We believe in learning through experiences with one another so there is an emphasis on social skills and collaboration. Children often work together in small group activities. Teachers reinforce basic skills with planned experiences while allowing children to incorporate their own ideas.

How Infant Care Benefits Children

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Although 1 or 2  years old might seem like a very young age to begin a child’s academic career, it really isn’t — especially if you do your homework and choose a high quality preschool. Early education can not only help your child learn to be confident and independent when parents aren’t present, but can also help your child develop academically, socially and in many other ways that can lead to future success.

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Some of the many benefits of Infant and Toddler care programs like ours include:

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• Better academic achievement:  Research shows that children from all social strata have better long-term success when they attend a high quality preschool.  Children who start their academic life as preschoolers in a good program are more likely to succeed academically, less likely to need to repeat grades, more likely to graduate high school, and less likely to need special education or resource services.

• Better emotional development and socialization:  Early education programs such as our Infant care can have a lasting positive impact on a child’s ability to interact effectively and appropriately with peers, focus on work, control his or her temper, and other “soft skills” that lead to success in school and in the workplace.

• Offering healthy physical activity:  Young children need plenty of opportunities to move, stretch and run around! Through activities such as working on our garden, taking walks, doing yoga, and playing in the playground and sandbox, our students get the exercise they need and have fun in the process.

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Preschool is the first chance a child has to encounter new ideas and new information, while growing socially and learning to have confidence in social settings that don’t include parents. It is an important time in a child’s education, and we love to help our preschool students thrive!

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Our Infant and Toddler Curriculum

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Some of the activities we use with our Infant and Toddler class include:

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• Funshine Express Curriculum

• Learning through play

• Work on fine and gross motor skills

• Sensory play

• Topic related crafts and activities

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In addition to our regular lessons and activities, we also offer special activities that help children learn more about the arts, sciences and even health and nutrition:

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• Music & Movement

• Yoga

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All of our early childhood classes at Explorations have plenty of play time and center-based activities, as well as indoor and outdoor time each day.

Benefits of Early Preschool

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The benefits of the right kind of preschool are not just academic, but also social in nature.  Kids who go to a high quality preschool more likely to be more emotionally mature and better able to focus when they enter first grade.

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Studies have shown that preschool benefits children — even as young as 2 years old — in some important ways:

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• Improved readiness for school: Preschool is a way for children to begin to learn how to focus, work together, and benefit from early literacy in math and literacy. They come into kindergarten more prepared for the structure of school.

• Better academic achievement: Research shows that children from all social strata have better long-term success when they attend a high quality preschool. Children who start their academic life as preschoolers in a good program are more likely to succeed academically, less likely to need to repeat grades, more likely to graduate high school, and less likely to need special education or resource services.

• Better emotional development and socialization: Early education programs such as our 2 Year Old Program can have a lasting positive impact on a child’s ability to interact effectively and appropriately with peers, focus on work, control his or her temper, and other “soft skills” that lead to success in school and in the workplace.

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A Firm Foundation: Academic and Social Skills

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2 year old preschool is an excellent time for children to begin learning some of the social skills and fine motor skills they will need to succeed in school, and Explorations offers older toddlers the warm, friendly and nurturing environment that they need to develop those skills.

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We offer a safe place where early preschoolers can practice social skills like sharing and collaborating as they begin to learn important concepts such as colors, shapes, counting, letters and numbers. A lot of learning takes place at Explorations in an age appropriate setting with plenty of encouragement and warmth. In preschool at Explorations, your child will learn to follow directions and work together with others — and have a lot of fun along the way!

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Many of our classroom activities take place in small groups, because we believe in fostering a sense of community, collaboration and compassion. Our teachers plan activities that reinforce what is being learned, but leave room for creativity.

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We also help create a sense of community, caring for others and social responsibility along the way. Our learning center has been involved with many community outreach programs in Mercer County, partnering with organizations such as Meals on Wheels, SAVE Animal Shelter, the Salvation Army, Kids Helping Kids, Operation Christmas Child and more. At Explorations, we want our preschoolers to not just learn better skills for their own success, but an awareness of the importance of caring for and helping others.

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2 Year Old Preschool Curriculum

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A day at Explorations Community Preschool is a busy day full of learning and fun! Just consider some of our many 2 year old preschool class activities:

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• Funshine Express Curriculum

• Learning through play

• Work on fine and gross motor skills

• Emphasis on social skills and collaboration

• Focus on colors, shapes and counting

• Introduction to letters and numbers

• Following directions

• Independence from parents

• Sensory play

• Topic related crafts and activities

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Special activities:

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• Music & Movement

• Yoga

• Science

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Although we fit a lot of educational content into every fun-filled day at Explorations, we also know that “play is the principal business of childhood,” as the saying goes. For that reason, we offer plenty of unstructured activities as well as lessons and activities that require children to follow directions.

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All of our preschool classes have plenty of play time and center-based activities, as well as indoor and outdoor time each day.

