How can child care businesses connect with the community at large to strengthen relationships and learning? Aside from the novelty of exploring a real-life ambulance or garbage truck, how is learning about community helpers beneficial to kids? We’ll dive into all of the details in the post below.
By being a director of family child care or preschool you are in fact a big community helper and service provider yourself. Your program and its services are part of the fabric of the neighborhood.
It is important that your community know about the work you do and the services you provide, so as much as you can make your program visible to the community, you probably should. People love to see young children out in their community too.
Here are some ideas to boost your community visibility and create local bonds while engaging young children.
Exploring and being a part of the community is a win-win for child care business owners and children's learning experiences. If there is one thing that all community helpers teach us, it is that as humans, big and small, we do not live in bubble and caring for one another is essential.
Community helpers aren’t as black and white as numbers or ABCs when it comes to their purpose in the preschool classroom. Here are some concrete ways they help young children grow.
Answering the question “What do community helpers do?” in preschool can:
Along with the points above, community helpers in preschool serve as a theme. You may notice that your child’s caregiver provides themes often, whether they’re related to upcoming holidays or seemingly random subjects like this one.
Community helpers and other themes help children engage in learning. Printables with new tracing activities, for example, are much more fun for police-loving kids if they’re filled with siren colors and squad cars. Literacy lessons can be based on the theme with the help of books about doctors and dentists.
Themes like community helpers in preschool keep learning new and exciting. They bring in new tools and subjects. They entice kids to engage when their favorite subjects are covered. And last but not least, they make learning fun at an age that should be largely based on play.
Whether you run your own in-home childcare or you’re looking for ways to teach your preschooler from home, the following activities are a great place to start.
This could include police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances racing by you on the street, but it could also be simpler. Make sure your child knows the importance of the mailman who stops by your house each day. Remind them that you wouldn’t be able to buy their favorite snacks at the grocery store without the stockers and cashiers. Talk about doctors and dentists keeping you healthy.
Dramatic play is one of the easiest ways to teach children about real-life things that don’t happen at home every day. This is because it allows kids to immerse themselves in imaginative experiences, consequently informing them and reducing fear and anxiety over potential future events.
For example, playing “doctor” at home can not only teach kids how much doctors, nurses, and all other hospital workers help us, but it can also show them that they don’t have to be afraid the next time they visit a clinic.
Offering dramatic play related to firefighters can teach children fire safety and help them respond confidently instead of fearfully in the event that they see real flames.
Setting up a pretend “classroom” can show them how cool teachers are while also letting them know they don’t need to feel anxious about their first day of school.
While many lessons are well-taught through dramatic play, others may need to be shared in a more realistic fashion. Making a fire escape plan for your home, for example, is best taught through real-life lessons.
How to make a fire safety plan successfully with preschoolers:
So, what do community helpers in preschool do? They offer a solid theme and learning opportunity for preschoolers. Use the tips above to teach your own little ones from home or from your home childcare.
If you ever need help growing your child care community, feel free to reach out to Wonderschool for consistent, experienced support in marketing, early childhood education, and much more.
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