Activities

This includes colors, patterns and textures for infants and toddlers; finger-painting, coloring and drawing, cutting, pasting, play-dough, and large-bead stringing for preschoolers; and more sophisticated art and craft projects for school-agers.

Story books, record books, and cassette books

Gummy Bears’ Daycare & Learning Center has a dramatic play area and props set up just for pretend play. Dramatic play helps children to explore their world by using imagination and gives them the chance to try on “roles” of different people. Older children often enjoy using props in their pretend play, so Gummy Bears’ provides props based on themes. Some of the themes we have played are grocery store, post office/mail carrier, camping, pizza parlor, firefighter, school, bank, laundromat, library, radio station, doctor’s office/hospital, business office, Hawaiian Luau, graduation, veterinary office, circus, parade, house, nursery, go fishing, parade, tea party, movie time, painter, shoe store, car wash, or puppet play. Infants are amused by watching other children play “pretend,” and toddlers like to play alongside other children and will often carry props around.

Gummy Bears’ likes to take field trips to places like the Petting Zoo, Fire Station, Police Department, Humane Society, Imaginarium, Waterloo or Cedar Falls Public Library, bowling alley, pet stores, public parks and play areas, other daycares, local restaurants and grocery stores. Just about any place is a potential field trip for us. Some of our favorites have been to Hansen’s Dairy Farm and Campingworld RV Center! These trips give children the opportunity to practice manners in public settings, learn about traffic and transportation, and offer an exciting change of pace from our normal everyday activities.

Note: Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, our field trips have been temporarily suspended/reduced.

Children learn about sequences, about food sources (where fish come from, how butter is made, how corn grows), food groups, color, texture, and taste, gardening experiences.

Singing, dancing, banging, listening to music, finger-play, musical instruments. Instruments are meant to be played! So at daycare, kids hitting the piano keys, whacking the drum, or plucking the guitars is a joyful noise that I encourage. I play a variety of instruments including drums, piano, flute, and guitar, so we have a lot of music at daycare!

Running, jumping, discovering nature, collecting leaves, learning about the environment, dramatic play, water play, learning about textures, gardening, blowing bubbles, spraying colored water on the snow, sledding, washing doll clothes and hanging them out to dry, picnics, hide and seek, sidewalk chalk, follow the leader, Simon Says, playing on the jungle gym, jump rope, ball play, and riding toys.

Gummy Bears’ is located close to three different parks, and also to the local trail system. During nice weather, and especially during the summer, we try to make it to the parks and use the trails as often as possible.

Children have a lot of curiosity about what people do at work, especially “uniformed” workers. Occasionally, I may be able to arrange for visitors to be at our daycare. If you are employed in a profession you think might be interesting to the kids at daycare, (or know someone else who is), and would be willing to share your expertise, please let me know!

These activities help children learn finger movement, coordination, colors and shapes, assembly of objects, and general problem solving skills. Examples include puzzles, *Legos, *Fisher-Price sets, *Tinker Toys, *Bristle Blocks, *Thingamajigs, stringing cards and beads, Ker Plunk, Old Maid, Gingerbread House, Ants in the Pants, Fishin' Around, Go Fish, Memory, Candy Land, and Dominos.

ABC’s, Counting, Sharing, Manners, Disney selections

Sprinkler, water balloons, water squirt bottles, snow play, outdoor “painting” with colored water