Facilities
Spaces to Play & Learn!
Care-A-Lot Childcare Centre, Inc. provides enhanced learning environments for children age six weeks to twelve years old. Our classrooms include Nursery, Waddlers, Toddlers, Preschool and School Age rooms with everything needed to provide stimulating, educational and hands-on activities for a full day of care.
Nursery
Our Nursery Classrooms are fully equipped with Infant dining tables, Bye-Bye Buggies, changing tables, gliders, soft centers, developmentally appropriate play equipment and brand new cribs which meet the new federal safety standards. Nursery classrooms are loosely divided into centers including reading center, soft center and manipulatives. Music is a central component of the environment and our collection includes classical, rock and roll baby tunes, lullabies and quiet time recordings – but the most important music to a baby’s ears is the teacher singing! The rooms are decorated with pictures and mirrors at the children’s level, and simple bright colors and themes. We have all the toys, books, games and specialized equipment a baby needs to extend their learning experiences in those vital first years!
Waddlers
It is important to us that every family and child have a place where they can learn and grow. We celebrate diversity and collaborate with Bloom Creative Arts to provide learning environments that support children of all abilities.
Toddlers
Our toddler classrooms are designed for active learning! There are facilities for eating, napping, diaper changes and toilet training. But there is also plenty of large motor equipment for pushing, pulling, dumping and carrying, and lots of space to do it in! These rooms are divided into Art Center, Reading/ Quiet-time Center, Music and Movement Center, Block Center and Drama Center. The centers change monthly based upon the curriculum but certain favorites are always available including sand and water play, dolls and housekeeping, and trucks and cars. Due to the short attention span of Toddlers we have a wide variety of rotating manipulative toys including puzzles, magnets, games, patterning and lacing, and building equipment. Our parachutes, tunnels and tumbling mats round out the wide variety of equipment. Musical experiences are an essential element of each toddler’s day, as they enjoy musical instruments, singing, dancing and listening to developmentally appropriate recordings.
Preschool
Our Preschool Classrooms are divided into distinct learning centers and carefully monitored by the teachers. The content of each center varies from week to week, based upon the current curriculum – in this way we maintain the child’s interest and stimulate independent learning.
School Age
In our School Age classroom we work hard to provide a classroom that is relaxed and does not resemble the school setting that they spend all day in. We hope to more closely represent their home and the ‘neighborhood’ they might otherwise go home to. This classroom has snack center, a quiet center, a reading center, and a block center. The balance of the environment is strongly based upon the needs and interests of that particular group of children.
Our Preschool Learning Centers
Science
This center includes opportunities for categorizing and analyzing. Children expand their knowledge of the world around them through hands on experiments.
Math
This center is supplied with board games for counting, rulers, scales and other measuring equipment, sequencing and sorting activities, ‘links’ and ‘mosaic’ cards, and counting books.
Reading
A reading enriched environment is essential to the Whole Language concept. Aside from the obvious books, reading in this center can be done from story posters and photo albums.
Writing
This center is situated within our reading center to encourage the relationship between reading and writing. Children write letters, messages, correspondence such as thank you notes and get well cards, and occasionally create their own stories and books.
Music
We use themed playlists curated by our in-house music therapists via the spoitify app to set the tone of the day and increase participation. For example, as children arrive they may experience oour “Peaceful Meditation” playlist. To promote gross motor time they may listen to our “Dance Party” list. Transitional songs are used throughout the day so children know what to expect in a way that works for them. In addition we have various rhythm instruments on hand to utilize with our Music Rocks! curriculum and our puppet stage.
Houskeeping
This center reinforces children’s social learning and helps them to work through familiar or troubling situations. Although the equipment in other centers change, this area remains constant because home is a constant in a child’s life.
Drama
Drama can be as complicated as a grocery store or as simple as a wedding. We use prop boxes to incorporate drama. This allows us the flexibility to change drama as frequently as the children’s ideas
Small Motor
Simple items such as Fisher Price equipment, Dinosaur Mountain and Legos provide a multitude of learning experiences as well as development of the fine motor skills needed for writing.
Large Motor
Big growing muscles need plenty of exercise to develop coordination and remain healthy. This center contains a climber, balance beam and a gym mat.
Computer
Computer skills will be a requirement in the workplace. This center allows the children to become familiar with the basic functions of the keyboard, mouse, and monitor while playing fun and educational games!
Lounge
This is our “quiet area” because children, like adults, need to be alone occasionally to reflect and relax. Books make a nice addition to this area to encourage quiet reading.
Blocks
Blocks are not just for building! This center involves math, imagination and cooperative play.
Art
A child’s self-concept is strongly reflected in their ability to use art forms for free expression of feelings and to organize and expand upon what they learn. Imagination allows the expansion of creative possibilities through various mediums, color combinations and tactile experiences.
Snack Center
Snack time can also be offered as a center. This enables children to decide if and when they are hungry, gives them the opportunity to cook or prepare, and teaches self-help skills such as pouring.
Outdoors
Time spent outdoors can be a valuable learning experience for preschoolers. This is the time for hands on exploration of nature, working together as a team, enhancement of large motor skills and is generally everyone’s favorite learning center.