Spreading Joy, not Germs, in Your Early Childhood Classroom

A peek into any early childhood classroom should give you a snapshot of joy and exploration. These days, with precautions against infection in the time of Covid-19, things are surely different ... but the joy and exploration can continue, with a lot of creativity and flexibility :)

Circle time looks different - we can't be sitting close together in a circle on the rug and giving high fives and cuddles .... but we can have the same community feeling and fun with some small adjustments! 

If you are in-person -

• Incorporate alternate seating in the form of a wipe-off seat cushion or individual beach towel. Spread your friends out in a larger circle or other formation.
• Start your day outdoors, if weather permits, with the same seating options.
• Continue to get your littles up and moving, wherever they are, with motion-based activities to keep them on task.

Whether you're in-person or remote, greet each other using some innovation - “throw” a pretend ball (complete with some great sound effects) from one to another, calling their name, to greet around the circle. Give long distance high fives as air-fives or, in-person, use yard sticks with foam hands on the ends to pass around. (Follow with a squirt!)

Sharing is sometimes easier when your friends aren't "on the spot" - let them choose (or make) a full-sized or finger puppet to be their sharing tool, and then they can keep that puppet for the week in a cubby or other secure spot. Trade them in on the weekend for "puppet quarantine." Watch the joy as they start to open up!

In person, share the pen during circle or message time by just tweaking the procedure - a quick wipe down by the teacher between uses lets friends all participate and collaborate. Keep some disposable gloves and wipes available at your easel station and you won't end up with sore hands. 

Authentic interactions can still take place, even through plexiglass partitions or screens when all are playing/working with separate toys/materials. Encourage students to display what they are working on and have a "question wand" to get it going. Glue a BIG, bright question mark on a dowel/stick and use it to tap someone on the shoulder. They will look around and ask a friend a question (or two) about what they are working on. Once this gets to be a regular thing, you can fade the wand or use for special occasions. (Adapt for remote screen use.)

Remember, these young friends don't have pre-conceived ideas of what school is - so make it joyful, interactive, and full of exploration - just like every other year!

Good luck :) and have fun!!