settling in to play
The Bun has been attending playgroup once a week for almost six weeks now and he has finally started to settle in. I know this because today he felt bold enough to leave the group circle while the teacher was talking to go exploring on his own. Usually he would be stuck firmly in my lap. At least now the music segments don't frighten him any longer, and he will even start dancing spontaneously when we are singing, which is very cute. He has also found his voice and will call out in response to the teachers' questions, and he will also accept their invitations to check out new activities during free play time.
Today when J picked us up after our session to go to lunch, he commented that The Bun had the messiest shirt in the room. Unavoidable, really, since today involved plenty of messy play with shaving foam and colouring, some painting during art time, and the juice of two watermelon wedges at snack time. Well, that's what playgroup is for, right? To dive in and get messy and to learn through play.
Foam party in da house.
The Bun complained a bit when his hands got sticky with the foam but when I told him we could wash it off after, he relaxed and really got into it. Most of the time at home, we don't do much sensory play, and he is generally uninterested in doing art stuff. Observing the activities at playgroup has inspired me to try out similar ones at home. I like that the activities for free play change every week, and that The Bun is exposed to new ideas and new sensations each time.
His favourite part of the session, however, remains snack time. He has now established himself as the child who will not only eat up everything that he is served (crackers, fruit, etc) with gusto, but also ask for second helpings. When he knows that a particular treat is the last one, he will hoard it and nibble it slowly to savour it as much as possible. His teachers find this very amusing, and they are very patient with him and never hurry him to finish up his food. It helps that the activity following snack time is a quiet one where the kids pick out books to read in a corner, so if The Bun takes an extended snack break, he doesn't actually hold up the other kids who may be waiting for the next group activity to start.
I'm happy with the current playgroup arrangement - the class environment and small class size (5 kids to 2 teachers), the professionalism of the teachers, the variety of the activities (sensory play, imaginative play, water play, outdoor play) - and of course, I'm happy if The Bun's happy. I really like that there is no overt teaching of anything academic and the overall vibe of the place is always relaxed and calm, even when it's buzzing with kids.
Tonight I asked him if what he thought of the idea of going to 'school' by himself while I went to 'work', reminding him that I would come back and get him after school was over, etc. The Bun said yes to the idea, but I'm hardly convinced. If I'm too slow following him into the classroom from the reception area, he turns to call for me. In fact, I can hardly leave a room at home without him asking 'where's Mommy?' over and over again until he finds me. So far, he accepts that I sometimes go to work and that I eventually return. (In his words: 'Mommy go work, earn money [to] buy toys'!) But when that happens, he's in his comfort zone at home, not school. I'm not planning to jump to the next step of drop-off classes so quickly anyway, but it's certainly on the horizon at some point. When we're both ready.
Today when J picked us up after our session to go to lunch, he commented that The Bun had the messiest shirt in the room. Unavoidable, really, since today involved plenty of messy play with shaving foam and colouring, some painting during art time, and the juice of two watermelon wedges at snack time. Well, that's what playgroup is for, right? To dive in and get messy and to learn through play.
Foam party in da house.
The Bun complained a bit when his hands got sticky with the foam but when I told him we could wash it off after, he relaxed and really got into it. Most of the time at home, we don't do much sensory play, and he is generally uninterested in doing art stuff. Observing the activities at playgroup has inspired me to try out similar ones at home. I like that the activities for free play change every week, and that The Bun is exposed to new ideas and new sensations each time.
His favourite part of the session, however, remains snack time. He has now established himself as the child who will not only eat up everything that he is served (crackers, fruit, etc) with gusto, but also ask for second helpings. When he knows that a particular treat is the last one, he will hoard it and nibble it slowly to savour it as much as possible. His teachers find this very amusing, and they are very patient with him and never hurry him to finish up his food. It helps that the activity following snack time is a quiet one where the kids pick out books to read in a corner, so if The Bun takes an extended snack break, he doesn't actually hold up the other kids who may be waiting for the next group activity to start.
I'm happy with the current playgroup arrangement - the class environment and small class size (5 kids to 2 teachers), the professionalism of the teachers, the variety of the activities (sensory play, imaginative play, water play, outdoor play) - and of course, I'm happy if The Bun's happy. I really like that there is no overt teaching of anything academic and the overall vibe of the place is always relaxed and calm, even when it's buzzing with kids.
Tonight I asked him if what he thought of the idea of going to 'school' by himself while I went to 'work', reminding him that I would come back and get him after school was over, etc. The Bun said yes to the idea, but I'm hardly convinced. If I'm too slow following him into the classroom from the reception area, he turns to call for me. In fact, I can hardly leave a room at home without him asking 'where's Mommy?' over and over again until he finds me. So far, he accepts that I sometimes go to work and that I eventually return. (In his words: 'Mommy go work, earn money [to] buy toys'!) But when that happens, he's in his comfort zone at home, not school. I'm not planning to jump to the next step of drop-off classes so quickly anyway, but it's certainly on the horizon at some point. When we're both ready.