Phyllis Bodel Childcare Center at Yale School of Medicine

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!
We want to give a big thank you to all of the Bodel teachers at North and South campus for all that they do for the center! We hope you all have an amazing week! 🤗🎉🍎✏️📚🖌️

Ladybug friends have been enjoying playing on the playground and exploring all of the toys and of course the sandbox! Our older friends have been enjoying riding on the cars and riding all around the playground. They have also enjoyed playing in the sandbox and using the shovels to scoop the sand and then pouring the sand into the buckets. We also have a play house on the playground where the children can play together. For our younger friends, we have them use the push toys so they can work on their gross motor skills.

This month in the Butterfly class we have been working on cleaning up after ourselves and following multiple step directions together. Most of us have moved from Onlooker Play to more Parallel Play with their friends. Some of us are heading towards more Associative Play style. It is a great time for us to have conversations and ask others about their feelings, and encourage teachers to talk about themselves. Our Butterfly families have satisfied the children’s curiosity by coming in and sharing their culture and lives with us. We are all so excited to be growing and learning together!

Dragonflies are familiarizing themselves with shapes, and are identifying them in their daily environment: Blocks, toys, food, etc. around the classroom. They are also developing self awareness through mirror play, body awareness games and songs.

Here are some pictures from the hedgehogs class over the past couple weeks! They have been busy getting their garden ready for planting as well as making bookmarks which will be used in their classroom. They have also been working on their gross motor skills by creating an obstacle course as a team. The children have been taking advantage of the nicer weather and enjoying fun activities outside!

The Puffin children have been enjoying the new playground to develop gross motor skills, including climbing, running, and crawling. We are observing significant growth in their social and emotional development; they are demonstrating increased compassion and an understanding of how their actions affect others. It is a very active and positive time for the group.

It was a wonderful morning at Bodel during our teachers’ in-service a few weeks ago!
We spent time sharing lesson plans, discussing classroom activities, and learning from one another. These moments of collaboration remind us how much we grow together as educators here at Bodel!
Here’s a little peek into our morning! We truly enjoyed every moment and are so grateful for this time to connect, reflect, and improve our teaching.

This month in the butterfly class, we have been enjoying the warmer weather and fresh air! There has been some exciting library time with visits from Miss Sharicia, the Hedgehog teacher. Miss Neicy came by to read rhyming stories, as we have been enjoying a variety of books on our own. We are actively engaged in rhyming, memorizing, and self regulation. Marching Band has become a beloved pastime, even when drums are not available. We are getting creative by making drums out of paint brushes, symbols out of puzzle pieces, and trumpets out of paper towel rolls. Everyone seems to be developing their individual personalities and pursuing their passions.

The ladybug friends have been working on their self help skills. During lunch time, our friends at the table are given spoons so they can scoop up their own food and feed themselves. We also offer hand over hand if friends are needing some help. The friends are given water/milk in a small cup and are offered to practice drinking from the cup. Our younger friends who are eating finger foods, are practicing feeding themselves.

Seahorses have been working with loose parts! Infants and toddlers are researchers who are fascinated by the properties of objects and how things work. They explore materials with all their senses and delight in cause-and-effect relationships. Loose parts are captivating objects for infants and toddlers to investigate because of their open-ended nature. Loose parts allow young children to be in control of their inquiries as they gather and learn information about physical objects. The children have also been working the Carry and Walk game, the children are encouraged to pick up a soft toy, small ball, or lightweight object and carry it while walking across the room to a designated spot. We cheered them on, clapped, and gently guided them as they moved. This simple game helps strengthen gross motor skills like balance and coordination, builds leg and core strength, and supports confidence in walking. It also promotes early problem-solving as the children learn how to move while holding something, and it encourages social interaction through playful back-and-forth engagement. This week many of our children have started walking around the classroom successfully!