Developmentally, by the time they are 4, children’s imaginative play becomes more complex and detailed. They actively use their executive functioning skills to understand and maintain the boundary between make-believe and reality. The stories become more creative and incorporate imaginary objects as they play with their peers. They often guide their friends in the “right” way to play out a fantasy situation. “You say this, then I say this.”

At St. Paul’s Day School, we support dramatic play by providing a variety of toys, props and costumes that inspire those eager imaginations. We add to them and change them to keep the children from getting tired of the same old toys. We play along, sometimes becoming a patient and helping talk about the emotions of a doctor’s visit, or letting them talk out their worry about a pet who has been sick. Sometimes changing places and becoming the student while they become the teacher!

Your child will naturally want to “pretend” with their stuffed animals and toys, let them lead the play and ask interested questions to encourage them to think “outside the box”. Short periods of “make believe” can strengthen your relationship with your child, and you can model how to use objects creatively and teach social skills with toys who “act out.”

Enjoy the conversations! They will invariably help you see how quickly your child has developed their many skills!

Mrs. Ryan’s Pro Tip
Pretend play can be a great way to help your child adjust their behavior. Using two of their toys, act out a behavior that you want your child to recognize as a “thumbs down” choice. Let them tell you what the problem is and how to solve it. When they are not the ones who are “in trouble” they are much more likely to recognize the negative behavior.

Well, I didn’t take into consideration the various personalities in the room, the time of day (afternoon rest time), or the fact that I probably would be interrupted multiple times as parents came to pick up their children.

It all started well, darling little ones seated on their rest mats with stuffed animals in their arms and soft blankets over their laps. Soft lullaby music in the background. Dimmed lights. I thought, give them 10 minutes and they will snuggle down and quietly recharge before we head outside to play until their parents arrive.

HA!

As I read about the antics of the “Naughty Little Monkeys”, they started jockeying for position, moving in front of one another to see the pages better. Then scooting the mats too close together, finally overlapping and causing territorial disputes. We were up to the monkey who was jumping on his bed and the one who was chewing gum and blowing bubbles that got all over the quilt and her sibling (all to the delight of the children being read to) when the first parent arrived. I put down the book, and we all rushed out to unlock the gate, say goodbye and lock the gate when he left. Then I herded them in and got them settled and re-started the story.

Mysteriously, the energy level of my small charges started to rebound with each naughty monkey’s rhyme, spiking as first one child, and then two, and then three started to hoot like chimpanzees bouncing on their mats. Shoes came off. Blankets were tossed. Stuffed animals were thrown across the room. Sigh.

Needless to say, we never finished the story. (I hope there were some logical consequences for those naughty monkeys!)

I started to sing. (Having first turned off the lullabies that were pointless at this juncture.) They joined in (we love Hokey Pokey and Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes – especially at high speed!) and I finally got them redirected and acting like children instead of naughty monkeys. We played “I can pick up toys faster than you!” and in moments the room was presentable and my superhero helpers had put the mats, blankets and toys away.

More parents arrived and before I knew it, I found myself locking the gate for the last time of the day.

It was a busy afternoon. And as often happens, I learned, actually I had a refresher course, that children are very susceptible to suggestion. That the wild behavior in the story was just too tempting for this group at this time. And that music soothes the savage beast (or even “naughty monkeys”!)

Pro Tip from Mrs. Ryan

Obviously, never read a book to a group of children without first having read it yourself!

And, as a freebie… whenever you need to redirect and grab a child’s attention, start singing! Whether you have a great voice or not!

Developmentally, children at age three have up to 1000 words in their vocabulary. Before this they are growing physically at an incredible rate, and they tend to respond to their wants and needs with actions instead of words. Those little muscles move quickly and get the attention desired. They’ve tested those physical responses and found that they are pretty effective at expressing their emotions. (‘Ever seen an 18-month-old arch their back and kick when you are trying to put them in the carseat?! They aren’t capable of saying, “Excuse me mother dear. I am quite tired and hungry, and I would not like to be buckled into this excessively warm carseat!”)

