Leann's Little tots daycare

Why Messy Play Is Worth It 🧼🎨

What may look like a mess is actually rich play-based learning in action! When children explore materials like mud, water, paint, and sensory bins, they are discovering the world through hands-on messy play experiences.

Messy play supports many important areas of early childhood development. As children scoop, pour, mix, and experiment, they strengthen fine motor skills, sensory awareness, and creative thinking while building confidence and curiosity.

Why messy play matters:
🖐 Encourages sensory exploration and body awareness
✏️ Strengthens hands and fingers for early writing skills
🔬 Supports STEM thinking through experimenting and problem solving
💬 Builds language, storytelling, and social interaction

Messy play also invites children to imagine, test ideas, and tell the story of their creations—turning simple materials into meaningful learning experiences.

Sometimes the best learning moments happen when children are free to explore, experiment, and embrace the mess. 🌈✨

✨ Before Writing: Building Strong Foundations ✨

Before a child begins to write, their hands need to explore, strengthen, and develop essential fine motor skills. These simple, playful activities prepare little fingers for control, precision, and confidence 🖐️💡

🧩 Manipulate modeling clay
Soft textures help improve hand strength and flexibility while encouraging creativity and coordination

👕 Fold cloth
Folding develops bilateral coordination and teaches control through structured movement

📄 Tear paper
A fun way to build hand strength and improve finger separation

Press
Applying pressure strengthens muscles needed for holding and controlling a pencil

🔵 Roll balls
Rolling small objects enhances finger coordination and precision

🧵 Thread
Threading beads supports concentration, accuracy, and hand-eye coordination

🔄 Screw
Twisting motions build wrist strength and improve rotational control

🖍️ Glue
Careful application improves precision and controlled movement

✂️ Use scissors
Cutting develops coordination, strength, and control essential for writing

🌱 Step by step, these activities create the foundation for smooth, confident writing, turning small movements into powerful skills for lifelong learning ✨📚

My son is cutting yards again this year if you need any help with your lawn

Jays first tooth gone!!! Tooth fairy is out of retirement. How much is the going rate for a baby tooth? 🤔

Some of our fun snacks from this week!!!

🎉 Congratulations to LeAnn's Little Tots for recently becoming certified as a Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care program! 🎉

Through participation in the Spring/Summer Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Certification Cohort, they implemented the 5 Requirements to become certified as Breastfeeding Friendly.

Want to more about the certification? Let us know at the link below! -> https://forms.gle/9qSQTaML1Vtf7TpU9

These magic rainbows are there one second and gone another 😳 Try out this easy science experiment that kids love! ✏️ Supplies: - index card - colorful markers - permanent marker - plastic bag - glass of water - tape (optional) 💡 Pro Tip! Make sure to view from overhead, if you look straight on it wont have the same magic. 💚 How it works: This experiment is an example of refraction, which is how light bends when it passes through different materials like air, plastic, and water. When the colorful paper is inside a dry plastic bag, light travels straight to your eyes, and you can see the colors clearly. But when you put the bag in water, the water and plastic bend the light in a way that changes the path the light takes. Instead of reaching your eyes, the light bends away or gets scattered, making the colors seem to disappear. #kidsactivities #scienceforkids #kiwico #kidstoys #stemeducation

We had a blast with Dr Seuss birthday week

Shelby Green

New year, new book list for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library‼️

The Blue Ribbon Book Selection Committee chooses which books will be included in the Imagination Library each year. Every book mailed is an age-appropriate title for the child receiving it. In Ohio, any child between 0-5 years old can sign up to receive a monthly book delivery for free!

What titles are you excited to receive this year?