If you’re choosing a preschool, you want one that will help your child grow in every way possible. In most circumstances, parents aren’t just looking for a place to let their child hang out for eight hours a day; they’re looking for a place where their child’s senses will be stimulated as they are cared for.
Quick! Name the five senses! If you’re like most people, they’re all found on the face in some way or another: sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. And while there are more than five senses throughout the body — think sense of hunger and sense of balance — those are the five basic senses we’d like to write our article around today. Here’s how Kid’s Kampus makes sure to help kids have a well-rounded day when it comes to experiencing their senses, and how we can help bring God into the conversation.
Sound
Here’s one thing the kids are going to hear all day long: laughter! We have a great time at all seven branches of Kid’s Academy Preschool, and kids truly love coming to visit us every day. If you’d like to see us in action, all you have to do is schedule a tour with us.
What other sounds will kids experience every day? It often depends on the age of the child at hand. In our infant daycare, babies will hear us talking to them with kind voices throughout the day, and we’ll also be singing to them. As children grow older, we’ll be telling them more stories and reading them more books. As children get older still, such as in our toddler care classrooms, they’ll start to receive instruction and be taught the basics of color and language.
Of course, song is a big part of all of our classes. Kids learn quite a bit via singing, whether they are singing religious or secular songs. Either way, they’ll learn a lot and begin to explore their musical abilities when staying with us every day.
How Sound Is Linked To God:
As we’ve already mentioned, songs are an important part about teaching kids about God. There are dozens of kids songs that teach kids about the Bible, and in fact are some of the first ways that kids interact with these Bible stories. Christian songs can teach kids Bible verses and help them feel closer to God. In fact, songs are one of the teachings that stick with kids longer than just about any other.
Music is found throughout the Bible. Singing, trumpets, lutes, cymbals, and many more instruments are in both the Old and New Testaments. Angels and humans alike worship God with music, and we’re proud to carry on this tradition.
Finally, let’s not forget about the kind words that kids will be hearing from us all day. These are truly sweet sounds to a child of any age, and we’re happy to be the ones to encourage and support them throughout the day.
Touch
Touch is a very important part of a child’s day. After all, they’re naturally affectionate creatures, and most of them enjoy getting hugs from other kids or our caregivers. We’ll always work with kids to make sure they’re getting the exact level of affection they’re looking for. Of course, babies need the most affection and are constantly being held by our staff. Experiencing caring touch offers huge emotional and developmental benefits to infants at our daycare center.
It’s also important to think of touch in terms of environment. Kids are constantly interacting with their environment by touching it, whether it’s an infant reaching for a toy or a preschooler on the playground equipment. At Kid’s Kampus, we make sure to have the appropriate — and safe — items around children so that they can have positive interactions with the world.
How Touch Is Linked To God
The first thing that comes to mind is Jesus healing so many people by touch. He healed the blind, the sick, the lepers, and so many more people. Even the edge of his cloak could heal!
Chances are slim that any of the kids at our Christian daycare center will be healing by touch (though it would be cool!), but we do recognize the importance of touch as part of community. Jesus had his 12 disciples, and we’ll bet he was greeting them and the townspeople he encountered with handshakes and hugs. He knew how important it was to interact with people in many ways.
Sight
Sight plays an important part in the lives of kids, as it’s an important means of taking in information. Whether they’re reading a book or running around the playground, sight is used constantly throughout the day. Each Kid’s Kampus location is a bright, inviting place that children want to be in, a place they’ll want to return to every day.
How Sight Is Linked To God:
At our daycare centers and preschools, we have quite a few decorations on the walls reminding kids about the importance of the Bible in their lives. Whether it’s posters on the walls, the borders of bulletin boards, or the calendars that let them know of the upcoming Christian holidays, they’ll be surrounded by constant reminders of the Biblical heroes that can help guide their lives.
Taste
Whether it’s snack time or a full lunch that kids are having with us, they’re sure to have something good while spending time here at Kid’s Kampus Preschool. Kids are growing fast, whether it’s on breast milk, formula, apple slices, celery, or raisins (and suddenly we’re hungry for Ants on a Log!)
How Taste Is Linked To God:
Taste is so important because it’s a great time to slow down and thank God for what he’s given us. We’re blessed to have food to eat, so it’s an excellent time to teach kids about being grateful for what’s in front of us…even if it’s not our absolute favorite snack that we wish we had every day!
Smell
Smell is an incredibly powerful sense, and one that’s inextricably tied to memory for many people. But since kids are young, they’re not really being “taken back” to when they were young by many smells! But there will be scents that kids recognize, whether it’s the (non-toxic) glue sticks, the wood of the blocks, or the Play-doh (who doesn’t love that smell?)
How Smell Is Linked To God:
Smells are a huge part of the Bible. Think about the dozens of times that burnt offerings were given in the Bible in order to be fragrant to God. There’s also the oil that Mary (of Mary and Martha fame) poured on Jesus’ feet, and the pungent gifts that the wise men brought to Jesus.
While we won’t be slaughtering any cattle to burn, we can certainly talk to kids about the many ways that the Bible mentions smell. It’s certainly easy to do around Christmas with frankincense and myrrh!
Thank God For Our Senses!
It’s not difficult to bring up God when it comes to our senses. Our five basic senses can give us great joy — the sights of something beautiful, the sound of laughter, a hug from a friend, the smell of baking cooking, and the taste of baking cookies! — and we have God to thank for giving us all of them.
As you can see, we’re interested in taking care of the whole child here at Kid’s Kampus Preschool, ensuring that our environment gives their senses the stimulation they need every day. No matter their age, we have what they need in order to be happy and healthy when they’re with us, and we can often find a way to incorporate God into the teaching. If you’re looking for an early education center where your kid can make the most of their day, contact us today for a tour!
