INFANTS: 6 weeks to 11 months

Here at The Garden, our first job is to get to know you and your child as individuals. The infant program uses on-demand scheduling to assure that each child%u2019s specific needs are met. The staff%u2019s gentle, reassuring voices help establish a %u201Chome-away-from-home%u201D for your little one, filled with love and trust. We%u2019ve incorporated some R.I.E. (Resources for Infant Educarers) principles into our infant program. Our organic approach to caring for infants allows each individual child to develop and progress at their unique rhythm. We do not force infants to reach milestones like rolling over and sitting up. Instead, we allow them to determine when their bodies are strong enough.

In order to foster quality care, RIE encourages:


Basic trust in the child to be an initiator, explorer and a self learner.
An environment for the child that is physically safe, cognitively challenging and emotionally nurturing.
Time for uninterrupted play.
Freedom to explore and interact with other infants.
Involvement of the child in all caregiver activities to allow the child to be an active participant.
Sensitive observation of the child in order to meet his or her needs
Consistency, clearly defined limits and expectations to develop discipline.


Our consistent & knowledgeable staff will become your partners in navigating the sea of developmental changes you will encounter during your child%u2019s first year.

WOBBLERS: 11 months to 18 months

We%u2019ve created a special group for our older infants providing more challenging activities. The children are given the opportunity to explore various areas of their development through gross and fine motor activities, art, sensory experiences, circle time, outside time and much more! Developing self help skills such as using utensils at meals, drinking from a regular cup and communicating needs start children on the path to becoming an independent learner.

Lots of exciting benchmarks are met in the Wobbler room:

Becoming a strong walker
Building vocabulary (identifying objects)
Social skills: sharing, using our words, gentle touches
Learning to sit at meal time and use utensils
Easy separation from parents


TODDLERS: 18 months to 24-26 months

This room is filled with blocks, books, dress-up clothes, dishes and all sorts of things to encourage a child%u2019s imagination. Our Toddlers also love to work with art materials and play in the touch tub washing babies or digging in the dirt with trucks. It may look like play, but the children are working very hard at their emotional development, using pretend play to act out their feelings and put into words their curiosity about their ever-changing emotions.

Here are some of the skills we work on in the Toddler room:

Patience and working on fine motor activities such as puzzles and blocks
Hand-eye coordination
Colors and sorting
Building vocabulary
Exploring life through dramatic play and helping others in the classroom
Social skills: creating and sustaining friendships through sharing and using words


TWO%u2019S: 2 to 3 years

This program is designed to ease the transition from Toddler to Preschooler. Still a nurturing environment, the children are challenged with developmentally appropriate activities to stimulate their progress. Asserting independence is a trait we love in our Terrific Twos! In this classroom, communication skills and social awareness go hand-in-hand.

Look at all the things Twos can do:

Work on patience and fine motor activities
Doing things 'by myself'
Learn colors, shapes and sorting using Montessori inspired activities
Recognize numbers and letters%u2014pre-reading activities
Build vocabulary
Social skills: working together to achieve common and articulated goals
Once a week music lesson
Using the potty!


The Twos classroom enjoys its own bathroom, with toilets perfectly sized for little bodies. Potty training is an integral part of the transition