Development-Oriented Care
It is essential that we offer development-focused activities tailored to the needs and developmental stages of each child. This means selecting activities that build on what a child can already do while also encouraging new challenges, allowing them to grow at their own pace.
"Challenges spark growth, taking one step further every day."
At Daisy’s Daycare, our daily practice is rooted in a development-focused approach. This means we intentionally support each child’s growth by offering activities that connect to specific areas of development, such as motor skills, language, social-emotional growth, and cognitive abilities.
Our activities are carefully selected and always aligned with the child’s zone of proximal development. In other words, they are designed to meet children where they are, while gently inviting them to take the next step forward. This way, we encourage growth that feels safe, achievable, and never overwhelming.
By offering a wide variety of developmental experiences each day, we ensure that children are supported in a broad and balanced way. They are given the opportunity to explore different skills, discover new interests, and grow step by step in their own time. At the same time, this approach gives our pedagogical team a clear structure to observe each child’s development closely and provide thoughtful, targeted support where needed.
At Daisy’s Daycare, we work with a rotating theme that changes every two months. Our activities are designed to connect to this theme as much as possible, helping children make meaningful connections and engage more deeply with what they experience. On the first Monday of each month (or the next opening day), each group receives a new activity plan for the month ahead. These plans are tailored to the age group and include around 30 different activity ideas. Educators choose from these based on the needs, interests, and rhythm of the group at that moment. In this way, each day unfolds into a flexible and responsive program that truly reflects the children in the group.
We also take a very mindful approach to screen time. Children under the age of two do not use screens. For children aged two to four, screen time is limited to a maximum of 10 minutes per day. When used, it is always as a supportive and educational tool within an activity. For example, briefly showing how something works in nature, such as a flower blooming or the movement of the sun. Through this approach, we offer a balanced and thoughtfully designed daily rhythm in which children are gently challenged to grow, explore, and discover the world around them with curiosity and joy.
"Free play fuels creativity, growth, and confidence in every child."
The Importance of Free Play
Many people think that a child’s development only happens through structured, developmental activities. That’s not the whole story. Free play is essential for children aged 0 to 4, as it gives them the freedom and space to explore, experiment, and learn at their own pace. This type of play is driven by the child’s natural curiosity and creativity, making it one of the most important ways young children understand the world around them.
Free play supports cognitive development. Through experimenting and exploring, children develop problem-solving skills, strengthen their memory, and improve concentration. Whether they’re building towers with blocks or inventing stories during pretend play, children are honing essential cognitive skills that help them make sense of their surroundings.
It is equally crucial for social development. Free play allows children to interact with peers, share, cooperate, and resolve conflicts. These social skills are fundamental for emotional growth and learning the basics of teamwork, communication, and empathy.
Motor skills are also enhanced through free play. Activities like running, jumping, climbing, or manipulating small objects help children develop both fine and gross motor skills. This not only supports physical health but also boosts confidence and independence.
Furthermore, free play nurtures emotional development. It gives children the opportunity to express and process emotions—through role-playing as a doctor, parent, or superhero, for example—which helps them understand different situations and feelings. Free play provides a safe space where children can create their own world, fostering autonomy and self-confidence.
In short, free play is vital for the overall development of young children. It encourages creativity, self-expression, and confidence while supporting both individual and social growth. Most importantly, it lays the foundation for essential life skills that will benefit them throughout their development.
To read aloud
The language development of a child from 0 to 4 years old is recognized as one of the most important areas of attention. At Daisy's Daycare we do everything we can to provide a stimulating and supportive environment that promotes the language development of every child. We do this not only by offering varied language activities in the activity schedule, which match the developmental needs of the children, but also by striving to read to the children at least twice a day in our daily routine. The pedagogical employee can do this by, for example, ending the 'Good morning conversation' with reading a book, reading before the children go to sleep or planning a moment of rest during playing or eating.
All these aspects together ensure that we can provide development-oriented care to children from 0 to 4 years old, at the highest possible level.
"Reading aloud opens the door to language, imagination and growth."
