Anonymous wrote:I understand the health concerns, but now I feel even worse about sending me kids to daycare. No circle time, field trips, kids allowed to congregate, etc. What are they going to do all day this summer?
Children who play in the classroom and on the playground will have a ownderful time building, playing, chasing, climbing, using playdough, paint, blocks, scissors, etc. They will get plenty of books read to them (but not by having lots of kids grouped around, but throughout the day in groups of 2 or 3 as others play with the other materials.
the TEACHERS will have to kill themselves to clean the scissors, paint brushes, markers, tables, cots, light switches, sink handles, playground equipment, door handles many times throughout the day, but the KIDS will have a great time!
Yes, children love to go on field trips. but they do NOT need to go to a play - they can have a wonderful time playing. Here's the thing: if your child attends a really academic preschool, where they are supposed to sit and learn their letters, numbers, by working in highly teacher-directed activities, then they will be bored because the teachers will clamp down and do even MORE teacher-directed (mostly not developmentally appropriate) seat work so they can keep the kids controlled. But in a truly play based program, your children will have fun.
Although, we won't have dress up materials, will not have stuffed animals they can play with (because we can't wash and dry those daily at our school, as we don't have a washer/dryer and I will NOT take that home daily to wash and dry each night. I have limits to being a director, LOL!)
And I'm not sure we'll have water tables available - because there is such a huge transferrance of germs from hand to water to other hand to other face to mouth.... ugh, times 4,000
But we'll make playdough, just keep it in bags labeled with their names so they can use it, put it back in their bag and use it the next time without mixing germs together. It will be hard for children to understand how NOT to share some playdough with each other, etc. So maybe we'll just make playdough, play with it and throw it away? Not sure.