NORWICH – On Monday, the YMCA will begin a summer program targeted at children between the ages of three and five. The pre-school program will provide fun activities and pre-school children in a five day a week, half-day program.
“The community doesn’t offer much for pre-schoolers,” said YMCA Youth and Family Director Bonnie Tiffany. “We’ve been doing this for quite a few years.”
The program, called Kids Club, will be taught by Kendall Johnson, a preschool instructor with a couple years of experience with pre-school aged children. Johnson is currently working on her master’s degree in early childhood education. Assisting Johnson will be Nicole Wood. Wood has a degree in early childhood education and has also spent several years working in a pre-school setting.
Tiffany explained that the morning program will be offered five days a week, however, parents may bring their children as much or as little as they want. “They can come one day or five days,” she said. The program can take up to 16 children per day on a first come first serve basis. Parents can sign their child up in advance or on a daily basis as space allows.
Featuring weekly themes, the students will participate in art activities, games and stories. “The first week’s theme is animals,” Tiffany explained. Activities will include: creating jungle animal masks, having animal races, a presentation by the Rogers Conservation Center, animal puppets and other animal related activities.
“The program is educational, but the main thing is it’s a summer program and it’s fun,” Tiffany said.
The program is open to any child between the ages of three and five. Children must be toilet trained and should be three before July 1. The cost of attendance is $7 a day for YMCA members and $10 per day for non-members. The program will run from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. from Monday June 29 through Friday, Aug. 14.
For more information about the program, contact Tiffany at 336-9622 ext. 28.