Early Preschool

Exploring My World

About our 2-Year-Olds Early Preschool in Vancouver, WA

At Kiddie Academy®, we reinforce your 2-year-old's natural desire to explore—turning every moment into an opportunity for learning and encouragement. 

We've designed our Exploring My World program to nurture your child's growing individuality through days filled with interactive learning and group activities.

Contact us to learn more about tuition and our program.


Strict health and safety procedures will be followed

While your 2-year-old is at our Academy, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing that they’re in a healthy and safe environment thanks to Health Essentials, our enhanced health and cleaning initiative based on CDC guidelines to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

If you're ready for more info, we'd love for you to come visit us

Life Essentials®

Preparing your 2-year-old for preschool and life

Our Exploring My World program is developed through our Life Essentials® preschool curriculum to provide your 2-year-old with well-rounded learning experiences while receiving positive, nurturing care.

Language Arts & Literacy

Focus: Growing your child's vocabulary and comprehension skills.

We create ample opportunities for your 2-year-old to practice language and communication through music, play and stories.

2-Year-Old Activities

  • Learning the letter “C” by learning its shape and practicing the sound it makes.
  • Mimicking actions and learning the names of fingers through finger plays.
  • Learning about different types of vehicles, like dump trucks, tractors and buses.
  • Learning the Spanish words for eyes (los ojos) and mouth (la boca) while identifying and drawing pictures of their eyes and mouth.

Learn On®

Learning continues beyond the classroom. Here are some easy projects you can do to extend learning into your home.

  • Write the letters that start your child’s first and last names so that they become familiar with the shapes and can practice the sounds those letters make.
  • Do the finger play “Where is Thumbkin?” and have your child mimic the actions to learn the names of the fingers.
  • Have your child draw a picture of a face, then practice the Spanish words for eyes (los ojos) and mouth (la boca).

Mathematics & Science

Focus: Helping your child count, recognize patterns and discover how our world works.

We teach your 2-year-old basic math and science through hands-on activities that build on their natural curiosity about the world.

2-Year-Old Activities

  • Investigating whether objects sink or float at the water table.
  • Following a recipe to make cornbread using simple math skills, like counting and measuring.
  • Understanding how plants grow by planting grass seeds and caring for them until they sprout.
  • Learning basic shapes, like circles and squares, by going on a scavenger hunt in the classroom for objects that look like these shapes.

Learn On®

Learning continues beyond the classroom. Here are some easy projects you can do to extend learning into your home.

  • During bath time, investigate which toys float or sink in the water.
  • Let your child help make a simple recipe, like cornbread, to practice simple math skills like counting and measuring.
  • Plant and care for grass seeds to help your child understand how plants grow.
  • Do a scavenger hunt at home and have your child find objects with basic shapes like triangles, squares and circles.

Social & Emotional Development

Focus: Helping your child control their feelings and behaviors.

Our teachers create a patient, supportive environment for your 2-year-old to learn about themselves and forming relationships with others. Your child will participate in activities designed to help them understand trust, empathy, compassion and a sense of right and wrong.

2-Year-Old Activities

  • Playing cooperatively with other children by painting murals as a class and sharing blocks to build a house.
  • Pretending to have a picnic with classmates in the Dramatic Play center.
  • Discussing ways they can help their family at home through songs.
  • Discussing and celebrating accomplishments and learning about independence from books.

Learn On®

Learning continues beyond the classroom. Here are some easy projects you can do to extend learning into your home.

  • Sing “Help Around the House” and discuss ways your child can help with chores at home.
  • Read “I Can Do It Too!” and talk about ways your child can practice being independent.
  • Use blocks to build a house with your child so that they learn how cooperation helps make things happen.

Fine & Gross Motor Skills

Focus: Developing your child's coordination and balance.

Our teachers guide your 2-year-old through activities designed to help refine physical skills that utilize their small and large muscle groups.

2-Year-Old Activities

  • Feeding themselves with forks and spoons and learning to pour child-size pitchers during family-style meals.
  • Working on coordination by throwing and kicking balls and conquering obstacle courses on the playground.
  • Learning rhythm through dancing and musical activities.
  • Learning to do basic daily skills.

Learn On®

Learning continues beyond the classroom. Here are some easy projects you can do to extend learning into your home.

  • Throw and kick balls outside to help work on coordination.
  • Put on some music and dance with your child to help them learn about rhythmic motion.
  • Have your child pick out and put on their clothes to learn to do basic daily skills like getting dressed.

Character EssentialsSM

Focus: Helping your child grow into a caring individual.

We believe exposing your 2-year-old to common values helps them better understand the society we live in. Throughout the year, we focus on a different value, like honesty, generosity and patience.

