Infants & Toddlers (2-24 Mths)

Children of different ages have much to offer each other. Older students gain empathy and leadership skills. Younger students benefit from having older friends who can scaffold their learning to the next level. Each daycare classroom is paired with an elementary or pre-K classroom to participate in shared activities. We make a special effort to allow siblings to spend time together.

Infants and toddlers, as they are able and with help from parents, participate in service-learning activities. These include cleaning up trash, planting flowers at the park, distributing neighborhood newsletters, packing Christmas gifts for children in need, and singing for the elderly. Service-learning projects are an excellent way to help students contribute positively to their local and global community.

Open-ended process art experiences are offered regularly to infants and toddlers. Process art focuses on the process of creating rather than a finished product. Children are encouraged to think creatively, express their emotions, work both independently and collaboratively, and develop fine motor skills.

Our infant and toddler teachers frequently provide engaging sensory play opportunities for the children. Input through the fingertips is linked to brain growth. Sensory play provides endless learning possibilities, such as concepts of volume and size, one-to-one correspondence, and fine-motor skill development. Another benefit of sensory play is its calming effect.

A collection of books exploring many subjects and representing diverse cultures and ethnicities is available in a cozy reading nook in each classroom. Children in the infant and toddler classrooms are conversed with constantly and read to frequently while experiencing the warmth of their teacher’s lap.