Once they’ve reached the age of three, they’ve developed more sophisticated verbal skills. But they need to practice making spoken words their response until it becomes a natural habit that is an even more effective form of communication. Sometimes they forget. They might swat a toy away from another child, or push them to get out of the way. We remind them that now that they are older, they have a powerful tool – and we often give them an appropriate example. “Can I play with that?” or even better, “Can I play with that when you are done?” Sometimes the response from the other child (who isn’t feeling threatened because the question was simple and straightforward) is a quick “Sure. Here.” With the toy being handed over peacefully. Or we might remind a child to “say “Excuse me” and Billy will know you would like to go by.” The positive result proving to the child that words work!

Manners are taught this way as well. When a child demands something, we give them the proper way to ask politely. “May I please have another strawberry?” and after receiving said strawberry… “Thank you!” I must confess that having worked with young children for so many years, my inclination is to provide “kind words” to everyone who needs them. From the young, to the “not so young.” My husband was even the recipient of a reminder several years ago, “why thank you dear wife.” Using good manners isn’t automatic. It’s a skill learned by imitating our role models, being given an example and practicing. We’ll model good manners and kind words here at St. Paul’s Day School, and do our very best to help your child “use their words” successfully!

Pro Tip from Mrs. Ryan

If you want to help your child practice their verbal skills you can play a game! Pick up a couple of their favorite stuffed toys. One will say things the right way “May I please have a cookie?”, and one does things the wrong way (the toy “grabs” the imaginary cookie from the “kind toy”.) Ask your child, “which one did made a “thumbs up” or “kind” choice? And talk about it! It’s easier for your child to recognize positive and negative choices when it’s the behavior of their toy!

Luckily, we have some talented teachers who have all sorts of tricks up their sleeves. Here are some of the things they do and suggestions for things you can do at home with your preschooler.

First things first, some physical movement is a must! I walked into our preK-3 classroom and there was a dance party going on! Little ones doing their best impressions of dancing skeletons with arms swinging back and forth. You can find lots of appropriate pre-k dance songs on YouTube or Spotify. Another alternative is Yoga… try Cosmic Kids Yoga! The kids get a story to go along with the poses!

Then when they’ve got the wiggles out, we love to play with playdough. Don’t have any at home? Your child will love making some with you! Here’s my favorite recipe for NO FAIL PLAYDOUGH that lasts 6 months:
1.5 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of  tartar
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup of boiling water
food coloring (optional but fun)

Mix the dry ingredients. (Little ones love pouring the dry ingredients into the big mixing bowl.) Then an ADULT does this part – Boil the water and pour it into a measuring cup. Add the oil to it and as much food coloring as you would like. Pour the water mixture into the dry ingredients.  Stir with a sturdy spoon.

Once it’s not too hot for a child to touch, they can do some stirring. When it starts to clump together and it’s not drippy, dump it on the table and an adult starts to knead. When it’s just the right temperature, your child can knead it too. It feels so good when it’s warm and the kids love to smell and squeeze it. (If it is too dry, add a few drops of boiled water, too wet, add a little flour.)

The cream of tartar (found in the spice section of the grocery store) is the secret. You’ll get smooth playdough that just begs for kids to come play! (Hint: If you have a stand mixer, this is even easier! Dry ingredients first, wet added gradually using a dough hook. It’s a cinch!) Store in an air-tight container!

Playdough is great for strengthening little hands for writing. And measuring is a great math skill. Creating shapes and “snakes” leads to all sorts of possibilities including making letters and numbers, and encouraging a child’s imagination and vocabulary.

And when your child is done playing with that, they can build. Use blocks or magna tiles or boxes. Anything that has flat sides is fair game! Your child will learn about balance and gravity and physics like we do at St. Paul’s Day School!

Story books are always a great way to not only pass the time, but to share special snuggle time and build literacy. Use funny voices, ask your child what they think will happen next and enjoy learning more about how your child sees the world.

