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Mark your calendars for this annual
FREE FAMILY EVENT! Rain or Shine!
Monday, May 7th, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
FREE Family Event! Make your own sundaes, Mr. Scott the Music Man performs, and enjoy The Fun Bus Fitness on Wheels. The playground will be open, eat your ice cream outside at picnic tables and enjoy the park-like setting. Meet local families with young children and find out about The Peppermint Tree Summer Camp and School Year programs.
All families are welcome! Hope you’ll join us!
Live Performance by Mr. Scott the Music Man!
Make Way for Outdoor Play
by Valerie Frost-Lewis, MS Ed., Owner/Director, Peppermint Tree Child Development Center
Think back to your childhood summer vacations…what were your best memories? Most likely they include sunshine, breezes and playing with friends outside. Were you building sandcastles? Catching fireflies? Collecting rocks? These are the experiences of childhood that imprint fond memories, and whether we knew it or not, this is when we started to learn how to be a good friend and got our beginning earth science lessons.
Children building forts, digging in dirt, scrunching leaves and making mud pies use their imaginations, develop problem-solving skills and learn about the natural world through this kind of play. They create whole imaginary worlds, plan story lines and negotiate roles with other children as they build their social skills.
In today’s high tech and busy world, child development experts are concerned that our young children are experiencing a disconnection from nature and are becoming isolated because of increased indoor play and time spent playing video games and watching TV. “Screen time” only uses the senses of sight and hearing, which is quite limiting in comparison to the full array of textures, weights, temperatures, etc., that children encounter when playing outdoors. It is also a solitary way of playing, so researchers are concerned that many of today’s young children get less practice with their social skills.
Young children learn about the world through feeling, smelling, tasting, seeing, and hearing everything that is around them. So, the more sensory experiences young children have, the more opportunities they have to learn and understand the world.
And when we allow children to play outdoors in nature, they can use all of their senses at the same time. They can sift their fingers and toes through the sand, hear and see the waves crash while also smelling and tasting the salt air. This sensory feast is an important reason that outdoor nature play is a valuable part of early childhood development.
It is based on this philosophy, the importance of outdoor play, that we have designed our summer day camp at The Peppermint Tree in Toms River. Children play outdoors in our park-like setting and can explore nature on our safe, fenced property. They can dig, build, hunt for worms, go on nature walks, swim in our pools, and play basketball, volleyball, go on scavenger hunts, paint at our outdoor easels, or enjoy crafts. Of course our air-conditioned building is available for young children’s naps and if it is too hot or if it is raining.
Our goal is to provide lots of choices, so the children are free to spend their day as they please, at their own pace. Just like we did in the lazy days of summer of our memories. If you would like your child to have this kind of a summer experience, you can learn more about The Peppermint Tree Summer Day Camp at http://www.pepperminttree.com/our-summer-program/
And, make way for outdoor play!
The Peppermint Tree Child Development Center, serving Toms River for over 35 years is state-certified and privately owned. During the school year, we offer a research-based curriculum developed for young, inquisitive minds. Classes are offered for 2.5 year olds through Kindergarten. Our highly qualified, dedicated and creative faculty has been with the school on average, for fifteen years or more, providing a warm and stable environment for the children. During the summer, the facility is transformed into an outdoor summer day camp, complete with on-site swimming pools, park-like grounds and an enriching activity calendar with appropriate offerings for children from 2.5 years through fifth grade graduates.
Enhancing Your Child’s Readiness for School Through Music and Movement
by Valerie Frost-Lewis, MS Ed., Owner/Director, Peppermint Tree Child Development Center
How did you learn your ABC’s? Probably by singing them. There are research-based reasons why songs “stick” in our brains. Now that we have sophisticated brain imaging technology, we have learned that music activities use both sides of the brain, and stimulate the brain cells to strengthen connections for learning. We have also learned that the brains of very young children (those under five years of age) have a great deal of “plasticity”, meaning their brains are growing and reshaping rapidly as they learn. The more stimulation they get, the stronger the brain growth. So, music and movement is not only fun and exciting for children, it is also an educational tool that enhances brain development.
According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s guideline, Developmentally Appropriate Practice (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009), “The preschool years are now seen as the key period for establishing positive attitudes and behaviors about learning.” Having enthusiasm for learning is an important factor in school readiness. Music and movement add fun to learning, and keep children engaged in the topic at hand.
In addition, music’s rhythm patterns prepare the mind for math. To enhance this effect, you can encourage children to count out beats, claps, stomps, taps, spins, skips, etc., and before you know it they are having fun with numbers! Having a child repeat back a simple rhythm on a drum or with a shaker is early patterning, which is an important foundational math skill. Patterns can also be a part of the movement activity during a song as well, like in the song, “Head, shoulders, knees and toes”, in which the children learn the repeated pattern and follow through by identifying each body part.
And, in the area of reading readiness, singing songs expands your child’s vocabulary and gets them to tune in to the sounds of words (phonemic awareness). One of the easiest ways to encourage singing is to sing together with your child and especially by singing songs with lots of repetition, or call and response sections, so the children can catch on and learn it confidently. Once a child enjoys singing, they can be encouraged to fill in the blanks in the lyrics with their own details, then make up their own verses to songs, make up their own melodies, and to sing their own songs. This lays a creative foundation for them to one day write their own stories.
