Toddler Program Coquitlam BC | 18 Months to 3 Years | Smiling Kids

The Smiling Kids toddler program in Coquitlam, BC serves children aged 18 months to 3 years in a licensed, play-based group care environment at 1380 Coast Meridian Road, North Coquitlam. Our program is built around how toddlers actually learn — through movement, language, social play, and sensory exploration — not through instruction or worksheets.

About Our Toddler Program

The 18-month to 3-year window is one of the most developmentally explosive periods in human life. Language acquisition accelerates dramatically. Social awareness — the recognition of other people as beings with separate feelings and intentions — begins to emerge. Gross motor skills push children to run, jump, climb, and test physical limits constantly.

Our toddler program is designed specifically around these capacities. Every aspect — the room layout, the materials, the daily schedule, the educator’s role — is chosen because it supports what toddlers are biologically primed to learn during this period.

Curriculum and Daily Activities

There is no “lesson plan” in our toddler room in the traditional sense. What we have is a prepared environment and prepared educators who know what to offer, when to step back, and when to extend a child’s play into richer territory.

Language and Literacy

Educators narrate everything — transitions, play, mealtimes — flooding toddlers with the language input their rapidly developing brains need. We read aloud daily, sing throughout the day, and engage in back-and-forth conversations even with pre-verbal toddlers who are communicating with gestures and sounds. Research shows that the quality and quantity of language directed at toddlers is the single strongest predictor of language outcomes at school age.

Social-Emotional Development

Toddlers are just beginning to understand that other people have feelings, needs, and perspectives different from their own. We support this development by naming emotions, facilitating conflict resolution at a child’s level, and creating situations where cooperation is natural and rewarding. Parallel play, side-by-side with others without direct interaction, is the developmental norm for 18-to-24-month-olds and fully supported in our environment.

Sensory Exploration and Science

Toddlers are natural scientists. Our sensory tables change weekly — sand, water, kinetic sand, dried beans, clay, or snow brought in from outdoors. Children experiment with cause and effect, volume and weight, texture and temperature. These are not just “sensory” activities in the therapeutic sense — they are foundational scientific thinking.

Art and Creative Expression

Process art — not product art. The goal is never a recognizable finished piece but the act of creating itself. We offer paint, clay, mark-making tools, collage materials, and loose parts for open-ended construction. Children choose their media and follow their own creative instincts.

Movement and Gross Motor

Toddlers need to move, and they need to move a lot. Our outdoor time happens twice daily when weather allows, and our indoor space is designed to support running, jumping, rolling, climbing, and dancing. We follow active outdoor play guidelines consistent with BC’s physical literacy framework.

A Typical Day in the Toddler Room

• 7:30–8:30 AM: Arrival and child-led morning play; educators present for connection
• 8:30–9:00 AM: Morning snack — family style, self-serve
• 9:00–10:00 AM: Indoor activity centres (art, sensory, blocks, books, dramatic play)
• 10:00–11:00 AM: Circle time (songs, stories, movement) then outdoor play
• 11:30 AM–12:00 PM: Lunch
• 12:00–2:30 PM: Rest and nap (individual cots, dim lighting, each child’s routine respected)
• 2:30–3:30 PM: Wake-up, afternoon snack, outdoor time
• 3:30–5:30 PM: Afternoon activities, child-led free play, pick-up

Staff Qualifications in Our Toddler Program

All educators in our toddler room hold a current BC Registered ECE credential. The qualified staff member in each toddler group — as defined by BC’s Child Care Licensing Regulation — holds an Infant/Toddler Education (ITE) certificate, required by law for groups of 5 or more children under 36 months. Our 1:4 ratio is maintained at all times, including during breaks and absences.

Transition from Infant Room to Toddler Room

Children who start in our infant program transition to the toddler room around 18 months, based on developmental readiness rather than a fixed date. Transitions are managed gradually over 2–4 weeks: the child spends increasing time in the toddler room with their familiar infant educator present initially, then with just the toddler educator. Families receive written notice at least 4 weeks before any room change.

Frequently Asked Questions — Toddler Program Coquitlam BC

What is the best age to start daycare for a toddler?

Research on this question is clear: there is no single “best age.” Quality of care matters far more than timing. Children who start in high-quality licensed care at 12 months show the same or better outcomes than those who start at 24 months. If a Coquitlam family needs care from 12 months, a quality licensed centre is the right choice at that age.

Does my toddler need to be talking to join the program?

No. Toddlers develop language at widely varying rates. Some 18-month-olds have 50+ words; others have 5–10 and are communicating primarily through gesture. Both are developmentally normal. Our educators are trained to communicate with pre-verbal and minimally verbal toddlers through sign, gesture, pictures, and patient, responsive interaction.

How many days per week do toddlers attend?

Full-time (5 days/week) and part-time (3 days/week) options are available subject to space. Most families choose full-time care as it provides the most predictable routine for toddlers, who thrive on consistency.

Book a Tour — Toddler Program Coquitlam

Call 604-600-4393 or request a tour online. We offer free 30-minute tours Monday to Friday during program hours.

See also: Toddler Daycare Coquitlam BC | Toddler Care Coquitlam BC | Starting Daycare at 18 Months