We Move Everywhere!

Moving, moving, moving! The children of the Zebra room are always on the move, jumping, running, and playing to their heart's content. They have so much more space to explore and play since the divider in the Appie and Zebra yard was removed. The children have become much more self-assured in their abilities since the beginning of the year; they climb with confidence and discover with a newfound curiosity. Balance is one of the newest skills the children have been testing by using boulders and climbing structures.  

"I love watching them challenging their movement and abilities. Their confidence has developed so much since the start of the year," said Lead Teacher Loretta.  

The children also encourage each other as they balance and climb by bringing their friends over to show them how well they can maneuver. Cooperative play takes place as they clap for each other and give reassurance as their friends first try and then later master each obstacle. They love showing their friends what they can do, like jumping off things, how fast they can run, or sliding down the slide. There is even a silly side to this cooperative play as children will fall on purpose, calling out to their friends, "I need help!" and would wait for a specific child to come to help them amidst giggles from everyone involved.  

The teachers are also helping the children expand their mobility by changing their environment to encourage climbing and bringing out different activities such as tricycles for the children to try. The trikes challenge their fine motor skills and provide opportunities for cooperation, especially when they need to navigate around others as they ride through the yard. Teachers help guide the children if a conflict arises, which occasionally occurs if bump into their friends. Some of the other children even try to help with conflict resolution, telling their friends the guidelines of the yard. There are also trucks available for the children to use, and the children love to race them back and forth, squealing as they push them as fast as possible. The children have learned that dump trucks are the best tool for moving items from one side of the yard to the other.  

"Sometimes, at the end of the day, none of the cooking supplies will be in the sand box kitchen because they have moved them all the way across the yard!" said Loretta.   

The children are also learning from their older counterparts in the Appie group. They observe the older children, watching what they do and try to copy it as well. The children of the Appie group invite the children of the Zebra group to come and play with them. As the teachers bring out the trikes for the children, some of the Zebra children may struggle to use them, but their older neighbors try to teach them how peddle and steer. Some of the children will even partner off with the children of the Appie group to play one-on-one with each other as they explore together. 

 "Seeing children play and work alongside each other is heartwarming. It is evident that they are thriving with older children who serve as friends and role models.  Cooperative play between these two groups of children continues to increase daily, and the children in the Zebras are quick to follow their older peers in play and language development. ," expressed Loretta, "They are fostering friendships, even at this early stage in their lives, and it is so wonderful to see."