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Serving Infants-Age 5
Click on an ENVIRONMENT AREA below to watch a video and learn more about the unique ways we use NINE LEARNING AREAS in our classrooms to optimize children’s developmental learning objectives.
Our Nine Environments
🎨 These 3 to 5-year-old artists at our Redeemer Lutheran Church site were introduced to the concept of still-life art this week. Using a bowl of fresh veggies as their inspiration, the children sketched the bowl of fruit and then brought it to life using watercolor paints. 🥕🖌️
This activity not only builds fine motor skills, but also helps children slow down, observe closely, and appreciate the beauty of art in everyday objects. 🌟Such wonderful creativity from our little painters! 🌈💛
#preschoolart #stilllifepainting #finemotorskills #CreativeKids #LittleArtists #artappreciation #playtolearn #LADC #lakeareadiscoverycenter
🌟 We have the BEST partners! 🌟
This fall, our friends at St. Paul Lutheran Church chose to donate the proceeds from their most recent can recycling haul — an incredible $589 — to support LADC field trip bus costs! 🚌💛
We’re so grateful for their generosity and continued partnership. It truly takes a community to make big adventures possible for our little learners! ♻️✨
#communitysupport #LADC #PreschoolPartnership #TogetherWeGrow #GratefulHearts #lakeareadiscoverycenter
This week our Faithful Shepherd Catholic School site went on a 🌈 Color Walk 🌈 — a hands-on adventure designed to make learning come alive!
During the walk, children:
🎨 Identified colors in real-life contexts while exploring how colors function in nature — from camouflage to fall beauty.
🧠 Strengthened cognitive skills by using memory, problem-solving, and observation to spot and discuss different colors.
🗣️ Expanded their vocabulary as they described and talked about what they found.
🏃 Built gross motor skills through walking, running, and jumping as they searched for colorful treasures.
🤝 Practiced teamwork and cooperation by partnering up to find objects and problem-solve together.
✍️ Honed fine motor skills while marking their findings with writing tools and checkmarks.
Every step of this activity helped children connect learning with movement, curiosity, and the beauty of the world around them! 🍂💛
#colorwalk #HandsOnLearning #PreschoolAdventures #naturelearning #fallcolors #childdevelopment #LADC #lakeareadiscoverycenter
🌟 The preschoolers at our Notre Dame Discovery Center were the first to enjoy their Festival of Friends celebration! 🌟 This cherished event takes place at each of our sites and encourages the children to bring their grandparents or other special adults in their lives for a joyful morning of shared fun. 💕The activities vary from site to site but typically include game playing, art time, snacks, and a few songs — all while making memories that will last a lifetime! 🎨🎶🥰
#FestivalOfFriendship #PreschoolMemories #familyandfriends #LADC #lakeareadiscoverycenter #ndafaithful
🎃🍁 What a spooktacular week it’s been across all of our preschool classrooms! 👻✨
Each site celebrated their own Harvest Festival, and the joy was overflowing — from adorable costumes to festive games, crafts, and treats! 🧡🍬 The children loved showing off their creative outfits and joining in all the themed fun with their classmates and teachers.
We’re so grateful to our families and staff for helping make this week full of smiles, laughter, and autumn magic. 🍂🧺
#HarvestFestival2025 #PreschoolFun #FallCelebration #CostumeDay #EarlyLearningFun #LADC #lakeareadiscoverycenter
🍂✨ One thing that makes Lake Area Discovery Center (LADC) truly special is our partnership model — every single one of our sites is hosted by either a Catholic or Lutheran Church! 🙏💛 That’s right — there are no standalone LADC sites!
