Wondering Waddlers
Rainbow Room at Queen Anne
At this age, children are growing more inquisitive and are learning to explore the sights, sounds, smells and textures of the world around them. They learn through play, experimentation and observation, at their own pace. Our waddlers learn best when they feel secure in a warm, loving environment. The relationships they establish with our friendly, caring educators give them the confidence to experiment and the security to meet their new challenges.
We have safe climbing structures for children to test their gross motor skills and cozy corners to cuddle in and contemplate the world or read their favorite stories. The children can dance to their favorite music, sing songs that add to their development of language, and also participate in many “hands on” learning experiences. Integrating as many of the senses as possible into learning activities gives a child’s brain tactile and kinesthetic memories, as well as visual and auditory ones.
Stories from the Rainbow Classroom: Our Educators’ Vision…
The waddlers in Rainbow Room are taking in everything they’ve done and learned during their first 12 months of life and using those skills and knowledge to propel them into an explosive stage of exploration of self, others, and the world around them. As a classroom of two primary educators, 1 support educator, and 8 adventurous children we learn in collaboration with each other by building relationships, flowing through consistent daily routines, engaging in deep exploration of the classroom environment. We use our combined knowledge about schemas and developmentally appropriate practice with our observations of children’s curiosities to present meaningful provocations that scaffold children’s skills and interests. Our classroom community places a strong emphasis on nature, exploring the nearby community daily and bringing nature into the classroom.
Our team is guided by our classroom values of compassion, resilience, self-reliance, community/clanship, growth, and speaking to children and adults with purpose and acknowledgement of their capability. Our goal is to challenge all humans within the Rainbow community to use their voices and make choices with intent and compassion, as well as listen to one another with community and clanship in mind. The home school connection is central to our success, and we prioritize connecting with families and fellow educators to foster genuine interactions and purposeful curriculum.
Throughout your time in Rainbow, you can expect children to experience social emotional supports, creative expression opportunities, opportunities to find joyful exploration of food, time in nature, scientific experiments, the freedom to engage in safe risky play, develop a love for language, and much more.