The Toddler Experience

The majority of toddlers attend CGL two or four days per week.  Toddlers range in age from 18 months to three years, divided into two classrooms of seven to eight children each.

WHAT DOES A TODDLER’S DAY LOOK LIKE?

Children are exposed to enriching, open-ended materials that stimulate creativity, problem-solving, independence, and confidence throughout the day. They engage in social interactions with their peers, which, in turn, foster and develop their sense of self and their discovery of others. Much of the focus is on self-help and social-emotional skills, both important foundations for preschool and beyond.

Gathered into a circle, children at CGL enjoy a time for conversation, singing songs, jumping, discussing current events, sharing stories, and listening to books. It is a time that supports individuality, introduces social guidelines, and develops language, cognitive, and gross motor skills. Many parents comment that the lessons and experiences at morning meetings are the ones children most often discuss at home.

During Free Play, toddlers develop self-confidence as they learn to communicate their needs and master challenges in their classroom and world. Toddlers flourish when they are free to explore and feel encouraged by the adults around them.

Critical to Free Play is the well-designed classroom environment that allows toddlers to be in control and participate in group play, fantasy play, and independent activities. The classroom also offers toddlers opportunities to foster cooperation and a sense of self.

TODDLER DAILY SCHEDULE