Our Curriculum
Scope & Sequence: What Your Child Will Learn
At Christina's Child Care Center, we follow a research-based, play-centered curriculum that supports your child's growth across all developmental domains. Explore the milestones we focus on at each age.
Daily Circle Time & Prayer
Rooted in indigenous wisdom and African Ubuntu philosophy, our daily circle time creates a sacred space where every child belongs, every voice matters, and we grow together as a community.
“I Am Because We Are”
Ubuntu, an African philosophy meaning “I am because we are,” guides our approach to building community. We teach children that their identity and worth come from being part of something greater than themselves.
This interconnected worldview helps children develop empathy, belonging, and the understanding that we are all responsible for one another.
Opening Prayer
Each circle begins with a simple prayer of gratitude, blessing, and intention for our day together. This grounds us in thankfulness and sets a peaceful tone.
The Talking Piece
A special object passed around the circle gives each child the right to speak while others listen with respect. This teaches turn-taking, patience, and honoring every voice.
Community Circle
Sitting in a circle where everyone can see each other creates equality and connection. We share feelings, celebrate successes, and support one another as family.
Healing & Restoration
When conflicts arise, we return to the circle to talk, listen, and restore relationships. We focus on understanding and making things right, not punishment.
What Children Learn Through Circle Time
Learning Domains We Focus On
Infant Program
Ages 6 weeks - 16 months
Problem-solving, memory, attention, and logical thinking skills
Tracks moving objects
Follows objects and people with their eyes as they move
Move colorful toys slowly in front of your baby
Explores cause and effect
Discovers that actions cause reactions
Provide toys that respond to touch or movement
Develops object permanence
Understands objects exist even when out of sight
Play peek-a-boo and hide-and-find games
Speaking, listening, vocabulary, and communication abilities
Responds to sounds and voices
Turns toward sounds and recognizes familiar voices
Talk, sing, and read to your baby throughout the day
Coos and babbles
Makes vowel sounds and early babbling
Respond to your baby's sounds as if having a conversation
Understands simple words
Responds to their name and common words
Use their name often and narrate daily activities
Gross motor, fine motor, coordination, and physical health
Develops head control
Holds head steady and lifts during tummy time
Practice tummy time several times daily
Reaches and grasps
Reaches for objects and holds them in hands
Offer safe objects within reach to encourage grasping
Rolls and sits
Learns to roll over and sit with support
Create safe spaces for floor play and movement
Relationships, self-regulation, empathy, and emotional awareness
Forms secure attachments
Bonds with caregivers and shows preference
Respond consistently to your baby's needs
Expresses emotions
Shows range of emotions through facial expressions and sounds
Name your baby's emotions as you respond to them
Engages in social play
Enjoys interactive play with caregivers
Make eye contact and play simple interactive games
Art, music, imaginative play, and creative expression
Explores sensory materials
Investigates textures, sounds, and visual stimuli
Provide safe sensory experiences with varied textures
Responds to music
Reacts to rhythm and melody
Sing songs and play different types of music
Developmental Experiences
Learning that goes beyond the classroom. These experiences connect children to their community, natural world, and cultural heritage.
Nature Sensory Garden Walk
Young Infant (6 weeks - 8 months) · 30 minutes · Weekly
Gentle outdoor walk through the center's garden area. Infants experience textures (grass, leaves, petals), sounds (birds, wind), and light patterns. Caregivers narrate what the child is touching and hearing, building early language alongside sensory input.
Ubuntu Connection
“Even our youngest community members belong to the natural world. When an infant reaches for a leaf or feels grass under their fingers, they are saying "I am here, I am part of this." The garden is our first shared classroom, open to everyone.”
Music and Movement Visitor
Older Infant (8 - 16 months) · 45 minutes · Monthly
A local musician visits with acoustic instruments. Infants experience rhythm, vibration, and song in a small group setting. The musician plays softly, lets children touch instruments, and leads simple songs with caregiver participation.
Ubuntu Connection
“When a musician shares their gift with our babies, children experience someone giving to the community freely. Music is a universal language of connection. The rhythm a child feels in their body connects them to every person who has ever clapped, sung, or swayed.”
Family Heritage Blanket
Young Infant (6 weeks - 8 months) · Ongoing · Ongoing throughout enrollment
Each family brings a blanket or fabric with meaning: a cultural pattern, handmade quilt, meaningful clothing item, or fabric from their home country. Infants explore these textures during tummy time, rest, and free play throughout their enrollment.
Ubuntu Connection
“Each blanket carries a family's story into our classroom. When babies rest on blankets from home, the boundary between family and center softens. The child is surrounded by their people's warmth even when those people are at work.”
Community Library Story Time
Older Infant (8 - 16 months) · 1.5 hours · Quarterly
Small group visit to the local Crystal or Brooklyn Park library. Infants experience board books, puppet shows, and the rhythm of group story time. Caregivers sit with infants on their laps, modeling attention and engagement with books.
Ubuntu Connection
“The library belongs to everyone. Bringing our infants into this shared space teaches them from the start that community resources exist for all of us. The librarian reading to them is one more adult in their village.”
Seasonal Sensory Bins
Young Infant (6 weeks - 8 months) · 20 minutes · Weekly
Rotating sensory bins filled with season-specific natural materials. Fall: leaves and acorns. Winter: pinecones and brief snow exploration. Spring: flower petals and soil. Summer: water and shells. All materials are large enough to prevent choking and are closely supervised.
Ubuntu Connection
“The seasons change for all of us together. When children explore materials that come from the world around them, they connect to the same rhythms their families and neighbors live. The acorn a child holds fell from a tree the whole neighborhood walks past.”
See Our Curriculum in Action
Visit our center to see how we bring these developmental milestones to life through engaging, play-based activities every day.