Circle Time is a group gathering during which we share our ideas, plan, and arid observation. Circle activities are designed to stimulate youngsters’ thinking, enrich their social skills, and expand their attention spans.

Gross-Motor Activities give children the opportunity to use their muscles-as well as their imaginations-as they engage in fun, healthy exercises, such as running, jumping, and climbing.

Fine-Motor Activities help improve small-muscle development and eye-hand coordination. Some common items found in the fine-motor/manipulative area include puzzles, beads and lacing, pegboards, crayons and scissors.

Art Activities help youngsters creatively express their thoughts and feelings. They help reinforce fine-motor skills and concept development in areas such as colors, shapes, and size relationships.

Dramatic Play Activities help children express themselves, practice life skills, improve social skills, increase self-esteem, build vocabulary, and solve problems. And, well, dramatic play is plain fun!

Music Activities promote youngsters’ listening skills, creative expression, and social skills. In music, children can explore sound, volume, tempo, and rhythm.

Science Activities offer children many hands-on opportunities for observation, exploration, investigation, making prediction and experimentation.

Sand and Water Activities allow youngsters to experiment with textures and the properties of different substances. These activities also promote the development of other skills, such as math, science and language.

Block Play gives children experience with many different concepts, such as shape and size discrimination, spatial relationships, number skills, balance, organization, cause and effect, and classification. Cooperative play skills, problem solving, and creativity are also promoted in block play.

Storytime is designed to help youngsters develop an appreciation and enjoyment of literature. Reading activities enhance children’s vocabulary and comprehension skills, and also expand their knowledge base.

Westwood Elementary