The power of play and adventure is an important way to teach young children

By Mimi Aranda, GCC child care manager

Goodman Community Center’s child care staff use the power of play and adventure to teach children rather than having the teachers only talk about shapes and numbers. At Goodman, we believe that the power of play and fun is one of the most important ways to teach young minds.

Each day, the kiddos dive into exciting experiences that go beyond traditional learning in the early childhood education program. One of their favorite special activities is learning from our friends at the Madison Children’s Museum. Through a partnership, Heather and Junko come into the classrooms to run activities every other week. Heather brings creativity and open mindedness to all her fun, hands-on activities — from creating art to look like stained glass to building marble mazes. Junko keeps the energy high with her joyful music from her ukelele or flute. Her fun dance moves get everyone moving and grooving. You can’t help but join in on the cuteness and fun.

Another highlight of the children’s week is Spark, a fun physical fitness time with GCC’s Mr. Trevor. Spark is a total body workout special activity where the kids learn how to play all sorts of sports and active games. Activities include mini golf, obstacle courses, parachute games and others. Spark helps develop physical coordination, confidence and teamwork all while children have a blast.

These specials are a highlight of our daily schedule and a big part of what makes the ECE program so unique. Staff are proud to offer a space where curiosity is encouraged, imaginations run wild and learning truly feels like an adventure.

On top of all these amazing specials, there are incredible activities our awesome teachers bring to the table every day. From making crockpot apple pies and do-it-yourself play dough to organizing fun and engaging field trips, Goodman’s ECE staff try hard to make learning exciting.

The first field trip of the year took children to Schuster’s Farm near Deerfield. The three classrooms enjoyed a wagon ride through the forest, explored a new playground and the best part, got to pick their very own pumpkins!