Toddler Programs (ages 16 months – 3 years)

The Toddler Community provides enrichment for children 16+ months of age. Activities focus on language, independence, physical development, and everyday living skills. We have a morning program (8:30 am – 12:00 pm) and a Full Day option from 8:30 am-3:30 pm with lunchtime and nap time. The Toddler program is 5 days per week, with part-time options.

The toddler classroom offers very young children a unique year of self-development in a tender atmosphere of special understanding, respect and support. This is unique in that we provide a very specific structure which fulfills the social, physical, emotional and psychological needs of each child.

In the toddler environment, there is space for movement, space for individual work and space for group activities. Everything in the environment is proportionate to the child’s size and is designed to be safe and aesthetically pleasing for children. The toddler classroom is simpler and slower paced than the early childhood, Primary (3 – 6 year old) classroom.

Toddlers are given opportunities to work in the development of language skill, art, music, sensorial, and practical life. The practical life area is particularly emphasized as the activities in this area give children the chance to develop skills to care for themselves and their environment.

Practical life activities are simple and can be accomplished by each child. They offer repetitive cycle, which helps the child establish patterns of order and sequencing. Due to the fact that these are very real activities, each child becomes grounded in reality, building the child’s self-esteem is the ultimate goal and this is accomplished through repeated successes with these activities.

Through song and dance and freedom of choice, the toddlers have access to a variety of large muscle activities that offer them opportunities to jump, climb, balance, crawl, or skip. These exercises, as well as creative art activities, are offered for each child to choose. This freedom in a safe space is crucial to the toddler program. However, it is always tempered by two important limits that will be beneficial for a lifetime, respect for others and respect for the environment.