Learning through play is a crucial aspect of child development. The preschoolers enhance a variety of skills through their daily activities, which include art, science experiments, sensory play, literacy, and physical activities. During these engagements, they effectively utilize their fine and gross motor skills, balance, hand-eye coordination, social interaction, communication, concentration, colour recognition, and spatial awareness. During outdoor playtime, the preschoolers have enjoyed balancing on ratchet straps and logs, as well as jumping, climbing, and running. To further enrich their outdoor learning experience, this month at RisingOaks Early Learning | Saint John Paul II, the preschoolers were introduced to a new balance activity designed to promote balance, concentration, hand-eye coordination, and control over hand movements. In this activity, two preschoolers held either side of a small square box with a circular hole in the center. They placed a ball into the box and rolled it from side to side, forwards and backwards, aiming to get the ball into the hole so it would fall to the ground. All the preschoolers eagerly participated in this simple yet engaging activity. Some quickly figured out how to get the ball into the hole and began experimenting with different sizes and styles of balls, even placing several balls in the box at once. In the afternoon, several children expressed a desire to revisit this activity and utilized the box and balls in innovative ways. For instance, Skylar threw a ball, chased it, and attempted to catch it using the hole of the box while holding both sides. Meanwhile, Maddox creatively placed the box on top of a plastic rectangular container and used it as a golf hole, proudly declaring that he was creating a golf course. The preschoolers thoroughly enjoyed this activity, with some spending a significant amount of time exploring how the ball moved within the box and a nearby container, showcasing their creativity. Throughout this experience, they demonstrated not only their creativity, concentration, and problem-solving skills but also their spatial awareness, gross motor skills, and coordination.
