Toddler Time
Classes to keep preschoolers learning beyond the desk
As the leaves change and the weather gets colder, it’s time for kids to go back to school or enter the classroom for the first time.
According to an article from Edutopia, the preschool years are some of the most important when it comes to a child’s brain development. Additionally, children aged 2-7 learn best through play. So how can you keep your child learning while still encouraging fun? Here are some classes that promote learning through the practice of play.
Westerville Public Library
The library offers a variety of events geared toward younger children to get them learning and preparing for kindergarten.
“All of our programming is also thinking about mirroring the setting that you might have in school,” Annamarie Carlson, youth services manager at the Westerville Public Library, says. “So we’re giving kids opportunities to learn, to get excited, to have fun, but also to sneak in some of those educational pieces along the way.”
Each week, the library hosts storytimes for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and the whole family. This Saturday morning event includes songs, stories and activities, and invites parents and their little ones to just show up and have fun.
If the kids need to shake off some extra energy, the library also offers an outdoor story trail at Johnston-McVay Park, Hilmar Park and Ridgewood Park. Stop at the signs along the trail to find the next page of the story while exploring the great outdoors.
From Sept. 5-15, a furry friend makes its home at the library as part of their partnership with Bring the Farm to Youth. The program will bring a live rabbit to the library and a presentation on Sept. 5 that educates visitors on how to take care of rabbits. Children will have the opportunity to pet the rabbit throughout its stay at the library.
In October, the library gears up to celebrate spooky season with all different types of learning.
Visit on Oct. 7 to solve puzzles and complete challenges in an escape room or
attend the Wizards and Wands Festival, a fantasy extravaganza with the promise of hands-on learning, which takes place Oct. 27. Midwest Falconry and Gator Dave will give presentations on birds of prey and small reptiles while kids will have the opportunity to interact with the animals and take pictures. COSI will also bring science experiments and demonstrations to the festival. Children’s entertainers Zach Morgan and Matt Jergen will also perform.
Westerville Parks and Recreation Community Center
The Westerville Parks and Recreation Community Center offers sports, movement, art, music and language classes for preschoolers.
“The main focus of all the programs is introducing those gross motor skills, but it’s also an opportunity to socialize with other (kids) their age or to meet new friends that are all throughout Westerville,” Chelsea VanAssche, program supervisor at the Westerville Parks and Recreation department, says.
Classes like Kinderdance give younger kids the chance to develop their motor skills while learning numbers and colors through dancing. Superhero Bootcamp, a new class being offered this fall, is a superhero-centric class where kids dodge fireballs, avoid hot lava and play Ghostbuster tag.
“It’s almost like a preschool gym class with that superhero focus,” VanAssche says.
PreK Parkour is another class that helps kids learn motor skills while allowing them to explore their wild side safely. The community center is also introducing tumbling this fall for younger kids to learn the basics of gymnastics.
Outside of the gym, the community center also offers classes such as Fabulous Fall Fun, Toddler Time Round Up and Crazy Art Adventures. These art classes integrate lessons about the seasons changing, storytimes and different art techniques through crafts. This class gets messy, so be prepared for post-crafting cleanup.
The community center also offers French and Spanish classes for preschoolers that teach elements of the language’s culture while incorporating basic vocabulary through games. The community center is also adding a new language to the list this year: Baby Sign Language with parents.
Katie Giffin is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at cityscenemediagroup@feedback.com.
