Our Play Philosophy
The Staff of the Buffalo State Child Care Center works hard to provide appropriate learning experiences and activities for the stage-rather than simply the age-of the child. We strive to develop opportunities for play that are appropriate, stimulating and build upon each child's current abilities. Our center places great value on the importance of play for all children. We sincerely hope that parents will become connoisseurs of play by visiting your children's classroom, and keeping the lines of communication open between home and center.
We believe:
Play is the way children make sense of their world, and is the natural way they learn.
Play is a child's work.
Play is:
- Self-initiated
- Spontaneous
- A way of finding out about people
- A way of learning to live with people
- A means of thinking
- A means of developing and practicing skills
- An opportunity for children to use their curiosity to explore, experiment , and test ideas
- An aid to developing concentration
- A way of nurturing creativity
- A means of self-expression
This means that:
We provide an environment conductive to play, an environment which contains materials which are stimulating, challenging, changing, varied, familiar and loved.
We provide an environment which encourages different kinds of play, such as construction, role playing, gross motor movement, fine motor movement, problem solving, discovering, communicating, creating, imagining, and activities involving reading, writing numbers, space and measurement.
During play, caregivers:
- Allow uninterrupted concentration
- Intervene when appropriate
- Extend learning
- Stimulate the child and arouse curiosity
- Support the child, sometimes by becoming involved
- Observe the child
- Encourage involvement in a variety of activities
- Promote children's self-esteem by valuing their efforts
- Encourage children to value their own efforts and the efforts of others
- Build nurturing relationships and trust with each child using routines