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A day at Elements includes a bit of everything – baking cupcakes to share; discovering the joys of nature; making snacks; and having fun with art. There’s always something new to discover and learn, in an unexpected manner. At the heart of every activity is adventure, and joy.

One of the most important lessons to teach children is how to share. It cultivates compassion, empathy and shows them how much happiness comes from sharing what you’ve got. Our students love this activity from start to finish.

Kids can be fussy eaters for sure. One of the ways in which to counter this is to involve them in the making of their food. Once a week, our students bring one vegetable from home. We all work together to clean and chop the produce, and then make soup, which is their lunch. Even the fussiest eater licks their bowl clean – that’s how much they enjoy being in the kitchen.

The children made a volcano with their teachers, helping with every step from making the papier mache, to mixing the lava formula. This activity stimulated the children cognitively, and helped them acquire/exercise several skills. Most importantly, the activity helped them access and exercise their creativity.

We ended October with a bonfire evening that parents were also invited to. The children roasted marshmallows to make s’mores; by encouraging them to do so, we exposed them to fire and we taught them how to access and manage risk in a safe environment. The idea is not to shield children from the real world but to guide them through as many experiences as possible, helping them manage their own reactions and trust their instincts

This week has been an extraordinary one. We’d had a visit from Storm Jonas over the weekend, and the city was covered with snow. As was our backyard, of course. And so, on Monday, once everyone was safely in school, we decided to explore the winter wonderland outdoors, setting the theme for the entire week. After few shouts, exclamations and tears – “It’s so cold!”, “I want to go inside!”, “Snow! Snow! Snow!”, everyone began having fun, as we had a snowball game, and made snow angels. As the week progressed, and the snow began hardening, we made a snow cave that the kids absolutely loved exploring. And, finally, they painted on the snow.

Playing in the snow can be very beneficial, apart from the enormous fun, of course. It requires children to use their reflexes, and coordination. It encourages group play, which of course brings their social skills to the fore. Being outdoors, and one with nature, also teaches children not to fear the elements, helping them build a relationship of love and awareness with the world around them.

We started a new tradition at Elements Preschool this year – introducing our children to a new cuisine every week. The first country our palates visited was India, via a delicious lunch of roti and raita – traditional Indian flatbreads, and a yoghurt dip.

Our eager students helped us knead the dough – a simple one of flour, water, oil, a pinch of a spice called ajwain (carom seeds) and salt.

They then had a lot of fun taking turns rolling it out. The making of small rounds of dough, which were then flattened, helped them use their motor skills, and sense of coordination.

For the raita, the children peeled and chopped potatoes. The task took up all of their concentration, and dexterity! The potatoes were then blended with yoghurt, and a little salt.

Even the pickiest eaters wiped their plates clean. The new flavours that they had helped create were just too yummy to resist.

Several studies have shown that taste education in children needs to start young, in order for them to appreciate all kinds of foods. Our new tradition at Elements aims to do just this.