OUR APPROACH
We are a small Home-Based Daycare with a max capacity of 6 kids. (Ages 30 months and up:)
Our Mission: To create a safe a loving space for children to grow and explore their own curiosities and passions while gaining tools to do so in good relationship with themselves, each other and their environment.
Owner and operator, Kriya Miller, brings 15 years of experience leading Forest Kindergarten programs and she brings this experience into the daycare setting:)
FLOW OF THE DAY
8:00 am- 9:30 am: Flex arrival time and free play with both quiet and active play options (art, music, books, toys, games, depending on the needs of the kids) A rolling breakfast will be provided and as they arrive which they can snack on at their own pace throughout the morning as needed.
9:30 am- 9:45 am: Morning clean up, bathroom checks, get ready to go outside!
9:45 am-11:00 am: Outdoor play (as much as the weather permits:)
11:00 am-11:30 am: Head in, wash up, do bathroom breaks, get water and the kids get to watch a 15 min episode of a kid show while Kriya cooks lunch.
11:30 pm -12:00 pm: Lunch time and then one more 15 minute episode of a kid show to help shift into quiet time.
12:00 pm- 1:00 pm: “Quiet time” Kids who need to nap can nap and we’ll put on some quiet time music and get all our cozy matts set up to encourage kids to rest. Most kids do not sleep but it’s been good to have this rhythm of slowing down and tuning into your own needs and body. Often time we start out very chill and then as the kids start stirring we’ll read books and then doing restful activities like play dough or coloring and by the end of the hour they are fully ready to get moving again.
1:00- 1:30: Clean up, bathrooms and get ready to go outside time.
1:30-3:00 Outside time!
3:00-4:00 Head in and get ready for pickup, shift into more restful play, take care of our bodies (eat, drink, bathrooms) start tidying up and make sure everyone is taken care of before launching into any last activities for the day.
MENTORING PRINCIPALS
Serve and Return: When kids "serve" an observation or story, simply joining them in that and "returning" the observation creates strong pattern recognition within the brain and is a powerful learning tool.
Child Led: Attuning to the stories, tools, toys, imaginative play, and activities the kids want to explore and help them to do so.
Respect: Respect for self, each other and our environment. Helping the kids to attune to how they affect themselves and each other and empower them with tools and choices to be in good relationship all.
Natural Consequences: When a problem arises, we will help the kids to understand what happened and why and help them with tools to be a part of the solution.
Explore more Mentoring Principals in our Handbook
LEARNING TOOLS
Nature Inspired: Early childhood is such a potent time to get to know the earth we got to be born within! That's why many of our books and toys and are nature inspired and much of our time will be spent outside. We will also be attuning your child's own "nature" and working with their curiosities, passions, interest, energy levels, etc.!
Academics: The children will naturally be exposed to stories, colors, numbers, letters, words, drawing and writing. We will aim to support their natural curiosities and learning passions as they emerge, in the moment.
Hands on/Building things: Lots of toys and activities for building things, blocks, puzzles, train tracks, forts, sandboxes, etc. It's such a cool thing to get to create!
Arts & Music: Art supplies and musical instruments are here to play with!
Imagination Play: Kids can play and explore and "be" whoever they want (but they don't get to dictate who other people are:)
Explore more Learning Tools in our Handbook.
