Kids First Learning Center

HAPPY NEW YEAR! We had the best Pajama Day New Year’s Party! We listened to Auld Lang Syne, talked about the countdown celebrations around the world on New Year’s Eve, and played a riveting game of Winter Go-Fish, earning a treat cup of surprises! Then we heard the story The Night Before New Year’s Eve, and enjoyed feasting on pancakes with syrup, strawberries, and whipped cream! Then we sipped cocoa with marshmallows and munched on popcorn while watching The Polar Express. We then got a little silly and had an indoor snowball throw competition. And then to settle down we heard the winter story, “Sadie and the Snowman” to get us excited about our new season and new year.

Goodbye 2021

Hello 2022!

Have a SAFE and HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!

Merry Christmas!🎄🎅🎁🍕Feliz Navidad! We had a magical celebration. First, we put on our Christmas necklaces and created a Holiday CRAFT BAG, and then we heard the LITTLE CHRISTMAS ELF story and sang the Winnie the Pooh version of The Twelve Days of Christmas. We added our Santa hats to sing Raffi’s It Must Be Santa, which then motivated us to put on our bell adorned reindeer antlers and perform Jim Reeves Jingle Bells. Then we danced around the tables to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. And then we played games! We played THE PIZZA WALK (earning a Present & Chocolate Santa), and then THE HOLIDAY MEMORY GAME (earning a Prize—a soft Santa Bear) and then THE BEAN BAG TOSS HOPSCOTCH (earning a treat bag). Then we had fun getting involved in a CHRISTMAS COOKIE DECORATING contest (winning Stickers). Then it was time for our HI PIZZA MAN story to prepare us for our surprise delivery person! This year it was SANTA! And then on to our huge feast of pizza, mini apples, raisins, fruit roll-ups, chips, s’mores pudding, Christmas tree cookies that we made, and chocolate milk. Our bellies were more than satisfied. To wind down the day’s festivities we watched “Olive the Other Reindeer” opened our stockings that Santa filled last night and then heard the adorable story SIX SNOWY SHEEP, and then finally took a long hard winters nap. As the big man in the red suit always says, “Merry Christmas to all…and to all a good night.” P.S. A special thank you to a few parents who made this the BEST CHRISTMAS PARTY EVER! Thank you to Ann Frisius & Ben Frisius who helped make this year extra special by having Santa delivery our pizza, and to Amy and Bob for the cool Pez dispensers (and Amazon gift card for me), and to Heather Waddle and Jimmy for the yummy chocolate treats (and mug, caramels and Amazon gift card for me)! I really feel like I am blessed with the best job, and surrounded by so much love. Merry Christmas everyone! #KidsFirstXmas2021

Happy Thanksgiving! Our little turkeys had ourselves a gobble of a good time. We created our own little Cookie Turkeys: using Oreo cookies, Rollo’s, malt balls and candy corn for our edible decoration and created pine-cone turkey centerpieces to take home. For our events we played TURKEY TOSS, winning a SOFT FRIEND, and THANKSGIVING BINGO, winning a treat bag. And then we sat down to savor a yummy feast of turkey, olives, cranberry raisins, peanuts, strawberries, juicy apples, oranges, cheddar cheese cubes, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, blueberry muffins, lemon bites, brownie bites, banana pudding, D’animals, applesauce pouches, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, orange juice and eggnog. And then we got to relax our little turkey bellies by watching A Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving and The Mayflower Voyagers. This year I am super thankful to all of my preschool parents who have supported me through this pandemic, and their amazing kids…I couldn’t be here without you! I am grateful to all of you and look forward to the year ahead. Thank you!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN to all you little monsters out there! We had a spectacular HALLOWEEN BASH in the KIDS FIRST Teddy Bear Class! We heard our hilarious Skeleton Hiccups book, and then the silliness began. We danced to the Monster Mash at our Pumpkin Walk contest, winning a Halloween Goblet full of fun treats, played a Witch Hat Ring Toss Game, earning a Treat Bag, and then spun around in circles for our Pin the Nose on the Big Orange Pumpkin, earning a cute mini pumpkin! The Purple People Eater, Witch Doctor and Walking Through the Cemetery songs brought us into the Halloween spirit while we feasted on our Halloween appropriate snacks; white ghost cheese sticks, green monster apples dipped in caramel, black bat raisins, pink monster Jell-O, purple people eater Juice, pumpkin patch corn on the cob rice rolls, mandarin oranges, cupcakes and Halloween cookies. And then winding down the activities with Alvin & the Chipmunks meet the Wolfman made it a huge success.

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After we engaged in a rollicking Patriotic Cupcake Memory Game, a 4th of July Bingo Game, and colored our Independent Day Plaques, and made Patriotic Bubble Prints we engaged in a thrilling Balloon Toss Game (earning a treat cup, pinwheels, and mini hats!). Then we created a U. S. A. Flag Cake to enjoy at our Traditional Independence Day Picnic along with Submarine Sandwiches, Barbecue Chips, Watermelon, 4th of July Tutti Pops and Fruit Punch. We already crafted our spectacular 4th of July shakers, made nifty patriotic fans, popsicle stick flags and colored fireworks pictures this week. Have a fabulous 4th of July everyone!

