Childcare Environment

Environment

Schedule

NUTRITION

Structure is very important for children of all ages. At our daycare, we realize this and organize our day to meet the needs of the various age groups we care for.

From 7am –8:00am, the children rest or play quietly until breakfast. Staff greets parents and children and give any information needed for the day.

Breakfast is served from 8:00 – 8:30am. School children eat first to catch the bus. After breakfast, children use the bathroom, wash up and brush their teeth and hair prior to school time. During the school year, school age children leave for school at 8:40am and preschool children will go to the school room to continue in free play and greet the other children who are arriving for school. At 9:15, preschool children pick up, take a bathroom break, and prepare for Circle time.

9:30 –circle time, then it is outside time for all! Outside children are encouraged to run and play, create and explore the entire area!

Between 19:30 11:00 (weather dependent) - We come inside and engage in our preschool program for the children. Our preschool is developmentally appropriate and child guided with an Emersion Curriculum. Spanish is used with the children during the preschool time in a bi-lingual way. Children have ample opportunity to explore, create, pretend, and learn in a social group environment. We have music and movement time each day. Morning apple snack is available during preschool.

12:00 - Pre-school only children get picked up. The rest of the class pick up, wash up for lunch, and enjoy books until lunch is served.

12:15 - lunch is served and children have time after lunch to put out their mats, use the bathroom and prepare for rest/nap time.

12:45 - Preschool children choose a book for Reading time, then have a short educational show (Mr. Roger's Neighborhood or a Spanish DVD) to prepare for their naps.

1:30 - All children use the bathroom and settle down for nap. Teacher reads aloud as the children drift off to sleep. Nap/rest time lasts until 3:00. Any children who are awake at 2:30 are invited to the art table for quiet work until the younger children wake up from nap. Pre-K children have reading time and learning activities during rest time.

3:00 - Prepare for snack. Any preschool children still asleep are woken up by 3:30 pm for snack.

3:15: snack is served and we have a read aloud time with a 5-Day Read program. (School children are offered snack at 4:30 when they arrive home from school).

3:45 - Free Play (inside or out, depending on weather) until parent pick up. Each child is encouraged to say good-bye to his/her friends and teachers. Parents and teacher have time to communicate how the day has been.

4:30 - 5:00 - Clean up and choose one item to play with until picked up.

5:00 - closing time

Nutrition is very important to us at Hearts and Minds Preschool Daycare. We put a lot of time and attention into planning menus with a lot of variety and nutrition for the children, along with making things taste great! We prepare everything from scratch and use as much local grown foods as we are able to . We purchase organic when possible.

We serve our meals Family Style, so the children get to serve their own portions. This helps them to be independent and also we have found that they are more likely to try something new that they have put onto their plate by themselves. We help them to consider if they are full if they choose not to eat a serving size, or if they really are hungry if they want seconds. Children are not forced to eat anything on their plate, but they are encouraged to try everything, every time they see it. Our rule is: See it, smell it, lick it, mouse nibble it, bite it, like it!!

We serve a variety of vegetables, both cooked and raw in a rainbow of colors. We cycle our menus so that children see, smell and taste the foods over and over to help get comfortable with them.

We have earned our Twist and Sprout Certificate which recognizes the excellence of Minnesota child care providers who support breastfeeding, properly handle, label and store breast milk, serve fruits/vegetables at least twice a day, serve family style meals, provide adequate time for active play and have a wellness policy that addresses these areas.

We work with children with allergies and are able to prepare nutritious foods for all the children here, no matter their limitations.

Many children ask for their parents to cook the meals we serve here at home. We have made a cookbook with our most common meals. Please inquire if you would like a copy!

We encourage healthy eating habits at home. If you need assistance in learning about new fruits or vegetables to add to your meals at home, please ask us and we have many resources and information to share with you. As your child's pallet expands by trying new foods here, try them at home also!

Nutrition and sleep are two of the major needs for a healthy brain. Children are growing rapidly, and providing children with a 'rainbow of colors' for their meals and snacks is very important. For further resources on children's nutritional needs, please ask .