Centers

Every once in a while, I plan to take an activity from our daily schedule and explain it more in depth on this blog. After our first week, I asked the children to tell me about their favorite part of preschool. Most of them said, "Centers" or what it is also known as, "Ticket Time," so that is where we will start! 

During this time, the children are given the choice of about 4-6 different activity stations (centers) to try. The Tuesday/Thursday class may roam from center to center at their choosing. The Monday/Wednesday/Friday class and the afternoon class receive a "ticket" with their name on it. Each center has a place for about 3-5 tickets, depending on the center. When a preschooler chooses a center, they place their ticket on the allotted velcro spot by the center. For example, the Kitchen Center has 5 velcro spots, so once all 5 spots are covered in tickets, that center is full. No one else can chose that center until another child leaves it. This keeps one center from becoming too crowded and also puts more emphasis on the changing of centers, which is a very fun and grown-up thing for the preschoolers!

The Writing Center includes: paper, scissors, glue, crayons, markers, colored pencils, envelopes, and stickers. This center gives the preschoolers the opportunity to practice and explore with school supplies without a certain planned out craft from the teacher. It inspires creativity and thoughtfulness as I see many of the preschoolers making special gifts for their moms, dads, or aunts.

The Building Center includes: wooden blocks, plastic blocks, stacking cups, shape sorters, cars, trucks, roads, people, farm animals, a barn, and more. In this center, preschoolers practice building, using their imaginations, and working with others. It can be frustrating to work very hard to build something that eventually falls over, but learning how to control our tempers and rebuild are very useful skills!

I helped these farmers build some fences for their animals, so the goats wouldn't fight with the chickens!

They are always so excited to tell me about what they created!

The Kitchen Center includes: a play kitchen with dishes, food toys, telephone, camera, dolls, bottles, and more. Pretend play is so important for preschoolers, and it comes so naturally to many of them. They love to name the babies, set the table for parties, make me interesting and unusual sandwiches, and talk to all their friends and family on the telephone!

Cereal muscles!

Funny faces in the mirror!

A busy mommy all wrapped up in the phone cord!

The iPad Center includes 3 iPads equipped with age appropriate learning apps. Although we don't encourage a lot of screen time, a little bit of a quiet break is really good for the preschoolers. Plus, they are having so much fun with the games, that most of them don't even realize that they are actually learning something! ;)

The Play Dough Center includes: play dough, cookie cutters, plastic knives, and rolling pins. This center invites the preschoolers to create with their hands. Some may just squish the dough in their hands as a calming sensory activity, while others will work hard to create cookies, birds, people, popcorn, and more! This center is also a good place to practice taking turns and sharing since we only have 2 rolling pins. I was impressed with one preschooler's patience last week when he said, "I gave her a word about that. She will give it to me when she's done."

We added some toothpicks to the Play Dough Center one day in the Monday/Wednesday/Friday class. Who knew toothpicks and play dough could be so much fun?!

After I took this, he said, "Please send that to my mom!"

Instead of the usual, "How was school today?" try asking your child, "What did you do at Centers today?" I'm sure they will be very excited to tell you all about it!