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Some of the most joyful sounds you’ll hear when visiting our Dan Donahue Center are from the young scholars attending our state-licensed preschool.
During the past school term, 48 children (our maximum capacity) between the ages of three and five spent time between our indoor classroom and legacy outdoor playground.
In early August, that changed when our preschoolers first experienced the transformation of the outdoor playground into a unique outdoor classroom.
The first day of instruction for the 2024/25 preschool term was August 12 and up to two dozen our youngest scholars at a time can now romp and learn on their new playground, under the watchful eye of our teachers.
This is the first major upgrade to the playground since our preschool opened in 2005.
It’s one of the few outdoor classrooms in a state-licensed California preschool operating in an underserved and economically challenged community.
And while the outdoor classroom will still offer opportunities for fun and play enjoyed in the previous playground setting, the new space offers improved ways to stimulate students’ minds, sense of curiosity and creativity.
“The outdoor classroom is intentionally designed with preschoolers in mind,” says Idalia Galdamez, our Preschool Director.
“The outdoor classroom is a wonderful addition because it facilitates physical and mental health, along with promoting the academic skills that develop at this age,” she says.
Idalia adds, “Children will explore building, creating and problem-solving. They’ll also develop motor skills, executive function, language, visual awareness, creative expression and social-emotional insight.
“There’s also what we call a ‘messy materials’ station where students can work with loose parts. A stage is available for music and movement, along with a sensory area for water and sand play.”
An open area offers the perfect place for high energy preschoolers to roll and run in the grass.
Other elements of the outdoor classroom feature a nature appreciation zone (students can plant bushes and trees), art areas and places to gather with friends.
Paths for bikes, tricycles and pull wagons will also promote physical activity.
“Because most of our students live in apartment complexes, the outdoor classroom is an antidote to the confined space of a small apartment,” Idalia says.
Our indoor preschool classroom continues to be a key place for learning and development. The outdoor classroom opens up opportunities for Idalia and her team to utilize this space even more fully in ways that enhance the preschool experience.
KidWorks is grateful to the City of Santa Ana for providing funding through a Revive grant. We also thank the California Department of Education for their financial support.
Idalia says she and her team “are looking forward to enhancing learning in the new space and creating lifelong memories.”
The next time you’re at our Dan Donahue center, we invite you to take a peek at the new outdoor classroom. You’ll experience the joy on the faces of our preschoolers as they receive all the blessings this new space provides.
By Glenn Leibowitz, volunteer writer