Gentle Hands Little Minds Daycare

🩷 TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO VOTE! 🩷

We’ve made it to the very last day of voting for Best Child Care in Story County! 🥹

As a small in-home daycare, being included in a category with so many wonderful childcare centers is something I’m incredibly proud of. Gentle Hands Little Minds may be little, but it has a whole lot of heart. 🤍

If you have a minute today, I’d be so grateful if you’d cast a vote for Gentle Hands Little Minds! And if you’ve already voted, thank you! 🥹 Every bit of support has meant so much throughout this process.

While you’re there, take a look at the other amazing local businesses nominated, too. There are so many deserving businesses in our community!

Voting closes TONIGHT! Link is in the comments! 🥰

🩷 ONE WEEK LEFT TO VOTE! 🩷

🏆 BEST CHILD CARE
Story County

Being nominated has already been such an incredible honor, and I’m so grateful for everyone who has supported Gentle Hands Little Minds along the way.

As a small in-home daycare, being recognized alongside larger childcare programs and centers in our community means so much to me. I pour my heart into creating a place where little ones feel safe, loved, encouraged, and excited to learn—and I’m so proud of the little community we’ve built here. 🤍

If you’ve been meaning to vote but haven’t gotten around to it, this is your reminder! You can vote today and come back to vote again each day through August 17.

If you feel Gentle Hands Little Minds has earned your vote, I’d be incredibly grateful for your support! 🩷

And if you want to help spread the word, feel free to share this with your people—friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, former families, grandparents… whoever you think might want to cheer us on! 🥹🤍

Every vote and every share truly means so much to me. Thank you for cheering on my little daycare and this dream I’ve poured so much of my heart into. 🤍

Vote here:

2026 Best of Story County Community's Choice Awards Voting Ballot Check it out now!

🍂🏕️ Camping & Under the Stars Week ✨🌙

We wrapped up another fun-filled week of learning through play in July with a camping and nighttime theme!

Throughout the week we explored the outdoors by gathering nature for our camping play dough tray, pretended to camp in our tent, talked about the things we see in the night sky, and discovered bugs and woodland animals. We painted campfires (with hands or paintbrushes—everyone got to choose!), looked for treasures with binoculars, and even made a special s’mores mix to take home and enjoy with our families.

One of the biggest hits of the week was our night sky water table. 🌙💙 The kids spent so much time exploring, scooping, pouring, and imagining—it was definitely a favorite!

We also sang lots of fun action songs, read stories, and spent our days learning through play, curiosity, and imagination.

Here are a few of our favorite moments from Camping & Under the Stars Week. 🤎✨

✨ Voting is officially OPEN! ✨

I am incredibly honored that Gentle Hands Little Minds has been named a Top Finalist for Best Childcare in the 2026 Best of Story County Community’s Choice Awards! 🥹💛

If my little corner of the world has ever touched your family—whether your child has learned and grown with me, you’ve followed along on my childcare journey over the years (from the daycare center to in-home care, to building Gentle Hands Little Minds), or you’ve simply supported and cheered me on—I would be so grateful if you’d consider voting for us. Every single vote means so much to our little business!

🗳️ You can vote once every day through August 17!

Vote here:

https://amestrib.gannettcontests.com/2026-Best-of-Story-County-Communitys-Choice-Awards/

Once you’re on the page:
🤍 Scroll down to Kids & Education
🤍 Select Childcare
🤍 Vote for Gentle Hands Little Minds

To every family who has trusted me with your little ones, and to everyone who has supported me along the way—thank you. This little dream of mine exists because of this amazing community, and I truly couldn’t do it without you.

Thank you for believing in me, my program, and the work I get to do each day. It means more than you’ll ever know. 💛

With so much gratitude,

Miss Haley

Ocean week Fun 🌊🦀🐠🐙

Ocean & Beach week is always SO much fun, the kids and I always look forward to it every July. We spent the first 2 weeks of July exploring, creating, splashing, reading, and learning through play. From sensory activities to crafts and outdoor adventures, these little moments are what make our days so special. 🐠 Swipe through for a peek at what the week looked like!

I’m incredibly honored to share that Gentle Hands Little Minds has been nominated for Best Child Care in Story County! 🥹🤍

If you’ve known me for any length of time, you know caring for children has always been where my heart is. What started as a dream has grown into something I get to pour my whole heart into every single day. Every craft, every activity, every hug, every milestone, and every little moment reminds me why I love what I do.

