I took a few snaps with my phone camera at our Moms & Tots class this week.
Mia really enjoys the class, often if I ask her what she wants to do, she says "go to tannie Estie!" Mia doesn't interact much with the other children, but she does take part in all of the activities, often gets super excited, and can see she loves it. However, when somebody gives her individual attention, she gets super shy.
Each class starts off with free-play time, where toys/activities/puzzles can be taken off the shelves and played with - but in a structured way - each child has a chair and table, and after each activity the toy must be put away before choosing another one.
Then we go outside for an obstacle course, and then back inside to sing some songs with movement, march in a circle, play with a musical instrument, play dress-up with cat ears, play with big exercise balls, etc. Each week there is a colour-theme, which Estie then shows them all sorts of things in that colour, and gives them each a little plastic container with those coloured things in for them to explore and look at.
Then it's "Give-mommy-a-Barney-hug" time, which I just love - when Mia was a bit smaller she used to let me hold her, but looked at the other kids more. Now she hugs me the whole time, with her head on my shoulder, i LOVE it. Then story time on a blanket.
After story time it's craft time - one of Mia's favourite activities. They make supercute things each time.
Then it's messy play outside, this often varies, but includes: sand, finger paint, playdough, coloured sand, birdseed, water with dishes to wash or clothes to wash, water with fishies, boats or sponges, koki pens, chalk crayons, iced marie biscuits, cones in icing sugar, big paint boards... Another of Mia's favourites, of course!
Then we end with juice-and-chippy time, where the kids all sit at a table with their snacks that Estie provides, and the mom's have tea time - we make turns each week who brings something along.
I'm so glad we do this - it's special time for the two of us together, and Mia learns a lot.
:-)
xx
Aaw that's so lovely! And she looks like she's having so much fun. The crafts sounds amazing.
ReplyDeleteShe really loves it - the crafts give me so many good ideas of what to do again later at home too! :-)
Deletexx
Looks like you have special times in the M&T Classes, Jess! I love the format of the classes, sounds like so much fun, and so educational and great for teaching the little ones to social too - and mommies time with other moms!
ReplyDeleteI also love that the classes are not only for fun, but educational as well. Dis belangrik!
DeleteThis new class is bigger than the previous one, so we haven't bonded with any maatjies or mommies yet - but it's fine that way, we have our friends still from the other class that we can do playdates with.
xx
The class sounds great :-) Such fun activities!
ReplyDeleteYou can see in the pics that Mia is clearly loving it ...
PS. her hair is so long and pretty ... I wish I didn't have to cut Munchkin's hair to ear length every time. But when its longer its always in a permanent mess cos she never keeps her hairbands or clips on for longer than 30mins ... we send her to school in hairbands and clips but none come back home!
Ah thanks, I love her hair - it's just a nightmare to wash it!!!
DeleteLuckily Mia's been so used to hairclips since she was tiny, she doesn't mind at all.
xx