Every morning, and after rest time, there is a period of free play where children are provided with numerous play choices to meet their diverse interests and needs.
- The interests and needs of the children are identified through conversations with parents and the children and through observations made by the teachers.
- The play choices encourage physical, social, emotional, linguistic and cognitive development. A “hands-on” approach, where children are given the opportunity to explore materials and make discoveries for themselves, is used. When children are provided with opportunities to play and explore they learn to communicate with their peers and the adults that care for them, develop self-regulation, as well as foundational skills in literacy and numeracy. Literacy skills include speaking, listening, and understanding, watching and drawing. Numeracy skills include problem solving, sorting, classification, and number recognition.
- Children may play independently, and in small or larger groups.
- They are encouraged to make independent choices, to use materials in a respectful manner, and to assist with clean up when they are finished.