To paint a true picture of Treehouse Learning’s play-based, relationship-centered, community-focused River Kindergarten experience, come check out our annual Treehouse Learning River Kindergarten’s Spring Performance!! Get your passport ready for an artistic and musical extravaganza performed by a talented group of kindergarten students traveling to lands far away, including continents like Australia and Asia, and ecosystems like the Rainforest and Mountains.
This year’s journey will take us around the globe as children perform animals from the Asian continent, wearing custom-made masks and presenting animal facts. This annual performance marks the pinnacle of our unique independent kindergarten at Treehouse Learning, incorporating arts, academics, public-speaking, confidence-building, play-based learning, community, and more!
Preparing for the Spring Performance- Behind the Scenes
Each spring, the students select the theme for the year, guided by our experienced Kindergarten teacher, Ms. Kim, and the children begin preparations for the Spring Performance through a research project, kicked off by an RTD bus field trip to the Lafayette Public Library. After selecting animals from the Asian continent to perform, children check out library books, research, and memorize animal facts to perform, and write a short poem about each animal in a class book.
The children make animal masks with Ms. Melissa, our talented Art Director, as well as connect learning experiences to the spring performance through comprehensive studies of art, literature, storytelling, geography, and music. The children even do cooking projects, like making steamed dumplings and sampling foods from around the world! And while our kindergartners do have some meaningful and intentional support with new songs from Ms. Becca, our music teacher from the Center for Musical Arts, the children learned and practiced their songs largely independently.
Spring Art Show in the Big Room
The Big Room is also a living art gallery that transforms each year for the Spring Performance. The custom-made mural by Ms. Melissa was a labor of love, creativity, and art appreciation and instruction. This year you’ll see references to famous works of art, like Hokusai’s “The Great Wave off Kanagawa“, as well as the nature-inspired beauty of the spring season, beautifully embodied with the vibrant pink blossoms of the cherry tree. Many of our staff gathered in the evening for a community meal to paint decorations and lanterns over a collaborative dinner with colleagues. Many art projects were made from recycled, donated, thrifted, or upcycled materials, introducing children to the concept of a circular economy and paying attention to environmental impact. Children and classrooms across the program contributed additional works of art to transform our building into another land far, far away. We invite you to explore the beautiful artwork!
The cast for this year’s Spring Performance includes the following characters, all researched, selected, explored, and painted by a very talented group of kindergarten students: Gharial, Snow Leopard, Red Panda, Cobra, Orangutan, Siberian Tiger, Giant Panda, Asian Elephant, Indian Rhinoceros, Indian Peacock!
Treehouse Learning’s independent Kindergarten program is a unique educational experience not found anywhere else!
