Infants

Little Sprouts (6 weeks - 9 months)
Crawlers - Big Sprouts (9 months - 15 months)
Toddlers - Exploring Sprouts (15 months - 2 yrs)


Brain Development and the young child

We know how important the early years are to brain development. A child's brain undergoes an
amazing period of development from birth to three, producing more than a million neural
connections every second. The experiences a child has during this period will shape the
architecture of their brain and build the connections that allow the child to develop lifelong skills
like problem-solving, communication, and self-control.

Our nursery provides a safe, clean, and healthy environment for our babies. Each classroom is
set up with low open shelves which display a variety of developmentally appropriate toys and
materials for the children to choose from.


Infants – Little Sprouts

In addition to holding and cuddling the infants, our teachers are always interacting with them to
encourage their mental and physical development. Our babies are introduced to sign language
in the infant room, so they are better able to communicate their needs. Your child will learn to
grasp toys, vocalize sounds, recognize pictures of familiar objects and acquire a variety of age
appropriate skills.


Crawlers – Big Sprouts

Our crawler room is set up with low shelves and lots of toys and activities to stimulate each
child's development. The curriculum and activities used by our teaching staff reflect the
developmental needs and upcoming milestones of each individual child. Our program helps to
stimulate specific areas of development such as language, small and large motor skills, and
social/emotional development.


Toddler Room – Exploring Sprouts

Our toddler room provides many opportunities for active exploration throughout the day.
Children will use their bodies, their senses and problem solving skills to learn about the world
around them. Each experience is designed to engage the natural curiosity and creativity of
children this age. We balance individual attention with group experiences and ensure your
toddler's energy is channeled into positive learning experiences.

Our toddler room is set up with the following learning centers:

Housekeeping and Dramatic Play
This area is set up with small kid size furniture, dress-up clothes, play food, dishes and baby
dolls.

Blocks
Different sizes, shapes, and colored blocks are provided along with cars, trucks, and play people
where children can use their imagination to build and pretend play.

Manipulatives
Children can choose from large, chunky puzzles with knobs or challenge themselves with more
complex puzzles. They can also play with cause and effect toys, or stack colorful nesting barrels
inside one another etc.

Library area
This area is set up with pillows, soft stuffed toys, puppets and books. Here the children can
choose from a variety of age appropriate books or snuggle up in the teacher's lap while she reads
to them.

Art
Toddlers love activities like finger-painting, pasting, coloring pictures, and folding or ripping
paper. These activities might be a bit messy, but they have immense value.


They help toddlers:

• get used to new textures, such as the feeling of finger paint
• learn how paint moves on the paper and the fun feeling of cool paint on their fingers as they move it around on slick paper.
• develop fine motor skills, as they use their fingers
• express their thoughts, experiences or ideas through their creations

Sand and Water play

Sand and water play is set up on the patio area outside for sensory exploration and creative
expression.
A separate playground is provided for our nursery with swings, balls, and ride on toy where
children can run, jump, ride on toys and exercise their large muscles daily.


Baby Doll Circle Time by Dr. Becky Bailey

In our nursery we use the social/emotional curriculum called Baby Doll Circle Time which is
part of the Conscious Discipline program but, geared more towards our younger children. The
goal of Baby Doll Circle Time is to enhance the child/caregiver relationship, reduce stress, and
increase feelings of happiness in the children.


I Love You Rituals

The health of a child's relationships with others is the vital link to academic success. I Love You
Rituals are activities that provide unconditional acceptance, sensory integration, caring touch
and messages of hope for children. In just minutes a day, these powerful rituals:

• Promote learning and literacy
• Increase attention span
• Decrease power struggles
• Increase cooperation
• Enhance self-esteem

Baby Doll Circle Time
Baby Doll Circle Time is the invention of Dr. Becky Bailey, the brain behind Conscious Discipline. Research shows secure adult-child relationships are a prerequisite for healthy child development. https://youtu.be/XWsGWqvi3RA