A Day in Our Life at The Melbourne Preschool
Hello friends!
Every day at The Melbourne Preschool is like a little adventure—complete with playing, singing, running, laughing, outdoor exploration, healthy home-cooked meals as well as a nap! While each age group follows their own schedule tailored to developmental needs and milestones, here’s what a typical day in our life looks like:
Good Morning, Sunshine 🌞
We open bright and early at 6:30am! Children ease into the day with open play to gently start their morning. Choices include:
Coloring stations 🎨 for tiny artists
Library & puppets 📚🧸 for storytellers
Magnet tiles & big Lego blocks 🏗️ for builders
Carpet games and soft toys for cozy play
This calm beginning sets the stage for a happy, playful day.
Rise & Dine 🍳
Our preschool smells like home as we serve a hot homemade breakfast between 8:30am - 9:30am. Children enjoy healthy meals together, practicing independence with table manners and cleanup.
Circle Time 🎶
We gather as a class for:
Welcome songs
Good morning greetings
Storytelling
Calendar & weather check (because future meteorologists are among us!)
And here’s a neat fact: singing actually supports language acquisition. Research shows rhythm and melody help children develop vocabulary and phonetic awareness. Translation? Those fun and silly songs we sing each morning are secretly powerful brain workouts!
Teacher-Led Projects ✂️🔬
Depending on the day, this might be:
A colorful art project
A hands-on science experiment
A sensory play activity
These structured moments give children a chance to explore new skills and stretch their creativity.
Morning Outdoor Adventures 🌳
Our 3 custom playgrounds are the stage for gross motor play: climbing, sliding, running, swinging, and sometimes pretending the mulch is lava. Outdoor time encourages teamwork, confidence, and strong muscles. Older classes often work on their garden beds, and water their tomato or cucumber plants.
Wash, Story, & Lunch Time 🍎
After hand-washing, we gather for a calming story before enjoying a hearty, healthy, scratch-kitchen lunch together. We always post the weekly lunch menu on our parent bulletin board next to the front desk so families can see what we serve each day.
Nap Time 😴
Nap time isn’t just about recharging tiny batteries—napping is actually vital for learning and development. Research shows that preschoolers who nap demonstrate stronger memory consolidation, better emotional regulation, and improved attention spans throughout the day. In fact, it has been proven that children who nap retained more information from classroom activities than those who stayed awake. So while it may look like “just rest,” nap time is really an investment in growing brains and brighter tomorrows.
Nap Times:
Ones: About 2 hours of rest
Twos & Threes: Around 1.5 hours.
VPK: 1 hour of quiet rest—because big kids need downtime, too!
Snack & Reset 🥨
At 2:00pm we serve a healthy snack to help everyone recharge for an afternoon of fun & learning!
Afternoon Activities 🎭🎵
Afternoons are filled with:
Dance parties & music 🎶
Dramatic play (pirates, chefs, doctors, you name it!)
Finishing art projects
Free play and exploration
Afternoon Outside Play ☀️
Most of the year we can play outside at almost any time of day- but during the summer months heat safety comes first. As long as the Florida sun isn’t too strong and the heat index isn’t too high, we’ll head back to the playground. If not, we keep the fun rolling indoors with gross-motor games like freeze dance or kid’s yoga.
Farewell Circle 🌙
We end as we began—together. Our end of the day farewell circle gives us time to reflect on the day, share goodbyes, and look forward to tomorrow’s adventures!
Until Tomorrow!
From blocks to books, songs to snacks, and playground fun to nap time, every day at The Melbourne Preschool is a balance of learning, laughter, and love. We can’t wait to do it all again tomorrow!
Toodleoo!
Academic References:
1) Kuhl, P. K. (2004). Early language acquisition: Cracking the speech code. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1533
2) Kurdziel, L., Duclos, K., & Spencer, R. M. C. (2013). Sleep spindles in midday naps enhance learning in preschool children. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1306418110