Preschool / Child Daycare Center in Manhattan, NYC

Smarter Toddler, Manhattan:
With two convenient locations in New York City on Manhattan's Upper West Side, Smarter Toddler is an arts-based early childhood school offering full-time and part-time preschool & child care programs to children aged between 3 months to 5 years. The school was founded by parents of gifted young children who wanted a progressive preschool with an advanced arts-based curriculum that their children could benefit from. We believe that the artistic, cultural, and social development of each child is integral to education. We are dedicated to providing a foundation that encourages each child’s lifelong love of learning through art and music. We are located on West 89th Street (between Columbus & Amsterdam Avenues) and West 55th Street.

Early Childhood Education Programs:
Smarter Toddler is a wam, community-oriented learning environment with curriculum geared toward the growth of the "whole child". Music, movement, literacy and visual arts are an active part of every child's day. Our dedicated staff encourages exploration that makes learning fun!

Our mission is to continue to create an enhanced quality child care program through cultural experiences and the arts. Initiatives such as our arts partnership with Music Together, Harlem School of the Arts and Creative Keys Yoga define our vision and will help us achieve our mission. 

Infant Program (3 - 12 months):
Nurturing caregivers, staffed at a generous 1:4 ratio, provide attentive, affectionate care, bathing the infants in language as they perform everyday routines. The infant program meets the needs for physical comfort, emotional security, beginning socialization and language development for the infant from age 3 months to 1 year. 

Toddler 1 Program (13 - 20 months):
Toddlers have a rapid developmental sense of themselves; which is characterized by physical movement, language acquisition and the exploration of social relationships and imaginative play. At this age we introduce the children to activities which help them express themselves through sound, imagination, and through experimenting with color, texture and shape. We also help children to understand their emotions and develop their relationships with other children through empathy and concern.

Toddler 2 Program (21 months - 2.5 years):
Teachers in the Toddler 2 rooms help children become more independent. They learn through a balance of play, teacher-facilitated activities, and repetition. It is the optimum environment for learning at this level of development. We also help children to understand their emotions and develop their relationships with other children through empathy and concern.

Young Preschool Program (2.5 - 3.5 years):
Our Young Preschool program incorporates the four important developmental areas: Social, Emotional, Cognitive and Physical. We've added one more to ours; Character Development. Included in our program are experiences in language arts, dramatic play, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, creative arts, science, math, music, and movement. 

Preschool Program (3.5 - 5 years):
Teachers will support preschoolers’ learning with exciting activities to best meet their cognitive, physical and social-emotional development. Our preschoolers will begin to experience the joy of self-expression in the areas of music, arts & crafts, movement, story hour, and games in our supervised play areas. Dramatic play, outside play, music & movement, blocks and science are a big part of their day.

Arts Program:
- Music Together is an internationally recognized early childhood music program for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners.
- The Visual Arts Program offered in partnership with The Harlem School of the Arts provides creative and cultural experiences for children from Toddler 2 to Preschool. They explore the wonders of art through various methods of design.
- In partnership with Creative Keys Yoga, we offer a fun and relaxing yoga class for kids! Each week we will practice poses along with books, songs and games that link creative movement with learning. 

For further information on our preschool / nursery school programs in Manhattan, please e-mail us via our Contact Page.