Toddler Newsletter: March 27, 2022

Instructions for living a life.
pay attention.
be astonished.
tell about it.
~Mary Oliver

One of the greatest joys in my life is getting to spend my time with toddlers. This age is so unbelievably extraordinary because so much of who children are and how they see themselves in the world unfolds in the blink of an eye. To a toddler (and children in general) there is magic in every moment. To be in their presence as they discover and uncover the beauty and wonder that is all around is the gift that children unknowingly give us. To bear witness to this mindfulness, in my opinion, is the miracle of toddlerhood. As some of you may have noticed, we started to clear out the toddler yard space to make room for new changes we will be implementing soon. We removed most ride on toys and plastic structures. I heard someone exclaim “Well, what will the children play with?” Hearing this question brings me back to the notion that we adults often have of children. If adults don’t “teach” or “offer” or “give” children lessons or
toys to “play” with then how or what will they learn? And I say to this...children are naturally curious beings. The brain of a toddler thrives on exploring, discovering and experimenting in any environment. The heart of a toddler thrives on the connection and joy that is made from their discoveries. Children have an innate drive to connect with their surroundings and to figure out how they fit into the complex world around them. Although the outdoor yard
space may appear “empty” to the adult eye, to the child it is full of wonder with endless discoveries to make. As the children raked away leaves from the fence they found sleeping insects. The children created piles of leaves to run and jump into. The children watched and joyfully cheered as the wind whipped up the leaves and sent them dancing around the space. Keen eyes and tiny fingers sifted through the soil and discovered miniscule fluid filled orbs (some type of egg?!) A labyrinth was drawn on the newly raked area that the children took to
running around and around smiling and laughing. Sticks and rake handles became tools and brushes for the children to make drawings of their own on the brown, soft canvas. The warm spring sun blessed us with many opportunities to investigate, share a meal, play and be joyful this week and we are forever grateful!

Some happenings this week include:
● Reading books with friends
● Sweeping and mopping in the sunroom
● Enjoying the tulips at the meal time table-watching the blooms unfold and noticing all the different parts of the flower-talking about the Pistil, Stamen, Petals, Pollen, Stem etc.
● Navigating an indoor obstacle course inspired by a friend's birthday party at Top Gun Gymnastics
● Jumping on trampolines in the sunroom-explored jumping really fast and then really slow
● Raking leaves in the yard-jumping into piles, chasing blowing leaves, discovering insects under the wet piles
● Following the labyrinth drawn on the earth, drawing pictures in the dirt
● Digging in the dirt-discovering worms, insects and tiny eggs!
● A visit from the Science Center! They brought an American Kestrel :)
● Using tongs and magnifying glasses to explore Guinea Hen feathers

Thank you for sharing your most precious children with me. I am forever grateful for your trust and partnership.

Be well families and enjoy this beautiful weekend. See you soon, Sarah

---