As a childcare educator, can you share one or two practices you've implemented to create a positive environment for infants/toddlers in the center? by Patricia Lyn Geonzon

patricialyngeonzon — 2024-01-28 18:59:56 UTC

As an educator, I change the classroom set-up according to the children preferences, like I chooses different kinds of books that catches their attention, rotate toys and blocks so that they will not be bored with it. And lastly, I set the lights, not too bright for them so that they will have a calm and soothing lights.

2024-01-29 23:48:14 UTC

I like to bring outside in! Using a Sensory Tray or bin with snow or fall leaves or branches & safe size stones. Then add carefully chosen familiar items to the mix.

Music is another way I like to set the atmosphere. It’s so fun to move to different beats and tempos. It’s a fun time to bring out instruments too. A calm playlist is also so lovely at times.

Jodi

jessmday98 — 2024-01-31 19:00:23 UTC

I like to add seasonal items that promote exploring what season were in. Purple/Pink Play dough for Valentines Day, Water tables in the Summer, etc.

2024-02-04 18:11:11 UTC

I brought my treasure basket into the program and the children loved the addition of safe and natural toys. Patient and positive assistance with helping the toddlers share new materials that require turn taking is also very important. For example, with sharing a new slide or trampoline telling the waiting children that is so and so's turn, and perhaps commenting look how high up he/ she is "Hi Chelsea! or "woww she's jumping!" and they might smile and say hi as they wait or we could encourage her to jump. Or I might say in a singsong voice "Who's on the slide or trampoline?" "Chelsea's on the slide or trampoline. When redirecting young ones from their intentions for what they wish to do in the environment I try to show understanding and responsiveness while guiding them with these boundaries.

I like to have uncluttered shelves and to display toys in orderly and unique ways.

I am awaiting an order of baby blocks by FunTime that are lightweight plastic and not made perfectly so that stacking is best done with careful coordination AND when the blocks fall they make an appealing clattering sound as they hit the floor. This is an activity my baby boy loved so much, he would laugh and laugh so hard when they fell, and he worked his coordination so that he became very good at stacking them! I am confident that this coordination later influenced his ability to use a spoon with very little mess, his daycare workers were baffled by his ability to eat soup so tidily!

-Lila