Fun Activities...and what we learn!

Block Play
Physical: Learns to balance blocks and line them up (small motor coordination).
Cognitive: May count blocks, sees pattern and design. Learns to build and plan structure. Matches blocks that look alike.
Social: Learns to share and cooperate.

Dramatic Play
Social: Plays adult roles. Develops self-image and coordinates with others.
Language: Learns to express self in another role.
Cognitive: Decides appropriate dress and appearance for role; uses visual perceptions to assess self, others, and play environment. Learns and remembers behaviors to imitate. Develops abstract thinking abilities.
Self-help: Dresses self. Sets up play environment and finds props.

Story time or Listening to Music
Cognitive: Listens and retains information. Follows story line (sequencing) with eyes and/or ears. Recognizes words, pictures, instruments, and rhythms.

Fingerplays and Songs
Cognitive/Language: Learns words, gestures, and melody (sequencing, repetition, speech and listening skills). Follows directions.
Physical: Coordinates movements (large motor).

Dance
Cognitive/Language: Listens to music and rhythms. Learns to understand simple movement directions and their relationship to the music.
Physical: Coordinates movements (large motor).

Climbing/Riding
Cognitive: May count the rungs to the top of a climbing structure; plans his climb. Maps out direction and distance to ride; watches for others in path.
Physical: Large motor coordination, balance.
Social: Takes turns, interacts.

Sand Play
Cognitive: Measures sand and maps out roads (spatial relationships).
Physical: Pours, dumps, pushes, gathers, scoops, packs (small and large motor).
Social: Shares, interacts, cooperates.