Mary Meyer is a tangle of mittens and hats, boots and backpacks, set to the swinging beat of Louis Armstrong. Once the children find their slippers and dismiss their parents, the day begins.

Settling into the dry pillow-lined, comfort of the bathtub, Julia passes out greetings. Ashley tries on a sparkling purple cape. A metropolis of blocks takes shape. Hannah shakes stars from the hole-puncher “like the night sky.” Nick sorts cars. Bennett reads. Andrew finishes off puzzles with assembly-line speed.

“I have something important to tell you,” he announces. “I have a new matchbox that goes back in time to China where they have the big wall and to Egypt.” Lena and Lulu are super-heroes, enjoying a lunch of spaghetti sandwiches.

There’s trouble in the bathroom. Alison, as always, to the rescue. She mediates a four-way quarrel. In the end, one party has retreated to the serenity of the cloud room and all have agreed not to hit.

Nick, like everyone, has an important job. He rings the triangle, announcing rug time. Alison leads the “Hello” song, and the children take its final line to heart, asking their neighbors, earnestly, “How do you do?” There’s a discussion of germs, and their indelicate transfer from nose to finger. Song leaders consult the playlist. Ashley delivers the weather report. “It’s cold. The sky is white. Cuz I think it’s going to snow.” Julia announces “O-V-E-R.”

Amazingly, this is just the beginning. During work time children pursue their art/building/play projects. Four members of cooking club make snack. Everyone cleans up and settles down for book time (reading individually) and story time (listening together).

Hands washed, the children compare the merits of chocolate-dipped goldfish versus the chocolate-dipped fruit.

There’s the coat/boot/mitten scramble to get to the play garden, which fills with sliding, swinging, running joy.

Back inside, the children settle on the rug one last time. Then, balancing backpacks and epic paintings the make their way down the stairs, filled with Mary Meyer wisdom and wonder.