Welcome in the New Season with your Preschooler
Spring is coming! Or, if not coming quite yet, is just around the corner. After a long winter of cold mornings, cloudy sunshine and bare trees, the Earth is shifting us back towards warmer days! With the warmth brings the opportunities for all kinds of new adventures for you and your preschooler.
Here at Clover Hill Children’s Center we are EXCITED for the coming Spring! Schedule a tour with us today and see what we have in store for you and your little one.
Outdoor Nature Walks
This is definitely a given, but there is so much to be explored as nature comes back into bloom. Take a walk a family walk and see if you can see the beginning buds of leaves on trees or see if you can spot any early-spring flowers such as crocuses or daffodils. If the snow and ice is melting in your area, peek to see if any creek beds have begun to flow? Listen for the sounds of new animals that may be awakening or returning after a winter respite. This is not only an amazing time to get some good exercise together but can be a time of scientific exploration for you and your little one, as well. Nature walks such as these can help hone your child’s observation skills and learn more about their environment.
We cherish outside time and our early childhood educators love bringing students out to one of our lovely play areas and playgrounds here at Clover Hill Children’s Center. Schedule a tour and secure your little one’s spot on the swing, today!
Arts and Crafts
Spring will bring in an array of fresh colors–from the new green on trees to the shimmering sunshine and the perky pastels of new flowers. Take the inspiration from nature and allow your preschooler to create, as well. Michigan State University asserts that arts and crafts are not simply a fun pastime but encourage cognitive development and foundational math skills that are key within early childhood education. Activities such as fingerpainting, creating ‘fairy houses’ outside of nature items, or even making simple homemade birdfeeders like the one linked here can be engaging and exciting ways to not only connect with your little one, but welcome in the new season together.
Arts and crafts are important to within early childhood education and it is no different here at Clover Hill. Come take a look and see the evidence of our students’ hard work and creativity on walls, bulletin boards, and more!
Sensory Play
Sensory Play is incredibly engaging for preschoolers–things such as dry pasta, kinetic sand, play dough, and even water! Sensory play can enhance a child’s cognitive development, stimulate their senses and can even help in emotional regulation! (source) Bring some of your child’s favorite toys outside to ‘play’ in the new grass, the exposed dirt and leaves. This is best done with hard toys such as plastic animals and dinosaurs, or even barbie dolls. As an extra experience, allow your child to then ‘give their toys a bath’ at the sink! A little messy? Yes…but a LOT of fun! Looking for an easier sensory experience? Provide your child with some play dough and help them make prints of already fallen items like leaves, rocks, and sticks.
Schedule a tour to see how our teachers incorporate sensory learning into their lesson plans!
Reading Time
From an early age (even the womb), it is encouraged that parents, caregivers, and later early childhood educators begin reading to children–even those who can read! According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), reading aloud to children helps them develop language, literacy, and emotional connection. There is a plethora of amazing spring-themed books available, as well. Look for
books with beautiful artwork and enthralling stories and don’t be afraid to read them over and again! Some lovely suggestions are
- The Bear Wants More By: Karma Wilson
- Farm Boots By: Lisl H. Detlefsen
- Do Fairies Bring the Spring? By: Liza Gardner Walsh
- Make Way For Ducklings By: Robert McClosky
- Little Blue Trucks Springtime By: Alice Schertle
- Planting a Rainbow By: Lois Ehlert
Schedule a tour and pick the brains of our teachers here at Clover Hill and see what other suggestions they might have!
Singing, Dancing, and Moving
Children are endless pools of energy and finding a constructive outlet for that can be hugely helpful–especially for rainy spring days that
might be spent inside. Have your child move like one of the animals that are coming out with spring (need ideas? check these out here), dance to favorite spring songs and nursery rhymes or even make up some of your own! Studies show that musical activities in early childhood improve language development, self-regulation, and social skills (source). If the weather allows, take play silks outside to watch them fly and float in the spring wind…just don’t let them fly away!
Singing and dancing are an integral part of early childhood education, and our teachers incorporate both regularly. Call today to find out more about our musical opportunities here at Clover Hilld Children’s Center!
Spring can be an enchanting time and an exciting opportunity for exploring the changes all around and building a stronger bond between you and your little one. Taking the time for activities such as these–even 5 or 10 minutes here and there–can set up this new season to be the best yet! We are so excited for spring here at Clover Hill Children’s Center and hope to spread and share the cheer with you and your family.