Let Them Be Little Preschool

Great reminders for those big feelings!

When a child is overwhelmed, what they need most is not correction; it’s regulation.

During big emotional moments, a child’s brain shifts into survival mode. The part of the brain responsible for reasoning, problem solving, and listening temporarily goes offline, while the nervous system activates the fight, flight, or freeze response.

In that state, children are not trying to be difficult; their brain is simply focused on safety.

This is why lectures, punishments, or logic rarely work in the middle of a meltdown. The brain has to feel SAFE before it can learn.

This is where our words become incredibly powerful.

Simple phrases like:
“I’m right here with you,”
“You’re safe with me,”
“Let’s take a slow breath together”

send signals of safety to a child’s nervous system.

When children hear calm, supportive language, their body can begin to move out of stress mode and back toward regulation. This process is called co-regulation.

Young children are not born knowing how to regulate their emotions. Their nervous system develops through repeated experiences of being supported by a calm and connected adult.

Over time, these moments shape the brain. They teach children how to understand their emotions, calm their body, and handle stress in healthier ways.

These 12 phrases are simple tools you can use to help children feel safe, supported, and regulated during difficult moments.

Because the calm voice children borrow from us today eventually becomes the calm voice they carry inside themselves. 💕💕

Thank you so much to the USPS for a fun behind-the-scenes tour! The kids learned a lot and enjoyed the multiple stickers given to them. 😁 We finished the day with a visit to Gregg Clarke Park and a good 'ol fashioned mud bath. I'm so grateful that I can give my babies lots of time to play and explore!

Our latest addition to the classroom, our large sensory bin, has been such a treasure in more ways than one. I love these examples of how they help me as a teacher as much as they help my students.

Social Emotional Learning is one of the biggest areas of focus at our school. It's not just a soft skill, it's a life skill needed for all other aspects of living.

I'm so thankful for the families who trust me with their sweet babies and that I get to do what I love. Watching my students play, explore, create, and learn makes my heart happy! ❤️ I hope all of you can find things to be grateful for today and every day.

A wild child is a learning child. ❤️

🌱🐾🌾🪺

Image: or Shine Mamma

I love the simplicity in learning through play and daily tasks. We count pushes on the swing, explore shapes with playdough, prepare lunch, pour water on different surfaces, and work together to accomplish tasks. Kids are free to participate if they want or to choose something else if they feel drawn to something else. Either way, they are growing, exploring, and continuing to joyfully learn.

Lazy, hazy days of summer are made for play! Whether we were building with boxes inside or splashing in the water outside, these sweet kiddos worked on motor skills, planning and development, critical thinking, teamwork, patience, empathy, and many more foundational skills that will set them up for success in the future. Plus, we had a lot of fun along the way! ❤️

Messy play=learning ❤️

I might be messy, but I learned LOTS!”

We know it can be frustrating when children come home with messy clothes—but more often than not, that mess is the result of exploration, creativity, and learning 🧠

As children grow and develop their motor skills, balance, and hand-eye coordination, those slips, spills, and splashes will become fewer. But for now, every muddy handprint and paint-splattered sleeve is a sign of curiosity in action.

So the next time you collect a mucky little person from nursery, remember:

The laundry won’t last forever,
but the learning that happened today will 💚

This week we've been learning about how animals use camouflage to hide from predators. Today we worked on our own camouflage outfits after reading A Color of His Own. I'm so excited to see how they turn out after drying!

Some of these things we already practice but there are some that I still need to cover. Great ideas!

Over the past couple weeks we've been learning about wild vs tame animals and what an animal needs in a habitat. We played a game called Oh Deer where our "deer" looked for food, water, shelter, and space, and we created our own animals and the habitat they live in. I love seeing their creativity!