Sun Circle Playgarden

At Sun Circle, children are offered…

…a gradual bridge from home life with a small group ratio.

Within a safe and nurturing home environment, children are provided opportunities to play, explore, and to enliven their imaginations. The cozy group (no more than 5 children each day) assures individual attention and an unhurried pace while developing group social skills and warm relationships.

…freedom to explore their unique discoveries in a rich, inviting environment.

Through the important work of creative play, the children learn about themselves and all that surrounds them. Young children of this age group explore their encounters with the outside world largely through imitation and their inner world of imagination. The teacher strives to nurture these aspects through providing a loving atmosphere of respect, creativity, beauty, warmth, and joy.

Simple, open-ended materials and toys allow the children to fully use their powers of imagination and imitation, developing the foundations of creativity and intellect. The play environment invites the children’s senses as they touch elements from nature (wood, pine cones, wool, sand, water…), children bake and share delicious whole foods during snack time, while stories and songs gently weave the transitions of the day.

…a gentle daily rhythm and a direct connection with the natural world.

The gentle daily and weekly rhythms allow a healthy “breathing”, or alternating outward and inward times, throughout the day, the week and the year. In this way, everyone’s needs are met, nourishing the children as well as the teacher.

Daily rhythm: The children arrive and settle into free play, while the teacher is actively engaged in an activity that the children may  join (baking, seasonal crafts, etc). Free play is followed by morning circle, where the group gathers together to greet each other and the day. This is a time where the teacher engages the children in creative, playful interaction through songs, games and movement. Morning circle closes with a brief rest time, followed by a warming snack and tea. Next is outside time, when the children engage directly with the natural world. In warmer weather, activities (snacks, lunch, arts and crafts) are brought outdoors. Outside, the children enjoy digging, running, climbing, mud, sand, water, gardening, caretaking and harvesting. The group then returns indoors for story time. Simple nature, folk and fairy tales from diverse cultures are presented through oral storytelling (stories memorized and spoken by the teacher) and puppet plays.

Weekly Rhythm: Children gain a sense of  time passage and days of the week  through daily food and activities offered on certain days (ex. Tuesday: baking day/ watercolor day, Wednesday: fruit and nut day/ craft day, etc.) (see Daily/Weekly Rhythm).

Yearly Rhythm: Seasonal changes are recognized and honored throughout each yearly journey around the sun.  Walks, nature crafts, observing animal and insect life, and especially gardening encourage stewardship for all living things, while seasonal crafts and activities, celebrations and gatherings strengthen a child’s connection to the cycles of the year, as well as to family and community. (see Seasonal Celebrations) The indoor elements of the play environment also evolve to reflect the gradual transformations of nature seen outdoors.