a playhouse and climbing frame with slides and tubes!

Art and Craft

including painting, drawing, tracing, clay modelling, fimo, board games, collages, papier mache, playdoh, cross stitch and collecting things from outdoors eg leaves, feathers etc We make cards for special occasions. The children also love making jewellery from beads and playing with Hama beads, as well as glass painting including making windchimes and suncatchers.

Story corner

I provide a wide range of books both fictional and educational that children are free to read at their leisure.  I will assist with reading as well as reading to the children, and we have regular storytime sessions.  The books are suitable for all ages and we also make regular trips to the library.

Role Play

We do role play such as cafe, shops, camp site, office, vet etc and lots of dressing up!!

Outdoors

Every day (weather permitting) we will spend some time outdoors.  This includes going to the park, feeding the ducks,  picnics, nature hunts and treasure hunts.  We attend local Mums and Tots!

Outings

We enjoy outings to the zoo, farm, soft play centres ie wacky warehouse, the shops, the library and the theatre.  We also go to Stanwick Lakes and Wicksteed Park on a regular basis. We also visit various farms with West Lodge Rural Centre being our favourite! We also go to museums and other venues appropriate to our themes or things of interest to the children.

TV/Video/DVD

We do not have the television on all day.  I have a wide range of videos and DVD's to suit all children and children are welcome to bring in a favourite to share with the other children and we will watch it together.

Playstation, Wii and Nintendo DS Lite

We have a Playstation 2, and Nintendo Wii and an Nintendo DS Lite with various games available according to age.  This is strictly limited and supervised at all times.  We have both fun games and also education ones.

PC/Internet

Limited time is available on the internet or pc and all children will be closely supervised.  Restrictions are set on our internet as to what children may view.

Cooking

We do lots of cooking, making cakes, pizza, jelly, cookies etc

All our toys and equipment are checked daily for damage and all comply with UK safety requirements.

All toys and equipment are cleaned and sterilised weekly.