One of a Kind, Cayman

This month the Toddlers have been busy discovering all that makes our home, Cayman, unique. They are learning the geography of an island through working with a land and water tray.  This provides a visual understanding of our local geography and opened up the discussion topic of Grand Cayman being the island on which we all live!  The activity involves careful pouring of water and placing small models of a boat, tree, turtle and blue iguana on their appropriate habitat.  

Pictures of the National Symbols are displayed in the Peace Corner and provide countless discussion topics.  Beyond learning the names of these symbols, the Toddlers are happy to describe to us in detail the times they have seen these symbols around the island.  Also in the Peace Corner is a length of plaited silver thatch, which the toddlers love to feel and compare to the picture of a silver thatch tree. 

Our children are very proud when they stand to sing the National Song each day at Group Time. The Helper of the Day is invited to hold the Cayman Flag while we sing the National Anthem, an honorable job of the day!  

All the symbols on the Cayman Crest have a meaning, if you don’t know them – the Toddlers are happy to give you the answers ? They have been practicing naming these symbols with the help of a Cayman Islands Crest puzzle.  

We had the opportunity to try local mangoes and tamarind and made some delicious baked breadfruit fries thanks to families who brought these fruits in from their yards. We even had a CAYMANKIND hands-on experience.  Some of our Toddlers went on an adventure across the road and asked the coconut man for some freshly cut coconuts for snack. While Mr. Kevin cut them open with his machete, we helped him pick up the coconuts and piled them beside his truck. It was so wonderful to witness the cute interactions and Mr. Kevin was very grateful for our help.  After all that hard work the children enjoyed a nice glass of coconut water and scooped out the delicious coconut jelly to eat. 

Finally, the Toddlers delight in looking at pictures of their favorite places in Cayman in our class Photo Album.  We discuss all the different places and animals in the pictures during our group discussions at Group Time and the Toddlers can often be found crowded around the Photo Album during the work cycle, sharing stories about the pictures with their classmates.