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Toddlers | 12 - 36 Months

When children learn to walk, they are placed in a toddler class. Low teacher-to-child ratios (1:5) allow a great deal of personal attention and interaction with the adults. This gives the teachers at Friends the time to respond to the temperament, needs, and cues of each individual child. Our daycares small group and one-on-one activities allow children ample opportunities for hands-on, active exploration of their environment. Here, they experience an explosion of new concepts, ideas, and vocabulary, while they learn how to be part of a group. Daily communications with the families allow the toddler class to become a familiar, positive extension of the home.

Children constantly test their limits and express opposition. One of their favorite words is NO! But this is a normal, necessary step as they develop a healthy sense of themselves as separate, autonomous individuals. Our teachers recognize this, so they use positively-worded directions that tell the children what they can do, instead of what they can’t do, for example, saying, “Use your walking feet” instead of “Don’t run.” Teachers patiently redirect the children to help guide them toward controlling their own impulses and behavior. In addition to working on social and emotional skills, the children also have opportunities every single day to expand their physical, cognitive, and language development. At Friends, we are fortunate to have those special teachers who find genuine joy in being with two-year-olds and who love seeing the world through the children’s innocent eyes.

Our daycare's mission is to grow lifelong learners and confident, caring individuals.