This connection gives each program a strong faith foundation, allowing us to draw on the support and resources of our church partners for chapel times, community outreach, and family events. 🤝⛪
Each site holds at least three family events each year with their church partner — and the past two weeks have been full of fall fun! 🍁 From Harvest Festivals to Trunk or Treats, our communities have come together to celebrate, connect, and make joyful memories. 🎃👨👩👧👦
Here are a few highlights from the events at Grace Lutheran, Our Savior’s, Redeemer, and St. Paul Lutheran! ✨
#lakeareadiscoverycenter #FaithBasedLearning #LADC #communitypartners #preschoollife #trunkortreat #harvestfestival #fallfun #FaithInAction #PreschoolCommunity
🕷️ Spider Web Fun at Home! 🎃
Looking for a simple and spooky activity to try with your little ones? This “Spider Web” game is perfect for some Halloween fun and fine motor practice! 👏
All you need is a basket, some string, and a few plastic spiders (or other small treats). Tape or tie the string across the basket to make a web, then let your child use tongs to rescue the spiders! 🕷️✨
It’s a great way to build hand strength, coordination, and giggles — all at once! 💪👻
Photo and Idea from Pinterest by Differentiated Kindergarten
#halloweenfun #familytime #preschoolactivities #finemotorskills #HandsOnLearning #spookyplay #EarlyLearningFun #LADC #lakeareadiscoverycenter
🎉 Big congratulations to our Community of Grace site! 🎉 This week they learned that their National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Accreditation has been renewed for another 5 years! 🌟🥳👏
For those who are unfamiliar, NAEYC accreditation is the 🥇 gold standard for excellence in early learning. To earn this accreditation, schools must complete an in-person assessment to demonstrate that they meet NAEYC’s rigorous standards for quality, safety, curriculum, and teaching practices. 👩🏫📚✨
Why does this matter for families? 🤔💛
Research shows that high-quality early education leads to stronger lifelong outcomes — from academic success 🎓 to healthier lifestyles 🍎 and thriving careers 🌱. NAEYC Accreditation ensures that your child is learning in an environment grounded in research, staffed by dedicated educators, and focused on nurturing every aspect of their growth. ❤️🌼
We’re so proud of our staff’s hard work to achieve this incredible accomplishment — and for being part of a community that believes every child deserves the very best start in life. 🌈🙌💫
#NAEYC #Earlychildhoodeducation #PreschoolExcellence #HighQualityEducation #CommunityOfGrace #LakeAreaDiscoveryCenter #LADC
Parents - This is a fantastic Halloween fine-motor activity you can do at home with your little ones--all you need is a pumpkin, a kids plastic hammer, and some golf tees!
👮♀️🚒🩺 Last week was extra exciting at LADC because our Community Helpers came to visit! 👨🚒👩⚕️👮♂️
Firefighters, police officers, dentists, national guard members, and doctors all stopped by to share about the important work they do to keep us safe, healthy, and happy. 💪 The children loved exploring the tools they use, asking questions, and learning how each helper makes a difference in our community. ❤️
It’s never too early to celebrate those who make our world a better place! 🙌 We hope you enjoy this photo gallery highlighting the amazing visits and hands-on learning experiences that took place across our 18 preschool sites.🌟
#CommunityHelpers #PreschoolLearning #FutureHelpers #HandsOnLearning #ThankYouHelpers #LADC #Lakeareadiscoverycenter
🖐️ Fine motor skills may seem small, but they make a big impact! ✂️🧩 During preschool, children strengthen the tiny muscles in their hands and fingers through activities like cutting, coloring, building, and buttoning. These fun, hands-on experiences prepare them for future success in writing, self-care, and everyday independence. 💪✨Here’s a peek at our Saint Helena Catholic School preschoolers hard at work—and play—as they develop those important little movements! 🎨🤲
#finemotorfun #earlylearning #HandsOnLearning #preschoolskills #LADC #lakeareadiscoverycenter #sthelenacatholicschool
🐾✨ Last Thursday at our Notre Dame Academy LADC site, preschoolers brought their pets or favorite stuffed animals for our annual Blessing of the Animals! 🐶🧸 Father John shared a special blessing over these beloved companions, reminding us of the joy and love all of God’s creatures bring to our lives.💛
#blessingoftheanimals #lakeareadiscoverycenter #LADC #preschoollife #godscreaturesgreatandsmall #ndafaithful
Last week the preschoolers at our Saint John the Baptist Catholic School site filled 80 birthday bags for children served by the CAP Agency! 🎉💛 Using the donations from their own families, they decorated, filled, and delivered the bags to CAP’s Director—learning that even at a young age, they can be the hands and feet of Jesus through service to others. 🙏👣
#LakeAreaDiscoveryCenter #LADC #StJohnTheBaptist #FaithInAction #HandsAndFeetOfJesus
✨ It was an extra special day at our St. Bartholomew Catholic School site when our preschoolers got to meet their new 4th grade buddies for the very first time. 💚 They had an absolute blast reading stories together 📚 and playing on the playground. We can’t wait to see how these buddy connections grow throughout the year!
