“I was in that position of, what do I do next. “There was a high need and not a lot of programs,” said Wuellenweber.

Susan Bradley, director of Casa dei Bambini in Bow, where two of Wuellenweber’s three children go, had told Wuellenweber about the wait list at the school for toddlers. Wuellenweber began thinking about opening the program in the fall 2012. Oh yeah, there is also a table shaped like a whale. We were coerced into reading three by those little faces. One thing is for certain – these kids certainly love books. There is a sweet rocking horse, a dinosaur bean bag and lots of toys and books. The staff, on this day made up of Miller, Jennifer Thompson and Tonie DeMiles, like to move the children around to break up the day. The back classroom is the largest and next stop of the afternoon. “Circle time is really their favorite part of the day,” said Miller. That’s where they read books like the Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?, and sing the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Wheels on the Bus.” Oh, the classics. It’s circle time, and Miller has some things planned. After some good old-fashioned play, the students transition to the middle room. So it isn’t all just fun, although there is plenty of that. The great part about the curriculum is that it’s all educational based.” “But the way the day goes is different each day. “We use the curriculum as a guideline going into the day,” said Miller. They encourage interaction between the children and have an emphasis on respect for other students and the Tot Spot’s stuff. There is a teaching component in almost everything they do. Program Director Lexie Miller developed a curriculum for the toddler program based on pre-Montessori principles. This is the most important period of growth for children at this age.”

“We’re providing child care, but there’s an educational component to it. “I’ve always had a passion and love for education,” said Wuellenweber. (Hey, that could be the start of our new rap.) It’s just part of what is taught at the Tot Spot. The others, though, are quick to follow suit. They call Colton “The Mayor” because he is typically the first to approach a new student, say hi and make them feel welcome. There were numerous trips down the slide and big smiles to prove it. And word spread quickly, because everyone wanted to be part of the Insider photo shoot. Despite their young age, apparently they are huge fans of the Insider.Ĭolton quickly came up and said “Hi.” Trip and Thomas did as well. But Colton, Trip and Thomas had other things to attend to. With trucks, blocks – and did we mention a red slide – at their disposal, the tots had all they needed to play for hours. The three teachers for the day seem to have their hands full, although they handle it with no problem. Following a two-hour nap and a quick snack, the smallest of the three rooms is transformed into play time. I want to provide a program to the community that I’d want my children to go to.”īut the sound of what turns out to be 12 children can be heard from a room to the left. “Everything in our building is specially sized for this age group,” said Sally Wuellenweber, owner and executive director of the Tot Spot. For the record, do not buy these shelves unless you are two feet tall. The classroom straight ahead is decked out with little tables and chairs, bite-size bean bags, a big rug in the middle and shelves chosen to match the height of the students. There are three large classrooms in the building and one tiny bathroom.

Each child has his or her own basket filled with gloves, mittens and anything else needed for the day. When you walk into the West Street facility, home to the recently opened toddler program specializing in children ages 12 to 36 months, little winter jackets, snow pants and boots line the entrance way. At the Tot Spot, he is known as The Mayor, and there’s a good reason for that. It is where the students and teachers sing songs, read books and invite new friends to join along. Circle time is one of the best parts of the day at the Tot Spot.

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