Activities
Morning Meeting
Morning Meeting is a daily event in both the Toddler and Big Kids Rooms. It is one of the organizing anchors of the day. In the Toddler Room, Morning Meeting is at first simply an opportunity for the children to gather together and experience themselves as a group. Because we do spend so much time in small groups, and because our organization of the day can be so fluid, it is nice to have at least one moment in the day when the children can develop a group identity. In the Toddler Room, Morning Meeting is often quite brief. It is usually comprised of singing, finger-plays and jumping songs. Conversation develops over the course of the year.
In the Big Kids Room, there are two separate morning meetings -- Upstairs Meeting and Downstairs Meeting. Upstairs Meeting is for the younger Big Kids and often in the beginning of the year is a logical extension of what the children were used to in the Toddler Room. Downstairs Meeting is for our oldest Big Kids and is a bit longer and more involved. Children discuss the day or topics that may be of interest in the room at the time. It is also a time during which “traditional” nursery or preschool activities are presented. Teachers often talk about the calendar and weather and “take attendance.” All the Morning Meetings at Basic Trust should evolve over the course of the year becoming more detailed and involved.
In the Big Kids Room, there are two separate morning meetings -- Upstairs Meeting and Downstairs Meeting. Upstairs Meeting is for the younger Big Kids and often in the beginning of the year is a logical extension of what the children were used to in the Toddler Room. Downstairs Meeting is for our oldest Big Kids and is a bit longer and more involved. Children discuss the day or topics that may be of interest in the room at the time. It is also a time during which “traditional” nursery or preschool activities are presented. Teachers often talk about the calendar and weather and “take attendance.” All the Morning Meetings at Basic Trust should evolve over the course of the year becoming more detailed and involved.
Outdoors
Ever since its inception, Basic Trust has held to the belief in the importance of children living in the world. Our beloved Peggy Sradnick, BT’s director from 1976-2009, believed that group care should not isolate children from the world. They should have access to the city in the same way that children being raised in families have access to the city as their neighborhood and milieu. The city can be a source of their identity. So, from the beginning, BT kids went out. We went to parks and playgrounds and stores and museums. BT kids learned to ride buses and the subway. They went to the hardware store and the fruit market. There have been times when a more school-based mentality has begun to encroach as BT has grown, but we have always maintained that there is a need for a different, non-institutional, non-academic experience for the child under 5. And so we continue to live in the world with children.
As the children get older, their exploration of the city may take a certain focus. Some children find a love for transportation, for the city’s flora or fauna, or for visiting all the sites of a public art project. Regardless, the journey is as important as the destination, and the learning that happens while waiting for a bus is as important as the knowledge that comes from a book. At Basic Trust, our pedagogical goal is to give kids both experiential and non-experiential pathways to learning.
As the children get older, their exploration of the city may take a certain focus. Some children find a love for transportation, for the city’s flora or fauna, or for visiting all the sites of a public art project. Regardless, the journey is as important as the destination, and the learning that happens while waiting for a bus is as important as the knowledge that comes from a book. At Basic Trust, our pedagogical goal is to give kids both experiential and non-experiential pathways to learning.
Music & Movement
While our goal is to give the children ample and uninterrupted time to play, we do have two “classes” each week--one in music and the other in movement. In the Baby Room, the music teacher will begin by simply coming to the room with her guitar and singing to the babies. As they get older they may join the Toddlers’ music class. The Toddler and Big Kids music class begins with simple songs and rhythms, these become more complex as the children develop and we eventually introduce instruments, etc. Movement class also incorporates singing but focuses more on helping children develop balance and body awareness through rudimentary dance and yoga movements.
A Word about Food
As with any large family, food is very important to us at BT. We care deeply about what we eat and how we eat. We eat family style, teachers and children sitting down together to enjoy their food and talk.
We have a full-time cook who prepares two healthy, delicious snacks and a substantial lunch every day. Over the years we have had many different cooks at BT and all of them have brought their own individual style and approach to cooking. One thing has remained a constant: the food has been plentiful and tasty!
We have a full-time cook who prepares two healthy, delicious snacks and a substantial lunch every day. Over the years we have had many different cooks at BT and all of them have brought their own individual style and approach to cooking. One thing has remained a constant: the food has been plentiful and tasty!