All About Circle Time
Teacher Katherine reads a story about dinosaurs to an enthralled audience.
We’re saying a fond farewell to Teacher Katherine this week and welcoming back Teacher Christine to carry on our Circle Time fun! Katherine has been teaching Circle Time with us for nearly two years, and we wish her the best of luck in her big move! Thank you Teacher Katherine for all you have done for Mendo LEAP! The love, joy, and enthusiasm you have gifted us all with during your time here has been such a blessing, and we wish you much success in the future as you move out of the area! We will miss you!
How did Circle Time start?
Circle Time is a weekly staple at Mendo LEAP. Every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10am, we come together for songs, stories, games, and crafts. Megan and Teacher Christine developed the program to help serve the community. Christine brought her experience as a preschool teacher, camp counselor, and scout leader to Mendo LEAP’s Circle Time, and quickly established it as an unmissable part of the weekly routine for our families. When Christine went on maternity leave, Teacher Katherine took up the mantle as our dedicated Circle Time teacher.
What kinds of things do you teach at Circle Time?
Every week, you can expect Circle Time to include:
Singing and rhythm
Movement
Games
Arts and Crafts or Manipulatives
Stories on the felt board (helps children to see the story as they hear it)
Though the theme changes every week, Circle Time always focuses heavily on language building. The format is centered around music, rhythm and singing, which boosts language acquisition (rhythm and song are especially great early language builders!) Activities also highlight spelling, counting, and early reading skills, just to name a few.
But Circle Time is about more than that: it’s also excellent for building social skills. Participating in Circle Time helps children build empathy, learn turn-taking, and even teaches self-soothing and emotional regulation. Kids also get a healthy dose of imaginative play!
What we love about our Circle Time format is that it’s included in our Open Play admission. That means your little one will get the benefit of unstructured play time with peers as well as the more structured activities in Circle Time, resulting in a well-rounded experience each week.
What ages are appropriate for Circle Time?
Teacher Christine with a mixed-age group of children and adults
Circle Time activities are adapted to meet the needs of the children present. In general, the program was designed to introduce infants and toddlers to structured group participation, but the activities, vocabulary, and crafts can be adapted to entertain up to about 6 years old. We’ve also found that older children really enjoy being leaders and helpers for the younger children.
What are the benefits of coming to Circle Time every week? For kids? For adults?
Circle Time fun at our old location
In addition to the social and academic skills we’ve mentioned, Circle Time is excellent for toddlers as it helps strengthen their attention span. When most kids start Circle Time, they’re not ready to sit attentively through the entire program, which is 100% normal and expected! But what we find as children attend more is that their ability to be part of circle time grows, which will ultimately help them to be more successful when they start school and throughout life in general.
For adults, Circle Time offers a chance to get out and socialize with other grownups who have children around the same age as yours. Peer groups like this can be an excellent source of emotional support, especially when attended regularly. Participating in social groups like this can also help adults reduce stress and anxiety while combatting feelings of isolation–a growing concern for U.S. adults.
How do you get your ideas for each week?
Teacher Christine gets inspiration for her weekly Circle Time through a variety of sources! Many of the activities are inspired by her background in teaching and working with children. She also finds inspiration by looking at and responding to community needs. Of course, Christine also makes a point of seeking out new and interesting activities to continue to build on her lessons.
Coming Soon to Circle Time…
Circle Time is going to start focusing more on the local ecology and history of Mendocino County! You can expect topics to range from things like banana slugs and redwood trees to places of interest like Glass Beach. We hope you’ll join us around the circle soon to see it for yourself!
