Musical instruments offer individual children and groups of children experiences with sound and rhythm. The variety of music encourages children to develop individual preferences and develop an awareness of music as a form of expression. Creative movement opportunities enhance rhythm, challenge problem solving capabilities, and encourage creative imagination. Music and movement can be encouraged within the classroom and in the out of doors. In the block center, children can explore cause and effect relationships as they build towers that tumble.
Children explore math concepts when they duplicate size relationships with unit blocks.
Children explore science and weight concepts when they load a truck with blocks and dump them out again. Many language and social opportunities are presented as children explain the construction or banter and negotiate over ownership and process. Through dramatic play children have an opportunity to recreate life experiences from their perspective. When children pretend to be someone or something else, they understand their experiences better. Dramatic play, a microcosm of life, portrays and projects all areas of the curriculum.