Movement activities help lock in learning further, because, as is commonly known, children learn by doing. So, when children sing and dance, they are making connections and stimulating many parts of the brain at once. Movement can also foster creativity, as children explore the use of their bodies to act out the actions in a song’s lyrics, or just move to the way the music makes them feel. Music and movement also can work to enhance emotional development. As children experience and identify different feelings that the music evokes, they can learn to express those feelings through movement. Movement is a wonderful form of self-expression for children, especially for those who do not yet have the words to fully communicate.
So sing a song, and dance a dance, and invite a child to join you! You’ll be building their brain power while creating lasting memories of fun and togetherness.
Peppermint Tree Director and Mr. Scott the Music Man to Speak at the NAEYC National Conference in Orlando FL in November
We have just received the exciting news that The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has once again selected Valerie Frost-Lewis, the owner/director of The Peppermint Tree Child Development Center and her husband, Scott Lewis, aka “Mr. Scott the Music Man”, to make a presentation on the topic of early childhood music and movement at their annual conference. The title of our presentation will be: “Move Your Feet to the Beat!: A high energy, motivating, interactive exploration of music and movement in the early childhood classroom.” We will be making this presentation at NAEYC’s 2011 Annual Conference, November 2-5 in Orlando, FL. Continue reading Peppermint Tree Director and Mr. Scott the Music Man to Speak at the NAEYC National Conference in Orlando FL in November
OPEN HOUSE All are Welcome!! Monday, May 16, 2011 6:30-8:00 p.m.
OPEN HOUSE: Ice Cream Social, Monday, May 16th 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
JOIN US!! All are welcome!
FREE Ice Cream, a Mr. Scott the Music Man Concert, the Fun Bus (fitness fun on wheels) and a visit from “Sister Bear” from the Berenstein Bears! We will also have games such as ring toss, horse shoes and every child will receive a prize for participating!! Activities are suitable for toddlers through elementary school age children and their families. Babies are also welcome to attend along with their families.
Come see why “There’s No Place Like The Peppermint Tree”! If you would like more information on our Summer Camp and School Year programs, visit us on the web at www.pepperminttree.com, or call us at 732-929-2500.
Hope to see you on Monday, May 16th at 6:30 p.m.
Valerie Frost-Lewis, MS Ed.
Owner/Director
Strengthening Families at The Peppermint Tree
We are proud to be a “Strengthening Families” Center. We provide resources, family friendly activities, information and support to our community of families. We are one of only eight centers in Ocean County that are participating in this national program. Here is a bit of background on this program: Continue reading Strengthening Families at The Peppermint Tree
Family Game Night was so much fun!!!
Our first ever Family Game Night was a wonderful success! The forty parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, children and staff that all came to The Peppermint Tree on Tuesday evening, March 22, 2011 were treated to four classrooms filled with a variety of games set out for everyone to play. Adults and children alike had a blast playing “Checkers”, “Elefun” “Limbo”, Twister”, “HeadBanz”, “Bingo”, “Hungry Hippo’s”, “Uno Moo”, and many more games. Children played games with their own family members, with their school friends, and with Peppermint Tree staff members. We all mixed it up and had so many laughs. Thanks to all who attended, and a special thanks to the families who loaned us games, brought in treats and helped to plan the event. Thanks for making The Peppermint Tree such a wonderful community for our children and for all of us!
Preschoolers at The Peppermint Tree Learn to Grow Their Brains
The children at The Peppermint Tree Child Development Center in Toms River are learning how to grow their brains. Through an original set of lessons developed by the school’s director, Valerie Frost-Lewis, preschool students are learning that they have the power to actually grow their own brains. Based on research by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., one of the world’s leading researchers in discovering what makes people successful, Frost-Lewis has created developmentally appropriate lessons about the brain to motivate preschool students to be persistent in the face of a challenge; to work their brain to make it stronger. Dweck’s original research was targeted to middle school students, and she has also written books for adults.
Continue reading Preschoolers at The Peppermint Tree Learn to Grow Their Brains
“My Parent & Me” Music and Movement at Peppermint Tree in Toms River
Hi everyone!
I am so excited for our first “My Parent and Me” class after the holidays. It will be Saturday, January 8th at 9:30 a.m. We are putting together some fun interactive songs to help us get to know each other and enjoy music and movement together. For more information on the program, click here: http://www.pepperminttree.com/my-parent-and-me/
Continue reading “My Parent & Me” Music and Movement at Peppermint Tree in Toms River
Meeting needs of Toms River Families
In these rapidly changing times, we are finding that the needs of our families are also shifting. To help our working families, we try to be as flexible as we can to meet your needs. If you need a special schedule for your child, to fit a new work schedule, just let us know, and we will work to make Peppermint Tree suit not just your childen’s needs while they are here, but also your family’s needs.
We are also adding some new programs to meet the needs of our community. Beginning in January, we will not only be offering a morning preschool class from 9:00 a.m. – 11;30, but we will also be adding an afternoon class 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. These classes are in addition to our 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. and full day offerings.
Also beginning in January is our “My Parent and Me at The Peppermint Tree” music and movement classes on Saturday mornings. Many parents, working more hours, have told us they are looking for an opportunity to bond with their young child and socialize with other families. So, the class is 30 minutes long, followed by a 15 minute social snack time. Join us! For more information, click here: http://www.pepperminttree.com/my-parent-and-me/
And, we are excited to announce our new Full Day Kindergarten offerings for the 2011-2012 school year. This sure beats having the children on and off busses for just a 2.5 hour school schedule. Click here for more information: http://www.pepperminttree.com/full-day-kindergarten/
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