Cook together! You’ll find that children will try new foods if they help cook them! And along the way you can talk about how many items you are cooking along with colors, shapes, smells, and textures. Practice positional words like: beside, behind, under, over, and on top.

Coloring and watercolors are fun on a rainy day! And dry erase markers work great on mirrors and windows (with some adult supervision.)

Games are good too… Candyland, Bingo, Jenga, Uno. Go for it!

Make each other laugh. It makes the day that much better!

Pro Tip from Mrs. Ryan:

Don’t hesitate to be silly around your child.  It builds strong bonds, relieves stress and teaches them emotional resilience!

During the time a child is in preschool, from 3  to 5 years old, their body and brain are developing quickly. Synapses and bones and muscles rapidly becoming stronger, more efficient, preparing for the tasks of learning to come.

These children are developing language skills, reasoning, problem solving and a complex cognitive understanding of the world around them. They go from a toddler who tumbles over the “roses in the rug” and who puts everything in their mouth to figure it out, to an explorer who ponders the why’s and how’s of everything they experience.

Things we take for granted are important ways the early childhood educator provides the foundation for a child’s lifelong learning.

We read books. We read to teach our small charges that letters have names and sounds and that they are different than numbers. That if you put the letters together, they make words and that when you put the words together, they make sentences that tell us a story. And that all of those letters and words go left to right! We expand their minds with vocabulary they haven’t heard before and ideas that are new and interesting. They learn to hold books, to turn pages and to appreciate humor and mystery and the thrill of a surprise ending!

We build with blocks. And that teaches a child about math, spatial properties, physics and social interactions. They begin to understand counting, sorting, size comparison, patterning, and geometry! They start recognizing concepts like balance, symmetry, weight, and dimensions. They use scientific reasoning when they experience cause and effect and the force of gravity.

We color with crayons. Strengthening little hands and improving fine motor skills is essential to the ability to write. When they choose colors and make decisions about how their art will look, they learn to plan. These little scholars learn to deal with challenging feelings when their picture doesn’t look the same on the paper as it does in their mind. They are focusing for longer periods of time, improving hand eye coordination and attention span.

We use our imaginations. When the children enter the dress up area, they become a parent, a pilot, a chef, a princess, a doctor, and all sorts of other exciting characters. Each different role includes the ability to use their memory of the behaviors of each character. To use vocabulary that is particular for that play scenario. They learn to work with friends and play cooperatively. They practice their conversational skills and social emotional regulation.

Phew! That’s a lot in a simple day of play! Without it, without the stimulation of their amazing and incredible brains and exercising their growing muscles and bones, they fall far behind their peers. Their love of learning doesn’t develop. And there is no solid foundation to build on for the future.

That’s why preschool is so important. Why St. Paul’s Day School is so important. As Mr. Fred Rogers so famously said, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”

Pro Tip from Mrs. Ryan:

Want to help your child remember your phone number or address? It’s really important information if they need help. Sing it! Children learn the words to songs much more rapidly than they do spoken words.  So use a “piggyback” tune (Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, London Bridge is Falling Down etc.) and sing the words!

As the Director of St. Paul’s Day School, I wear many “hats” and have a variety of responsibilities and my office reflects that! But you’ll notice, there are always toys, chairs of “just the right size” (for little people and big people), and a welcoming smile on my face.

One of my favorite things to do each day is greet each family at the car line and say good morning to each child. It’s important to let children know that they are cared for and valued from the moment they get out of their car in the morning to the moment they climb back into their carseat at the end of their day. Are they smiling? Are they tired? Are they excited? Are they anxious? Checking in with each little one and their parent (or grandparent) gives useful information to the teachers and me that we can use to shape our teaching that day. And if my silly earrings or preschool print clothes can coax a smile or a giggle out of a little one who might be unsure, so much the better!

We are blessed to be a small school with three classrooms (and a multi-use room) where each student is treated like an individual and have their needs met. No crowds of children trying to get attention. Enough friends, but not too many children in a class. That allows the teachers to spend time with each child and get to know them well.

