Week 1 — Fun in the Sun
The first week of camp for our littlest ones. Five gentle, sunny days of soft sand, warm routines, and settling in. June 1–5 · Toddlers classroom, ages 18 months–2.
This guide pairs with the General Planning Guide and applies it to Fun in the Sun, built around the Toddlers (18 mo–2) daily schedule. For our youngest of all, this is a care-and-comfort week — the theme is barely a theme; it's a warm, sunny backdrop for soft sand play and a gentle first week of camp. Plan it light. There is no project and nothing to perform. The whole curriculum is a predictable, loving rhythm and the simple joy of sand. Week 1 is also the first week of camp ever — separation and naptime deserve extra tenderness.
Week Snapshot
Five Gentle Days
For toddlers, the week isn't really an arc — it's five warm, sunny, deeply similar days. The sameness is the comfort. Each day is soft sand, familiar songs, and a loving rhythm; Friday is just a touch celebratory.
The Daily Rhythm
Every day runs the identical clock — and each day plan below carries it in full. Four blocks are fixed by the clock — the two snacks, lunch, and the nap. Everything else is flex: gentle, sensory, and care-led.
Five Days, Fully Planned
Each day is the full run-sheet — every block of the Toddlers schedule, in order, so you can print a day and run it from the page. Fixed blocks are kept brief; the gentle flex blocks carry the detail.
Early arrivals, free play. The youngest all together for a soft, quiet welcome until the Toddlers room opens.
Settle Into Classroom · Table Toys
A calm, predictable start to the very first morning of camp. Familiar table toys out — stacking cups, chunky puzzles, soft blocks. Greet each child by name at their level, and give every grown-up a warm, unhurried handoff. First-day separation is big; get low, stay calm, be a steady, available body for whoever needs one.
Opening Circle
A short, sing-song circle — a hello song, the group gathered close on the rug. For toddlers, circle is about gathering and warmth, not teaching. Keep it tiny, and end early if the wiggles win.
Opening Circle / Craft — My Little Sun
A gentle first project. Each child makes a paper sun — a painted handprint, or pre-cut rays they press on, hand-over-hand as needed. The picture barely matters; the warm together-time at the table does. Keep table toys out alongside so a child who isn't ready to craft still has a happy place to be.
Fixed
Morning Snack
Wash up and gather at the table. First time through, walk the handwashing routine slowly and gently. Snack is calm and social.
Outdoor Play · Sand & Sunshine (anchor)
The week's gentle anchor. Outside while the morning is still cool — a sand sensory experience at a low sand table or the sandbox, with scoops, cups, and buckets. Toddlers dig, pour, pat, and sit right in it. No project, no product — pure sensory joy. Sunscreen and hats on first. Stay close, narrate softly, be a calm body.
Materials — sandbox or low sand table, scoops, cups, buckets, sun hats, sunscreen. The sand is the whole plan.
Music & Movement
Summer songs with big, simple motions — sunshine songs, "wiggle and stretch," "the sun comes up." Teach the cleanup song here too. Familiar, repeated, joyful.
Fixed
Lunch
Calm, unhurried, social. Teachers sit low with the children. Let little hands help where they can.
Closing Circle
The wind-down before nap. Soft books, dimming lights, a quiet song. Gather the morning gently. Keep voices low — this block is a bridge into rest.
Fixed
Nap / Quiet Time
Teach the quiet-down ritual today — dim lights, soft music, the same two or three songs you'll use all summer. The first nap is the hardest one of the year. Today's goal is "bodies are resting and the room is calm," not "everyone sleeps" — real sleep comes as trust grows. Keep a consistent adult near the children who struggle most.
Fixed
Wake-up · Afternoon Snack
Wake slowly, lights up gently. Snack at the table — quiet and low-key as bodies come back awake.
Outdoor Play
A light, shaded second outdoor block — the warm part of the day, so keep it gentle. Bubbles, a shaded blanket with board books, easy toddling, a little shaded sand. Move indoors on a hot day.
Pickups · Cleanup · Move to Combined Care
Children drift to combined care as families arrive. The first pickup matters enormously to a toddler's family — give a warm, specific handoff: "Ask Mia about the sand — she scooped and poured all morning." A gentle, reassuring close to the first day of camp.
Early arrivals, free play. The youngest all together for a soft, quiet welcome until the Toddlers room opens.
Settle Into Classroom · Table Toys
The same calm opening — familiar table toys, a warm name-greeting, an unhurried handoff to each grown-up. Predictability is the gift this week; let the room feel exactly like it did yesterday.
