Tumbleweeds Child Care Center

Our infant program is designed for children ages 6 weeks to 12 months old.

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Each infant in the infant room is paired with a primary teacher whose goal is to build trust and a close relationship with both the child and their family. We trust in the infant’s ability to be an initiator and an explorer who is eager to learn. We follow their lead and provide a responsive learning environment based on their interests. Teachers verbally reflect on the infant’s exploration by describing the activity that they are engaged in. “You pulled the beads apart. That was hard to do.” Not only does this reinforce their learning but it builds confidence in their abilities.

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Social-emotional development

Infants receive full verbal and physical attention during caregiving activities, including diapering, feeding, and settling to sleep. We optimize the value of these times by making eye contact, talking to, and encouraging infants to participate in these activities as their competencies and interests dictate. We also encourage “appropriate” behaviors by talking, modeling and interpreting. For example, we might demonstrate and say “Gentle touches” when a child reaches for another child.

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Social competencies

We organize activities that support and encourage infants to play in proximity to each other. Infants are allowed and encouraged to express their feelings. We identify the feeling and then talk about it: “You are crying. It is hard to say goodbye to Mom and Dad.”

We believe infants learn best when they are uninterrupted and have the freedom to explore on their own and in their own time. We provide simple play objects that allow infants to use their imaginations and resources to explore.

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Physical development

Your infant will have safe places to move and explore in our center. Low stable equipment is provided for infants to pull up and hold on to as well as large muscle equipment to crawl on, slide on, and walk up and down. We have “tummy time” for young infants to strengthen their arm, neck and torso muscles.

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Sensory and creative experiences

Your child will have the opportunity to explore all kinds of sensory materials as well as have time to engage in creative activities with crayons, paint, markers, play dough and clay.

We look forward to sharing the children’s explorations with you during bi-annual conferences, classroom documentations, The Weekly Note and daily conversations.