Learning About The World At Daycare

By Larissa Lytwyn

The “Clubhouse” at Misty Morning Children’s Center welcomed spring May 9 with a luau featuring Hawaiian music, food and, of course, hula dancing.

 “We believe that children should interact with their environment in a hands-on way,” said the center’s director, Lynne Earl. “Children can learn so much through structured play.”

The Clubhouse is a term grade school visitors adopted to dissociate themselves from the center’s largely preschool aged population.

To prepare for the luau, the participants, all grade-school children, explored Hawaii from its volcano-resplendent landscape to the unique culture of its native people. Donning bright orange and green grass skirts, children learned how to hula, cook traditional meals, and even speak the islands’ most beloved word: “Aloha!”

Each of Ms Earl’s more than two dozen staff members is certified in some aspect of the social sciences. While the center’s activities include storytelling, interactive playtime, field trips to local bowling allies, shopping malls, parks and other locations, Ms Earl’s programs do not feature computer access.

“I believe they can do those kinds of activities at home,” she said. “You would not believe, with the exception of Disney movies on rainy days, how rarely our television is used.”

Ms Earl continued, “We maintain that the time the children have here is their time. We really try to bring them into the outside environment. We’ll get out the paint, the glitter, and the beads….its their time to interact socially, to have fun.”