City Kids HKPPA Playgroup

A Long Rich History

HKPPA Playgroup has a long, rich history in the Mid-levels community and is highly respected for its nurturing of children and families. HKPPA is a place for parents as well as children. Many of us arrived in Hong Kong without knowing a soul and found within HKPPA a place we belonged. Others of us, who are from Hong Kong, find HKPPA after they have children and are looking for friendship and fellowship, or an English-speaking environment. What we all have in common is an understanding of the richness and importance of childhood and the crucial role parenting plays in child development.

Our Curriculum

Our curriculum is play based and is designed to increase toddlers levels of social competence and to problem solve in a caring way. At HKPPA we celebrate childhood and believe the most important job of a toddler is to play ... to play hard, to play long, and to play with others. We believe that kids need to use their imaginations, they need to splash bubbles about, they need to mess paint around, they need to crash cars. They also need to find out about each other, and they need a place where they feel they belong. Through creative play, exposure to music, art and new experiences they quickly learn about their environment and how to interact with other children and adults. Our playgroup emphasizes unstructured play -- giving children the room they need to engage in activities that interest and stimulate them and learn at their own pace. Our teachers and parents help guide them as they explore and learn.

Our Age Groups

Children are eligible to attend HKPPA from 10 months until 3 years. All children need to be accompanied by a parent or helper. You will note from the class schedule [link here], that we have separated our groups into ‘General' and ‘2 and over'. All children between the ages of 10 months and 3 years are welcome to join the General classes. ‘2 and over' is specifically for children of that age group.

Grasshopers: Our Tuesday and Wednesday morning Grasshopers sessions are spcecifically designed for children aged two and over, during these sessions we provide activities and experiences that are geared towards this age group and that our younger children may find frustrating.  Another important aspect of "The Grasshoper" sessions is to provide an oppotunity for our older children to transition from their playgroup experience to City Kids HKPPA Preschool (next door). Due to the popularity of this session, we will be prioritising applications over the registration period.  First priority will be given to children who meet the age criteria and who are enrolled to City Kids HKPPA Preschool in the future (including children who have been placed on the wait list).  Second priority will be given to any children who are already two at the start of term and thirdly children who will be turning two during the term.

Schedule:
  • Monday AM 9.30 - 11.30 am Parent Majority
  • Monday PM 2.30 - 4.30pm Parent or Helpers
  • Tuesday AM 9.30 - 11.30 am Parent Majority 2+ years only Parents or Helpers
  • Tuesday PM 2.30 – 4.30pm Parent Majority
  • Wednesday AM 9.30 - 11.30 2+ years only Parent or Helpers
  • Wednesday PM 2.30-4.30 Parent Majority
  • Thursday AM 9.30 - 11.30 Helper Majority
  • Thursday PM 2.30-4.30 Parent or Helper
  • Friday AM 9.30 - 11.30 Parent or Helpers
  • Friday PM 2.30-4.30 Helper Majority
  • NOTE all classes are fully enrolled for September - December term, enrollment application forms will be available for the January - March 2011 Term from November 1st, either from the website or our office.

Activities:

  • gross motor play - push toys, climbing the climbing frame, bouncing, driving “cars”, and tunnels for crawling through
  • fine- motor skills development- collage making, beading
  • art project — easel painting
  • sensory exploration—this allows for tactile exploration as well as experimenting with basic scientific principles (sink/float, pouring/filling, cause & effect)
  • playdough — another tactile experience that starts to work not only their imagination, but also their growing fine motor muscles
  • dramatic play — kitchen & props, dress-up capes, building houses or boats out of blocks, pretending to be animals, the list goes on...
  • blocks & building—toddlers love to build up and smash down. These experiments with cause and effect is far more important to the toddler's development than is the final building product!
  • Reading books — Oftentimes a child needs the comfort of a lap and a book and there are always parents or a teacher available to read in on the couch or in the Library.
  • Manipulatives — There will be ample supply of cause and effect toys, in and out toys, building toys, and rolling toys available to explore.

Library:

We understand the value of parents reading aloud to their children and appreciate that it is difficult to access children's library books in English in Hong Kong. Because of this, we've made a priority to establish and maintain a library. At City Kids HKPPA Preschool there is a dedicated library room with over 600 books. All children who attend classes have library-borrowing privileges. The library also serves as a quiet place to sit and read a book during the HKPPA sessions.

 

September 2010 Term:

Term Dates: Monday 30th August – Friday 17th December

Public Holidays: National Day- Friday 1st October, Day After Mid Autumn Festival Thursday 23rd September

Mid Term Holiday: Monday 18th October – Friday 22nd October