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Our Littlest Learners 

Infancy is a time of exponential growth.  The first relationships babies have are so important in building a foundation of trust.  Our care givers and teachers provide a warm and secure place for children to grow at their own pace. In feeling safe, babies develop regulation, and branch out to become active participants in their new environment. Babies are held during feedings, rocked to feel loved and spend time on their tummies to discover the world around them. Music is also very important at this age, so we play soothing music for nap time along with familiar tunes that they learn to recognize at other times throughout their day. Our discovery center tends to this time of life in a deeply significant way.  Our care givers and teachers build strong relationships with children and parents.  We learn about each family's personal culture of caring for their child, and carry that to the child’s learning space. This supports our youngest students in feeling safe and valued. 

The Infant Environment 

Our ideal environment for infants is one that stimulates their senses. Sign Language is also gently introduced as a way to communicate before they have developed their language skills.  Interest areas for infants and toddlers include a cozy area, block area, music area, fine motor area, gross motor and active physical play area.  The quiet and active play areas are separated so they do not interfere with one another.  A designated sleeping wing has been designed to give infants a better opportunity to receive quality napping time.  Small wall variations have been installed to decrease possibility of spreading illnesses within the sleeping area and also increasing the potential for better naps.  

Amenities (Foods / Diapers / Wipes)

At EduPlay we strive to make life convenient for the families of the children we care for, and so we have decided to include a few items into our costs.  These items include pesticide free/organic baby foods for Breakfast, Lunch and Snacks, Diapers and Wipes (up to 18 months).

Movement

  • Raises head and chest when laying on stomach (3 mo.)

  • Pulls to sitting with no head lag (5 mo.)

  • Transfers objects from hand to hand (6-7 mo.)

  • Gets to sitting position without assistance (8-10 mo.)

  • Crawls forward on belly (8-10 mo.)

  • Gets from sitting to crawling or prone position (10-12 mo.)

  • May walk two or three steps without support

Cognitive

  • Finds partially hidden objects (6-7 mo.)

  • Explores objects in many different ways (8-10 mo.)

  • Finds hidden objects easily (10-12 mo.)

  • Imitates gestures (9-12 mo.)

Language

  • Distinguishes emotions by tone of voice (4-7 mo.)

  • Responds to sound by making sounds (4-6 mo.)

  • Syllable repetition begins (5-7 mo.)

  • Responds to simple verbal requests (4-6 mo.)

  • Makes simple gestures such as shaking head for no (8-10 mo.)

  • Babbles “dada” and “mama” (8-10 mo.)

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Infants

EduPlay Discovery Center infant program is designed to support and encourage the myriad types of development that occur during the first two years of life, while respecting and celebrating the fact that each baby is unique and special. Individualized activity plans are developed in cooperation with parents to provide a healthy balance of social, physical, and language learning experiences, all provided in a safe, cozy, and comfortable space.

BABY FOODS - EduPlay Discovery Center strives to provide healthy and nutritious meals to all of our children including those just beginning on baby food and small soft solid foods.  Healthy foods with the least amount of additives are important for these early years.  Babies and toddlers are highly sensitive to byproducts, so organic food is the most ideal choice for their diet.  We will strive to incorporate our own center grown and pesticide free fruits and vegetables into our homemade baby food.  Whenever necessary, we will strive to purchase outside fruits and vegetables that are also organic and pesticide free.  Bottles will be able to be washed on site to reduce less stress for parents to have to remember to bring in the morning.  All supplies will be kept in the room and conveniently accessible to the parents for on site preparation if needed.

DIAPERS / WIPES – EduPlay will provide diapers and wipes for the infants and toddlers up to 18 months within the cost of the tuition.  We will provide a high quality brand of diapers and a sensitive all natural wipe to ensure the least amount of allergic reactions to chemical byproducts found within certain wipes that can cause rashes and irritation.   This will help to ensure that it is one less item that we will need to be asking for weekly from our parents.  This is not only a cost convenience, but also a time convenience and less supplies for parents to bring.

Infant Stages

There are three stages that your baby will progress through during their precious time with us. Each stage follows themed lesson plans and developmental activities that are available for your viewing. Stage one babies are 6 weeks - 6 months, stage two are 6 months - 10 months, and stage three are 10 months - 17 months. Language development begins for all three stages with sign language. In stage one, they will experience tummy time, and floor time to strengthen muscles and develop social skills with their teacher and friends through voice and eye contact. Stage two will gain some independence by learning to sit unassisted, begin crawling, holding their own bottle, beginning solid foods, drinking from a sippy cup, and sitting in a high chair. Stage three will become more social as they sit at the table with their friends during mealtimes, and gain the skill of using a spoon. Their fine motor skills will become more fine-tuned as they experience painting with a brush, supervised water play, and sensory activities. They will enjoy the applause as they learn to walk on their own.

 

Through planned daily activities they will develop their cognitive, gross motor, fine motor, and social skills as well as enjoying music time in the comfort of a secure environment. The babies experience the love of the Lord each day through songs, mealtime prayers, and through the caring of their teachers. Each baby receives one on one time with their teacher as well as small group time with their friends. Weather permitting the babies go for walks in strollers around the backyard, and in the infant and young toddler play area. This enables your baby to experience nature on their level. Your baby is a very precious little one and we would like to invite you to come and schedule a visit with us.

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