Smith College Center for Early Childhood Education at Fort Hill

Preschoolers have created a loom on their playground! They are using strips of colored tulle to weave through the slated wood panels of their gazebo, the "home" of the summer program's Outdoor Art Studio.

"It's gonna fill up!"

Investigating weaving on a loom..
"Is this a harp?"
"It's pattern like sewing."
"They went in and out, in and out, but not E, he went there and around and twisted, but it's still beautiful."

"in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
lucious" E. E. Cummings

Outdoor painting on the preschool playground! In harmony with our deep investigation of color, preschoolers are working on a collaborative painting using only the primary colors, but multiple shades of those colors. The first day children painted with shades of yellow (pale yellow, bright yellow, golden, chartreuse.) The second day they painted with shades of blue (sky blue, bright blue, turquoise, teal.) The third day they painted with shades of red (bright red, pink, maroon, terra cotta.)

A few moments from this year's annual Bike Rally!
Children, families, and teachers always enjoy this beloved school-wide event near the closing of our school year together.

This is a wonderful resource on supporting children through challenging events in their world.

Helping Kids Navigate Scary News Stories | Parenting Tips & Advice We cannot fully “news proof” our home when unsettling events happen in the world, but we can help kids navigate what they hear through simple, responsive, reassuring conversations.

“It's a wondrous thing how the wild calms a child.” Unknown

Exploring tempera paint cakes in our young toddler classroom.

Last week in the Art Studio, preschoolers created mixtures of powdered chalk and water and stored them in test tubes. This week, they decided to use them in the Mud Kitchen. In addition to the leaves and weeds they collected, they poured the color onto mud-filled containers to create beautiful cakes and soups!

Reaching new heights on the Infant and Toddler Playground.