Sun Bears

Our toddler classroom is for infants ages 1 year to 2 years old.

In the Sun Bear classroom, curiosity and independence begin to bloom. Toddlers thrive when given opportunities to imitate adults and are beginning to take on small responsibilities such as self-feeding, cleaning up toys, and throwing away garbage. Caregivers in this room help children to reach milestones in speaking, fine and gross motor development, and problem solving in social situations. The ratio in this class is 1 teacher to 4 toddlers.

Lead Teacher

Nathaniel Hansen

Nathaniel is striving to make a fun and supportive place for children while continuing to further his education in child care. The objective of the Sun Bear classroom is to help each child grow emotionally, physically, and mentally while learning new skills and knowledge.

Other Sun Bear Staff

Ileana Pluas

Mackenna
Zumbrunnen

Daily Schedule

The toddlers are introduced to a more strictly held schedule upon their transition from the infant room. Naps and meals are built into the day, with naps given a two-hour block from 12:00-2:00pm. Breakfast is held at 8:45 am, lunch follows at 11:45 am, and then snack is offered at 3:00 pm each day. The foundations for following a routine and schedule begin in this classroom, allowing children to adapt to structure and boundaries.

Our Curriculum

Teachers encourage young children to explore what they can do, and help children to see the cause and effect of their discoveries. Teachers facilitate activities that engage children through direct experiences with people, objects, and other sensory-motor opportunities.

Below is an example of a weekly lesson plan offered in the toddler room, where children will interact with the curriculum in six main content areas (Social/Emotional Development, Physical Development & Health, Communication, Language & Literacy, Cognitive Development, Creative Arts and Approaches to Learning).

Personal Items

Parents must provide their children with diapers, wipes, and a change of clothes that are marked with their child's names. There is a $2.00 per diaper charge applied for the use of center diapers.
Parents are also welcome to bring preferred pacifiers, blankets, and comfort items for their children.
Please provide seasonally appropriate clothing for your child - open toed shoes are not allowed.

NOTE: Bottles are discouraged for children over one due to bottle rot. Pacifiers, bottles, and sippy cups are prohibited for children older than two.

Pull-ups are prohibited at our center. When a child demonstrates signs of toilet learning, please confer with the classroom teachers. Children will proceed from disposable diapers to underpants. Exemptions to this policy may be made for children with special needs.
Outside food and snacks are not allowed in the center.
Each child will be assigned a cubby to store their personal and rest time items.

Rules|Guidance|Discipline

There are three rules in the Sun Bears classroom:

Be kind to our things
Be kind to each other
Be kind to yourself

Caregivers understand that children are learning, and that means working with children in a positive manner to develop meaningful relationships and model appropriate behavior. Children are redirected to activities and choices that they can choose, providing them with a sense of freedom and accountability. Every effort will be made to first resolve discipline problems through discussion and problem solving with the child through direction and both verbal and nonverbal cues.

Some behaviors are developmentally appropriate and are expected for this age group; this includes tantruming, biting, wandering or running, pushing or shoving, throwing and other physical reactions. The center and staff will take every measure to anticipate, redirect, and prevent these behaviors as the need arises.