Research has shown that the first three years of a child's life are critical to the child's emotional, physical and mental development. Providing a healthy, stimulating environment is essential for development because young children learn best through play and exposure to a variety of enriching experiences.
At Allen Family Day Care, we know this is true and encourage each child to develop at his or her own pace, with a great deal of freedom to explore and discover things about him- or herself and about the world around us. Children who experience this freedom of discovery develop self-confidence and independence, making learning an exciting adventure. Our indoor and outdoor environments are set up to allow children to accomplish these goals. But they just know they're having fun with their friends!
While our day does follow a general schedule which varies depending on the ages of the children, learning is accomplished by doing a variety of hands-on activities - blocks, puzzles, books, simple games and songs. And everything that your child does during the day is a learning experience - expecially watching and imitating the other children. We talk about colors, shapes, letters, numbers, names of people and things, etc., all day long.
Mobile infants and toddlers are not confined in cribs or restrained, but rather they are allowed to roll, climb, pull-up, creep, and move freely throughout the day (except for naptime). This is essential for your child's motor skills and social development. And it's so much fun! Playroom arrangement is designed to minimize accidents and injuries to children, and your child's safety is of utmost importance to us.
