Today was the perfect spring day to enjoy one of our favorite traditions — the Annual Spring Scavenger Hunt! Our students put their observation skills to the test as they worked together as a team and searched high and low for ducks, flowers, bugs, owls, and woodland animals hidden around our outdoor spaces. 🦆🌸🦉 Scavenger hunts are more than just fun — they’re full of learning, too! This hands-on adventure helped children build important early learning skills like: - Focus and attention to detail -Problem-solving and critical thinking - Gross motor skills through movement and exploration -Language development as they named and described what they found - Social-emotional growth through teamwork and shared excitement At the end of the hunt, each child received a special gift bag to celebrate their hard work and team spirit! 🎁 To top off our spring celebration, the children enjoyed a sweet seasonal treat we called the Blooming Garden Cup — a playful twist on the classic dirt cup, complete with a cheerful flower on top! 🌸🌱 It was a day full of sunshine, smiles, and meaningful moments. #HilltopSpringHunt #PlayBasedLearning #HandsOnLearning (fb)

🌟 Hilltop School Celebrates Week of the Young Child! 🌟 This week, Hilltop joined schools and early learning centers across the country to celebrate the NAEYC’s Week of the Young Child — a fun-filled week designed to spotlight the importance of early childhood education and the joy of learning through play! Each day brought something new and exciting for our students, and we LOVED seeing our classrooms dive into hands-on activities that support lifelong skills and meaningful connections. Here’s a peek into how we celebrated: 🎶 Music Monday Our classrooms kicked off the week by making their own instruments! From shakers to rubber band guitars, the creativity was flowing! Through music and instrument-making, children explored rhythm, patterns, fine motor skills, and self-expression — all while dancing and singing together! 🍓 Tasty Tuesday Yum! One Pre-K class made granola bars from scratch while another prepared a healthy taste test of “ants on a log” Cooking and exploring new foods helps children develop early math and science skills (like measuring and mixing!), build language as they follow directions, and expand their palates while learning about nutrition. 🤝 Work Together Wednesday Teamwork makes the dream work! Children participated in collaborative games, group art, and building projects — learning the value of cooperation, communication, and problem-solving. These social-emotional skills are at the heart of what we do every day at Hilltop. 🎨 Artsy Thursday Process art was in full swing as classrooms explored paint, collage, sculpture, and more — focusing on the experience, not the final product. At Hilltop, we embrace child-led art because it fosters creativity, decision-making, confidence, and sensory exploration. The results were as joyful as the process! 🏡 Family Friday To close out the week, children created beautiful collages celebrating their families, sparking conversations about the people who love and support them. At Hilltop, we know families are a child’s first teacher — and we respect and value each family’s partnership in their child’s early education. 📚 Special Guests! We also had a special visit this week from Husson University Athletes, who came to read to the children and spend time in the classrooms. Their visit was a huge hit (you can check out highlights in a recent post!) and added even more excitement to this week of celebration. We’re so proud of how our students explored, created, collaborated, and celebrated this special week. #WOYC #HilltopSchoolME #PlayBasedLearning #EarlyChildhoodEducation #ProcessArt #LearningThroughPlay (fb)