Toddler Care

Discovering Me

About our 13 to 24 months Toddler Care in Cary, NC

At Kiddie Academy®, we build on the momentum of your toddler's learning and natural curiosity and help them learn at their own pace.

In our Discovering Me program, our teachers form strong, caring relationships with your toddler and guide them through learning experiences that stimulate their development and reinforce the skills they’re taught at home.


Strict health and safety procedures will be followed

While your child 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 toddler for the future

Our Discovering Me program is developed through our Life Essentials curriculum to provide your toddler with well-rounded learning experiences while receiving positive, nurturing care.

Cognitive Development

Focus: Broadening your toddler's understanding of the world around them.

We make every moment with your toddler a teachable moment. Our teachers help your toddler make connections between the language and motor skills necessary for completing tasks and responding to requests.

Toddler Activities

  • Identifying and sorting objects by color, shape and size with prompts
  • Following simple directions, like placing objects "in," "on" or "under" other objects.
  • Reading books and answering comparison questions
  • Developing spatial awareness and learning to follow directions through activities.
  • Learning about sizes and volume by filling buckets with sand and water at the sensory table.

Learn On®

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

  • Identify and sort objects by color, shape and size and asking questions like, “Is this item red or not?” and “Is this item big or small?”
  • Practice following simple directions by having your toddler place objects “in,” “on” or “under” other objects.
  • Read books like “The Big Hungry Bear” and ask comparative questions, like “Is this bear big or little?” and “Do you see anything else that’s big?”
  • Fill buckets with water or sand to learn about sizes and volumes.

Language & Communication

Focus: Helping your toddler express wants and needs.

Our teachers help transition your toddler from nonverbal to verbal by modeling conversations, teaching sign language and helping them identify familiar people and objects by name.

Toddler Activities

  • Repeating words and phrases, like “please” and “thank you” and learning to elaborate on nonverbal requests.
  • Learning simple Spanish.
  • Answering questions, handling books and filling in blanks while being read to from repetitive books.
  • Naming and identifying items, like various parts of a bus.
  • Making back-and-forth exchanges with other classmates .

Learn On®

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

  • Read the book, “Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?” and ask questions about what’s in the story.
  • Sing “The Wheels on the Bus” to help identify the various parts of a bus.
  • Play with toy telephones to pretend to have conversations.
  • Practice using simple Spanish words, such as “hola,” “adios” and “gracias.”

Social & Emotional Growth

Focus: Teaching your toddler to better understand emotions and respect others.

We create a safe, supportive and encouraging environment to explore their emotions in a healthy manner. Your toddler will participate in activities designed to help them identify feelings and foster relationships with friends and caregivers.

Toddler Activities

  • Imitating the actions of other toddlers and adults through interactive games like "Ring Leader" and "Pretending Parade."
  • Developing pride in accomplishments and showing interest in peers' actions through supportive activities
  • Learning calming and coping skills as they're encouraged to explain how they're feeling and ask for help when they're frustrated.
  • Understanding emotions through songs
  • Learning how to take turns and play alongside classmates through activities.
  • Developing independence by inviting children to answer questions while reading books.

Learn On®

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

  • Play interactive games like “Ring Leader” and “Pretending Parade” to practice imitating the actions of other players.
  • Create a display of your toddler’s artwork to help them develop a sense of pride in their accomplishments.
  • Sing “The Look On My Face” while looking in a mirror to develop an understanding of emotions.
  • Read “All By Myself” to learn about being independent.

Fine & Gross Motor Skills

Focus: Developing your toddler's coordination and balance.

At this stage, your toddler is extremely active. Our teachers guide them through activities that keep them moving and help them refine their motor skills in a safe environment.

Toddler Activities

  • Learning to feed themselves with utensils and drink from cups during family-style meals.
  • Dressing themselves while playing dress-up with simple garments, like cowboy hats, vests and sunglasses.
  • Improving running, climbing, bending and jumping through activities like toe touches and obstacle courses.
  • Practicing throwing, catching and kicking balls with games like basketball and hoop toss.
  • Learning to walk backwards through guided activities.
  • Practicing fine motor skills by painting with brushes and making play dough by mixing ingredients together with their hands.

Learn On®

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

  • Play dress-up with simple garments like cowboy hats, vests and sunglasses to help them learn to dress themselves.
  • Help them practice feeding themselves by using utensils and drinking from cups during meals.
  • Play with them outdoors so that they have ample opportunities to run, jump, climb, throw and bounce balls and more.
  • Help them build fine motor skills by painting with brushes and making play dough by mixing ingredients together with their hands.

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 toddlers.

Q. What if my child gets sick?
A. We’ll call you or a designated adult from your Emergency Information Form so that your child can be picked up as soon as possible from the Academy. While waiting to be picked up, your child will rest quietly, away from other children.
Q. What policies are Academies required to have in place to address safety?
A. Our facilities and outdoor play areas are required to have secure entries and exits that are maintained by an electronic entry system. Only individuals authorized by you are allowed to pick up your child from the Academy. All employees are required to have undergone background checks prior to employment.
Q. Do I need to pack a lunch?
A. No. We provide an assortment of healthy, age-appropriate meals and snacks for the children to eat each day.
Q. What if my child has food allergies?
A. Due to the high number of children with peanut allergies, we do not serve peanut products. If your child has a specific allergy, please list them on our dietary restriction letter so that we can make appropriate food substitutions.
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. Your toddler will participate in sensory-based learning experiences while receiving positive, nurturing guidance from the teachers. We have a center-based learning environment where your toddler can play and explore while developing social/emotional, communication, cognitive and motor skills.
Q. Will you toilet train my child?
A. We’ll gather information from you about your child’s toilet-training habits and routine and will work with you and your child to be consistent with what you’re doing at home. We will not force any child to use the toilet, nor will we punish children for not using the toilet.
Q. Do you take the children outdoors?
A. Yes, weather permitting, we take children outside daily. Children should be dressed appropriately for playing on our playground or taking group walks.
Q. Do you have cameras in the classroom?
A. Many, but not all, Kiddie Academy locations have classroom cameras that parents can access via mobile or desktop apps. For the most accurate information on classroom cameras, contact your Academy directly to learn about camera availability and policies.
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