Parenting means decision making – I get it – there are so many decisions to make and it always feels like there are too many pros and cons to weigh out. It can be exhausting and if you’re like me, by the end of the day you don’t even want to decide what is for dinner – let alone make decisions that impact your child’s long-term future. Well, I don’t know what to make for dinner – although “fun dinner” also known as cheese, crackers, fruits, and veggies is my go-to – let me share with you one of the easiest decisions we have ever made: Vivo’s Little Kids Active Learners (LKAL) for Preschool.
Choosing a preschool to fit our family’s needs was simple when we found out about Vivo’s LKAL Preschool program.
Knowing that our little ones would be ready for grade one in the Alberta Education System with standard readiness preparation was a win, but the full Vivo experience is what made all the difference for us when choosing LKAL for our boys.
Vivo’s LKAL has access to an environment that can’t be beat.
Why Vivo’s LKAL Preschool Was the Perfect Choice for Our Family
Located in north-central Calgary, Vivo is a charity that operates a community hub for healthy living. As a young family, we had spent time there – swimming, climbing, running in the gyms, at the Library, and in the open community spaces. We had incredible peace of mind knowing that our busy little ones would have an hour of active time per day and access to the facility with their class. From climbing to swimming to exploring in nature and being an active part of the community – Vivo is set apart from the crowd and provided our children with opportunities to build skills and confidence that will carry them through life.
While my boys did not attend in the newly expanded facility, I can only imagine the elevated experiences that it offers to current and future LKAL students.
The indoor park is a big hit now with our children, I can only imagine how they would have loved roaming that space during the deep cold of winter when outdoor exploration time is limited. And in the mild weather, the Community Hug space would have been a favourite for my boys. One of their favourite pastimes is storytelling around the campfire – having a space to foster that same environment would have indeed been a very happy thing for them both. Some well-deserved “me-time” in the new fitness centre and accompanying spaces feels like a real win for parents as well!
Vivo’s approach of learning through play is proven.
The Benefits of Vivo’s Learning Through Play Approach
We know from research by Dr. Karyn Purvis that it takes some 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain unless it is done through play. Learning through play develops new synapses in only 10 to 20 repetitions. You’d better believe that play has been on our radar for our children since they arrived! Choosing a preschool program that encourages and fosters an environment for learning through play was easy for us. Giving our boys the chance to be curious, move, and develop new synapses exponentially faster meant a whole lot to us!
Not only is play great from learning new skills, it also develops physical literacy in children.
If you haven’t heard that term, it is essentially a fancy way of saying developing confidence and competence to be active for life. This is near and dear to our hearts as we raise up the next generation to be healthy – my husband and I truly value and are intentional about developing this for our children. We were elated to discover that our boys would be not only be able, but also encouraged, to continue developing physical literacy through play and movement during their time in preschool at Vivo’s LKAL. Developing these skills, confidence, and abilities young means that they are more likely to continue them throughout their lives – a huge win for parents.
Looking back, after a combined four years of Vivo’s LKAL Preschool, we wouldn’t change a thing.
Except, maybe to convince all of the schools (grades 1-12) to adopt the same mindset around movement, play, and learning. Our children are busy, learning-loving, active, curious, happy, healthy, LKAL grads and we couldn’t be happier with our decision!
For more information and to register for Vivo’s LKAL Preschool Program – click here.
Alanna is a guest mom blogger residing in Airdrie. Her two sons attended Vivo’s LKAL Preschool for two years each and are now active, thriving, physically literate busy fellas who are homeschooled – to keep the curious, active, playful learning environment experienced at Vivo’s LKAL alive.