Baking Bread: A Blend of Fun, Learning, and Creativity

This week at daycare has been filled with exciting new activities, hands-on learning, and plenty of outdoor fun. We’re especially excited to introduce what we hope will become a weekly tradition: making bread together as a group! Not only do the children love the process of creating something they get to enjoy later with lunch, but it’s also an amazing learning opportunity.

During our bread-making activity, the kids take part in measuring ingredients, which helps with their counting and measuring skills. They scoop, pour, and stir, honing their fine motor skills. Kneading the dough is always a hit—sticky, messy, and perfect for sensory integration! As the dough gets tougher from kneading, the children strengthen their hand muscles, building the coordination and strength needed for other fine motor tasks. It’s fun, it’s messy, and the reward is fresh bread for everyone to enjoy later in the week!

In our sensory bin, we’ve made a seasonal switch. The fall leaves have been replaced with wild rice, which the children can scoop, pour, and measure. It’s a simple change, but it’s already sparking new curiosity and creativity. Next week, we’ll add in some fall leaf manipulative items to help the kids practice their number recognition and counting skills in a playful way.

Another weekly tradition we have is our mid week Kidding Around Yoga. As many of you may already know, I also teach yoga, and I’ve begun integrating it into our routine once a week in place of circle time. I am hopeful that we can at some point work this into our daily schedule but for now, once a week is what works. The children are loving the movement and mindfulness, and it’s such a positive way to start our mornings together.

The wholistic benefits of teaching kids yoga and mindfulness practices is something I’m extremely passionate about and excited to share with the children in my daycare. Teaching young children yoga and meditation offers many benefits for their physical and emotional development. Yoga helps improve their balance, coordination, and flexibility, while also strengthening their muscles. The mindful movements and stretches encourage body awareness and self-control.

Meditation, even in short bursts, helps children learn to focus and calm their minds. It teaches them to manage emotions, reduce stress, and develop patience. Both yoga and meditation promote relaxation and mental clarity, which can improve their attention span and overall well-being. Plus, it’s fun and a great way to introduce mindfulness early!

For art, we’ve been embracing the fall theme with some fun and creative projects. The children made beautiful fall trees using broccoli as a stamp to paint the leaves. We also tried something new with our “marble painting” method, substituting marbles for acorns! These painted acorns will soon have faces and be added to the sensory bin, marking our gradual transition from fall leaves to pumpkins in the coming weeks.

With the unseasonably warm fall days, we’ve been spending as much time outdoors as possible, and I’m constantly amazed by the kids’ creativity especially when we are outdoors. This week they fashioned tweezers out of sticks, gave each other wagon rides, crafted mud cakes, ice cream, and even mud soap to wash their play cars. Their imaginative play led to a real car wash, with actual soap later in the week.

We’re soaking up the last of these beautiful days while exploring, playing, and learning together. It’s been a wonderful week, and I can’t wait to see what the next brings!

Warmly,

Ms Sarah

May the world be filled with beautiful, peaceful little children.