June at The Bramble Patch was a heartwarming and wonderfully reflective month as we dove deep into Community & Responsibility. For us, every month is about cultivating relationships, being present in the moment, and meeting each child exactly where they are. 🥰 This core philosophy guides how we continuously develop our comprehensive curriculum framework.
This framework, which we're actively updating and editing, is designed to build upon itself from month to month, supporting a continuous learning journey year after year through our distinct toddler and preschool stages. What does this look like in practice? It means I can introduce a concept or set up a provocation that's perfectly geared towards toddler development, and then thoughtfully add elements to deepen the learning and understanding for our preschoolers. The Bramble Patch truly serves as our working space to try out these ideas and see if they evolve into exactly what we envision. ✨
Our focus on Community & Responsibility in June was an ideal opportunity for this process of exploration and refinement. While we certainly don't 'implement' or 'plan' in a rigid way – because real life in a busy preschool always has its delightful surprises! 😅 – we're constantly implementing and reflecting. Our goal is to see how we can improve, deepen our concepts, genuinely engage the children, and most importantly, let them lead the experiences and play without it ever being educator-led or directed.
What Did "Community & Responsibility" Look Like?
For our toddlers, the focus on community began with understanding their immediate circle: thinking about their family, their friends right here at The Bramble Patch, and their own little world. Responsibility at this stage often centered on self-help skills, like putting toys away in designated spots, choosing their own snack, or even helping to set the table. We kept it simple, using concrete actions to introduce these big concepts.
For our preschoolers, we expanded these ideas significantly. We explored the broader concept of "community" beyond our immediate walls – we chatted about all kinds of community helpers (like firefighters, doctors, and postal workers) and their roles. Responsibility deepened into understanding how their actions impact others – sharing, taking turns, showing empathy, and contributing to the well-being of our group. We discussed how everyone has a role to play in making our "Bramble Patch community" a wonderful place to be.
Throughout the month, we aimed to create experiences that allowed both age groups to engage with these concepts at their own developmental level. We used open-ended materials and thoughtful prompts that naturally invited different levels of participation and understanding.
Our Playroom Transformed: A Hub of Community Play!
To support our June focus, we totally transformed our play areas into bustling hubs of community life.
Our dramatic play area became a go-to spot. We loaded it up with dress-up clothes for all sorts of community helpers: firefighter, police, doctor, even a hydro/construction worker. We added essential bits and bobs like stethoscopes, doctor tools, and backpacks for "transport." The kids loved setting it up as a doctor's office. 🩺 Our bookshelf and stools? Instant "waiting room," of course! And let me tell you, we often heard the "doctor" calling out names for their friends to come in. Too often, we had "sick" friends, but thankfully, a hug and a pretend "shot" later, they were on their merry way. And I'm happy to report, our baby dolls were thoroughly checked out and not a single one ended up sick! Phew. 👶
On our bookshelf, I curated a selection of books about community helpers, different jobs, and neighbourhoods. We sparked many conversations about what we see right here in our own neighbourhood and chatted about the post office and postal workers. Who knew we'd receive so many "packages" in June? 📦 (A humorous nod to the many pretend deliveries that surely happened!)
Our small world area was packed with an awesome array of vehicles: buses, trains, airplanes, police cars, ambulances, fire trucks, and construction vehicles, alongside various figures for the children to act out all their community play scenarios. 🚌🚒🚑
The sensory bin was a huge hit, too. It was loaded with more vehicles, scoops, shovels, dirt, and rocks! 🚜 We had a blast using the dump trucks, both indoors and out.
A Fine Motor Favourite: Building Fences for Our Foragers!
One super fun fine motor provocation we set up was with large popsicle sticks, plastic clothespins, and a bunch of animals (yes, dinosaurs too!). Our little foragers delightedly made fences by clipping two clothespins onto a popsicle stick and placing them so they stood on their own. It was their very own miniature zoo! 🦖🦒
This activity is just awesome because it really strengthens those tiny hand and finger muscles – so important for later on with writing! It also promotes hand-eye coordination and bilateral coordination as they use both hands to manipulate the materials. Beyond physical development, it encourages problem-solving as they figure out how to make those fences stand, and sparks imaginative play as they create enclosures for their animal friends.
Rhythm and Rhyme: Our June Soundtrack
And of course, like always, our month was absolutely filled with songs, poems, chants, and tons of dancing! 🎶 These elements are key for reinforcing concepts, boosting early literacy, and just getting those wiggles out. A definite fan favourite song this month was "I'm an Excavator" by Blippi. That one always gets everyone grooving! And on one particularly rainy day, we settled in for an episode of Mighty Machines – what a wonderful throwback to my own childhood! 📺
The Bramble Patch Way: Play-Based and Child-Led
Speaking of favourites, like always, we had different manipulatives and fine motor skill toys out. These options are always available, and I switch them out frequently. They don't have to directly relate to any specific focus, because sometimes kids just need to build a tower, you know? 🧱 We definitely played with Duplo a lot in June.
It's super important to me that there's never a push for any child to participate or play with the specific toys or provocations we set out. If a child asks for a toy that we've rotated out, I will gladly get it for them. That's just how we roll here. We are, at our core, a play-based, teacher-curated, child-led playroom/preschool. 💖
Reflecting Forward: Thoughts for Next Year's Curriculum
As I reflect on the month, I know I'd like to incorporate some different sensory bins next year. I want to make sure they offer even more varied textures and experiences, while still giving that open-ended discovery vibe. And you know what else? I'm thinking of including more real-life photos on our walls. Imagine pictures of different community helpers, local landmarks, or even photos of the children themselves engaging in community-focused activities. 📸 Those visual aids would just provide even richer context and connection for our little learners, really deepening their understanding of the amazing world around them.
What does Community & Responsibility mean to you? What kind of activities or resources would you add to a playroom to explore these ideas? Leave a comment below! 👇
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