Winter Adventures & Meaningful Moments at the Academy of Gateway ⛇

Winter fun is in full swing at the Academy of Gateway, and our students have been learning, moving, and celebrating together through hands-on experiences that support growth across every learning domain.

Families were greeted with smiles at pick-up during our Melted Snowman snack to go!

Our halls came alive during Storybook Character Dress-Up Day, where children stepped into their favorite characters, supporting language development, imagination, and confidence through storytelling and play. Movement stayed strong with Fitness Fanatics activities like Iceberg Hop and Winter Movement Dice, helping build gross motor skills, balance, coordination, and listening skills.

Math and prediction skills were highlighted with our Marshmallow (Snowball) Guessing Jar, encouraging early math concepts, number sense, and critical thinking. Creativity continued with beautiful snowflake crafts, strengthening fine motor skills, pattern recognition, and artistic expression.

Sensory play was a big hit with our Snow Shovel Races Sensory Bin, where children worked on sensory processing, problem-solving, and cooperative play. We also popped into fun with Popcorn Day, celebrating both our amazing staff and families and reinforcing community connection and social development.

Today, we proudly honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through equality-themed crafts, helping children explore kindness, fairness, respect, and social awareness in age-appropriate and meaningful ways.

What a snow-packed, joy-filled, and purposeful season it’s been at the Academy of Gateway! We love watching our students grow through play, movement, creativity, and community.

❄️ Kicking Off the New Year with Winter Fun at the Academy of Gateway ❄️

We’re kicking off the new year the Gateway way with creativity, movement, and hands-on learning! The start of January has been full of winter-themed fun as our students explored new activities designed to support development across multiple learning domains.

Our classrooms cooled down with a snowman sensory bin, where children strengthened sensory processing, fine motor skills, and imaginative play while exploring textures and materials. To ring in the new year, students created a New Year’s craft, supporting creativity, self-expression, and early literacy through conversation and design.

January also introduced our Fitness Fanatics Fridays! Every Friday, students get moving with activities that build gross motor development, coordination, balance, and healthy habits. Strong bodies support strong minds!

Art and creativity stayed in full swing as children designed their own winter hats, encouraging fine motor control, color recognition, and decision-making skills. 

We continued the fun with a cozy hot cocoa sensory bin, promoting sensory exploration, social-emotional development, and pretend play as children played and learned together.

What a snow-tastic and energetic way to kick off the new year at the Academy of Gateway! We can’t wait to keep the learning, movement, and fun going all winter long. ❅