Play to Learn!


Since October 2008, the Children's Museum of Tacoma has served nearly 7,000 children and adults at Play to Learn programs throughout Pierce County.

Daily Schedule

30 minutes | Sign-in and Free Time

  • Block area
  • Soft space with books
  • Puzzle area
  • Manipulatives
  • Art table
  • Open space for music and movement
  • Circle space
  • Clean Up Time

 

20 minutes | Circle Time

  • Stories and Songs
  • Stepping Stones:  What are we learning today?
  • Introduce Activity

 

30 Minutes | Main Activity

  • Art, craft, or physical activity associated with the day's theme.

 

10 minutes | Regroup to Circle & Goodbye

  • Sharing News
  • Discuss take-home bag and handout
  • Goodbye song and stamps

Stepping Stones to School


At each session we talk about how the day's activities relate to children's growth and school readiness. Here's an example of some of these stepping stones to school:


Physical Development and Motor Skills:

  • Gaining ability to sit calmly during circle time
  • Developing motor skills during movement activities:  balance and coordination
  • Hand-eye coordination and fine motor skill development during activities
  • Sharing space with peers and adults

Social and Emotional Development:
  • Expressing feelings, curiosity, and imagination during stories and activities
  • Respecting the rights, space, feelings and property of others during play
  • Showing interest and joy during circle time and activities such as reading and art

Language and Communication:
  • Enjoying the reading process and listening to new stories
  • Communicating with peers and adults


Cognitive Development and Knowledge:

  • Repeating patterns and routines during Play to Learn
  • Building cognitive (thinking) skills through story time listening and comprehension
  • Sharing thoughts and questions with peers and adults about activities and stories
  • "What happens next ...?" Develop critical thinking skills

Our Favorite Songs!

Little Drop of Rain
First a little drop of rain hits the ground...
Then another drop of rain hits the ground...
Then another, and another, and another, and another,
And pretty soon you'll hear a different sound.
SPLISH! SPLASH!


Ram Sam Sam
A ram sam sam
A ram sam sam
Goolie, goolie, goolie, goolie, goolie
Ram sam sam

A raa-fi, a raa-fi
Goolie, goolie, goolie, goolie, goolie
Ram sam sam


Five Little Monkeys
(start with five fingers up on one hand)

Five little monkeys swinging in a tree,
Teasing Mr. Alligator,
You can't catch me, you can't catch me...
Along comes Mr. Alligator, as quite as can be
and SNAPPED that monkey right out of that tree.

(fold one finger into the hand)

[now how many are left?  FOUR!]

Four little monkeys...
Three, Two, One...


Goodbye Song
Goodbye everybody goodbye
Goodbye everybody goodbye
We played and we played and we had a great day
Goodbye everybody goodbye


Bubble, Bubble, POP!
All the fish are swimming in the water,
Swimming in the water
Swimming in the water
All the fish are swimming in the water...

Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, POP!

All the otters are rolling in the water...
All the jellyfish are floating in the water...
All the dolphins are jumping out of the water...


Alley Oop
Alley oop went the little green frog one day
Alley oop went the little green frog
Alley oop went the little green frog one day
And his eyes went blikity blink, blink.

The other little frogs went
b-dotiy-oh-de-o, b-dotiy-oh-de-o, b-dotiy-oh-de-o
The other little frogs went
b-dotiy-oh-de-o
And the last little frog went
Oompa, oomp-pa-pa. Oompa, oompa-pa-pa.


Five Green and Speckled Frogs
Five green and speckled frogs
Sat on speckled log
Eating some most delicious bugs
YUM! YUM!

One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Now there are FOUR green speckled frogs.
GLUB! GLUB!

Four green and speckled frogs..
Three, Two, One..