When you watch your toddler closely, do you notice his or her focus and determination, curiosity and delight? These very young children bring to every encounter, an instinctive optimism and an appetite for experience. Their natural drive ensures that during the first three years of life, their brain will develop faster than any other period. The estimated number of brain connections that develop is a staggering 250,000 per minute. During these years, there are no ordinary moments! Yet in spite of current research on the amazing competence of these very young children and the significance of this time of life, the resources and materials for them are limited by a narrow focus on their health and safety and a mistaken view that they “can’t do much.” The Toddler & Family Learning Studio wants to offer something more! 

Scheduling Options in the Toddler Studio include:

Hours are from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, on either:

  • Monday through Friday

  • Monday, Wednesday & Friday

  • Tuesday & Thursday

The Toddler & Family Learning Studio offers a beautiful and natural environment, filled with unique materials geared specifically for the younger members of our community. Drawing on research in brain development, children will be offered experiences to use flexible thinking and problem solving while building relationships with other children and adults.

Our Philosophy & Approach to Education with Toddlers

Teaching and learning for your children is best as an ongoing, flexible process where children construct their own understandings through relationships and interactions with others and the materials in the environment. Invitations for relationships and learning are imbedded in our carefully planned environment. We strive to create beauty, wonder and order using many materials from the natural world and the recycle bin. Throughout our environment we offer children challenging open-ended materials, to encourage investigations and discovery. We provide long stretches of time for children’s self-initiated play as well as time to be a contributing member of the group.

We see our role as teachers as guiding children’s discoveries, offering assistance and challenges so they will go deeper in their play, exploration and learning. You will see us observing children and taking notes and photos, which we use to study and learn more about the children in order to keep planning for their skills and interests. We share the stories of their thinking and learning with the children to help them revisit and build on their previous activities. This is a powerful tool for their learning. We also offer documentation to parents and family members so they can share and delight in their children’s growth and development. 

Flexible Schedule

The following describes the flow and predictability of our time together. The times noted are always adjustable and will depend on the circumstances of the day and the children’s interests:

9:00 am Welcome

Sign in & Wash hands

9:15 am Open playtime in the indoor and outdoor environment

The entire learning environment will be available for the children's choice, as well as activities related to specific processes or concepts facilitated by an educator.

10:15am Snack Time/Story Time

10:30 am Open playtime in the indoor and outdoor environment, Diaper changing

11:15 am Closing Circle

A time for singing, moving, dancing, reflecting on the day and saying goodbye to morning children

11:30 am Morning children depart

Extended stay children engage in activities

11:45 am Diaper changing & wash hands for Lunch

12:00 pm Lunch

12:30 pm Special activities, open play time.

1:00pm End of the day