For the past two weeks, the centre has participated in the Hatch N’ Grow Program, which gave our children the opportunity to witness the lifecycle of a chicken and duck firsthand. We researched and learned about the lifecycle of ducks and chickens, such as where the eggs come from. The children then used their fine motor skills and made creative drawings and stencils showing their own version of the lifecycles.
The children were very excited and eager to see the process of the eggs hatching. The eggs hatched over the weekend and the children were thrilled to be able to see, hold and pat the chicks and ducks. The hands-on experiences, intentional learning and creative activities included in this program made children confident in detailing the lifecycle of chickens and ducks.
As theorist Piaget has stated, children are active learners, and must be given opportunities to explore, discover and experiment. The Hatch N’ Program supports this theory, as we saw our children thoroughly enjoyed witnessing firsthand the stages of growth of chickens and ducks.