Toddler Daycare and Development Programs
Your toddler is at an age of incredible development and learning. A toddler is a young child between the ages of one and three. Children at the toddler stage are quickly gaining their ability to understand and use words, making toddler programs an incredibly useful tool to aid their learning. When you are in need of daycare for your toddler, it is essential to find a place that has high-quality childcare to help your toddler along in his or her development.
By the time your toddler is around one-year-old, it is likely that he or she is able to say several words. By the age of three, a toddler can typically make sentences. This is incredible growth! Between the ages of 1-3 your toddler will begin the following:
- Walking and climbing
- Showing personality traits
- Becoming increasingly independent
- Saying 50 plus recognizable words and understanding more
- Constantly asking questions
- Washing and drying hands
- Listening to and telling stories
A Toddler is Constantly Learning New Things
Toddlers are also gaining skills in physical coordination, such as kicking a ball, climbing stairs and scribbling with a crayon. You will also see your toddler start to assert his or her own opinions and personality by saying “no!” Toddler daycare can assist your child in the development of these motor and social skills by exposing them to other toddlers and activities that support their growth. Of course, all children go through different rates of development, so it is important for parents not to stress too much about specific milestones, as long as their children are happy and healthy.
Benefits of Putting my Child in a Toddler Program
These days it can be difficult for parents to find childcare that meets their needs, and they may opt to leave their toddler in the care of a family member when available. However, choosing to enroll your child in daycare with their peers offers long-lasting social, economic, and academic benefits for both kids and parents including:
A Regular Schedule
You may think that a toddler daycare wouldn’t have a set schedule, but a good daycare does. Although they may not be aware of the routine, children at Apple Tree Orchard Preschool & Childcare are provided a full slate of activities filled with music, games, lunchtime, and storytelling. A consistent and familiar daily schedule, including while at daycare, can help your toddler feel more secure and confident. This also benefits parents, who have to worry less that their child’s behavior will be spontaneous at the end of the day due to a lack of routine.
Room for Academic Advancement
A high-quality toddler daycare should provide extensive interaction with care providers and activities that engage your toddler and boost their overall development. The best toddler programs use a curriculum that focuses on learning, exploration, and socialization.
Interaction with Peers & Other Adults
Unlike young children that don’t go to preschool, toddlers who are enrolled in a daycare or toddler program get the extra benefit of being around their peers all day. Parents can rest assured their young child will receive nthe ecessary interaction in a structured and safe environment, as well as an opportunity to see adults as mentors and authority figures at an early age.
A Smoother Transition into Kindergarten
It’s true, young children who attend daycare find it easier to adjust to formal schooling later on. The kids are already used to a structured school environment with rules they must abide by and teachers they must listen to. Quality childcare is a great way to set your toddler up for academic success in the future.
Toddler Programs & Activities to Boost Your Child’s Development
As your toddler grows, there are many activities they can do along the way to help boost their development. These toddler activities often take popular games and focus them on strengthening your child’s skills. Adding these simple games to your toddler’s playtime help them develop physically, cognitively, and emotionally, all while having fun.
Here are three toddler activities we suggest you try with your toddler:
Scavenger Hunt
This popular game can be played anywhere - whether at home or at daycare - and can help improve your child’s cognitive skills. Give your toddler a color, shape, or object to hunt down and bring back to you. As your child searches for an item that matches the description, it will test their memory and knowledge. This toddler activity can also give you the opportunity to teach them new words.
Obstacle Course
Creating an obstacle course with pillows, blankets, and other objects in your own home can help your child exercise their imagination and grow muscles. After arranging the room, have your child try to get from one end to the other while jumping over, crawling under, and stepping from pillow to pillow. As your child thinks of how they are going to navigate the obstacles, this game gives them the physical activity they need to stay healthy. This is a great choice for days when your toddler is not at daycare and requires a bit more effort to entertain or tire out!
Charades
The simple game of charades can be a powerful tool for encouraging your toddler’s creativity, cognitive skills, and even emotional awareness. Have your child act out different animals and actions, and then try to guess what they are representing. Asking your child to act out feelings, like happy and sad, can help them begin to recognize their own and other’s emotions.
A Safe Daycare Facility and Learning Environment
We know that safety is also a primary concern of parents when choosing a toddler daycare, and rightfully so. At Apple Tree Orchard’s child care center, all of our staff members put the health and wellbeing of the children first. By setting an emphasis on hygiene and implementing the proper safety features, our daycare facilities provide the perfect environment for toddlers to grow and develop.
Toddler Daycare at Apple Tree Orchard
At Apple Tree Orchard, we strive to provide the best childcare possible for your toddler. We offer toddler programs and daycare services that will give you peace of mind knowing your child is in good hands. Call us in Papillion at (402) 827-7537 or Contact Us Online today to learn more about our daycare and preschool.