Here’s a little gem that isn’t very highly publicized! The Northern Regional Center in Wake Forest houses a variety of public resources, but the one we love is the free Creative Play program they host on Friday mornings at 11am-12:15pm! Parent Participation is required, but it’s a fun, educational activity for all ages! Check their Facebook page for more information as it usually runs for 6 week sessions each season, but you can start at any time and come any day you want!
Music Time
Creative Play is hosted by the sweetest ladies. They start the class with music time, complete with musical instruments and scarves. The music also incorporates movement to let the kids get the wiggles out before sitting for story time. The class leaders are fluent in Spanish so they can translate if needed. They always play the same songs, so the kids get used to the routine of starting the class for the day.
Story and Craft Time
Each class usually has a theme for the day that is incorporated into the story and craft. This past time we attended it was September so we were discussing autumn. We read a book about fall and the kids created their own leaf people for art. The class also incorporated name recognition into a separate craft where we each made our own name puzzle out of Popsicle sticks. I love that the theme usually goes along with the upcoming holiday or season and they do a great job of having everything tie in together.
Snack Time
At the end of the class a snack is provided. This has varied from being a make-your-own snack craft, to just grabbing a bag of goldfish on your way out the door. In the past we have made rainbow art with fruit loops and snowman pops with marshmallows.
The only possibly bad thing about this class is that they have a small room to work with. Most of the time we have gone there have only been about 3-4 families present. However, a couple times there was a large group and it got a little hectic. It’s a drop in program so you never know how many people are going to be there. It’s also a little later than some toddler morning programs. My kids can get a little hangry by the end, but the snack they give you is perfect for the car ride home!
Check it out and stop by the Wake Forest Library for story time and Kiwanis Park next door either before or after! You can literally park in one parking lot and walk to all three so it’s super convenient!