WHEN I AM...4
Four-year-olds are physically active and love to jump, dance, throw balls, and run. They are mastering their fine motor coordination and, at the end of the year, may be able to write their own name. They may also recognize a few simple words such as “on” or “off” and they are beginning to have fun with numbers.
Four-year-olds enjoy playing with other children and are now having conversations with both peers and adults. They are curious about the world around them and are beginning to understand the roles people play in their community. During imagination play, they may pretend to be a “mommy,” “daddy,” “policeman,” and so on.
I am running, jumping, and really moving my body. I am really beginning to use my fine motor skills and learning to do everything from combing my hair to cooking or measuring and, of course, writing.
Activity in the Museum: The Treehouse in Leaping Into Learning is a wonderful space for physical fun and exploration. Activities at the Sand Tables and Paint Wall in Let Your Creativity Flow can help strengthen hand muscles used for writing.
My attention span is growing, as is my ability to focus on one task and persist after setbacks
Activity in the Museum: The Ball Machines in Tools For Solutions offer so many opportunities to experiment and figure out how the balls are moved by the simple machines.
I am learning about the world around me through observations, looking for opportunities to practice counting, create patterns and science concepts.
Activity in the Museum: The Rocket Launch Pad in Gateway to the World is a fun and dynamic place to engineer a trip to space.
I am learning about roles at home, in school and in the community. I am also learning to share and relate with my friends.
Activity in the Museum: Look for places around the museum to play pretend: be a cook at the Cafe in Fundamentally Food or be a delivery truck driver in Fundamentally Food.
As a developing reader, I am beginning to recognize simple words and also symbols that represent words. I like hearing and trying new words, too!
Activity in the Museum: Use the realistic food and labels in the Grocery Store of Fundamentally Food to get all the items on your grocery list. You could also sort the foods by restocking the shelves.
ADDITIONAL BOOKS & RESOURCES
- BULLET 1
- BULLET 2
- BULLET 3
