A Day At Preschool

It is a preschool day. I arrive in the garden, the gazebo, where we usually

meet, and I am immediately greeted by joy and laughter.

My classmates are there, running around, sliding and chasing, playing in the snow, jumping into piles of leaves, riding bikes on the school tennis court, picking flowers, and playing in the sandbox. My teachers are here, Julia and Sara, with their warm smiles, and games and activities for us all. They make sure that we are safe and that we each have fun while we are learning at school.

Today we might stay outside, play in the garden, or the greenhouse. Maybe we’ll look for worms and insects, learn about soil life, about seeds, and transplanting, or tending to and harvesting our flowers; about herbs and vegetables we can safely eat or grow at home. Or if there’s snow, we might huddle in the gazebo, enjoy teas from the garden, and treats like yam fries and dried plums.

We might go for an excursion for the whole school day, visit the forest, or the lake. We might build bear dens and shelters, skip stones or learn about tracking and fire safety. We might build fairy homes and make snow angels, or learn about bear safety from Cora. We might learn about the seasons, right where we can feel them on our faces; we might have a picnic for our snack time, and play, and dance, and sing. Julia and Sara know so many songs! They know a song for any occasion.

Or we might go inside after our time in the garden, to our classroom in the Big School, where we wash our hands and get ready for our day. We have snack, read books, and listen to stories that are all around us. We learn in our circle and play, on our own and with friends, build and pretend, laugh and dance around. We paint and we bake, measure and learn, make playdough and play at the water table. We make art together, or for our families to take home. We celebrate each other so we can all grow.