Bright Beginnings

Infants-1 Year Old

Babies in this age group benefit most from sensory exploration, a combination of fine and gross motor activities, and social/emotional exchanges with trusted caregivers.
In order to support this, you will likely see me:
1. Exposing infants to various textures that occur naturally in their environment
2. Encouraging manipulation and handling of age-appropriate toys
3. Providing ample opportunities for tummy time and later, crawling practice
4. Describing every day objects, routines, foods, etc. to aid in vocabulary development
5. Engaging in infant-led conversations - i.e. "...and then what happened?"
6. Teaching classifying, sorting, cause & effect relationships, and other relative concepts
7. Giving cuddles, quiet time, and opportunities for naps when sleep cues are shown

1 Year Old Through 3 Years Old

Studies show that a significant amount of brain growth occurs from birth-age three. Developmentally appropriate practice for this age group includes a balance of teacher-led activities and self-directed play in a setting that is arranged in a way that promotes independence. At Bright Beginnings, I aim to foster children's natural eagerness to learn through hands-on activities based around a thematic unit. Children can then take that knowledge to various centers to practice what they have learned, through independent play and social interaction with their peers.
These centers include, but are not limited to:
1. Dramatic play; dress up, play kitchen, dollhouse, toy animals, cars, and trucks
2. Creative play; art table with stamps, crayons, markers, paint and/or mini chalkboard with chalk and magnetic animals/foods
3. Quiet play; reading corner with cuddle buddies, pillows, bookcase, and teepee
4. Cognitive play; puzzles, blocks, shape sorters, stacking rings, board games
5. Musical play; drum, maracas, noise makers, and tambourine
6. Outdoor play; wooden play structure with steering wheel, telescope, swings, slide, climber, trapeze bar, sandbox, water table, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, balls, etc.

When you choose Bright Beginnings for your child care needs, you will also receive picture updates throughout your child's day to see what they are learning, milestones they are reaching, friendships they are building and their overall disposition. Upon pick up you will also receive a daily report of how they ate and slept while in my care.