Age groups

Sunbears

10 months to 3 years old.  

Our Sunbear program embraces a fun and holistic approach to early childhood learning and development. We create a loving and supportive environment where young children can explore, play, and develop essential skills through sensory experiences, movement, and interactive learning. Our program is guided by six core values: nurture, explore, create, connect, grow, and thrive.

A day in the life of a Sunbear:
7.00 – 8.00: Breakfast
Breakfast is provided for the children dropped off early, ensuring that children start the day with a nutritious meal in a calm and social setting.

7.00 – 9.00: Good Morning and Focused Play
The children arrive and engage in self-directed play at different activity stations set up by the teachers. These stations focus on sensory exploration, fine motor development, social interaction, and imaginative play.

9.00 – 9.30: Fruit Time
Children gather to enjoy a healthy fruit snack before beginning the structured part of their morning routine.

9.30 – 10.00: The Morning Circle
Each morning, we gather as a group for circle time. The teachers introduce the monthly theme through storytelling, music, dance, rhymes, cognitive games, sensory activities, experiments, yoga, theatre, and puppetry. Themes vary and may include Love Grows, Innovative Technologies, Cultures Around the World, Festival of Light, The Arts, Theatre and Fairytales, Circle of Life, and Ocean.

10.00 – 10.45: Activity
Children participate in engaging activities that focus on cognitive, motor, and creative development through structured play, guided learning, and teacher-led exercises.

10.45 – 11.00: Story Time
Teachers engage children in an interactive story session to develop listening and comprehension skills. The stories often incorporate elements of the monthly theme and encourage children to ask questions and express their thoughts.

11.00 – 11.30: Lunch
Children eat lunch together in a relaxed and social setting. Teachers encourage independence, good manners, and curiosity about different types of food.

11.30 – 11.45: Relaxing Time
After lunch, children have a short period to relax and wind down with quiet activities before nap time.

12.00 – 14.00: Sleeping Time
A quiet and restful nap period where children recharge for the rest of the day. Teachers ensure a calm environment with soft music or white noise.

12.00 – 14.00: Playground Time (for children who do not nap)
Children who do not sleep engage in outdoor play to continue developing their gross motor skills, creativity, and social interactions.

13.45 – 14.15: Snack
A nutritious afternoon snack to keep children energized and ready for the remainder of the day.

14.15 – 14.45: Afternoon Activity
Children engage in teacher-led activities focused on Language Arts, Cognitive Skills, Visual Arts, and Physical Education. These activities help develop communication, problem-solving, creativity, and movement skills.

14.45 – 16.40: Free Play
This is a time for children to explore their own interests, interact with peers, and engage in self-chosen activities. Teachers provide open-ended materials that inspire creativity and independent learning.

16.20 – 16.40: Child Care and Clean-up
Children assist in tidying up their play areas and participate in calming activities as they prepare to transition home.

16.50: Home Time
Children transition home after a full day of exploration, learning, and play.

 

Hummingbirds

3 to 6 years old.

Our Hummingbird program takes fun and holistic approach to children’s learning and development. We provide a loving and supportive framework within which children have the opportunity to develop their knowledge, skills and individual interests.  Our program is guided by six core values: give, love, care, joy, learn and expand.

A day in the life of a Hummingbird:
7.00 – 8.00: Breakfast
Breakfast is provided for the children dropped off early, ensuring that children start the day with a nutritious meal in a calm and social setting.

7.00-9.30: Good Morning and Focused Play

The children are able to move freely around the classroom and engage with others at the different stations that have been set up by the teachers.  These stations are aimed at strengthening fine motor skills, cognitive abilities, teamwork, creativity and imagination. 

9.30-10.00: Circle Time

Each morning we gather as a group for circle time.  Circle time is at the core of our program and the teachers use this opportunity to touch base with the children each morning and explore various aspects of the monthly theme using language, art, drama, storytelling, movement, music, games, or experiments.  We often build upon, and further develop, our circle time activities during our weekly learning programs.  On Fridays we either hold a Joint Circle together with our Sunbear friends and teachers or we hold a special Themed Circle that relates to a specific holiday, school event or an additional theme. 

10.00 – 10.15: Fruit Time

10.15 – 11.00: Learning Programs

From Monday to Thursday the children spend 45 minutes each morning in their small groups carrying out focused learning activities with one of our teachers.  Our morning learning programs include: Language Arts, Literacy, Yoga and Movement, and Cognition.  You can find detailed information about each learning program under the heading Education on our website.  Fridays are reserved for special events, field trips and/or free play. 

11.00 – 11.20: Story Time

Interactive story time with a teacher where the children have the opportunity to improve their listening and comprehension skills as well as make comments and ask questions about the reading material. 

11.20 – 11.45: Lunch

We eat lunch in small groups where children are encouraged to try a variety of foods and socialize with their friends.

11.45 – 12.00: Quiet Time

Children are given time to rest, relax and digest after eating. We play soothing music and ask children to either lie down quietly on the carpet or read independently.

12.00 – 13.30: Outdoor Play

Outdoor time is a very important for our Hummingbirds and we go outside each and every day to ensure that the children get fresh air and have the opportunity to develop their gross motor skills!  Our outdoor time is largely unstructured, however the teachers often set up obstacle courses, creative stations or introduce fun and interactive games that the children can easily take ownership over and play independently.

13.30 – 13.45: Story Time

Afternoon story time is either used to read from a picture book or to tell/act out stories verbally.  Often the stories they hear at this time inspire the artwork they create in the afternoons during our Art and Storytelling program.     

13.45 – 14.15: Snack

Afternoon snacks keep the children energized and ready to participate in afternoon activities.  We offer a healthy selection of foods that range from bread and butter, to cereal with milk or porridge.

14.15 – 15.00: Afternoon Activities

Each small Hummingbird group has Art and Storytelling at least once per week in the afternoon.  Our art room is a magical place where children have the ability to create their very own masterpieces!  The remaining children are engaged in teacher led activities such as Physical Education, Dance, Theme Work or Arts and Crafts.  Through these activities we focus on developing both fine and gross motor skills.  We encourage social awareness, cooperation, teamwork and empathy as well as creative thinking and problem solving.

15.00 – 16.40: Free Play

During this time children have a chance to unwind from the activities of the day and take time to focus on their own unique interests.  Children are able to pick and choose what activity they would like to do (and with whom) and are given the time to explore, play and learn independently. 

16.20 – 16.40: Child Care and Clean-up

16.50: Home Time
Children transition home after a full day of exploration, learning, and play.