Sprout Program Plan Document
Preschool • Age 3 Bi-Weekly Overview
Sprout & Explore Program Plan
Theme: Earth, Seeds & Sky
Duration: 2 Weeks (10 Days)
Class / Pod Seedlings Group
Lead Educators Early Childhood Team
Cycle Period Weeks 1 & 2
Core Philosophy Nature & Child-Led
Developmental Milestones & Learning Intentions (Age 3)
Child-centered, play-first progression
Cognitive Discovery
Exploring properties, simple 1:1 sorting, cause-and-effect questioning, sensory comparison.
- Sorts natural loose parts by single trait (smooth vs. rough)
- Shows curiosity about animal homes, shadows, and water flows
Social Connection
Transitioning from parallel play to associative play; sharing physical zones and tools.
- Engages in side-by-side mud kitchen or sensory water play
- Practices greeting peers and brief turn-taking with educator support
Emotional Well-Being
Naming big emotions, experiencing nature as co-regulator, building felt security.
- Identifies feelings (calm, joyful, upset) using feeling stones
- Seeks cozy sensory burrows when overwhelmed or tired
Physical Mastery
Gross motor balance and navigation; fine motor pincer grasp with organic loose parts.
- Hops with two feet, steps across tree slices, runs on uneven turf
- Rolls clay seed pods, pinches small leaves, scoops wet sand
Child-Led Daily Rhythm & Pacing
8:30 - 9:00
Gentle Arrival
Nature discovery tub & soft transition
9:00 - 10:15
Child-Led Atelier
Open nature provocations & stations
10:15 - 10:45
Snack & Circle
Mindful bites, fingerplay, nature chant
10:45 - 11:45
Outdoor Wild Play
Mud kitchen, log trails, open lawn
11:45 - 12:15
Calm Burrow
Story rest, feeling stones, quiet farewell
Prepared Environment: Nature Provocation Centers
1. Mud & Water
Pots, metal spoons, bark scoops, fresh rainwater basin, herbs.
2. Loose Parts Bar
Pinecones, river pebbles, dried pods, wooden bowls, bamboo trays.
3. The Cozy Burrow
Cotton floor cushions, sheer canopy, lavender sachets, emotion stones.
4. Movement Track
Low birch tree rounds, grassy hillock, tunnel arch, woven willow hoops.
Child-Led Principle: Materials are presented as open invitations. Children decide duration, combination, and direction of play without adult correction.
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Bi-Weekly Inquiry & Experience Matrix
10-Day progressive invitations across cognitive, social, emotional & physical domains
Days 1 - 10
Week 1: Awakening the Senses (Soil, Stones & Green)
Days 1 to 5
Day 1 • Mon
Soil Sift & Feel
Cognitive: Sieving dry garden soil vs. damp loam with wooden spoons.
Domain: Cognitive
Day 2 • Tue
Mud Baker Cafe
Social: Parallel & associative mixing of petal soup with peers.
Domain: Social
Day 3 • Wed
Pebble Emotions
Emotional: Choosing smooth stones to represent calm or stormy feelings.
Domain: Emotional
Day 4 • Thu
Stump Hop Trail
Gross Motor: Jumping two-footed from log to grassy circle.
Domain: Physical
Day 5 • Fri
Leaf Whispers
Child-Led: Free sorting, leaf crushing, listening to dry crunch.
Domain: Integrated
Week 2: Creatures, Wind & Living Water
Days 6 to 10
Day 6 • Mon
Sun & Shadow Play
Cognitive: Standing sticks in dirt to watch shadows stretch and dance.
Domain: Cognitive
Day 7 • Tue
Branch Nest Build
Social: Carrying sturdy sticks together to make a giant cozy nest.
Domain: Social
Day 8 • Wed
Breeze Ribbon Rest
Emotional: Breathing with fluttering silk ribbons tied to branches.
Domain: Emotional
Day 9 • Thu
Clay Seed Pinch
Fine Motor: Rolling wild clay into balls, pushing sunflower seeds in.
Domain: Physical
Day 10 • Fri
Water Channel Lab
Child-Led: Pouring water down bamboo halves and watching it rush.
Domain: Integrated
Educator Observation & Responsive Planning Grid
Record spontaneous child fascinations during cycle
Spontaneous Interests Noted
What did children touch, repeat, or carry?
Scaffolding Prompts Used
Open-ended questions & wonderings
Next Cycle Adjustments
Loose parts to add or rotate
Non-toxic flora only Warm water handwash station nearby Active supportive supervision
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Domain Play Activity Collection
Domain Play Collection Preschool (Age 3)
Domain Explorers Activity Collection
Part 1: Cognitive & Social
Nature Play • Child-Led Inquiries
Domain 1: Cognitive Development (Sensory Logic, Cause & Effect)
Sensory Sorting 10–15 mins
Nature Texture Match & Sort
Materials: Shallow wooden trays, smooth river stones, rough tree bark, soft moss, prickly sweetgum balls.
Child-Led Provocation: Trays set out with 2 empty hollow bark bowls. Children touch and self-select which items "feel sleepy-soft" or "feel bumpy."
Scaffolding: "What does your hand feel when you glide it here?"
Cause & Effect 15–20 mins
Sun Chasers & Shadow Tracing
Materials: Long butcher paper on grass, large pinecones, chunky sidewalk chalk, natural sunlight.
Child-Led Provocation: Pinecones stand upright on paper. Children discover dark shapes underneath and scribble chalk around shadow edges.
Scaffolding: "Where did your shadow jump when you stood in front of the sun?"
Domain 2: Social Connection (Associative Play & Sharing Space)
Associative Play 20–30 mins
The Meadow Mud Stew Cafe
Materials: Low wooden bench, cast metal ladles, muffin tins, fallen dandelions, dirt mounds, water jug.
Child-Led Provocation: A communal wash-tub filled with petals and water. Children spoon, scoop, and "serve soup" to neighbors side-by-side.
Scaffolding: "May I taste your blossom tea? Who else is hungry at our cafe?"
Cooperative Build 15–20 mins
Little Robin's Giant Woven Nest
Materials: Thick bendy willow branches, dry straw, cotton yarn strips, pine needles, large circular ring.
Child-Led Provocation: An outlined rope circle on the grass. Children haul sticks together, laying them around the edge to build a cozy refuge.
Scaffolding: "That branch is very long! Would you like a friend to help you carry it?"
Teacher Tip for Age 3: At this developmental stage, social interaction blossoms naturally from shared materials rather than enforced turn-taking rules. Provide multiple scoops and identical loose parts.
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Domain Play Collection Preschool (Age 3)
Domain Explorers Activity Collection
Part 2: Emotional & Physical
Self-Regulation • Gross & Fine Motor
Domain 3: Emotional Well-Being (Affective Literacy & Calming)