Our Play Based Learning Experience-- Starting Out

After reading up on some of our options, I have decided that play-based learning best suits our family at this time.  We have certainly been engaging in alot of play based learning before today, but the difference now is that I am recognizing how this really is a preschool experience for us, and it's something that I know will prepare the kids well for future learning.

I do want to start out with our play based learning being a little structured-- in that I want to plan out a few key elements each day.  This does not mean that every second of the day is planned and rigid-- it just means that I want to have ideas and activities in mind that we can explore in a fun way.  I think planning is a valuable tool for me because it helps me be more mindful of what I would like to include in our day.  I want to balance this planned aspect with just simply exploring the interests and ideas of our kids-- making sure that plenty of time is allowed for following their lead.

Here is an example of what I have started to do:

Each Saturday, I will come up with some ideas of learning activities to include in the next week.  I get ideas from around the house or from blogs I read.  This week, many of our activity ideas came from  the Learn with Play at Home website.  If I need to get any materials, I can do so on Sunday when I'm already out shopping for groceries.  I just started with a few learning domains but I want to include gross motor and learning about the Bible.  I might include music activities in the art section.  I'm trying out this method to see how it works.  If it feels like too much, I will scale this back.  If we don't get to an activity or we switch one out, then I'll just move it around.  This is not a schedule, and there are no time limits or anything-- it's just a list of ideas and I want it to be very flexible.

Charlotte

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Reading	Read books Zingo	Pop game	Library—Story time	Read books	Jump and jive
Writing/ Fine Motor	Scissors	Markers	Scissors, glue stick	Making cookies (use rolling pin and cookie cutters)	Scissors
Math	Domino Counting	Pattern Bears	Counting to 100 video, numbers chart	Coin  Sorting	Bear  Graphing (make my own)
Science	Vinegar and baking soda with food coloring	Water Bottle Fountain	Balloon Rockets	Building and playing with books and cars	Cardboard tube marble run
Art	Play Dough and Toothpicks	Mixing colors - paint	Mixing colors- shaving cream and food coloring	Cork and q-tip painting	Invitation to paint with recycled materials (anything I find)
Bible
Gross Motor

I made Weston's activity ideas list in a condensed version, because he usually likes to do whatever Charlotte is doing!  I always try to include him in Charlotte's activities, but I also wanted to make sure that I planned out some activities that are designed just for him.

Weston

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
	Bears or numbers/letters, shoe box with hole in the lid	Baby roly bowly (ball, large mixing bowl or pot)	Rolling ramp fun	What’s in the box? (box with lid, random objects inside)	Squares and circles play

On Wednesdays, I am going to try to take the kids to the preschool story time.  I think it provides a good opportunity for her to be around other kids, listen to another adult read a story, do an art project, and then explore the library afterwards as we pick out books to take home.  Weston enjoys the stories too!  We will go to Jump and Jive on Fridays, but we will not be able to go to it once Charlotte's dance class starts again in a few weeks.