To every family who has trusted me with their little ones over the years—whether at Gentle Hands Little Minds, somewhere along my childcare journey, or even if you’ve simply followed along and cheered me on from afar—thank you. Your support, encouragement, and trust have meant more than you’ll ever know. I truly wouldn’t be where I am today without this incredible community.

Being nominated is already such an honor, and no matter the outcome, I’m simply grateful to be recognized alongside many wonderful childcare providers in Story County. 🩷

If you feel I’ve earned your vote, I’d be so grateful for your support. Voting opens August 3 and runs through August 17, and you can vote once each day. I’ll be sure to share the voting link as soon as it goes live!

No matter what happens, thank you for believing in me, supporting my small business, and allowing me to be a small part of so many childhoods.🤍

“Wouldn’t it be faster if you just do it for them?” 👀

Honestly? Yes, it would. 😉

But I’m not trying to save five minutes today.

I’m trying to build confidence that will last a lifetime.

At Gentle Hands Little Minds, you’ll often see little ones putting on their own shoes, carrying their own plates to the sink, helping clean up toys, washing their hands, using real silverware, and trying things on their own.

Not because I expect perfection. Not because I’m trying to make them grow up too fast.

But because every opportunity to try is an opportunity to learn.

Will it take longer?
Absolutely.

Will they need help?
Of course.

Will they spill?
Every single day.

And that’s okay. Those little moments matter.

Every time a child zips a jacket, picks up a toy, carries a plate, or scoops food onto a spoon, they’re learning so much more than the task itself.

They’re building…
🤍 Confidence.
🤍 Responsibility.
🤍 Patience.
🤍 Problem-solving skills.
🤍 Perseverance.

They’re discovering something even more important: “I can do this.”

To me, independence isn’t about expecting children to do everything on their own.

It’s about believing in them enough to let them try, while knowing I’m right there to guide, encourage, and support them along the way.

Those everyday moments are preparing them for so much more than preschool or kindergarten. They’re learning to trust themselves, work through challenges, and keep trying when something feels hard.

Confidence grows when children are given the opportunity to try. 🤍

Nothing means more to me than earning the trust of the families who choose my program. 🩷

“I trust Haley fully with my babies! The fact that I am on my second child at Gentle Hands Little Minds speaks for itself!! Miss Haley’s joyful attitude towards childcare absolutely shows through in her thoughtfully planned lessons and truly fun activities. You just have to experience it for yourself! I could go on and on—but one last note: I had never even met Haley before checking out her daycare in 2022. And I never looked back. She consistently communicates and is so supportive of the parents along with her amazing childcare!”

Thank you so much for your kind words. It truly means the world to me and reminds me why I love what I do. 🫶

“What do you mean when you say you’re a hands-on, play-based learning program?”

It’s a question I get asked often, and the answer is simple: Play is how young children learn best.

It’s not realistic- or developmentally appropriate- to expect young children to sit for long periods of time. They were made to move, explore, imagine, create, and discover. Instead of fighting that, I choose to embrace it.

When I watch the children in my care play, I don’t just see toys scattered around the room.

I see problem-solving.
I see friendships forming.
I see little hands strengthening fine motor skills.
I see language developing through conversations.
I see imaginations coming to life.
I see confidence growing as they figure things out on their own.

I don’t believe children need to be constantly entertained. I believe they’re incredibly capable of creating their own play when they’re given a thoughtfully prepared environment, open-ended materials, and the freedom to explore.

At Gentle Hands Little Minds, learning happens through hands-on experiences every single day. Sometimes that looks like a sensory bin, counting with toy cars, or matching colors with dot stickers. Other times, it’s building towers, cooking in the play kitchen, painting, exploring outside, or simply working together to solve a problem.

Every activity has a purpose, even if it just looks like “play.”

Because I don’t believe in separating learning from play—for young children, they’re one and the same.

Through play, children are building the skills they’ll carry with them into preschool, kindergarten, and beyond: confidence, independence, communication, problem-solving, creativity, and a genuine love of learning.

Play isn’t a break from learning. Play is the learning.

And I truly believe the best learning happens when children don’t even realize they’re learning.

Because childhood should be cherished, not rushed. 🤍

Red ❤️ White 🤍 Blue 💙 & lots of fun! 🇺🇸