Our Programs

The Yellowknife Day Care Association offers quality early learning and child care programming for children between the ages of one and four. Read about our age-specific programming in the sections below.

One to Two Year Old Program

At this age, the learning process is mostly done by their own explorations and our teachers watch over each child to be sure their exploring is safe.  The children use all of their senses and gross motor and manipulative skills to explore whatever environment they may be in. We also allow the children to begin learning such self-help skills such as hand washing, and eating.  At this age we introduce sorting, colours and shapes through the use of variety of toys and materials.

Our curriculum encourages:

  1. independence to satisfy their curiosity about their environment

  2. influence language development by responding to their attempts of communicating in proper language form

  3. encouraging fine motor development and manipulation by offering crafts such as finger painting and use of such things as home made play dough

  4. primary social development by encouraging sharing

  5. speaking to the child using descriptive language such as the “red” ball, the “blue” bucket or “yellow” crayon.

Intended Learning Outcomes for the one to two year old program

This age group learns by doing and children of this age are “learning” every minute of their day. Starting by “learning” to separate from their parent(s) each morning is likely the first task of children (and parents) enrolling in the centre in this age category.  The teacher may be able to help both parent and child learn this skill by suggesting the following routine:

  1. let the parent hug and/or kiss child as they bring the child to the doorway

  2. do not turn back, likely the child will cry at first but if that behaviour brings the parent back for another round of hugs and kisses, it will encourage the child to continue the behaviour and begin to escalate it

 Other learning outcomes for this age include:

  1. become able to separate from their parent without distress

  2. to interact with teachers and other children in group

  3. to learn about books, music, songs

  4. to learn age appropriate games

  5. to build large and small motor skills with an interesting array of inside and outside toys

  6. to begin learning the concepts of:  front/behind; pick up/put down; together/apart; open/ close

Two to Three Year Old Program

Toddlers walk, run, crawl, jump, climb, and generally do not stop moving during their waking hours.  They frequently and loudly protest when an adult thinks it’s time for them to stop moving and sleep.  They have an insatiable desire to climb as high as possible, take as many things apart as they can get and rarely sit still for long.  If they do sit for awhile, it is because something they can manipulate has caught their attention.  They use their manipulative abilities to discover the properties of everything they touch.  They enjoy dumping, stacking, dropping, banging, poking their fingers into things and pulling things apart.  They repeat and practice activities time after time. Toddler classrooms help nurture the growing sense of independence.

Our curriculum encourages:

  1. a safe environment that can handle all the mobility that curious toddlers need both inside and outside with play equipment built especially for short legged little ones;

  2. constant supervision that protects toddlers from their impulsiveness and immaturity;

  3. songs, stories, rhymes, sitting at a table and eating on their own, and potty training;

  4. introduces concepts of shapes and colour recognition; and

  5. printed name recognition by having their names on their chairs, beds, hooks, etc.

Intended Learning Outcomes for the two to three year old program:

  1. Learning outcomes for this age should be:

  2. to interact with teacher and other children in group;

  3. become “potty” trained (see more information on potty training in the Yellowknife Day Care Association Parent Handbook);

  4. to learn about books, music, songs;

  5. to learn age appropriate games;

  6. to build large and small motor skills with an interesting array of inside and outside toys;

  7. learn to sit in a chair for lunch and snack times;

  8. to learn to use a sleep cot;

  9. to begin name recognition;

  10. learn shapes and colors,

  11. learn to sing /say letters and count numbers up to ten

Three to Four Year Old Program

This curriculum builds from the 2 year old program.  In this class the children who are moving from the two to three year old program will be meeting some large new challenges. 

Cognitive / Language Development

This class builds on the recognition of shapes started in the two year old section, starts the recognition of the letters of the alphabet and begins the recognition and concept of numbers up to 6.  The instructor in this class will introduce patterning, sorting and rhyming

Social and Emotional Development

One of the first new challenges of this group will be getting used to a classroom that has an unrestricted doorway.  As the child is now “potty trained”, they are reminded to exercise their new toileting skills.  The children also will begin to learn to listen and understand 2 part directions, begin learning the difficult task of sitting on a chair and completing short spurts of “table” work, which will be some kind of learning task, or craft work..   Through dramatic play, the children are learning to listen and cooperate with each other.

Physical & Self Help Development

At this age the children are ready to learn new skills such as putting on their own jackets, snow pants, boots/shoes, hats and gloves.  The instructor helps them learn to do these things, and although they are slow at it, we encourage parents to let them do it themselves as well.  Outdoor play help the children build their muscles, eye and hand co-ordination and provides lots of opportunity to explore imaginative games. 

Learning outcomes for the three to four year old program are:

  1. to interact with teacher and other children in group;

  2. become “potty” trained;

  3. to learn about books, music, songs;

  4. o learn age appropriate games;

  5. to build large and small motor skills with an interesting array of inside and outside toys;

  6.   learn to sit in a chair for lunch and snack times;

  7. to learn to use a sleep cot;

  8. to begin name recognition;

  9. learn shapes and colors,

  10. learn to sing /say letters and count numbers up to ten

Outdoor Program

The Yellowknife Day Care Association does its best to keep the children appropriately dressed for the weather of the day.  However, it is always the parents’ responsibility to provide the appropriate clothing for outdoor play regardless of the season for that to happen. 

Time outside by age and combined wind chill/air temperature guide:

  • 1 - 2 years: combined wind chill/air temperature up to - 20

  • 2 - 3 years: combined wind chill/air temperature up to - 25

  • 2 - 4 years: combined wind chill/air temperature up to - 30

Afterschool Program

We are running our afterschool program from St. Patrick Parish Hall across from the Yellowknife Day Care Association at 5206 52nd street. Program teachers will be there to receive children at 2:30 pm from Monday to Wednesday and on Friday; and at 12:00 pm on Thursday.

On PD Days, where children do not have school, morning drop off will be after 8:15am. Children who will arrive with the bus will be dropped off in from of the St. Patrick Parish Hall entrance. Our teachers will be outside to receive them.

Pick up time is before or by 5:30pm every day. Late pick up fees will apply after 5:30pm.

We will provide 1 after school (pm) snack a day.

Your child will need:

  • Healthy lunch (Sandwiches or wraps that doesn’t need to be heated) on PD days

  • 1 healthy, nut free snack for the morning on PD days

  • Water bottle

  • Indoor and outdoor shoes

  • A set of extra clothes

  • Sweater or jacket for cold days

If days are nice afterschoolers will go to Olexin Park across from the Coast Fraser Tower for play or the Day Care’s playground.

On PD Days they will visit Museum, Library, and City Hall Play park. Each student will have a place on the “sign in & out” sheets. Ask the teachers where to sign in and out your child.

Sign in & out are very important, so please make sure you do it on daily basis. If you need to leave a message for Afterschool teachers prior the program starts, please call the office: 867-873-6369.

If you need to talk to the Afterschool teachers during the program hours please call: 867-444-8950

Muster point in the event of emergencies will be the daycare, 5121, 52nd street. Parents will be contacted and be asked to pick up children from daycare without interruption or delay.