Our Brookland Woods family thrives in this unique homelike setting.
We are located in a very old house and the exterior is definitely a little worn, but our “playhouse” (as many kids refer to it) has lots of character and plenty of soul.
Outside
Our big back yard
Not only is our big back yard forgiving, it's often a component in play scenarios. We've eaten untold amounts of sand cakes and muffins, we've admired zillions of sand castles, we've helped bury and dig up hundreds of toys, and we've seen amazing fossils and sea shells, not to mention a huge assortment of bugs spotted by our keen eyed nature lovers.
Each child has their own small "treasure box" to keep outside. They can stash the tiny rocks, sea shells, leaves, discarded cicada shells, and other treasures they find during the day (14-16 tons of high quality quarry sand can hold many mysteries and spark a lot of creative play). The kids also have individual water bottles stored in coolers. We provide a LOT of great shade for play. Thankfully, lunch and naptime happen during the peak sun hours - while we're all inside.
Inside
Table room (lower level)
This is where we eat (in two shifts), do all our arts and crafts work, do table activities, and play with a huge variety of table toys. This room houses our downstairs bathroom and sinks, and is adjacent to the kitchen. It is a popular, busy room. When we're playing outside, the Table Room is the only inside room open. Sometimes kids need to come inside, decompress, and take a short break.
Housekeeping room (lower level)
Kids love to play house, restaurant, grocery store, day care center, kitchen, tea party, hospital - you name it - they'll play it. We provide lots of toys and supplies to accompany the many daily imaginative play scenarios created by the kids, including hats, crowns, helmets, shoes, boots, dress-up clothes, purses, bags, babies, baby toys, doctor supplies, pretend food, and dishes.
Front room (lower level)
This room is closest to the front door and is where we begin and end our day with free play and book time. During morning and afternoon playtime, we follow our schedule of activities for this room, which includes cars with car ramps and car mountains, waffle blocks, floor puzzles, tool benches, jungle animals, farm animals, dinosaurs, and our Fisher Price village. We have circle time, with lots of singing, dancing, yoga, and stories. The kids also have scheduled time to play with our daycare pet bunny.
Stairs
The window located at our stair landing overlooks the front porch and driveway. Kids can wave good-bye to mom and dad one more time from this window, and they can enjoy watching cars, trucks, firetrucks, dump trucks, buses, bikes, dog walkers, etc. We have kid friendly hand rails on both walls. Our younger children treat the stairs as an important activity. They studiously walk all the way up, turn around, and walk all the way down, over and over again. This is actually a perfect metaphor for one of our most core beliefs: humans are highly motivated to learn about - everything!
Classroom (upper level)
This is the first room we come to upstairs and where we do our more "sciencey" stuff - bugs, butterflies, creepy crawlies, snakes and reptiles. We look at sea shells and rock collections with magnifying glasses, using reference books to figure out what we're seeing. We also have Lite Brites, peg boards, lacing cards, a great magnet collection, a variety of toys and sets for counting, sorting, linking, and creating, and global animals for table play. We have a wonderful collection of old office supplies, keyboards, phones, carbon backed order forms, lists, calculators, pencils, and scrap paper. Playing office is a tried and true favorite.
Block room (upper level)
This room houses our large collection of wooden blocks, but also has a train set, doll houses, zoo animals, and various play vehicles. Our big Lego table provides endless building and creating opportunities. We also have Bilibo chairs for spinning and balancing, and an assortment of musical instruments. We even set up obstacle courses with our stepping stones and balancing domes.
Reading room (upper level)
Here we have books, books, and more books, along with a cozy floor couch and reading benches. Kids can “read” to themselves, to each other, or gather around a staff member reading a favorite story. This room also has puzzles with a wide range of themes, developmental levels, and sizes.
Hallway (upper level)
Our hall has a bucolic, hand painted mural that graces the entire wall. There is a small stream running through it, a tree house, kids having picnics - it's really lovely. At the end of the wall is our office. The children love decorating the door and the inner walls with their art, and so do we.
Thank you for taking our virtual tour
We hope this helps you visualize our unique program. These are magical years for children and it is our true delight to be part of them. Contact us with any questions or to set up an in-person visit.