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Preschool Learning that Engages the Senses

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Especially in early childhood, learning works best when multiple senses are involved. That’s why we plan activities that incorporate as many as possible of the five senses: Seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling. We offer physical exercise that builds strong bodies as well as a solid foundation of learning colors, shapes, letters, numbers and fine motor skills that builds agile minds. And we do it all in a nurturing environment that helps children develop their emotional maturity. It’s a combination designed to help your child succeed and to keep offering returns on your investment for many years to come.

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Our Lawrenceville early childhood education center has plenty of room inside and out for children to explore their world: When it comes time for outdoor play, our preschoolers can enjoy a fenced-in play area, a sandbox, a garden with a walking path, and more. Enrichment activities such as caring for a vegetable garden help children connect with nature as well as to learn about proper nutrition and health while still in preschool — setting the stage (or the table?) for healthy eating throughout your child’s life.

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We encourage healthy eating through two daily snacks as well as center-provided lunch. Our indoor enrichment activities are as exciting as the outdoor play we provide, because we offer a variety of fun ways to learn — from arts and crafts to cooking, yoga, S.T.E.M. activities (as much as possible and at an age appropriate level), sensory activities and more. We have nap time daily to recharge from all of the hands-on learning that makes up our exciting curriculum!

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Choosing the Best Preschool for Your Child

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We understand how important it is for every parent to choose the right preschool program for their child. It is a time when the child begins to gain some independence from his or her parents, but you naturally want that separation to happen in a healthy way that makes your child feel safe and helps kids grow socially and academically. Explorations Community Preschool has caring teachers, exciting learning activities, beautiful outdoor spaces for outdoor play, and a curriculum that emphasizes hands-on learning activities, working together and respecting others. We think you’ll love being part of the Explorations family!

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Explorations offers a full year program. As long as we have the available space, we are happy to accommodate enrollment at any time of the year. Contact us today to find out more about our early preschool and other early childhood education programs and to arrange a tour of our school.

How 3 Year Old Preschool Benefits Children

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Although 3 years old might seem like a very young age to begin a child’s academic career, it really isn’t — especially if you do your homework and choose a high quality preschool. Early education can not only help your child learn to be confident and independent when parents aren’t present, but can also help your child develop academically, socially and in many other ways that can lead to future success.

Some of the many benefits of 3 year old preschool programs like ours include:

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• Expanding their vocabulary:  Kids between the ages of 3 and 5 add as many as 900-2,500 words to their vocabulary during those crucial early childhood years, and they begin to use more complex sentence structures. Being in a high quality 3 year old preschool can help kids flex their linguistic muscles: Children have the opportunity to add new vocabulary words to their lexicon during art, science, music and other activities, and interacting with teachers helps young kids learn polite and appropriate ways to express their thoughts and concerns.

• Boosting pre-literacy and pre-math skills:  3 year old preschool is an ideal setting for kids to learn more about letters and numbers, as well as to develop the fine motor skills that will help them to write.

• Preparing for kindergarten and school:  In 3 year old preschool, kids learn how to follow instructions, focus on a project, respect teachers and other students, and share with other children — all important skills for a child entering kindergarten. The right kind of preschool is one that gives kids the right blend of opportunities for play and learning while helping them learn to follow rules and deal with conflicts in a healthy way.

• Helping kids develop emotional maturity: Children who go to a high quality preschool like Explorations have a chance to develop the “soft skills” that will help them go further in school and the workplace — skills like collaborating with others, interacting appropriately, sharing and helping others, controlling their temper, and more. Trained teachers know when to let students work on resolving problems themselves, and when to step in and help model conflict resolution skills. We give kids a safe space to learn these important skills so they can become more successful as well as more compassionate and emotionally mature members of society.

• Expanding their creative horizon:  With activities in arts and crafts, music and movement, our preschool kids learn new ways to express themselves creatively. It’s a great chance to broaden their horizons and explore new interests.

• Offering healthy physical activity:  Young children need plenty of opportunities to move, stretch and run around! Through activities such as working on our community garden, taking walks, doing yoga, and playing in the playground and sandbox, our students get the exercise they need and have fun in the process.

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Preschool is the first chance a child has to encounter new ideas and new information, while growing socially and learning to have confidence in social settings that don’t include parents. It is an important time in a child’s education, and we love to help our preschool students thrive!

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Our 3 Year Old Preschool Curriculum

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We often have children work together in small groups, which offers them frequent opportunities to practice sharing and helping each other.

Some of the lessons and activities we use with our 3 year old preschool class include:

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• Learning through play

• Work on fine and gross motor skills

• Emphasis on social skills and collaboration

• Upper and lowercase letter recognition

• Learning to write and spell first name

• Number recognition

• Sensory play

• Topic related crafts and activities

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In addition to our regular lessons and activities, we also offer special activities that help kids learn more about the arts, sciences and even health and nutrition:

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• Music & Movement

• Yoga

• Cooking

• Science

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All of our preschool classes at Explorations have plenty of play time and center-based activities, as well as indoor and outdoor time each day. We encourage healthy eating through two daily snacks as well as a center-provided lunch. A daily nap time gives busy preschoolers a chance to recharge from all of our exciting activities!

