PLAYFUL LEARNING

What IS preschool at Whimsy & Wonder?

We get asked often about our curriculum.

What are we?

We have brought together some of the best and most powerful parts of many different philosophies and approaches to early childhood education, creating our own vision of what we want to give to children. 

We value the beautiful, calming spaces of the Waldorf philosophy and Maria Montessori’s belief in children’s competence and sensitive periods of learning guides our decisions about creating a child-friendly environment, supporting children’s growing independence. 

Overall, our play-based approach is grounded in Lev Vygotsky’s constructivist

theories about how children learn -- through social interaction and hands-on experiences.

You will not find adult-led themes or an academic approach to early learning at Whimsy & Wonder.

What you will find is…

• teachers who are following children’s interests.

• conflict resolution as children learn how to be a caring and competent member of a community, develop self-regulation, and discover their own unique qualities.

• many opportunities for using BIG muscles -- running, jumping, dancing, balancing.

• practice with fine motor skills -- writing with different tools, using scissors, handwork 

• relevant literacy -- such as list making, dictated stories, story telling, sequencing, recognizing print

• numeracy, found in board games, counting objects, sorting and classifying

• scientific discovery through scooping, pouring, measuring, investigating

• creative children expressing themselves through process-oriented art in a variety of media: paints, markers, crayons, oil pastels, crayon resist, collage, clay.

• sensory experiences with play dough, clay, beans and rice.

• children singing songs, playing music, listening to music, dancing, playing group games

• an exploration of the natural world through outdoor play and gardening.

• competent children choosing their own materials, dressing themselves, and setting and clearing the table, and caring for their school.

• imaginative play as children dress up, pretend, and role play.