Opening Circle
The same hello song, the same rug, the same gathering. A tiny circle — gather, sing, smile. End early if wiggles win.
Opening Circle / Craft — Sunshine Painting
A simple, sensory paint experience — children sponge or finger-paint in warm sunny colors (yellow, orange) on big paper, with as much help as they want. Loose and process-led; no template. Table toys out alongside for any child who'd rather not paint.
Fixed
Morning Snack
Wash up and gather at the table. Calm and social — let little hands help where they can.
Outdoor Play · Sand & Sunshine (anchor)
The gentle anchor. Sunscreen and hats first, then soft sand: today, lots of touching and patting — running hands through it, pressing palms in, feeling the texture. A few scoops and cups out, but the focus is the sensory pleasure of the sand itself. Stay close, narrate softly.
Materials — sandbox or low sand table, scoops, cups, sun hats, sunscreen.
Music & Movement
Summer songs with big, simple motions — the favorites are starting to feel familiar. The repetition is the comfort.
Fixed
Lunch
Calm, unhurried, social. Teachers sit low with the children.
Closing Circle
The wind-down before nap. Soft books, dimming lights, the quiet song. Keep voices low — a bridge into rest.
Fixed
Nap / Quiet Time
The same nap ritual as Monday — same songs, same loveys, the same gentle hand on a back. That sameness is exactly why today settles a little easier.
Fixed
Wake-up · Afternoon Snack
Wake slowly, lights up gently. Snack at the table — quiet and low-key.
Outdoor Play
A light, shaded second outdoor block — gentle in the heat. Bubbles, a shaded blanket, easy toddling. Move indoors on a hot day.
Pickups · Cleanup · Move to Combined Care
Children drift to combined care as families arrive. Warm, specific handoffs: "Ask [child] about the sand — she loved pressing her hands right in it."
Early arrivals, free play. The youngest all together for a soft, quiet welcome until the Toddlers room opens.
Settle Into Classroom · Table Toys
A calm, familiar start — familiar toys, a warm name-greeting, an unhurried handoff. Midweek, the room is finding its rhythm; keep it steady.
Opening Circle
The same hello song and gathering. A tiny circle, warm and short.
Opening Circle / Craft — Sandy Picture
A sensory craft: children dab glue on paper and sprinkle a little sand over it, then shake off the extra to see what stuck. Forgiving and tactile — there's no wrong way. Teacher-assisted; table toys alongside.
Fixed
Morning Snack
Wash up and gather. Calm and social.
Outdoor Play · Sand & Sunshine (anchor)
The gentle anchor. Sunscreen and hats, then sand — today the joy is scooping and pouring: filling cups and buckets, dumping them out, doing it again. That happy repetition is real learning for a toddler — cause and effect, busy hands, a growing "I can do this." Stay close, narrate softly.
Materials — sandbox or low sand table, scoops, cups, buckets, sun protection.
Music & Movement
Summer songs and simple motions — "dig, dig, dig" with big arm scoops fits the day nicely.
Fixed
Lunch
Calm, unhurried, social. Teachers sit low with the children.
Closing Circle
The wind-down before nap — soft books, dimming lights, the quiet song. A calm bridge into rest.
Fixed
Nap / Quiet Time
The same nap ritual — same songs, same loveys, the same comforting predictability.
Fixed
Wake-up · Afternoon Snack
Wake slowly, lights up gently. Snack at the table — quiet and low-key.
Outdoor Play
A light, shaded second block — gentle in the heat. Bubbles, board books on a blanket, easy toddling. Move indoors on a hot day.
Pickups · Cleanup · Move to Combined Care
Children drift to combined care as families arrive. Warm handoffs: "Ask [child] about pouring the sand — he filled his bucket over and over."
Early arrivals, free play. The youngest all together for a soft, quiet welcome until the Toddlers room opens.
Settle Into Classroom · Table Toys
A calm, familiar start. By the fourth day the children know this opening well — lean on that comfort. Warm name-greetings, unhurried handoffs.
Opening Circle
The same hello song and gathering, warm and short. A simple stretch — "reach up to the sun" — to start the day in their bodies.
Opening Circle / Craft — Warm and Sunny
A gentle sensory craft in warm colors — collage with yellow and orange tissue, or a textured sun. Loose and unhurried; the warm together-time matters more than the picture. Table toys alongside.
Fixed
Morning Snack
Wash up and gather. Calm and social.
