Preschool and play place to celebrate grand reopening in downtown St. Clair

New experiences are just what the teacher ordered at St. Clair's Not Just Play.
Following a spate of remodeling projects, a St. Clair-based preschool and play place is gearing up for its Grand Reopening party.

Since December 2016, Amy Wonner has been running the Not Just Play preschool and play place out of the St. Clair Play is very important for a developing child. Riverview Plaza. Recent renovations and the addition of a third preschool class has Wonner excited for the future.

"I want people to start thinking of us as a premier preschool in the area. People are coming from all over, from places like Fort Gratiot and Algonac. I’m excited by how far people are driving," Wonner says.

"We’ve definitely grown by leaps and bounds."

Wonner now offers three classes, with the new class for "young five-year-olds" joining the preschool class for three-year-olds and a pre-kindergarten class for four-year-olds. There will also be summer programs this year.

The renovations, which include new carpeting and fewer walls, allow for Wonner to provide plenty of space for her sensory-based style of teaching. She says that she has noticed a trend of young children lacking in exposure to sensory activities recently.

Fun sensory activities are the focus at Not Just Play.By focusing on hands-on activities, Wonner believes that children better learn critical life skills like problem-solving, emotion management, and independence.

"We’re not a tech-based preschool. We focus on the whole child, and not just cramming them with numbers and letters. They learn that too but also transition and social skills," Wonner says.

"We’re hyper-focused on the social and emotional side, not so much on worksheets."

To celebrate the grand reopening, Not Just Play will be offering a free open house from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 14. Also planned are on-site registration opportunities, a raffle, and a 2:15 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Not Just Play is located in the St. Clair Riverview Plaza in downtown St. Clair.

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