Infants & Toddlers

Language

Through our rich environment, language development is fostered. Music, instruments, songs, finger plays, puppets, etc surround your child to encourage words.

Socializing

Twin Spring Farm recognizes that the toddler child does not play together in the traditional sense. Instead, they engage in what’s called parallel play – play in which two or more children monitor each other’s actions, but do not interact directly. To the casual observer, associative play may not seem social at all. The child closely scrutinizes playmate’s moves and then tries to imitate them Our experienced teachers closely monitor all aspects of your child’s day.

Emptying & Filling

Toddlers are fascinated by the prospect of emptying and filling containers. A milk carton holds a special allure for young explorers because the narrow neck stands in stark contrast to the spacious interior. We encourage the child to put small objects such as Cheerios into a bottle and then let the child work out how to pour them out.

Stacking

Building a tower and then knocking it down is not only fun, it’s educational. Placing one piece on top of the next teaches children about balance. And, of course, the demolition reinforces the concept of cause-and-effect.

Sensory

Through the use of a variety of textures, the toddler’s sensory development increases. Puddings, whipped cream, shaving cream, jello, etc. are some of the materials used where the child can see the results of their handprints, footprints and finger paintings.

Milestones

Twin Spring Farm provides an environment that is rich in the latest materials that foster development. Some of the milestones that the toddler child is encouraged to achieve are:

• Eat with a fork and spoon
• Drink from a cup (without always spilling the 
 contents!)
• Kick a ball
• Stand on their tiptoes
• Build a tower of up to six blocks, and then knock 
 them down
• Sort shapes in a shape sorter
• Scribble with a pen or crayon
• Turn pages and knobs
• Scoop up a ball while it’s still in motion

Reading

Children of this age can appreciate a simple story, but also like looking at the pictures. We use board books that can better withstand a toddler’s not-so-gentle touch.

Sorting

One tool we use is JUNK MAIL. The child loves the challenge of pulling the inserts out of the envelopes and then trying to put them back in again.

Scribbling

The toddler child doesn’t have any concept of cubism, impressionism or even paint-by-numbers. Toddlers are thrilled by the prospect of putting pen to paper. We cover the floor in large sheets of paper and let your toddler experiment with various hand grips.

Gross Motor

The toddler child explores the indoor and outdoor play environments to encourage walking, running, climbing, jumping, sliding and balance. Twin Spring Farm’s wealth of materials and equipment provide endless opportunities to facilitate growth.