AGE-APPROPRIATE SMALL GROUP ACTIVITIES

In all Ankkalampi kindergartens, we implement our idea of a child’s quality everyday life. Our small kindergartens ensure that our groups of children are small and that age-appropriate small group activities can be implemented in everyday life. The goal of age-appropriate activities is to raise balanced and independent children who, through successful experiences, gain a strong self-esteem in a healthy way.

Ankkalampi offers day care and early childhood education for ages 1 to 6, from Minis to Masters. In Mini-Ducks the attention is in children who are under the age of three and their needs. In Master-Ducks, the preschool lessons are preparing the children for primary school!

That is why we offer to the families of Ankkalampi the best early childhood education in the city!

Mini Ducks

– Toddler level kindergarten group

Mini-Ducks is designed for children under 3 years of age. The most important thing in the Mini-Duck’s activities is the relaxed atmosphere in their own care group. A daycare day for children under 3 in Ankkalampi includes basic child care, lots of play and voluntary exercise, indoors and outdoors.

At the heart of the Mini-Duck’s activities is a caring, unhurried atmosphere and a small group operating within an age-appropriate environment. In a small daycare center, the staff know the children and their families. Mini-Ducks offer children comfort and intimacy and emphasize a sense of security. Every day the children are seen and greeted daily by an understanding and empathetic early childhood educator.

Educational partnerships play a particularly important role in working with families. Ankkalampi employs motivated and competent early childhood education staff. The groups of children under 3 years of age have a maximum of 12 children and there are up to 3 early childhood educators.

Ankkalampi Mini-Duck groups secure a peaceful growing environment for children under 3 years of age!

Maxi-Ducks

Maxi-Duck activities are aimed at children aged 3-5. Here the emphasise is on age-appropriate play activities in a stimulating learning environment. In small groups, we deal with different areas of early childhood education such as exercise, music, handicrafts, emotional skills and language development. The children’s involvement in everyday life routines and the strengthening of self-reliance is further encouraged. The potties are left behind, the independent dressing skills are strengthened and at mealtimes the children are learning to be more independent. At pick up times, the staff will tell about the children’s day and in turn the children are encouraged to also join in with this conversation. At this time we will also tell about the developments in the child’s learning.

Viskari-Ducks

In Ankkalampi the purpose of the Viskari year is to learn skills for the pre-school year. Viskari refers to the 5-year-old children in the current school year. They can act as their own group or be part of a larger group, for example with the Maxi Ducks, depending on the age distribution of the children in each year. Viskari activities for the year consist of high-quality everyday pedagogy and a weekly program held in Ankkalampi as well as a separate session lasting about an hour once a week. Viskari sessions include various pedagogically planned tasks and activities as well as play and learning through play. The Viskari plan is based on the City of Helsinki’s Early Childhood Education Plan and the Ankkalampi Action Plan. The goal of the Viskari Year is to prepare the child for the path of lifelong learning, to strengthen and support self-esteem and interests and to help the child identify their own strengths. These can be ensured in the activities by involving the child in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the activities.

Master Ducks
- paving the way to school

The pre-school year is important for your child and that is why in Master-Ducks we want to create a safe and confident foundation for school! After the Master-Duck year, the children will have faith and in their own skills and trust in who they are. In Ankkalampi, the children are in small groups yet are taken into account individually, where they learn social skills and we support the child’s developing self-esteem. The activities of Master Ducks are based on the main goals and contents of the City of Helsinki’s pre-school education curriculum and the basics of the national early childhood education plan. Central to the activities is a good and functional everyday life as well as a learning environment that inspires the child to learn and try new things. Also this is where the support and encouragement of the early childhood teacher plays an important role. Pre-school education creates a good foundation for a child’s lifelong learning! In the Master-Duck year, your child has the opportunity to get to know their first foreign language at pre-school age in the functional bilingual environment of Ankkalampi! After the Master year, the children are ready for school.