Classroom Activities at Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool
At OCP, activities are based on each child’s interests and are designed to stimulate the child’s imagination. This practice fosters motivation for further exploration and cultivates curiosity and a love of learning. We emphasize the process of the activity rather than the finished product. When possible, the making of materials such as play dough, “goop,” and paint is an activity itself. We also emphasize the child’s involvement in the daily tasks of family and community life—cooking, preparing snack, cleaning up after snacks and meals, and cleaning up toys. These hands-on activities help to promote the child’s independence and interdependence. Children at OCP are involved in the following activities:
- Reading, writing, and telling stories
- Building with blocks and other materials
- Playing with puppets and engaging in finger play
- Playing dress-up and make-believe
- Singing, dancing, and doing yoga
- Playing with puzzles and cooperative games
- Painting, drawing, and making collages
- Performing science experiments and exploring nature
- Playing outdoors, taking nature walks, and engaging in sand and water play
Classroom Materials at Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool
The OCP classroom provides a prepared environment in which children can safely explore and work at their own pace and rhythm according to their abilities. Our goal is to choose materials for the classroom that nourish each child’s imagination, sense of self, and creativity. Materials are age-appropriate, diverse, and multisensory. Natural toys and materials are favored. In line with the teachings of Waldorf, we also prefer simple, unfinished toys. The less finished and less suggestive a toy is, the greater its educational value, as it allows for open-ended imaginative play.