Outdoor Play · Sand & Sunshine (anchor)
The gentle anchor. Sunscreen and hats, then easy, settled sand play — children now know and love this part of the morning. Let them dig, pour, pat, and sit, following their own quiet ideas. Stay close, narrate, enjoy how at-home they've become.
Materials — sandbox or low sand table, scoops, cups, buckets, sun protection.
Music & Movement
The week's favorite summer songs — children know them by heart now. Sing, sway, wiggle.
Fixed
Lunch
Calm, unhurried, social. Teachers sit low with the children.
Closing Circle
The wind-down before nap — soft books, dimming lights, the quiet song. A calm bridge into rest.
Fixed
Nap / Quiet Time
The same beloved nap ritual — same songs, same loveys. By day four, a calmer, more settled rest.
Fixed
Wake-up · Afternoon Snack
Wake slowly, lights up gently. Snack at the table — quiet and low-key.
Outdoor Play
A light, shaded second block — gentle in the heat. Bubbles, a shaded blanket with books, easy toddling. Move indoors on a hot day.
Pickups · Cleanup · Move to Combined Care
Children drift to combined care as families arrive. Warm handoffs — and a gentle note that tomorrow is the happy last day of our first week.
Early arrivals, free play. The youngest all together for a soft, quiet welcome until the Toddlers room opens.
Settle Into Classroom · Table Toys
The last morning of the first week — keep it exactly as familiar as every other day. Predictability is what makes today feel safe and happy. Warm name-greetings, unhurried handoffs.
Opening Circle
The same hello song, sung warmly. A happy noticing: "We've had such a sunny week together." Keep it light and joyful.
Opening Circle / Craft — A Sunny Keepsake
Each child makes a small sun to take home — a handprint sun, or a simple sun on a stick. A little proud keepsake of their first week of camp. Table toys alongside.
Fixed
Morning Snack
Wash up and gather — a slightly festive feel is welcome. Calm and social.
Outdoor Play · Sand & Sunshine (anchor)
The gentle anchor, one happy last time this week. Sunscreen and hats, then joyful sand play — dig, pour, pat. Add bubbles to the sandbox for a touch of celebration. Let the happiness of a first week well-finished breathe. Stay close, narrate, enjoy it with them.
Materials — sandbox or low sand table, scoops, cups, buckets, bubbles, sun protection.
Music & Movement
All the children's favorite songs of the week, back to back — a joyful, familiar sing-along to close the first week.
Fixed
Lunch
Calm, unhurried, social — a warm last lunch of the week. Teachers sit low with the children.
Closing Circle
The wind-down before nap — soft books, dimming lights, the quiet song. Gather the week with warmth: "What a sunny first week." A calm, loving bridge into rest.
Fixed
Nap / Quiet Time
The same beloved nap ritual — a peaceful last rest of the first week.
Fixed
Wake-up · Afternoon Snack
Wake slowly, lights up gently. Snack at the table — quiet and low-key.
Outdoor Play
A light, shaded final outdoor block — gentle in the heat. A last round of bubbles and easy toddling. Move indoors on a hot day.
Pickups · Cleanup · Move to Combined Care
The last handoffs of the first week — make them warm and full. Tell each family one specific, happy moment from their child's week. A proud, gentle close to our littlest ones' first week of Our Big Summer Adventure.
This Week's EF Lens — Cognitive Flexibility
One executive-function skill to notice — and for our youngest, it is barely present. Hold it very lightly. (The full EF primer is in the General Planning Guide.)
Flexibility, toddler-sized
Cognitive flexibility is the skill of trying another way when the first one doesn't work. In an 18-month-to-two-year-old it is only just beginning to bud — and it looks tiny: a child whose sand pours out of the cup and who simply scoops again; a child who reaches for a different toy when one is taken; a child who accepts a teacher's helping hand.
You do not teach this, and you do not look for it hard. The whole of it, at this age, is letting the small, low-stakes flops of sand play happen — and keeping the mood warm and easy when they do. A cheerful "oops — let's try again" is the entire curriculum. If you simply run a gentle, predictable week, this skill is quietly growing on its own.
What it looks like — if you happen to notice
- A child who scoops again after the sand pours away
- A child who tries patting the sand a different way
- A child who accepts a helping hand, or a different cup
- A child who rolls with a small change without falling apart
Brightwheel This Week
One intentional post a day — a photo and a sentence or two. For first-week toddler families, a warm, reassuring tone matters most. Grab the photo, adapt the caption.
What to Have Ready Before the Week Starts
Week 1 has its own prep — beyond supplies. Have all of this staged the Friday before camp begins.