🌟We love that our Catholic school partnerships provide this unique opportunity for our preschoolers to form long-term relationships with school-age children. Not only does it provide for lasting memories (because what’s cooler than a big kid paying attention to you!?), but, more importantly, it helps our little learners feel more connected to the larger school community. 🤝
#lakeareadiscoverycenter #LADC #stbartsbulldogs #stbartsschool #buddytime #preschoollife #bigkidlittlekid #catholicschools #BuildingCommunityTogether
✨ We’re honored to be voted Best Childcare in the Best of the Press Awards! ✨ A huge thank you to our amazing families, staff, and community for your support and trust. 💛 Together, we’re creating a place where children can learn, grow, and shine in God's love! 🌟
#bestofthepress2025 #lakeareadiscoverycenter #LADC #bestchildcare
🍎✨ Grace Lutheran Church of Apple Valley’s preschoolers had the sweetest day at Applewood Orchard this week! Field trips like this extend our classroom unit of study—in this case, fall and apples—into the community, deepening our students' learning by giving them "real world" experience with the topic. 🌳
As part of their big adventure they...
👉🏼Click each photo to see what they did at the Orchard!
#FieldTripFun #HandsOnLearning #FallFun #ApplewoodOrchard #preschooladventures #ladc #lakeareadiscoverycenter #graceofav
🍎✨ Balancing act! 🔬Our preschool scientists at the Trinity Minnehaha Falls Site explored balance, weight, and gravity with the Apple Tree Balance game—building early engineering skills while having so much fun. 🌳✨
#STEMLearning #preschoolscience #HandsOnDiscovery #FutureEngineers #LADC #lakeareadiscoverycenter
🍎💚💛❤️ It’s apple mania for the Kinderstart crew at St. Jude’s Discovery Center as they kicked off their 🍂 Fall Apple Unit 🍎 with a bushel of fun that included things like:
🎯 Cooperative apple games
🎣 Magnetic apple fishing
🖍️ Crayon-melt window art
🥧 Apple Pie Shop playdough baking
🌋 Apple volcano eruptions
…and so much more!
#applefun #FallLearning #PreschoolAdventures #stjudeofthelake #LADC #lakeareadiscoverycenter
✨Tuesdays are extra special at Grace Lutheran Church of Apple Valley’s LADC site!✨
That’s when the preschoolers head to the church to enjoy 📖 stories, 🎶 joyful songs, and 🙏 prayer with a pastor or member of the church staff. 💒 We are so grateful for our partner schools and churches and the amazing opportunities that stem from this unique partnership model!💛
#FaithAndFriendship #storytime #singandpray #JoyfulHearts #FaithFilledFun #PreschoolAdventures #LADC #lakeareadiscoverycenter #graceofav
✨Morning affirmations set the tone for our day! ✨
Before they step into the classroom, the preschoolers at Redeemer Lutheran's LADC site remind themselves to act with kind hearts, words and actions 💕. As one, they affirm their ability to face challenges, interact responsibly and respectfully, and reflect a heart like Jesus. ❤️
Each child then chooses their special greeting—💖 hug, ✋ high-five, or 🎶 dance—to start the day feeling loved, confident, and ready to shine! 🌟 Which of the three greetings would you choose to start your day?
#morningaffirmations #kindheartskindwordskindthoughts #FaithAndFriendship #HEARTLIKEJESUS #LADC #lakeareadiscoverycenter
