September through June, we open at 7:30am and the morning program runs through 12pm. First thing in the morning, it’s pretty quiet. As our little ones trickle in, they are in mixed-age groups for child-directed play, at first in the baby/young toddler room until about 7:45/8am when the older children move to their own rooms for activity time.
By 9am, everyone is here and we have our Morning Meeting. All of the children (except the babies) gather together in one room as a community. We read a book, pose a question about the book, give the children a moment of silence to reflect on the question, then listen to each other’s answer. We close Morning Meeting with a song:
As we leave this friendly place,
Love give light to every face;
May the kindness which we learn
Light our hearts till we return.
Then, the kiddos wash their hands and have snack. By 9:30am, we’ll check diapers/encourage toileting and do an art activity, and each class has their own circle time to greet friends, look at the calendar, check the weather, choose jobs (line leader, lunch helper, messenger, weather checker, etc.), read books, sing songs, and talk about the theme of the week. By 10/10:30am, we head outside for the rest of the morning, weather permitting (and the weather almost always permits!). We might walk to the lake or Pete’s Produce Farm or play in one of the fields or forest areas. We typically don’t use the playground in the morning — it’s more fun to explore the campus! In rainy weather, we might walk to the athletic center and use the gym to run around and chase balls or go upstairs to the Meeting House to play games.
By noon, everyone is inside and hands have been washed. There’s lunch — Wednesday is Pizza Day! — then diaper changes/toileting and reading books till nap at 1pm. Oak Lane kids have a busy and happy morning!
