Our Program

A day built around play, connection & discovery

At Hawthorn Circle, our days have a familiar rhythm without being ruled by a rigid schedule. Children have long stretches of time to become deeply involved in play, plenty of time outdoors, shared meals and stories, and opportunities to explore whatever has captured their curiosity. The rhythm of the day provides security while leaving room for childhood to unfold.

Our daily rhythm

7:30 AM — Welcome & quiet play

8:50 AM — Bathroom routines & breakfast

9:30 AM — Outdoor play, exploration & invitations to learn

11:50 AM — Bathroom routines, story & cleanup

12:00 PM — Lunch followed by quiet time

2:30 PM — Bathroom routines, stories & snack

3:00–4:30 PM — Outdoor play & family pickup

This rhythm gives children predictable touchpoints throughout the day while protecting the long, uninterrupted stretches of play that are so important at Hawthorn Circle. Weather permitting, we spend much of our day outdoors, and our schedule can flex when the children are deeply engaged in something worth continuing.

Play is how children learn

Play isn’t something children do after the learning is finished—it is the way much of their learning happens. As children build, dig, pretend, create, negotiate, experiment and solve problems, they are developing language, early math and science concepts, physical skills, creativity, persistence and the social skills they will carry with them into school and beyond.

The outdoors is part of our classroom

Outdoor time is a major part of life at Hawthorn Circle. Children have space to run, climb, balance, dig, build, garden, make mud, investigate bugs, create imaginary worlds and experience the changing seasons firsthand. Our outdoor environment isn’t simply a place to “get the wiggles out”—it is one of the richest learning spaces we have.

Invitations to play & learn

Rather than planning every moment of children’s play, I regularly create invitations that give them something interesting to discover. These might include sensory materials, loose parts, art supplies, books, dramatic-play materials, building challenges or experiences connected to what is happening in our garden and the world around us. Children decide how—or whether—to engage, and their ideas often take the experience somewhere I never could have planned.

Supporting the whole child

Children develop at their own pace and bring different strengths, needs, personalities and ways of experiencing the world. I support development through relationships, responsive caregiving, play and everyday experiences rather than expecting every child to learn the same thing in the same way or on the same timetable. The goal is to help each child build confidence, independence, communication skills, curiosity and a strong sense that they are capable and valued.

Learning alongside children of different ages

Hawthorn Circle is intentionally a mixed-age community. Younger children learn by watching and participating alongside older children, while older children have opportunities to practice patience, leadership and empathy. Children still receive experiences and expectations appropriate to their own developmental stage, but they also benefit from the relationships and learning that naturally happen when different ages share their days together.

Care for the everyday parts of childhood

Learning and care aren’t separate things here. Everyday experiences like sharing meals, washing hands, getting ready to go outside, caring for our space, navigating friendships and learning to manage more things independently are important parts of a child’s day. I also work with families through milestones such as toilet learning and support practices including elimination communication, cloth diapering, continued breastfeeding and baby-led feeding.

Who Hawthorn Circle serves

Hawthorn Circle welcomes children who are independently walking through school age. Because we are a small, mixed-age program, enrollment is intentionally limited to a maximum of 10 children at a time, including no more than four school-age children and no more than two children under age two.

Could Hawthorn Circle be the right fit?

Hawthorn Circle tends to be a good fit for families who value play, outdoor time, strong relationships and a childhood that has room to be messy, curious and wonderfully real. If that sounds like what you’re looking for, I’d love to learn more about your family and what you hope to find in a childcare program.