Children must be at least 30 months old at the time of enrollment.
In June, 2020, After a three month hiatus, due to Covid, our indoor/outdoor program transitioned to primarily an outdoor program. We have learned to embrace that and, going forward, we will be staying outside most of the time.
We begin every morning with free play. The children's favorite toys are waiting for them along with countless others rotated in and out according to interest and ability. We favor toys that stimulate the child's imagination...puzzles, dolls, dress up, cars and trains, blocks, play dough. Free play time allows the children to get settled and move freely between play areas, friends and staff. With a staff/student ratio of 1 to 4, we are able to meet the needs of everyone.
After we clean up from free play we transition to snack time. Typical snack options are fresh fruit, whole grain crackers, yogurt and whole grain cereal. Specific children's food allergies / sensitivities are always taken into consideration.
Next is circle time, where children enjoy stories, songs, finger plays, felt board and movement activities. Children are encouraged to participate and communicate with staff and each other.. We are a play-based program, but we seize on opportunities to promote early literacy and math awareness.
Circle time is typically followed by a literature or theme related art activity. Coloring, pasting, painting and cutting are some of the activities the children experience on a daily basis. We always emphasize process over product.
Our music teacher Stephanie Pepitone, brings her guitar one day a week and gives a dynamic and engaging music class that invites singing, movement, and musical instrument accompaniment.
The children have structured and unstructured opportunities for active play. There is no TV, DVD watching or computer games here. Instead we listen to music, dance, and do other fun activities that involve interacting with each other. In our spacious yard children run, ride, climb, pretend, dig and explore. Outdoor time varies according to the weather, but with a covered play area available, we can get fresh air daily.
Our final activity is lunch. Pre-Covid, we used to provide lunch, indoors, to all the children. But, since we’ve moved the program outside, the children now bring their own lunches and we provide a beverage ( milk or water). Lunch is not only a time to enjoy our delicious food, but also a time to focus on socialization and table manners. We do still provide a wholesome snack mid morning.
We have a passion for children's literature and our library is extensive. Fragile books are kept out of reach, but the rest are at preschool level. Books are meant to be touched. Rips happen. Children at Yellow House are always encouraged to "read" and are read too often.
Our program is rich with language arts and math activities, but bolstering those skills is not our main focus. Our primary goal is to create a warm, stimulating and safe space where children can develop their social skills. Every year we experience the pleasure of watching our children transition from parallel play to being completely engaged with one another. At Yellow House Playschool, children learn sharing, compassion, patience and develop a sense of community.