Christian Based Daycare 


   We are a Christian based Daycare though we accept and welcome ALL religions. We celebrate all of the Christian Holidays as well as learn about other religions and other religious Holidays. We incorporate a Christian Curriculum into our day. Most ideas are taken from the Funshine Christian Curriculum that we subscribed to in the past. The monthly supplements come right out of the bible. They are taught in a kid friendly manner to help the children understand what God's word means for them.   

                                                              
Preschool Curriculum 

After many hours of extensive trainings, including both of us being SEEDS Teachers to the children, we have a "kids view" philosophy when it comes to teaching. We believe that kids learn best through play and through what THEY find interesting. Not what WE designate them to be interested in! We generally have a theme that revolves around the season and holidays. Most teachings are child led and spontaneous. A lot of teachings stem from books we read. How fun it is for a child to read a story about a bunny and then go make their own bunny or write their own story about a bunny or go see a bunny! We use A LOT of our ideas from the curriculums "Five in a Row" and "Funshine Express". But instead of subscribing and laying out a boxed curriculum for the children with worksheets and color by number projects, we leave it up to THEIR imagination.  Learning and teaching is going on 24/7 through out the daycare day. Any moment in a child's life can be seized as a "teachable" moment, you just have to recognize it!  And of course through all of this your child will be learning their letters and sounds, numbers, shapes, colors, and may even begin to start reading by age 3 or 4!  Reading is a HUGE part of our day. Children always have the option to sit and listen or to play. Guess what they usually choose to do after hearing the first sentence of a book? :) 

We also go on LOTS of field trips! We bring the children to preschool classes at Northrop, the library, reading times at the ABC Zone and Barns and Noble, nature hiking, to quarry hill, Pipsqueeks, and many many more places!! We want to get these little ones out to experience everything great in God's creation that these kids can get their hands on! 
  Our preschool curriculum is sure to get your child ready for kindergarten given they do not have any learning disabilities.  However, we do think that enrolling your child in extra curricular activities such as PAIIR classes or Community Education Classes can add a wonderful experience to your child's learning as well as introduce them to more school like classrooms and teachers so that when they do go to Kindergarten, the classroom setting is not such a shock.                                                                                                                                                                                                        
                                           
More and More Learning 

   We also teach all children Sign Language and Spanish. Sign language is a great way for infants to learn how to communicate, and for the older children to learn and have fun with. Spanish is a great language, and fairly easy to pick up on, and both Adam and I know a fair amount of it. Studies have shown the easiest time to pick up on a second and or third language, is between the ages of 0 and 10. The more words a child hears before they are 5 or 6, the better!! Along with the different languages, all throughout the day, everyday, the children are constantly being exposed to numbers, letters, shapes, colors, animals, etc. 

Activities

 In addition to the above, we also have music time, free play, sensory tubs, playdoh, puzzles, all sorts of toys, dancing, reading time and lots of other fun stuff! We also have out door areas for the kids to play and get dirty in. We play outdoors whenever we possibly can (weather, kids, and napping babies permitting!). In the summer we practically live out there. We draw on the driveway with chalk, play with big trucks, dig in the dirt and mud, go in the sprinkler, go for walks, and go to play at different parks.

                                                          
 

Tabs for Kids

We collect pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House.  The kids bring them in, we count them, and then put them in a jar. This is a great experience
for the kids, so please save all of your pop tabs and send them with your child!

Underbakke's Little Tykes PlayDates

We occasionally set up times for optional playdates with our daycares. We name a time and place and you can join us if you want to!


As licensed providers, Adam and Erin are mandated reporters and are required to report any suspected abuse or neglect.

   Every single moment with a child can be turned into a learning experience. We can't think of a better way to explain that accept in this amazing poem.       

When I Play I Learn

When I paint I learn... 


         • To develop eye-hand coordination (writing skill) 

                • To express my feelings and ideas (language)

When I glue and collage I learn...

When I play with blocks, cars, and trucks I learn…

When I play on climbing equipment I learn...

When I play with sand I learn…

When I do cooking projects I learn…

When I play in the family living area I learn...

When I sing songs I learn…

When I do cut with scissors I learn…

      Kindergarten   Targets

*Feel good about themselves as they talk, read and write.

*Match, Point to, say and write first and last name.

*Match, Point to, say 10-15 letters.

*Match, Point to, say 8-10 sounds of letters.

*Match, Point to, say rhyming sounds most of the time.

*Match, point to, say words with the same beginning sound most of the time.

*Match, point to, and say the following is a shape, a letter, a number, a word.

*Point to and say specific rules about books and print.

*Have a usable vocabulary of 10,000-12,000 words.

*Have a 5 turn-taking conversation.

*Draw pictures about their thoughts and feelings.