Child development centers vary in size as well as in scope. While some offer progressive curriculums and the latest advancements for preschools, others are more intimate daycare centers that take a more relaxed approach to childcare. We combine the best of both worlds here at Tiny Footprints. Whatever your priorities, finding the right daycare center for your child is important.
Socialization: One of the most important tasks for children is forming peer relationships. This occurs in a sensitive and supportive atmosphere. We are involved, consistent, and caring. By having the child participate in a great number of creative activities, we are able to help each to develop strong feelings of self-confidence and self-worth. Through careful intervention between children in conflict situations we facilitate the socialization process so that children learn the importance of sharing, compassion, and honesty, and learn to recognize their feelings and verbalize them.
Potty Training: Learning to use the toilet is a big event in a young child’s life. Because toilet training is a complex process, there are many issues caregivers and families must consider before and during the process. We work with families and their children to facilitate potty training for the children when they are ready.
Tiny Footprints is organized into learning areas and equipped with materials that challenge every aspect of a young child. When a group of children builds a city of unit blocks, for instance, the participants are gratified by the act of applying their knowledge to the creation of something exciting and meaningful; they are getting rudimentary lessons in physics (bigger blocks have to go on the bottom) and in math (two little blocks can substitute for a big one); they are taking part in a social effort that requires give-and-take; and they are getting practice in the kind of symbol-making that paves the way for the more abstract thinking necessary for reading, writing, and math.
Curriculum:
- Indoor Free Choice Play: This is a time when children learn valuable life skills such as taking turns, sharing, and cleaning up. Gives opportunity to use their imagination and develop large muscle coordination.
- Outdoor Play Time: Children learn how to treat others kindly, take turns, and practice safety on the playground. Children have the opportunity to exercise and develop large muscle coordination.
- Music & Movement: Music is used to express emotions and is a source of joy. We use tapes, CD’s, rhythm instruments, ribbon sticks, singing, clapping, and body movement.
- Math / Science: Your child will participate in a variety of science experiments, increasing vocabulary and general knowledge. These activities will encourage curiosity, help the child discover natural laws, and become more aware of his/her surrounding world.
- Arts & Crafts: We use a variety of materials so your child may experience the joy of creating by cutting, gluing, coloring, and painting. Our goal is the process of creating instead of the final product. Development of fine motor skills.
- Story Time: Our theme related books help us to learn rhymes, repetition, sequencing, and valuable reading strategy skills such as predicting, asking questions and comprehension building.
- Quiet Free Choice Play: As children wake from their naps, they can participate in quiet play, reading, coloring, or other free choice activities.
- Snack Time and Lunch Time: Life Skills. Children learn how to use good manners, talk nicely to friends, help the teacher, and clean up. We offer nutritious homemade meals for the children as well as juices made from organic fruits and vegetables.
- Dramatic play, building, dance, art, conversation, gardening, climbing, swinging, scooter-riding, field trips and sand and water play also fill the children’s days.