Adventure, exploration, discovery: these exciting parts of childhood are best experienced outdoors. At O’Fallon Early Childhood Center, make sure children in all our programs spend time outside every day.
The Playground
Playgrounds are a convenient place for children to climb, jump, and run together. Here, they’ll develop physically, socially, and creatively as they make up and play games.
The Learning Center
In addition to our jungle gym, we have a full fledged classroom outdoors where children can draw on chalkboards, read books, search our sandbox of shavings for toy animals, and play games at our picnic tables.
The Garden
At the OECC garden, toddlers and preschoolers work together to plant, water, nurture, and harvest vegetables and flowers. They even use the vegetables to cook their own meals. Gardening teaches children:
- The joys of working towards a single goal
- A more complete view of the world because they see the process of where food comes from and what it can become
- More complex biological concepts like photosynthesis
Seasonal Outdoor Activities
In the Midwest, we are blessed with distinct weather for each season. Children may experience their first snowfall or watching the trees change at our childcare center. We plan activities big and small throughout the year to give our infants, toddlers, and preschoolers the most fulfilling outdoor experience possible.
Some of our past activities include:
- Butterfly habitats
- Water games
- Roasting marshmallows
