Poppy Environment

The Poppies Environment is made up of our oldest students, ages 3 to 5 years. This program offers opportunities that emphasize self-directed, open-ended play activities that are developmentally based. We encourage independence, initiative, self-expression and responsibility for self, for others and for the environment. Our classroom environment encourages learning through investigation and exploration. Students are invited to question how the world works and participate in curriculum projects that will help answer these questions. Our curriculum address the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive learning of the child.

In our environment, children are free to choose from a variety of both child-initiated and teacher-guided play activities such as: block play, loose part manipulation, dramatic play, puzzles and games, movement, creating, and music. This array of activities collectively develop skills in problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, gross and fine motor control, art, science, math, language/literacy, sensory, social-emotional, and sensory.

Daily, monthly and yearly exploration is planned using emergent curriculum as a way to support students’ interests and passions. We observe and identify themes found in the rich play of children and use these observations to support the opportunity for them to explore their ideas. Elizabeth Jones refers to children in this age group as “Master Players” (1997). From the play themes, we determine curriculum to support the children’s interests.

As play themes emerge, projects begin. “Children have a strong disposition to explore and discover. The Project Approach builds on natural curiosity, enabling children to interact, question, connect, problem-solve, communicate, reflect, and more.

Typical Day for Poppies
Approximate Times	Activities	What the Children Do
7:30- 9:00	Arrival	Children arrive at school before 9:00 a.m. Children will transition to school with help from parents and staff Parents depart Children participate in self-selected play activities such as blocks, dramatic play, table tops activities, etc.
8:00-8:45	Breakfast Offered	Children are invited to breakfast.
9:15	Morning Meeting	Children will gather in small groups to discuss plans for the day as well as join for songs, stories and experiences related to the current curriculum topic/study
9:30-11:30 10:00	Activities Self-Served Snack Offered (and encouraged)	Children will self-select various play activities inside and out throughout the morning related to the curriculum and the children’s interests. Included in this time is a self-served snack. During this time, Poppies often take walks around the campus and/or take their turn to care for the Community Garden.
11:45	Clean up Large Group Gathering	After a clean-up time, children gather together for stories, movement activities, and puppet play. All children are encouraged to participate
12:00	Lunch	Children will wash up for lunch and eat a Children’s School-family style lunch
12:30-3:00	Nap or	After lunch, children will wash up, brush their teeth, find their nap/rest place and begin their rest
1:30-5:00	Snack and Afternoon Play	Snack will be provided at 2:30. Children will self-select play activities inside or outdoors or both, help care for the outdoor environment, and prepare for departing the school based on their daily schedules
5:00- 5:25 (School closes at 3:45 on Thursdays)	End of Day	All children will come inside, ready themselves for departure, and join in listening to books.

Poppy Environment: Curriculum Spotlight

Children's Interests and Curriculum

Games with Rules

This semester the Poppies were very interested in creating and participating in games with rules. They were interested in the structure of the games, especially those games that had powerful roles embedded within them. Games with competition and also games with cooperation were explored.

Construction

The Poppies explored construction through a variety of different mediums. They explored large construction, where they learned how to use tools such as hammers, drills, saws. During this time the Poppies became familiar with creating plans or “blueprints” of their large construction ideas. These blueprints allowed the Poppies to work in detail on their constructions, and then come back to them later to make changes and edit their work. The following semester the Poppies continued on to “tiny construction”. This work focused on the Poppies interest in using tiny tools such a sewing needles and thread. They enjoyed collecting “beautiful” and “special” natural objects they found in our yard, or recycled materials form our loose parts collections. They would collect these materials then find different ways to attach them to built tiny constructions such as people, their accessories, animals, vehicles and much more.

Cooking

The Poppies took part in a variety of different cooking projects this semester. They explored the five different groups such as grains, protein, fruit, vegetables, dairy. They worked on writing out each recipe and all of their ingredients every week, then they would cook! At the end of the semester all of the recipes were complied and send out to the families so they could enjoy our recipes and share some of our experiences.

Home and School Connections

At the end of the semester the Poppies put in some hard work to make the school beautiful for their families. They presented all of the different projects they had been interested in and working on. The families and children were all able to mine and develop a deeper sense of community.
We made a book that described all of the curriculum and projects we had been working on during the school year. We also included photos of the children and their work. This book helped to better connect with the families by giving them a more in depth look at the work the children have been doing.

Main Areas of Development; Early Learning Foundations/DRDP

Games with Rules: The Poppies were extremely interested in creating and playing games with rules this semester. They developed their self-control of feelings and behaviors as well as their engagement and persistence. Many of these games were played in groups where the Poppies really exercised their social skills. While working and playing in their outdoor environment the Poppies observed many different life cycles while working in the garden. They learned about caring for other living creatures. Safety and care routines… Cooking: This project allows the children to become comfortable using tools for measurement.