Our school year is off to a great start! We are pleased to welcome new families to all of our programs this year. The teachers and children have enjoyed greeting children who are returning to their classrooms for a second year or transitioning from Bambini to the Toddler House or from the Toddler House to the Children’s House. The children are learning the routines of the classrooms and new friendships are forming. We invite all...

Each June, Winfield Children’s House transforms the playgrounds for Arts Festival. This year, we welcomed children and their family members to dance, paint, drum, make clay pots and more on the morning of Friday, June 6. The playground was full of art making stations as well as a snack area and face painting table staffed by wonderful parent volunteers. This event could not happen without the good will of area artist, who donate their...

  Last week, the Parenting for Peace group at the Friends School of Portland hosted an evening lecture entitled “In the Moment: Mindfulness for Families and Educators.” The event was held at the University of Southern Maine. It featured Kathryn Brynes and Irene McHenry. Brynes is a professor of education at Bowdoin College. McHenry is Director of the Friends Council of Education, in Philadelphia. What role does mindfulness play...

  It’s that time of the year where children are becoming more active and energized. With that comes testing the boundaries of appropriate behavior. Parents ask us a lot of questions about how to approach setting limits with toddlers and preschoolers. A popular phrase in the Montessori world is “follow the child.” This may give the impression that “anything goes,” which is far from the reality. In the...

  A tradition at Winfield Children’s House is to hold a May Pole Dance and celebration on May Day. This year, we held our May Pole Dance on Friday, May 2. A local dance instructor brings a beautiful May Pole and a sound system for playing traditional English and Irish music. She teaches the dance to each primary classroom. The children from the Bambini and Toddler programs come to play musical instruments and watch the preschoolers...