Playgroup 101
We are so happy you're interested in in joining us at Fish Hawk Friends! Below you can find information about our location and philosophy, and what you can expect during your morning at playgroup.
We are an open-ended 100% outdoor playgroup for children aged 0-5. Reggio-inspired and guided by the changing seasons, we are educator-informed, child-focussed, and process-driven.
We are set on a private 1-acre property, perched by the Chesapeake Bay near Sandy Point SP. We meet on Monday mornings for 1.5 hours of play and activities.
We view parents and caregivers as an essential resource to their children's learning. You will be an active participant alongside your child as they play and learn.
Risk-taking is not something that we need to teach young children, it is something they are born with. They thrive on it. Our role at Fish Hawk Friends is to provide space, time, and the right environment for children to play in the ways they developmentally need to help them learn to assess risk and safety, understand limits, develop self reliance, resilience, and confidence.
We now offer three different types of play sessions each month!
During open-play sessions, we encourage children's exploration and self-direction. We want them to have the autonomy to share their play however their imagination sees fit. In our open-ended play environment children's play will unfold as they investigate, experiment, talk to one another, make plans, and solve problems.
For our process-play sessions, we create sensory focussed provocation and activities for the children to explore and play with. In the Reggio Emilia approach, a play prompt (also known as a 'provocation') is a thoughtfully arranged set of materials intended to spark curiosity, exploration, and engagement in children's play and learning. This process-play will be alongside our usual open-ended play environment that children are free explore and play.
During our purpose-led play sessions, we will offer hands-on activities for parents and child, inspired by our love for the natural world and Reggio-inspired learning. We will plan for different age and skill levels to ensure everyone is able to participate and able to bring home something special at the end of the session. This purpose-led play will be alongside our usual open-ended play environment that children are free explore and play.
