Due to the impact of Covid-19, preschools have been deprived of large group and outdoor activities for the past two years. Likewise, ELFA Chinese Preschool has altered many of our lessons to comply with the Safe Management Measures (SMM). The need for safe distancing changed all of our children’s large group activities to individual activities.

Strengthening Friendship through Indoor Large Group Activities

Preschoolers can now resume these large group and outdoor activities with the recent relaxation on the SMM! As shared on 8World News (https://www.8world.com/singapore/more-preschool-activities-resumed-1788141) ELFA wasted no time at reintroducing large group activities through some of our mandatory indoor programmes, such as Chinese Speech and Drama, ELFA Physical Education Programme and Cookery class. As we slowly reintroduced more interaction between students, we witnessed their eagerness to mingle, learn and play with friends again.

Reciting poem aloud together as a class

Getting Out for Greater Learning

Mrs Angeline Teo, ELFA’s Senior Education Specialist, shared that the most significant impact on our preschoolers is the return of outdoor activities. For the first time in two years, our children can now visit public places and have vigorous mask-off activities. Children at ELFA have started enjoying large group outdoor activities such as relay, which involves running and jumping, and bubble play.

Children chasing bubbles – an all-time favourite

Outdoor relay allows children to soak up the sun and expand locomotor skills

They have also started visiting public places like supermarkets and playgrounds during the off-peak periods. Besides complying with the current SMM, ELFA continues to observe a low teacher-child ratio for each outdoor trip.

A visit to the neighbouring supermarket to learn how to select healthier food

These large group and outdoor activities are crucial for young children as they allow them to pick up essential social and emotional skills, primarily through interaction, experience and teamwork. As they better their socio-emotional skills, they become more confident learning with others. And for the toddlers born in the pandemic era, we could finally see the matchless joy and happiness on their faces as they indulge in group play for the first time.