Play and the Outdoors
Play is a Preschool student’s work.
As the focus of early children’s education, imaginative, creative play is critical for behavioral development, social emotional skills, and learning.
Through child-led peer interactions within a supportive environment, our youngest students begin to understand how social relationships work and how to interpret and express emotions through play. They process lessons, problem solve, work through conflicts, and develop independence as they explore and discover their world; at the same time, they develop imagination, creativity, self-esteem, self-regulation, and agency.
Engaging in outdoor play provides a deeper connection to science and the environment at a young age as well as an appreciation for nature. They have sensory experiences that are critical in learning how to process such stimulation, and it provides space and opportunity for inventive games, collaboration, pretend activities, and movement critical to a young child’s development of gross motor skills, physical health, and overall wellbeing.
