A day at Heidi's House Childcare: our rhythm from drop-off to pickup

Doors open at 7:30. Arrival is slow on purpose — a hug at the gate, shoes and hats sorted, then straight outside. The first job most mornings is checking the garden: what grew, what needs water, what the birds got to first.

The heart of the day is a long uninterrupted block outdoors. Practical life work, art at the picnic table, digging and building, books in the shade, and whatever project the group is deep into that week. Adults observe, restock, and step in only where they're useful.

Snack is a real sit-down with real dishes — children serve, pour, and clear. Then a gathering with songs, a story, and a look at what people made or noticed that morning.

Younger children rest; older children have a quiet stretch with books or drawing. Afternoons are looser — water play, more building, and the kind of long social play that only happens when nobody hurries it. Pickup runs to 5:30.