9 a.m.: Drop-off at the playground

·      Morning circle: greetings, songs, games, and safety rules

·      Projects, play, aquarium visit, and/or walk in the neighborhood

·      Snack and story-time

·      Centers on the Green (art, books, marine life, etc.)

12 p.m.: Pick-up at the playground

 

The children will spend their days playing in and investigating the local environment.  Learning opportunities naturally arise as children explore their interests with the guidance of experienced teachers. What do the children want to learn more about? What places would they like to explore? What local resources are interesting and available for us to pursue? In this way, investigations naturally emerge from the children’s interests. For example, if on a walk down the wharf the children notice the different boats' shapes and sizes, the teachers might help record their theories about boat design, support the children testing out their own boat designs with tin foil, pennies, and a bucket of water, and set up an interview with a ship captain. If the children are interested in plants, we could document the life cycle of a tulip by drawing and measuring it each week, and we could ask FOCCP to help with gardening.

 

As an outdoor program, our activities depend on the weather and seasons.  In the winter we will spend time running, jumping, and playing whole-body games to stay warm.  During our summer program, we will spend time at the sprinklers.  In all seasons, you’ll see children playing, laughing, problem-solving, making friends, and connecting with their neighborhood.

 

We will visit the New England Aquarium on a regular basis, and especially on inclement-weather days in winter.  We are thrilled to have the opportunity to learn about marine life at the aquarium, and to loan materials from the aquarium’s Teacher Resource Center to continue our learning at the park.