2-Year-Old Activities

  • Introducing the concept of sharing by role playing and reading.
  • Encouraging cooperation by working in pairs.
  • Discussing independence.

Learn On®

Learning continues beyond the classroom. Here are some easy projects you can do to extend learning into your home.

  • Read “Should I Share My Ice Cream?” and then do role playing to learn about the concept of sharing.
  • Encourage cooperation by working with your child to clean up around the house.
  • Discuss independence through singing songs like “This is the Way I Comb My Hair.”

Health Essentials

Focus: Keeping your 2-year-old healthy and safe.

Health Essentials is a set of CDC-based standard operating procedures that can help mitigate the spread of potential infection throughout our Academy. Health Essentials is a key part of our overall COVID-19 response, expanding upon existing disinfection and health protocols that offer parents and staff peace of mind and demonstrates our commitment to creating a healthy and safe environment for learning and working.

Health Essentials guidelines are focused on four principles designed to cover various preventative, protective and corrective measures that address COVID-19:

1. Wellness Education

The solution starts with an understanding.

  • Children learn how following proper hygienic practices can keep them healthy
  • Academy staff receives training and must abide by enhanced health and safety practices outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

2. Enhanced Hygiene

Soap and water is the best solution.

  • Soap and water offer the simplest solution to combat infection
  • Staff increase handwashing frequency
  • All children must wash their hands upon entering their room at the start of each day and all recommended times thereafter in addition to following standard Academy handwashing procedures

3. Healthy Environment

A clean facility keeps families safe.

Academies adhere to advanced cleaning procedures:

  • Nightly cleaning
  • Daily laundering of soft items and bedding
  • Limiting items brought into the Academy

4. Symptom Monitoring

Keeping a watchful eye

  • Temperature monitoring at the Academy entrance.
  • Track symptoms using AcademyLink®
  • Isolate symptomatic children from others immediately upon observation
  • Contact parents for pickup from the Academy
  • Daily health check is completed upon arrival

Want to explore more?

Learn how we help your child develop into a thoughtful, caring, and adaptable individuals using our learning approach that exceeds state standards

How Life Essentials is different

Questions? Answers.

Explore some of the most frequently asked questions from parents of 2-year-olds.

Q. Are children required to be 100% vaccinated?
A. Yes. As an organization responsible for the care and safety of a fragile age group from 6 weeks to 12 years of age, we require all children within our care to maintain and provide documentation for all recommended vaccines as stated by the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics. This is done in accordance with the Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) per WAC code 110-300A-7020.
Q. Do you accept State DSHS or Working Connections tuition subsidy?
A. No. We do not participate in the Washington State DSHS subsidy program or Working Connections subsidy program.
Q. What are teacher qualifications?
A. All Kiddie Academy teachers must meet or exceed the state requirements for child care providers and are required to receive ongoing professional training annually. We also require background checks through local, county, state and/or federal agencies prior to employment.
Q. What is your discipline policy?
A. We do not use physical or verbal punishment under any circumstances. We use positive guidance and re-direction to acknowledge children’s feelings and emotions and provide them with social scripts, problem-solving techniques, self-calming activities and choices and activities geared toward their interests.
Q. What will my child be doing?
A. At this age, children are naturally inquisitive and take pride in doing things on their own. Our teachers encourage your preschooler to take advantage of our center-based learning environment to explore and progress at their own pace. Your child will work on social/emotional development, motor skills and will be introduced to language arts, mathematics and science.
Q. Do you have cameras in the classroom?
A. Yes! We’re one of the few child care centers in the community to provide live, secure streaming video for you to access throughout the day.
Q. Are cloth diapers permitted at the academy?
A. For the health and safety of the classroom, cloth diapers are not permitted – disposable diapers only please.
Q. Am I permitted to bring food into the school and/or provide my child’s lunch?
A. No. For the health and safety of your child’s classroom, we do not allow outside food into the academy due to food allergies. Infant classrooms are the exception as you are responsible for food while your baby is in the infant room.
A background image of a playground at Kiddie Academy

Find out more about our Academy.

Contact us to learn more about what makes Kiddie Academy stand out among educational child care providers. A member of our team will contact you.

Parent or Guardian
Contact Information

Please specify months or years
Please select the best time to contact you

Please select a contact time.

Contact us

Kiddie Academy of Vancouver - Salmon Creek

Welcome tips and insights to the family:

Parenting Essentials®

The learning doesn't stop for parents, either. That’s why we created an information resource with helpful tips on everything from enriching our STEM program at home to introducing lifelong healthy eating and fitness habits.