The Age of Wonder
Where imagination leads, and every question becomes a door to discovery.
Ages 5–6
At Able, we recognize this as the spark stage—where a child’s senses are wide open, their emotions intense, and their creativity boundless. Everything they experience now builds the inner scaffolding for how they learn, love, and lead later in life.
Between five and six, your child is fully alive with imagination, emotion, and movement. Everything is a story, every tree is a castle, and every question holds magic. This is not a small stage of life—it’s the foundation. The way they are seen, heard, and guided now will shape their future curiosity and courage.
What Parents Often Feel at This Stage:
- • “They ask a hundred questions a day and get upset if I don’t know the answer.”
• “They seem confident, but also need reassurance constantly.”
• “They live in a dream world, but also want to know real rules.”
This is the age when wonder teaches wisdom. When play lays the bricks of identity, learning, and love.
Emotionally: They feel deeply but can’t always express why. Learning to name and regulate emotions is key.
Socially: They move from solitary play to rich role-play with peers. They’re trying on roles, scripts, and social rules.
Cognitively: They’re in the pre-operational stage (Piaget), thinking symbolically, imagining wildly, but not yet logical.
Physically: They’re gaining coordination—learning to climb, balance, draw shapes, and use tools—but still need space to move.
Linguistically: Vocabulary explodes. Stories pour out of them. Listening becomes an art.
This is the golden moment for holistic learning—when the right environment makes all the difference.
Young children need rhythm, kindness, and the freedom to explore safely. We combine structure with sensory learning to let them thrive.
Play is not a break from learning—it *is* learning.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, play builds cognitive skills, reduces stress, and improves executive function. Children who engage in free, imaginative play show better problem-solving, empathy, and emotional regulation.
At Able, play is the curriculum. That means letting kids build forts and fairy houses, invent songs, ask impossible questions, and follow a butterfly just to see where it goes.
Because through play, they are constructing the foundation of who they will become.
Everything in their environment becomes part of their internal story. We build that story with care.
We meet children at eye level—physically and emotionally. Our facilitators are trained not just in teaching, but in listening deeply, guiding gently, and celebrating wildly.
Our camps for 5–6-year-olds are:
• Safe and nurturing: Designed for emotional safety and joyful routine
• Sensorially rich: Activities include clay sculpting, barefoot walks, storytelling, and water play
• Emotionally intelligent: Integrated with MSEL to build emotional vocabulary and resilience
• Imagination-centered: Projects are open-ended, play-driven, and child-led
• Nature-rooted: We don’t just talk about nature—we’re in it
No grades. No pressure. Just a safe and stimulating environment where your child can be their full, unfiltered self.
At this age, every small experience has deep meaning. We treat it that way—with love, clarity, and celebration.
- “Able was like a doorway into my child’s inner world. I didn’t realize how much she had to say until someone really listened.”
– Aom, mom of a 6-year-old
“It’s hard to find something that’s not just babysitting or schooling. Able is neither—it’s a soul-growing space.”
– Marco, dad of a 5-year-old
Wonder becomes confidence when it’s welcomed, not shut down. Our job is to say yes to curiosity and help shape it with care.
• Children in nature-based environments develop stronger memory, attention, and emotional regulation (Fjørtoft, 2001)
• SEL programs improve school readiness and long-term well-being (Durlak et al., 2011)
• Creative play boosts lifelong adaptability and collaboration (Russ & Fiorelli, 2010)
✨ This is the Age of Wonder. Let’s make it unforgettable.
Able invites your child into a space where wonder isn’t dismissed—it’s nurtured. Where questions aren’t rushed—they’re expanded. Where your child isn’t told to sit still—they’re invited to move, feel, create, and grow.
Because who they are right now matters. A lot.
See Upcoming Camps
