On the go! The Sunshines have been having fun exploring different modes of transportation. We have been engaged in a variety of activities that help us learn about the different types of ways we can travel. The Sunshines painted with different vehicles as a recent art activity. They picked the...

Exploring Power It is not uncommon to see children running around open spaces, chasing one another, perhaps even pointing pretend weapons at each other. Postures of heros, doctors, and even families show an understanding of natural orders of power. “Good guys” and “bad guys” are common archetypes in...

Manipulative play The Doodlebugs are exploring new and familiar materials through manipulative play. Over the last few weeks we have been exploring objects, such as lego shapes, puzzles, magnets, small shovels and stacking cups. Our current Doodlebugs are children six months to two years old. This...

Building Bridges to Kindergarten The transition from prek to kindergarten is a big one. New teachers and a new school can be hard for most five year olds, not to mention the change from learning through play to direct instruction and more academic skill building. In the Starfish classroom we took a...

written by ASC teacher Rebecca Schedle Sharing their skills The Hawks and Eagles are our oldest group of children. As they grow up, they get the chance to share their skills and knowledge with the younger children in our center. One of my favorite events from this past year was PIC's Children's Book...

written by Roadrunner Teacher Danny Galpern Rough housing around It’s great to rough house with your child! When an adult allows a child to play energetically and offers lots of physical touch, it works magic on children. It helps your child get out their energy, notice their connection to you, and...

Moonbeams on the loose Not all parents may be familiar with the idea of “loose parts”. Loose parts are materials that can be moved, carried, combined, redesigned, lined up, and taken apart and put back together in multiple ways. Just a decade ago at PIC, toys that realistically mimicked genuine...

Talking with the Caterpillars Baba, dada, Bye Bye, Sing please? The Caterpillars just finished exploring sound, but our exploration continues with the chatter of the Caterpillars. From the youngest to the oldest, the Caterpillars are developing language. Our youngest Caterpillar gets the concept of...

Upcoming in the Starlights As the days start to warm up and spring break is in the offing, the Starlights are on the move. We will soon take a trip to Awbury Arboretum to learn about the Native Americans that lived in this area long ago. What did they eat? What were their homes like? What type of...

Music and movement As winter melts away, the Peanuts are raring to get outside as much as we can. Once outside preschoolers really move and express themselves freely. The Peanut focus of study naturally turned to movement. We began documenting how the Peanuts liked to move on the playground, and...