Play is important for children

The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds

Kenneth R. Ginsburg, MD, MSEd and the Committee on Communications and the Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health

Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. Play also offers an ideal opportunity for parents to engage fully with their children. Despite the benefits derived from play for both children and parents, time for free play has been markedly reduced for some children. This report addresses a variety of factors that have reduced play, including a hurried lifestyle, changes in family structure, and increased attention to academics and enrichment activities at the expense of recess or free child-centered play. This report offers guidelines on how pediatricians can advocate for children by helping families, school systems, and communities consider how best to ensure that play is protected as they seek the balance in children’s lives to create the optimal developmental milieu.

Tracing the letters in my name

Ms. Frances Dodson and her group of three year olds become familiar with the letters in their name through this appropriate fine motor and cognitive/language activity. After they are done "tracing" the letters they will make a friendship chain by connecting them together.

We made a flag!

Today I decided to venture out into the lobby of our school and make a flag with our children. The infants, toddlers, two's and three's helped me get red and blue handprints all over the paper. The Pre-K classes helped with the stars. They cut them out all by themselves. I was so proud of them!
- Gina Ivey, Director at Rainbow Station, Hanover Medical Park

First Day of School!

We like to call it the first day of school because our children start in brand new classrooms and some teachers do as well. After workday our schools are transformed into new places for the children to enjoy on their first day back. School always "starts" the day after labor day. Here are some snapshots of our first day!

Workday 2008

It's almost a whole week away and still recovering! We had some great, productive, yet, long workdays last week. Our teachers worked and worked. Over the course of two days you can find teachers cutting out their new laminated posters and pictures, scrubbing shelves, applying goo gone to walls, and a whole bunch of odds and ends. The first teacher reported Thursday morning (the first official work day) at 6am! And the last one left at 9pm! Wow! Here is one teacher we caught cleaning and working it! They definitely worked hard, making way for a brand new classroom for a fresh new start on the school year. GOOD JOB GUYS!