UM-Dearborn ECEC

Sewing fabric on a teacher-made frame. Even with child sewing needles, the children were still able to work the yarn back and forth and see their creation from multiple perspectives.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
UM-Dearborn College of Education, Health, and Human Services
University of Michigan-Dearborn
Great Start to Quality

Due to forecasted weather and the closure of local schools, the ECEC will be closed on Friday, January 30th. Please stay safe and warm.

Open enrollment will begin on Monday, February 23rd for the 2026-2027 school year at the ECEC. To apply please visit our website https://umdearborn.edu/cehhs/centers-institutes/early-childhood-education-center on February 23rd. The application will be live at 8:00am.

If you have questions about enrollment please contact our front desk at 313-593-5424 or email us at [email protected]!

University of Michigan
UM-Dearborn College of Education, Health, and Human Services
University of Michigan-Dearborn
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

Are you interested in touring our program? We are hosting an Open House on Friday, February 27th, 2026. You can come anytime between 10am - 12pm. Please RSVP at this link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DADAF2DA3F5C43-61563112-ecec

You will have a chance to see the classrooms and ask questions about our program. This is an adult centered event so parents and guardians can focus on program/classroom questions.

We hope to see you there!

University of Michigan-Dearborn
UM-Dearborn College of Education, Health, and Human Services
University of Michigan-Dearborn Alumni
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

ECEC Open House Friday, February 27th, 2026 Please RSVP below if you are interested in attending our open house. Thank you!

ECEC Families,

Due to the winter weather, the ECEC will be closed on Monday, 1/26/26. Please stay safe and warm!

Due the upcoming weather forecast, the ECEC will be closed on Friday, January 23rd. Please stay safe and warm!

ECEC Families,

Due to the weather, the ECEC will be closed on Thursday, January 15th. Please stay safe and warm!

Good Evening,

Due to a water main break in the area, we are without water. Crews will be out first thing in the morning to work on the issue. As a result, the ECEC will be closed on Wednesday, 12/10/25

Some of the children were exploring how different light colors changes paint. The white paint looked very different under different colors and in shadows.

University of Michigan-Dearborn
UM-Dearborn College of Education, Health, and Human Services
Great Start to Quality
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

Some of the children decided to use some loose parts and collage materials to create Turkeys this week. This is a great example of how the time of year and family/school conversations can inspire the children into creating!

University of Michigan-Dearborn
UM-Dearborn College of Education, Health, and Human Services
Great Start to Quality
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

Sometimes a clear sheet of acrylic and magnets make the perfect tool to build problem solving skills!

University of Michigan-Dearborn
UM-Dearborn College of Education, Health, and Human Services
Great Start to Quality
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

Why We Let Children Climb Up the Slide (Especially When Other Childern Are There)...

We’ve been led to believe that playground equipment, or slides rather, have one correct use: "up the stairs, down the slide." Orderly, predictable, and adult-approved. Yet when we insist on this one-way approach, we remove the very moments that build the skills children need most.

When children climb up while others want to come down, it becomes a lesson in frustration tolerance, problem-solving, resilience, communication, collaboration, cooperation, and decision-making. They learn to pause and wait (delayed gratification), negotiate, and consider others. These moments are the foundation of emotional intelligence.

Research from the Harvard Center on the Developing Child shows that self-regulation and executive function grow through experiences that require planning and adjustment. Peter Gray notes that when children navigate play on their own terms, they strengthen empathy and independence. Angela Hanscom connects full-body movement to focus and sensory integration, while Mariana Brussoni’s research on risky play shows that manageable risk helps children become more capable and careful.

And yes, sometimes children will get hurt. While we never want injury, it’s more concerning when children aren’t moving or testing limits at all. Skinned knees and small tumbles teach body awareness, balance, and recovery (while activating vestibular and proprioceptive development). We’ve become so afraid of falling that we stop children from running, forgetting that getting back up is how confidence is built. Preventing every scrape comes at the cost of deeper learning, courage, confidence, and trust in their own abilities.

Context always matters. Allowing children to climb up the slide doesn’t mean there are no rules. It means we shift how boundaries are taught (within play). Instead of enforcing them through constant correction, we let children experience and understand them through relevant and meaningful action.

When adults step back, children don’t lose boundaries, but rather, they begin to build them from within. They learn to move aside, wait, or communicate. Those are the beginnings of true self-regulation and respect for themselves and others. The goal isn’t blind obedience but awareness and accountability.

The playground is the perfect balance of freedom and safety. It’s where children can take risks, test ideas, and learn how to move within shared space under calm, present supervision. They discover what their bodies can do and how to exist alongside others doing the same.

Climbing up the slide doesn’t teach rule-breaking. It teaches discernment, confidence, and community. It shows that freedom and safety are not opposites but partners in growth.

Children have been climbing up slides since slides existed because they are wired to explore from every direction. The playground is where they practice challenge, coordination, and coexistence. When we stop interfering and start trusting, we give them what childhood is meant to offer: a safe place to move, negotiate, wonder, and grow.