When someone else is watching your child, it’s understandable to wonder what occupies your child’s time. Are they learning? Getting physical activity? Making friends? Eating nutritious meals?
Here’s a peek into what your child will experience every day at Days of Discovery.
Structure and Routine
Structure and routine are vital to a child’s sense of stability. When a child feels secure, they are free to explore their environment and education. All of our classrooms have a daily schedule so children know what will happen next. This helps them feel confident so they can focus on growing their skills.
Special Activities
Although children need structure and routine, that doesn’t mean kids like monotony! Just like adults, children want to try new and exciting things. That’s why our teachers provide a variety of special activities that coincide with our outstanding curriculum.
Even our infant and toddler classrooms incorporate fun but age-appropriate activities, like foot or finger painting, dance music, puppets, and more!
These activities enrich the curriculum, expand your child’s world, and encourage friendships with peers and teachers.
Physical Activities
Gross motor development is key for a well-rounded life. Exercise can help overweight children resume an ideal weight, plus exercise releases endorphins, so your child is happy and confident. Physical games with peers encourage social skills like fair play and teamwork, which builds strong relationships. Physical exertion helps them sleep well at night.
We love to include gross motor activities at Days of Discovery! As much as possible, we let children play outside on our playground, where they can explore nature and challenge their physical capabilities.
If the weather excludes outdoor playtime, our teachers lead games like Simon Says or Red Light, Green Light. These games use minimal space but get your child active.
For infants, engaging in physical activity looks a little different. Our goal for infants is to let them explore their environment using whatever physical capabilities they currently have. Our teachers are always helping the infants progress to the next gross motor milestone.
Whether inside or out, your child will get physical activity to get them moving and engaging with their peers.
Meal Time
Many parents want nutritious meals for their children. At Days of Discovery, we care about the nutritional value of the meals and snacks we serve!
We offer a variety of balanced meals following current nutritional recommendations. Even if your child doesn’t eat everything on their plate, they are being exposed to various nutritious foods. Plus, watching their peers enjoy new foods can encourage them to try something new and grow their palate.
If your child has any dietary restrictions or allergies, please speak with the director for accommodations.
Quiet Time
While we provide physical activities, we also know that everyone needs some downtime! Some children naturally lean into individual or quiet play. Other children seem to have non-stop energy, but they need downtime just as much as introverted peers.
Our classrooms offer a quiet area for reading or resting. In younger classrooms, cots are provided for nap time. Older children may color, draw, or craft during quiet time.
The goal of quiet time is to help regulate the nervous system, teach the value of calming activities, and help children be ready to play together again.
Free Play
Structured activities and following a curriculum have many benefits, but children also need free play time to use their imaginations. We provide items like costumes, scarves, and props so children can create their own stories during free play.
