Activities

EARLY ACHIEVE CHILD DEVELOPMENT

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Activities

At Cecilia's Childcare, daily directions and activities at the daycare are accompanied by sign language. In additition, story time, and circle time include sign language as part of the curriculum. If you would like more information on the the sign language used at our daycare and the benefits of signing to children, please visit www.TimetoSign.com .

Daily Activities

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Below you will find a list of activities that your child enjoys at Cecilia's Childcare.

* Music

* Art

* Blocks

* Outdoor Play

* Circle Time

* Snacks

Music

For many years, mothers have rocked their babies to sleep singing lullabies. Mothers have played movement games and sang silly songs to entertain their toddlers. Babies would fall fast to sleep and the toddlers would laugh and giggle, and ask for "more."

Music is "magical." Music is an emotional release. It brings out the best in us - it makes us feel good inside.

The value of music is important to all children. Music allows children to use their imaginations and creativity. Children learn so much through music. When children participate in music and movement, many areas of the brain are activated. Music impacts young children's development: knowledge, skills, attitudes and values.

Children naturally connect music with body movement. Children move their bodies with the flow of the music and express their thoughts and feelings through dance. They learn that dance begins with the awareness of the movement of their body and their potential for creativity, and as they become aware of their body and explore movement, they begin to recognize and appreciate themselves and others.

Art

Most of the younger children finger paint, draw with crayons, and play with papier mache. These activities teach creativity, which helps a child in all aspects of his/her life.

"Very young children find great delight in exploring the language of drawing, painting and creating," says Shell Herman, CEO and co-founder of KidzArt. "Art lets young children learn to make choices, use memory, and express feelings which are beneficial for their growth and development."

Blocks

TUESDAY, Oct. 2 (HealthDay News) -- An age-old children's pastime -- playing with toy blocks-- may help boost the language development of children.

The pilot study of 175 children ages 1.5 to 2.5 years was funded by a toy block maker.

In the study, the children were divided into two groups. One group of 88 children received two sets of building blocks, and their parents were given suggestions on block-related activities they could do with their children, such as sorting the blocks by color. A second group of 87 children did not receive any blocks during the study.

After six months, parents' assessments of their children's development indicated that children who played with toy blocks scored 15 percent higher on language than children who didn't receive blocks. There was no difference in attention scores.

The findings are published in the October issue of the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

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Outdoor Play

It's outdoor play, not just classroom learning, through which young children learn best, according to a researcher in early child development at the University of California, Berkeley.

"Self-directed fantasy play in the yard is an essential feature in young children's cognitive and psychosocial development," says Jane P. Perry, research coordinator at UC Berkeley's well-known Harold E. Jones Child Study Center, which is both a full-time campus child care facility and a research unit in the Institute of Human Development.

"Children really pay attention during outdoor play; their observation of each other is intense," says Perry, adding that the fantasy games can be used by teachers to advance learning in many areas including linguistic, spatial and social skills.

Her studies of preschool children in the play yard are being published this month in the book "Outdoor Play: Teaching Strategies with Young Children" (Teachers College Press, Columbia University).

Circle Time

Using the Circle Time method, primary school students play games, do activities, use their imaginations, create dramatic interpretations and movements, share opinions and ideas through sentence completions, silent statements and guided reflections. In this way a shared passion and understanding of stories is created. Children are playfully united.

Snacks

Snacks are important part of a child’s diet. It is important to understand that young children need more frequent meals than adults, and they need snacks between meals to support growth and development. A mid-afternoon snack can increase a child’s intake of dairy, fruits and vegetables. When the snacks are planned, the child will most likely have a healthier snack. Also, having snacks will cut down on the feeling of hunger and less likelihood of overeating at mealtimes by going for second helpings.

19645 Dougherty Ave. * Morgan Hill* Ca. * 95037

INVEST IN YOUR CHILDREN AND SECURE THEIR FUTURE