Red Brolly Preschool

Let’s talk about end-of-the-year ANXIETY in our littles…

We’re down to our last two weeks of school here at Red Brolly… how is that even possible?!

This busy time of year always brings big feelings for little ones. Many schools are wrapping up, summer is getting closer and routines are shifting all around them. Things feel less predictable, schedules change, and there’s just a lot of transition in the air.

It’s very normal to see an increase in anxiety right now and for it to show up in behavior. Kids also “borrow” our nervous systems — when we’re rushed, stressed, or anxious, they feel that too. And when we have a million sports games, graduations, dance recitals, playdates, and ice cream socials on top of doing laundry, going to work, and getting the dog to the vet, it’s easy for all of us to get wrapped up in it. But when we’re calm and steady, it helps them regulate and feel safe.

We all want to talk it through, explain, fix, and help (because of course we do — we’re parents). But sometimes less really is more. Stay connected but keep it simple. Too much talking in the moment can actually feed the anxiety instead of calming it.

A few gentle reminders:
-Name the feeling simply
-Stay calm and grounded
-Keep language short and clear
-Hold onto routines where you can

We’re in that busy, emotional stretch of the year — and we’ve got this!! And just a little reminder… you’re probably doing better than you think you are❤️

From all of us at Red Brolly Preschool — We hope everyone had a cozy Memorial Day weekend. The rain really tried to steal the show, but we were thankful the sun finally made a little appearance today. ❤️

Memorial Day can be a big concept for little kiddos, but sometimes it starts with simple conversations — talking about being thankful for the people who help and protect others, making a card for a veteran, or even taking a quiet moment to teach them about the American flag🇺🇸

We’re thankful and we remember.

Construction Month has already been a workload of fun over here, but today was EXTRA exciting thanks to a visit from Ron Marsan from Ron Marsan & Son General Contractors!

Ron brought in some of the real tools he uses every day, shared stories about the giant machines he works with, and taught us all about the different kinds of jobs he does. The kids were completely fascinated… and naturally asked approximately 5,256 questions.

Thankfully for us, Ron showed up with endless patience, lots of enthusiasm, and such a genuine passion for what he does. He answered every single question, let the kids get a close look at his tools, and made the whole experience so fun.

We are so lucky to have families and community members who are willing to take time out of their busy days to share little pieces of their world with our kiddos.

Thank you so much for visiting us today, Ron! We loved having you and already can’t wait to have you back for more construction fun! ❤️

What does preschool look like to you?

At Red Brolly, it looks like a whole lot of FUN… and a whole lot of learning happening at the same time.

Play is how children explore, discover, and grow. As Einstein said, “Play is the highest form of research.”

So, while it may look like just playing… Take a look at our play-based, social-emotional focused program and tell me our kiddos aren’t learning ❤️ Here’s what was happening today inside our Red Brolly walls:

✅ Gross motor skills (running, climbing, obstacle courses)
✅ Fine motor skills (cutting, tearing, gluing, painting, playdough)
✅ Engineering + problem solving (building with marshmallows + toothpicks, blocks and building cardboard box structures)
✅ Sensory exploration (construction theme sensory table)
✅ Early math skills (number scale and counting fun)
✅ Early literacy (name writing practice)
✅ Language development (listening to stories + asking questions)
✅ Executive functioning (following routines and transitions)
✅ Independence skills (putting on our coats, pouring our own drinks, taking care of our belongings)
✅ Social skills (sharing, manners, waiting our turn to wash up, snack table conversations)
✅ Creativity, imagination, teamwork… and so much joy!

To the kids, it feels like play.
To us, it is learning in action ❤️

Happy Mother’s Day!

We see you — in the early mornings, the long days, the endless multitasking, and the quiet in-between moments that sometimes go unnoticed. We see the love you give so freely, even when you’re tired and doing your best.

Showing up matters more than you know. You are appreciated. And the love you pour into your children is shaping who they become in the most beautiful ways. ❤️

❤️ Let’s Talk Empathy ❤️

At Red Brolly Preschool, we’ve been thinking a lot about empathy in early childhood — inspired by what we see every day in our classroom, in our community, and in real moments of heartbreak that remind us just how important kindness and connection truly are.

How do we help young children understand empathy in a way that really sticks?

The truth is… it rarely shows up in big, planned lessons. It lives in the small, everyday moments.

Holding the door. A simple “thank you” wave when crossing the street. Noticing when a friend feels left out or upset. Scooting over to make space. A child offering up their chair without being asked. These are the moments we see again and again.

Our little ones are still very much in that egocentric stage — and that’s exactly where they should be. Learning to see beyond themselves takes time, modeling, repetition and lots of patience (from them and us).

So we keep showing them.

Through play, through conversations about feelings, through gentle questions like, “How do you think that made them feel?” and through the messy moments too — because empathy is also modeled when things don’t go perfectly.

When we lose patience. When we make mistakes. When we come back, apologize, and try again.

And children learn all of this by watching the adults around them. And the beautiful part is… they are getting it.

We see it in the smallest moments every day — kindness, awareness, and care for one another growing right in front of us.

In a world that can feel heavy, these little moments matter more than ever. ❤️

One of our favorite sights in our classroom…. A little one curled up with a book, traveling to a whole new place. These are the moments that remind us why we do what we do ❤️