Building relationships with the whole family helps a child know that they are part of a loving community. Knowing the names of moms, dads, siblings, grandparents and pets, and creating connections with them, helps us as staff understand the children and their life experiences. And when we become “one big happy family” we can learn about how to succeed in the world! And we do!

I’ve raised three children of my own (two sons and a daughter) and helped raise hundreds of other little ones in my 47 years of working with children. It always makes me smile when “my” little people come back to visit me when they have grown up a bit… whether they are 8, 14, 25 or 48, I am filled with joy because they have all left handprints on my heart!

Along the way, I’ve learned a lot. And around the Day School I have a tendency to share “Pro Tips from Mrs. Ryan!”  Things that will work most of the time that I’ve learned through experience. So this blog seems to be an appropriate place to share them with you. I hope you’ll enjoy them!

PRO TIP #1

Mornings can be chaotic and confusing when you are trying to get the family out of the house every day. (Especially with a three or four-year-old in tow!) Finding backpack, folder, lunchbox, sneakers and Show & Tell toy is enough to get everyone snarling and hollering at one another! My Pro Tip is: designate a space you will see on your way out of the house, lay out a placemat or make a rectangle out of tape on the floor and make sure you “put your school friends to bed” for the night before your child goes to sleep. (It should be big enough to hold all the things mentioned above.) In the morning you’ll be set to go without the hassle of having to chase down that left sneaker or find out if the folder is in the car or if the lunchbox has an open container of yogurt inside!

You might even have time for a quick dance party to get everyone smiling!

She brings a gentle voice, kind manner and love of early education (watching children light up when they grasp new ideas and concepts… who wouldn’t love that!?) One of her students recently told me (her Director), “I love my teacher ‘cause she plays with us!” With three children of her own, Ms. Sakeena understands that preschool children learn best through play and uses her practical experience in the classroom every day!

She shares a creative spirit with the children who are fortunate enough to be her students, and each day is a new adventure.  Her approach to social-emotional development includes using social stories and “feelings dolls” and illustrating emotions by acting out feelings with toys!

We’re blessed to have Ms. Sakeena here at St. Paul’s Day School! We can’t wait until you meet her!

You see, Ms. Karen is skilled at social emotional growth as well as introducing PreK-3 students to letters, numbers, colors and shapes. She is an experienced and passionate Early Childhood Educator. Having worked with ages one to five, Ms. Karen understands that this time of life in a child’s development creates the foundation for all the learning to come. A child’s brain reaches 90% of its adult size by the age of 5. And because children learn more and faster at this time, we cannot waste time on empty “entertainment.”

Ms. Karen has practical experience with three children of her own. Ages 7 to 12. She’s been “knee deep” in education at home as well as school! Her own experience with unique learning styles gives her a deep understanding that children do not all process information the same way, at the same rate. So, she’s a creative partner in the discovery which is the way each individual child learns.

This all sounds very serious. But Ms. Karen also has the most contagious laugh, an impish sense of humor, a sweet and gentle heart and an artistic way of looking at the world. Three-year-olds love her silly songs, her fabulous storytelling and her willingness to get on the floor and play!

Nestled near the Old School Square neighborhood in  Delray Beach, St. Paul’s Day School has begun its developmentally appropriate preschool classes for the 2026–2027 school year. Our spacious classrooms are filled with age-appropriate toys, materials, and opportunities for discovery, while our large, enclosed playground provides plenty of room for active play. At St. Paul’s Day School, we provide our students with the nurturing environment and experiences they need to expand their understanding of the world around them. Our three- to five-year-olds learn in the very best way children know how—through play!

Each day is filled with opportunities to develop social, motor, literacy, and early math skills while making friends, building confidence, and trying new things. We begin each morning with the Pledge of Allegiance and the Lord’s Prayer, followed by a joyful rendition of the Bible song “This Is the Day!” As an Episcopal school, we encourage our children to be kind, to love their neighbors, and to respect the dignity and worth of every person.

Come along with us as we share the joyful adventures, discoveries, and learning that take place each day in our Children’s Village!