It’s safe to say our family enjoyed every minute of the holidays. We spent the special time with our family members and enjoyed the sights of the city. There is never a shortage of fun holiday activities in New York City and once again we feel so lucky to live in the greatest city in the world. We attended tree lightings, made gingerbread houses and enjoyed some outdoor ice skating, We also saw some live classic holiday performances like The Nutcracker & Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. We saw Santa at Macy’s department store and also lit the candles on our menorah in our home. It was such a magical time and seeing the excitement in our children’s eyes made it even better!

After all that fun, returning to our regular schedule was welcomed and our first morning back at Smarter Toddler Financial Disctrict was seamless! As always, we were greeted at the door with warm hellos and each child is called on by name. When the girls hear their names, they automatically light up and reciprocate with smiles and waves. It’s such a special feeling to be welcomed first thing in the morning and it sets the stage for the remainder of their time away from home.

With the cold weather outside, the children at Smarter Toddler are so lucky to have a beautiful indoor play space. They both love going on the slide and of course playing in the play house. There is also the weekly highlight of Yoga, taught by amazing instructors from Karma Kids Yoga. Of course everyone loves to move around and sing the songs with Music Together which is also a weekly activity. There is plenty to keep everyone happy and warm inside. The daily walks will resume when the weather warms up. Last but not least some exciting news is the Cumbe Dance African and Diaspora Dance will begin working with the older Toddler class. I’m sure it will be so much fun!

It’s already been a very busy month at Smarter Toddler. The current season study is learning all about Winter. Snow will be another study and exploring the countries China and Australia as well. An exciting Chinese New Year parade is coming up and I can’t wait to see pictures.

In the younger toddler class, my daughter continues to engage in hands on activities and learns a “letter of the day”. I can tell such a difference in her performance level at home. Her strong confidence really reflects all the actives she is exposed to at Smarter Toddler. Recently the young toddler class learned bout the word “snow” and traced the letter “S” with flour at the sensory table. I also love the example of a “rectangle” as shown below in the photo.

The older toddler class has started a Winter word wall in which they will learn about words relating to the cold months of Winter. They are also reading books relating to Winter such as The Three Snow Bears and have also created a height chart using snowballs.

Each day at pick up is such a joy. The teachers and staff all work together to make the exit process as easy as possible. The daily communication sheets are always included in their to go bags and the teachers go above and beyond by recapping the day quickly in person as well. Several times my daughters have not wanted to leave Smarter Toddler which obviously means they love it! The bonds that have been formed with the girls teachers are priceless. I love to catch moments like these!

To learn more about Smarter Toddler, please visit www.smartertoddler.net

HappyNew Year!

XOXO,

Suzanne