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Community Outreach Activities

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Explorations doesn’t just help students develop their academic skills and social skills. We are also dedicated to helping our early childhood students learn to be compassionate, responsible members of society who look for ways to help those in need.

Young children like our 3 year old preschoolers have an incredible capacity for compassion and always want to help! We give them ways to do so by letting them participate in events that directly impact our neighbors in Mercer County. In the past, our preschool has partnered with community organizations such as Meals on Wheels, Kids Helping Kids, Homefront, the Salvation Army, SAVE Animal Shelter, and Operation Christmas Child. We love to help kids see how fun it can be and how good it feels to help others.

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A Comprehensive, Caring 3 Year Old Preschool

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If you’re looking for a Lawrenceville 3 year old preschool program that can help your child grow and thrive in many different ways — academically, socially, physically, emotionally and more. From math to music, from science to yoga, from arts and crafts to nutrition, Explorations lives up to our name by offering many hands-on ways for our preschool students to explore their world.

Benefits of High Quality Pre-Kindergarten

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Many studies have shown that preschool  offers many benefits for kids that extend into elementary school, high school and even adult life! Kids from families of all income levels and backgrounds are more likely to succeed in school, and at-risk kids who attend a high quality preschool programs are less likely to drop out of high school, or to need special education or resource help while in school. From providing math and literacy skills to helping children develop “soft skills” like being able to respect and work well with peers, the right kind of early childhood education can give kids the skills and confidence they need to succeed.

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Some of the other benefits of early childhood education at the pre-k  level include:

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• A head start in literacy and math skills:  4 years old is the perfect time for kids to learn new things like sight words, blending letters and words, writing their name, address, and phone number. We also introduce basic math and reading concepts geared towards each child's readiness, so our students can go on to elementary school with a clear advantage.

• A boost in emotional maturity:  Children who attend a private preschool  program have more practice at developing the skills that lead to emotional maturity — skills such as self-control, sharing, conflict resolution, how to work together on projects, and other social skills that kids need throughout school and life.

• New creative outlets:  Through arts and crafts, music and movement, yoga, cooking, and science, we give our students the opportunity to learn new skills and express themselves in different ways.

• Healthy play and invigorating physical activity:  We make sure our young students have plenty of opportunities for active play, indoors and out! Our outdoor play area includes a sandbox, playground, and fenced-in play area with plenty of things to keep them busy. We often take our students outdoors for walks so they can get healthy physical activity in a natural setting.

• Fine motor skills:  Along with the gross motor skills they will develop through active play and yoga — such as developing their sense of balance and hand-eye coordination — our students also hone their fine motor skills through a variety of activities: Cutting with scissors, threading beads onto a string, learning basic drawing skills, coloring, writing their own names and other activities help children boost their fine motor skills.

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At Explorations, we take this a step further by participating in monthly community outreach events: Our preschool partners with community organizations to help those in need in Mercer County. We’ve partnered with Meals on Wheels, Kids Helping Kids, Homefront, the Salvation Army, SAVE Animal Shelter, and Operation Christmas Child, and are open to suggestions about other charitable organizations we could work with. We also encourage parents to join us in our volunteer work, because volunteering as a family helps increase family bonds as well as showing the child that you also value doing kind acts for others. By helping kids learn to be compassionate volunteers with an awareness of others’ needs, we are doing our best to help our students develop into better citizens.

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Our Preschool program uses a multi-sensory approach to early childhood education, meaning that we like to incorporate all five senses in learning whenever possible. Our students learn life science concepts, basic cooking skills, and health and nutrition concepts, all while having fun!

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Preschool also give kids some opportunities to be more independent from their parents, to learn to interact with and respect other adults, and of course to make lots of new friends! Healthy interactions and socialization are an important part of any young child’s development, and at Explorations, we provide a friendly and safe environment for kids to learn to work with others. Our teachers are talented early childhood educators who guide their students as they learn to collaborate and resolve conflicts with each other.

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A Well-Rounded Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum

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Variety is the spice of life, and we believe it’s also a great model for early learners. From yoga to STEM-based learning, from reading to cooking, from gardening to basic math concepts, we provide our preschool students with a firm foundation for school and life. We keep the learning fun in order to engage kids and help strengthen their learning.

Some of our activities include:

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• Emphasis on social skills and collaboration

• Learning to write and spell last name

• Learning personal information

• Introduction to reading

• Basic math concepts introduced

• Sensory play

• Topic related learning

• Topic related crafts and activities

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We also offer special activities, such as:

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• Music & Movement

• Yoga

• Cooking

• Science

• Gardening

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All of our classes, from Early Preschool-Pre-Kindergarten, have plenty of play time and center-based activities, in addition to indoor and outdoor time each day. It’s a good mix of structured and unstructured activity that teaches young children how to behave in a classroom and respect teachers and other students, but also gives them plenty of chances to explore their surroundings and just be kids!

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Early childhood is a great time to learn healthy habits. We encourage kids to eat (and enjoy) nutritious foods through two daily snacks as well as a center-provided lunch.

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If you’ve been looking for a high quality preschool program in or around Lawrenceville, NJ, Explorations Community Preschool has everything you could hope for in a warm and nurturing environment.