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Daycare Activities To Enjoy at Home

Daycare Activities for Home

Daycare Activities to bring home - during quarantine and any other time

Daycare activities at Discovery Village include the arts, sciences, language and literacy, math, physical education, and so much more. When children can’t be in school, there is so much families can offer at home. During a quarantine of our toddler program, our teachers created learning activities for families to bring Discovery Village home.

While these activities are presented within a structure like school, you can play with them. Feel very welcome to embrace the joy of the possibility of less structured days at home. Learning can happen while cooking, doing laundry, as well as while  becoming immersed in play. Of the activities, see what resonates for you child. We invite you to make it all as low-stress as possible.

We are so happy for you to be able to enjoy these activities any time

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Discovery Village: World Class Daycare for Families in Sleepy Hollow, New York

Like Sleepy Hollow itself, Discovery Village, offers the care of a community-minded village with the culture and creativity of an urban hub. Families looking for daycare near Sleepy Hollow can find all they seek at Discovery Village. Conveniently located on White Plains Road, within Sleepy Hollow’s very own 10591 zip code,  families in Sleepy Hollow benefit from a premier daycare center right in their very own neighborhood. 

What is it that distinguishes Discovery Village as a world class daycare?

First and foremost, our young Discovery Villagers, between the ages of 6 weeks and 5 years, are immersed in the care of a village, the creativity of an art studio, and the discovery of a science lab. In all of our programs;  infant, toddler, and preschool, careful attention is given to nurturing the natural curiosity and creativity of our young villagers. Art projects and science investigations abound, all developed responsively based on the ever emerging interests of our children. Without compromising on the development of language, literacy, and math skills vital for Kindergarten readiness, Discovery Village seamlessly infuses learning in academic areas within creative, playful projects and explorations designed to reflect students’ interests. 

In the list of vital considerations for busy families seeking daycare near Sleepy Hollow, Discovery Village has it all.

Convenience

Science at Sleepy Hollow Day care

Full Day, Year Round Care: Open 12 months a year, from 7 AM to 6 PM, Discovery Village provides full day, year round daycare near Sleepy Hollow.

 

Great Location: Located on White Plains Road, Discovery Village is very close to home for Sleepy Hollow families, while offering easy access to routes 119, 287, 87, and the Saw Mill River Parkway. 

Safety

COVID Safety Protocol at Sleepy Hollow Day care

COVID Health and Safety Protocol: 

Discovery Village has carefully interwoven both the mandatory and recommended health and safety guidelines for Child Care programs in New York State in a playful and non-stressful manner. This includes: daily health screenings for children and adults, very frequent hand washing and sanitizing throughout the day, professional cleaning and disinfecting after hours, personal protective equipment, social distancing for adults, small learning pods with the same teachers and small group consistently for children to limit exposure, exclusion from program with symptoms that could indicate COVID until cleared by a doctor to return, individual toy and materials for children disinfected between use, individually plated food for meals, and transparent communication with families.

State of the Art Video Surveillance Cameras and Secure Keyless Entry System:

Classrooms and doors are protected with video surveillance cameras. Monitoring screens are positioned both in the back office and in the entryway to the school. Our Director and CEO also have access through their phones. Parents are welcome to observe children in classrooms at any time on the monitoring screen at the school entryway.  Our state of the art Kisi keyless entry system allows access only to people authorized by the school. Parents and staff members gain entry during school hours through an app. When a staff member or family member leaves the school their access is immediately withdrawn. Additionally, the school’s CEO can lockdown the facility from her phone. 

 

CPR, First Aid, Medical Administration Training (MAT) and Safety Drills and Reviews: 

All staff receive on-site CPR and First Aid training. Numerous staff members, including the entire leadership team have Medical Administration Training. Staff and students participate in monthly fire drills as well as lock down drills several times a year. There is regular review with staff on safety protocol and procedures, including special medical needs of children that might require special attention. There is also regular review of food and other allergies of children. 

 

Health and Wellness

Wellness at Sleepy Hollow Day care

Nutrition:

Children at Discovery Village receive a healthy breakfast, lunch, and two snacks, prepared fresh, on site every day and included in the cost of tuition. Our talented in house chef designs a menu that is both dietician and kid approved! 

Combined with healthy foods, Discovery Village designs playful  explorations inviting children’s wonder and curiosity about food and nutrition. They learn about food and nutrition, and even participate in cooking and gardening projects.

Exercise:

Offering a wide range of sports and calisthenics, alongside daily yoga, Discovery Village offers children a wide range of opportunities to move their bodies and exercise. Our villagers get outside twice a day, weather permitting. We also get physically active inside with dancing, obstacle courses, and lots and lots of movement. Central to the Discovery Village experience is a focus on fitness as central in a healthy lifestyle.

Social-Emotional Learning:

Caring for oneself and others, as well as our communities and even our planet, is central to the Discovery Village experience. The center is a haven and hope, a calm and peaceful oasis in a world that can so often be full of chaos and trauma. Our villagers are deeply engaged in developing the skills and mindsets vital to social-emotional well-being.


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How to Choose a Daycare

You’ve made the decision. 

You, and all of your child’s grownups (parents, grandparents, and others) are unavailable, by choice or necessity to dedicate to full time childcare. 

