Sharing the love on Valentine's Day

The kids had a great time celebrating friendship on Valentine's Day. In preparation, they have been decorating the classrooms with their seasonal artwork for the past week or so.

PreK had a full valentine feast - complete with decorations of hearts, red and white tablecloths,

and yummy treats.

The preschool classroom took turns passing out valentines. They all waited so patiently!

Toddler II Classroom celebrated by decorating shoe"mail"boxes and decorating cookies.

The kids gave the activity a thumbs-up even before the cookie consumption began!

Toddler I classroom celebrated with delicious cupcakes, treats, and festive attire.

The kids were so happy to don their best red and pink and have a fun Valentine's Day.

Elmo, not Dorothy, the fish

Have you met Elmo, the Betta Fish?

Elmo is a fish, like the Sesame Street Elmo's goldfish Dorothy, but he is a Betta Fish. 

Betta Fish, also known as Siamese Fighting Fish, are curious about their environment and can be taught to respond to feeding cues such as touching your hand to the top of their water. Males of the species cannot be in the same tank together without their competitive nature taking over. Did you know even a male's own reflection can cause them to flare their fins and want to fight?

These colorful fish are a great learning tool for us in the classroom with young children as they help to teach responsibility with feeding and tank care. They are also pretty hardy to withstand curious eyes!

Stop by and see Elmo in the main office entrance or Eeyore in Toddler II or their other fish friend upstairs in the Preschool classroom.

Infant Classroom at LFLC

Our infant classroom is run by Ms. Robin and Ms. Nicole who not only attend to your little one's basic needs of food, diaper changes, and sleep, but also help to encourage their growth and nurture their development. 

In addition to plenty of soft toys and a cozy carpet, the nursery also has many interactive toys that encourage fine motor skills and cognitive development. The teachers get right down on the floor with them for play time. There are play mats and activity gyms for less mobile children and a cruising bar and push carts for those infants on the go!

One of several play areas, especially made for infants, at the school.

For naps, the teacher will work with you to make sure any schedule you have at home is kept for day care. Each child has an assigned crib, which meets the newest Consumer Product Safety Commission standards. After each day, the bedding is cleaned and the mattresses frequently disinfected. Soothing music is often played to add to the restful environment.  

Nap area for infant care showing beds ready for use and others, disinfected and cleaned for  future use.

Each child has their own cubby for snacks, drinks, and other items. A refrigerator and bottle warmer is on hand to store breastmilk and warm bottles.

Cubbies for each child for coats, snacks, drinks, and more.

There is also a diapering area with wall shelving to store the children's diapers, wipes, and ointments. The children are changed on a non-porous, washable changing table, which is disinfected in between each changing.

Play time with a teacher and a boppy for support.

Your child will be well cared for physically, developmentally, and emotionally at Little Footprints Learning Center in Haverhill, MA and have a good time, too.

Fresh faces

You may have noticed a new face in the Toddler II room. Welcome to new assistant teacher, Colleen Whalen!

Colleen joins us from another local preschool/daycare, Pine Knoll. She will be graduating in spring from Northern Essex with her degree in Early Childhood Development.

"Kids this age are adorable." Colleen says. "I love working with them!"

Wonder what she'll cook up for Toddler II Spirit Week, this week?

Monday: Mix and Match Day
Tuesday: Costume Day
Wednesday: Favorite Color Day
Thursday: Crazy hat/hair day
Friday: Pajama Day

During the week the children will be participating in lots of fun and silly activities as part of spirit week.

Also - just a heads up - for Valentine's Day, the Toddler II Children will be making mailboxes out of shoe boxes. Please start saving those shoe boxes!

Let it Snow...Indoors!

LFLC hopes you all had a great time with family and friends over the winter break!

The temps have been extremely cold, so we remind you to make sure your little ones have their hats, coats and mittens. Though at Little Footprints, sometimes we like to bring the outside in for a little fun.

A little bit of the unexpected is a great way to foster creativity, encourage exploration, and bring a smile to a child's face.

What do you do on those cold days to entertain your little ones?

Feeling Festive

Tis the season to spread good cheer. And what better way to add a smile to the kids's faces than decorating for the holidays. 

The children have been decorating the walls with their snowy creations, ready to welcome the Winter Solstice.

The Toddler I class put their faces to each individual snowflake.

And Ms. Robin helped the tiny elves with their window decoration. I see Rudolf!

Up in Pre-K, they have their stockings hung with care with hopes that St. Nick will soon be here!

And their Christmas tree is giving Charlie Brown's a run for it's money.

And don't forget Hanukkah! The Menorah is also getting some time during this season of lights! 

The kids have been learning a lot about the holidays celebrated in our community. What do you celebrate?

Making Sense of Senses

This week, the classes have been learning all about their senses. What better time of year than now with the sights,  sounds, tastes, feels, and smells of the holiday season? Bright lights, laughter from family, delicious turkey and pumpkin pie with whipped cream, warm hot chocolate, prickly Christmas trees, Gingerbread cookies, and more!

In our Pre-K class, the teachers have been reading stories about our senses and doing activities like taste tests, feely boxes, and scent identifying.

Make sure to check out our parent boards for information about what your child is learning each day and during the week. Find us on facebook for additional pictures, information, and updates.

Toddler II class also got into the action with their own feely table while dressed in their finest play attire.

Blake kept pulling out these big plush fuzz balls and declaring them, "Cute!" We think he's the cute one!