Explorer's Lab Drop Off (best suited to ages 3-5*)

This special class allows children a chance to participate in a Chorus and Clouds class *independently from their care giver.

• Wednesdays 3:00-5:00PM at our Mt Pleasant location
• Class will run April 3-June 19 (12 weeks) 

Children should have practice or show interest in sitting and attending book readings, sharing and may be moving beyond parallel play with other children. This Explorer’s Lab class is designed to offer pre-school aged children experience in developing early learning skills in a play based setting. We begin class with a gathering circle, live music, a book reading may happen which may inspire our art making.  We have discovery centres for children to explore which they are welcome to go in and out from throughout the class. The longer class time will allow us to develop an emergent curriculum, basing our art and stories on the developing interests of the children. We end the class with a goodbye gathering circle to help contribute continuity and togetherness. 

Benefits of an extended, independent class for children Ages 3-5

• When children are given chance to work and play independently and away from their primary care givers, they may learn to navigate new or challenging situations and to think critically. With a small peer group and two educators, we seek to offer opportunity to guide and support each child and attend to their natural ways of learning though music, through art and play.

• Art has an important place for children at young age.  It allows children to not only explore their abilities but is an aid in developing new sets of skills including problem solving, collaboration and predicting.

• Expressive arts allow opportunity for young children to understand their world and make sense of their experiences.

• Interacting with paint and other creative mediums goes beyond the verbal language allowing each child to communicate what otherwise may not be expressed. Art offers new communication skills.

• Fine motor skills are constantly being developed as we explore different practices, an important pre-cursor to literacy and writing.

• Weekly repetition in our studio will allow children the opportunity for social and emotional skills, such as turn taking, negotiation, interacting with peers and learning to manage emotions. All of these skills are crucial to a child developing a positive self-image and confidence.

• Within the context of early childhood we always consider the child to be our very own little scientist. From the day they are born, they work on reasoning skills.  By exploring ideas and with our modelling and adult participation, they are able to test possibilities, work through challenges and find solutions.

• Through our play-based discovery centres, children will explore early math concepts such as sorting and classifying, pattern making, shapes and sizes, and number recognition.