Aloha!Celebrating our end of the school year HAWAIIAN LUAU for all students who’ve earned their “Pin of Honor” was a total blast! With traditional Hawaiian music playing in the background we began our festivities, winning pineapple toys, drink cups, tropical sunglasses, water balls and dolphin figurines by playing with Beach Balls, doing The Limbo, creating fabulous looking Sun Visors, Pineapple Magnets, performing a Hula Dance routine and our silly Humuhumunukunukuapua’a song (wearing our Fish Hats), and participating in Aloha Bingo. This led us to our feast of Hawaiian Pizza, Submarine Sandwiches, Barbecue Chips, Hawaiian Chips, Mermaid Jell-O, Fruit Kabobs, Shark Fruit Snacks, Sprinkled Cupcakes and Hawaiian Punch. After our delicious meal we relaxed and watched a fun Movie. Aloha!

Congratulations to the brilliant, creative and talented students in the Teddy Bear Class at KidsFirst LearningCenter ! This day is for YOU!

Guess what? Kids First is ENROLLING NOW! There are TWO openings coming up in August. I know! How exciting! Do not miss out on this great opportunity for your child. Text me today to get a guaranteed spot or set up an appointment to tour the facility after hours: MISS LORI 530.321.2784.

KIDS FIRST LEARNING CENTER—license #045406946—was established in 1999 and relocated to the beautiful community of Chico in 2016. This preschool has a five-star rating on http://www.greatschools.org and Yelp, and is designed to meet the needs of fully potty-trained young children between the ages of 2—5 years old. The program is open Monday—Friday 7:30am-5:30pm.

Miss Lori Jean Phipps is a certified preschool center-based director and teacher with over 30+ years’ experience in the field of Early Childhood Education. She not only achieved an Associates of Arts degree, but also completed 40 + early childhood educational units—16 E.C.E units as well as the essential 24 state required early childhood education courses and completion of 150 + college credits in psychology, theater, sign-language, and English—possesses a current C.P.R and First Aid Certificate and has worked in various preschool centers teaching children before becoming an owner and director in 1999.

Kids First is designed around the belief that a child’s self-image is the most important ingredient in the learning process; believing that play is vital to a child’s learning and each child is unique in his or her mental capacities, emotions, skills, and interests. The center offers experiences that will enrich and enhance each child’s cognitive, language, social, emotional, physical, and creative development. We offer a balance of self and teacher-directed activities, so that the child may develop a positive self-concept. Opportunities for solitary play as well as group activities are provided. We respect the parents right as the primary and most important provider of care and nurturing and believe that together, parents and teachers can provide children with a feeling of self-competence and instill important cognitive concepts and promote sharing and cooperation.

All children at Kids First Learning Center must be potty trained in order to attend. The program is not designed to meet the needs of children in diapers.

The standard recommended age range levels for developmental placements are as follows;

Beginner Level                  2½—3

Intermediate Level             3—4½

Pre-Kindergarten Level     4½—5

Kids First Learning Center curriculum components are Circle Time, Themes, Language Development, Reading Readiness, Math Readiness, Learning Centers, Art/Science/Cooking, Music, Sign-Language and Motor Movement. The purpose of these components is to provide an educational atmosphere in which children are encouraged to be productive and creative, developing an appreciation for education and a love of learning, educating the whole child—cognitively, emotionally, socially, and physically. Emphasis is placed on learning through manipulative toys.

The Easter Bunny was HERE! He not only filled our Easter Baskets full of fun treats, but he also hid candy-filled eggs for us to search for! Our party started off by creating adorable “Easter Paintings & Felt Bunny Magnets” and performing the Bunny Hop Dance all the way to play “Pin the Tail on the Bunny” where we got to win a Treat Bag & Bunny Paddle Toy. And then we did the movement activity “I am Bunny Pink Ears” earning a Chocolate Bunny Treat. And then we engaged in a romping good time playing “Bunny Bingo” and “Bunny Match” earning a Soft Friend & Wind-Up Toy. Then it was on to our special snack feast of baby carrots, bunny crackers, mermaid fruit snacks, Easter cupcakes, sprinkled cookies, blue Jell-O, mixed berry D’Animals, kiwi berry drinks and our own Easter Eggs that we decorated!. And then we went on our Easter Egg Hunt! What a fabulous party. Happy Easter to all you little bunnies out there.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!! Top o’ the Morning! The wee little folk in the Teddy Bear class had our traditional Irish music playing all morning, and proudly wore our personally crafted shamrock headbands most of the day. But no, we did not catch a leprechaun this year—I know! We were so hoping. Those little rascals are just too quick. And they once again made a big mess in our playroom! They did leave us some rather delicious green rainbow candy treats, which made up for their shenanigans. We started our day by Decorating a Shamrock Cookie & Playing a Lucky Coin Toss Game, winning Shamrock Tattoos, and having fun with a Wild Shamrock Match Game & St. Patrick’s Day Bingo game, earning Treat Bags! Then we went outside and played Find the Shamrock, winning Shamrock Necklaces. We got to also watch Green Eggs and Ham and earn a cute mini–Leprechaun Hat. We listened to the story “Lizzie the Lazy Leprechaun” before feasting on green Jell-O, green apples, Lucky Charms cereal, oranges, cheese & crackers, green grapes (cut up), frosted shamrock cookies, scrumptious festive shamrock cupcakes, rainbow fruit roll-ups and green punch. And then we enjoyed a special St. Patrick’s Day movie.

May the luck of the Irish be with you!