Or perhaps you, a family member, or even a nanny or babysitter is caring for your child. Still, you want to give your child the gift of the learning and socialization available in quality daycare centers and preschools.

You are officially daycare shopping. What do you do to decide how to choose a daycare?

You’ll likely be looking at practical considerations, quality, and “right fit for you”. The list below may help you design a list of questions to ask when you call and visit programs. We are so happy to offer this guide to help as you determine how to choose a daycare that is right for your child and family.

Practical Considerations 

Convenience

  • Do you need full Day, year round care?
  • Do you need a full day program, with hours extending beyond 9-5? Do you need flexibility? For example, do you need care every day of the week, or just certain days? Do you want a morning only program? 
  • Find a Great Location near you. 

Google daycare near me and see what comes up for you. Think about your commuting routine.

Affordability 

  • Is the program within your price range?

Safety

  • Does the daycare’s COVID Health and Safety Protocol incorporate both the mandatory and recommended health and safety guidelines for childcare programs in New York State?Do they do so in a playful and non-stressful manner? 

  • Can parents enter and have access to their children at any time with a secure entry system?
  • Are Classrooms and doors protected with video surveillance cameras?  Are monitoring screens positioned in public places so that parents can observe their children without the child knowing?

Are staff trained in CPR, First Aid, and Medication Administration?

Quality 

  • Are there highly skilled teachers and administrators?
  • Is there an effective curriculum for all divisions (infant, toddler, preschool) which is highly engaging for children, setting the foundations for success in Kindergarten and long term well-being? 
  • Is Professional development provided for teachers?
  • Is nutritious food cooked on site and included or all children in the cost of tuition? 
  • Is exercise a central component of children’s experience including a range of options, both organized by teachers and self-directed child activities?
  • Is Social Emotional Learning woven within the fabric of learning activities?
  • Are the facilities clean, spacious, and highly engaging for children?

“Right Fit” for You

  • Can the school clearly articulate their educational approach, and does it resonate for you? Do you feel enthusiastic about the experiences the program will provide for your child?
  • Is there an active parent community with opportunities for you to connect with the school, and other families, as much or as little as you would like?

We hope you find this guidance of value in your daycare search. If convenient, we invite you to check out Discovery Village. Located on White Plains Road, Discovery Village is very close to home for Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow, Irvington, and Elmsford families. There is easy access to routes 119, 287, 87, and the Saw Mill River Parkway.

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Childcare COVID-19 daycare Preschool

A New Kind of September: Returning to Child Care in an Age of Pandemic

Have choices about daycare during pandemic left you with a range of emotions you can’t quite put into words?

Have you had the unusual sensation of being in a strange new world you never could have imagined?

As K-12 schools decide whether to serve students through remote, hybrid, or in person learning, many child care centers have remained open. In the early months of pandemic early childhood stood as an essential service for essential workers. Now, as summer shifts to fall and a new school year begins, many more families are returning.

Some have had  children in daycare during pandemic, while others have recently returned. Some are  considering returning, while others are quite certain they want their children to be cared for at home. Regardless of your choices, you may well be experiencing a wide range of emotions about sending your child to daycare during pandemic.

I invite you to check in on how you are feeling about your children leaving quarantine.

Returning to daycare

Like me, it may not be only how you are feeling, but who you are feeling like as we navigate this strange new reality we all face.

Returning to Childcare or Preschool

Providing daycare and learning throughout the pandemic, I’ve felt all of the above. It is as if overnight we have been transported to a new world, without ever having actually leaving home. Things are both different, and yet the same, as we have adjusted to our new reality. Through it all we have focused on implementing health protocols in a playful and non-stressful manner.

We have actively designed an environment that is safe and nurturing, creative and calm. We have designed a haven of hope and happiness in a world filled with challenge.  Ultimately, we have supported one another and the children in our care to feel at ease, playful, and calm. While the world outside us continues to be full of challenges, at school we are caring for one another, playing, creating, and learning. We have found stability in a world of uncertainty.

The answer as to whether or not to place a child in care outside the home is, as it has always been, a highly personal one. What is right for one family is not right for another. Yet, childcare is designed with safety in mind. There are very small class sizes, a high level of supervision, attentiveness to hand washing and disinfecting, health checks and more. As a result, the choice to return, or to start childcare, nursery school or preschool, has been one that does make good sense for many.  

If you are on the fence, wondering if the time is yet right to send your child back, you may be interested in Voices of Child Care. This  documentary shares stories of child care centers in Westchester county New York that have been open through the pandemic. Discovery Village – children, teachers, and leadership – have been featured in several episodes.

I invite you to a glimpse into what the experience has been.

Voices of Child Care - Episode one

Voices of ChildCare Episode One

Voices of Child Care - Episode Three

Voices of Child Care Episode Three

If you are interested in returning to, or starting childcare, I invite you to reach out. Schedule a visit – either virtual or live. See the children and teachers. See what learning and care looks like with COVID health and safety protocols. Ask to speak to some of our families who have been attending throughout the pandemic, or have recently returned or started.

To those of you who have been with us, we are grateful to be on this journey with you!

To those of you considering daycare, nursery school or preschool, we look forward to the possibility of meeting you!