Preschool - 3 to 5 years
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Preschoolers are full of energy. They learn constantly and use their boundless energy to explore their own abilities and skills. They have hundreds of ideas to express in paintings, make-believe play, and building activities.
Preschoolers love to dress-up and pretend and imitate what they think it is like to be grown up. This seemingly simple activity is rich with learning experiences, allowing them to:
- work through and understand the interactions they have with others
- replay new experiences and try out things they are unsure of
- begin to learn about cooperation and sharing
Preschoolers are especially interested in perfecting motor skills.
- They may spend the entire morning going down the slide, riding a favorite tricycle or repeating an activity such as putting a puzzle together
- Skills such as cutting with scissors, drawing or painting, dressing themselves, and catching a big ball require lots of practice during this stage.
Preschoolers are no longer babies (although they may cry at times) or toddlers (they walk, run, climb, and jump well). By the end of this stage, young children understand sharing and taking turns even though they may not do it all the time.
