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Since we knew the day was going to be hot, the children and I made an effort to start our morning routine a little earlier than normal so we could go to the park. The children were attentive and we had lots of fun doing our calendar and weather songs, dressing "Tim," and doing our circle time activity about starfish and turtles.
Soon we were on the road headed to the park. It was a long walk, but made more fun by one of the daycare parents and big sisters making the long trek with us. It was fun to watch the big and little sisters interact and enjoy special time together.
There were many activities the children engaged in at the park. Some spent time figuring out how the various parts of the playground equipment functioned.
The stairs provided just the right amount of challenge and exercise for the littles. Stairs are a wonderful way for them to test their balance and coordination.
Some children brought baby dolls and pretended to be mothers. There were several other children at the park with "lovies" and it was heartwarming for me to listen in on the children interacting and pretending together. Parks are such a fun place to work on social skills!
The sandbox and its big digger caught the interest of some of the children. They can't operate the digger by themselves yet, but have fun using it with help.
We practiced using the merry-go-round safely- our rules are: 1: littles always ride in the center, 2: children must always put their legs on either side of a bar, and 3: children must always hold on with two hands.
As you can see, these base rules make for lots of fun!
Climbing all the stairs is hard work, and one child took a well-deserved break on top of the world.
Although the slides were toasty, the children still got a few runs in. I helped the children remember to tug the legs of their shorts down as far as they could before sitting to minimize discomfort.
With so many fun things to do, see, and explore in the July sun, all the children were exceptionally weary by the time we reached home. The children cooled down with lots of water, ate their lunches, and took a refreshing nap.
In the afternoon, I read Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe and we talked about camping.
See you tomorrow!