Our Curriculum

At Growing Tykes, we focus on play-based learning, as that’s how children make sense of the world.

Whether they’re preschoolers or already in elementary school, our curriculum is designed to help children develop their creative skills and a positive attitude towards learning. We adhere to Ontario’s Early Learning Framework (ELF), which is play-based and helps your child develop the necessary foundation to excel socially, emotionally, physically, cognitively, and academically. Our fully-trained staff believe in the importance of play and also the importance of giving children choices, which helps to build their self-esteem.

We’ve set up our classrooms to encourage entry into play and allow the kids in our care to build social skills and language development. We adjust our weekly programs based on our observations of the children’s interests and develop activities that will help them expand their learning while also focusing on their individual needs and enthusiasms. As we continue to observe how they engage with our programming, we will extend certain learning modules to encompass month-long projects with the kids that also involve our families and our community.

Parent Communication
and Participation

Together we are stronger and able to provide the best care for your child. The bond between school, family, and community is a powerful one and we foster those connections whenever possible to enhance the children’s experience at Growing Tykes.

Parent-school communication and parent participation are integral to our programming. When you register with us we’ll ask you to fill in a detailed form asking about your child’s background, personality, habits, interests, likes and dislikes, and any health conditions and concerns. This helps us to get to know them better and the more information you’re able to give us, the more we can support your child. We know it can be anxiety-provoking when a child starts daycare, so we’ll work with you to help your little one make a successful transition into Growing Tykes.

Always look for parent updates posted on our parent information board. Staff are always available at the beginning and end of each day if there’s anything you’d like to discuss, and you’re also welcome to check in throughout the day to see how your kiddo is handling things. More formal parent teacher conferences can be booked as needed.

Parents and guardians are always welcome to join us in the classroom to observe and participate. Parents can also work with us to set up a time to come in and share traditions from your cultural heritage, do a short presentation about your job, or lead us in your favourite hobby or artistic endeavour. Our families have a wealth of information to share with our kids, and we – and they – love it when you join us in our classrooms.

Nutrition and Health

Proper nutrition is an essential element of healthy growth and development and it is an intrinsic part of our program.

Each day at Growing Tykes we serve morning and afternoon snacks as well as a hot lunch in accordance with the Child Care and Early Years Act. Our registered dietitian, along with our chefs, work together to create menus that surpass the requirements of Canada’s Food Guide. And they’re not just nutritionally balanced, they’re also a pleasure to see, smell, touch, and taste! You’ll see our weekly menus posted on the information board outside the kitchen. Our staff always eat lunch with the kids in our care, which creates a friendly, social, home-style environment.

We always encourage the children to try all the foods we serve but we never force them to eat. Extra servings are available for those who’d like them and we do not under any circumstances use food as a bribe or punishment.

Allergies and Food Restrictions

We are a nut-free environment.

Please notify us immediately if your child develops an allergy, this is extremely important for your child’s safety. You will see all information regarding allergies and food restrictions posted in all classrooms, the office, and in the kitchen.

For the safety of all the children please do not bring any outside food products into our centres.