What are the opening hours?

Monday 5:45am - 4:45pm Tuesday 5:45am - 4:45pm Wednesday 5:45am - 4:45pm Thursday 5:45am - 4:45pm Friday 5:45am - 4:45pm

https://www.facebook.com/627020070766620/

Dandy-Lion Early Childhood Learning Place

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United States
Marshalltown, IA
Dandy-Lion Early Childhood Learning Place

Proudly serving Marshall County families for 25 years! Childcare for newborn through school age children.

04/18/2026

04/18/2026

Magda Ge**er, an early childhood educator and founder of the Resources for Infant Educarers, (or "Educaring"), believed deeply in respectful, child-led development from the very beginning of life.

She reminded us that nature is one of the richest environments for learning—even for the youngest children. From shifting light and fresh air to the smallest movements of birds and insects, the outdoors offers meaningful, sensory experiences that help children adapt, grow stronger, and connect with the world around them.

04/18/2026

We want to take a moment to give a very special shout out to Ophelia 💛
Ophelia shows up each day with patience, kindness, and a genuine love for the children in our care. She builds strong connections, supports learning through play, and helps create a calm, safe environment where children feel comfortable being themselves.
Behind the scenes, she is always stepping in where needed, keeping things running smoothly, and making sure every child is cared for with intention.
We are incredibly grateful to have her as part of our Dandy-Lion family 🌼

04/14/2026

Your book order earns FREE Books for your class. Plus you pick a FREE Book with a $25 order!

04/05/2026

Someone said “just childcare”…Meanwhile we’re over here helping raise tiny humans with personality, joy, and bunny ears. 😌🐰
At Dandy-Lion ECLP, we love celebrating the changing seasons and special holidays throughout the year. These moments bring so much excitement, wonder, and joy for the children. You can feel it building all week… the anticipation, the questions, the pure happiness.
This week, we celebrated with an Easter egg hunt and a fun party filled with laughter, exploration, and sweet surprises. Each child went home with their own Easter basket… and big smiles to match. 💛
These experiences aren’t just fun (although they definitely are 😆). They support social connections, language development, problem solving, and imaginative play through hands-on, meaningful moments.

• Social emotional development: building relationships, sharing excitement, participating in group activities
• Approaches to learning: curiosity, engagement, and persistence during the egg hunt
• Communication and language: conversations, questions, and storytelling throughout the celebration
• Physical development: movement, coordination, and active play

Wishing all of our families a very Happy Easter!

04/01/2026

Now Hiring: Childcare Assistant

Dandy-Lion Early Childhood Learning Place is seeking a dependable, caring, and professional individual to join our program.

This is a structured early childhood environment focused on safety, learning, and meaningful interactions with children.

Responsibilities:
• Assist with care of children newborn through school-age
• Support daily routines, activities, and learning
• Supervise children to ensure safety at all times
• Help with meals, cleaning, and organization
• Maintain a positive and respectful environment

Qualifications:
• Excellent attendance is essential
• Positive attitude and strong work ethic
• Neat, clean appearance and pleasant personality

Requirements:
• Must be able to pass a background check
• Must complete a medical physical
• Not able to bring children to work

Preferred (or willing to obtain):
• CPR/First Aid Certification
• Mandatory Reporter Training
• Essentials Child Care Training

About our program:
Dandy-Lion Early Childhood Learning Place is a professional, state registered home-based program committed to high-quality care and education. We participate in Child and Adult Care Food Program and maintain a Level 4 rating through Iowa Quality for Kids.

Details:
• Part-time (with potential for additional hours)
• Pay based on experience

If you are dependable and enjoy working with children in a structured, professional setting, please send a resume and/or letter of interest to [email protected].

03/26/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1RLAmnzUmZ/

03/26/2026

Fresh air, big smiles, and a whole lot of personality. 🦁
Every child brings something unique, and together it just works at Dandy-Lion Early Childhood Learning Place. 🧡

03/26/2026

Sunshine, fresh air, and a whole lot of joy. 💚
Simple moments like these are what make Dandy-Lion Early Childhood Learning Place so special. Honestly, we wouldn’t have it any other way. 🌸

03/13/2026

Dear families,

New Scholastic Book Club flyers are here, and they’re filled with great new books to help your child improve their reading skills.

Please take a few minutes to browse the new flyer with your child to pick out the books they’re excited to read. If you decide to place an order, you can do so through our class ordering page. Your books will arrive at school about 10 days after I submit our classroom order.

And remember: when you shop with Clubs, your order earns points I can redeem for books and other classroom supplies we need.

Order due date: 03/20/26
Shop our class page: https://orders.scholastic.com/NWK4K

Happy reading!

BECKY KOUANG
Class code: NWK4K

Books I recommend:
Pete the Cat Picture Book Value Pack Item
Pete the Cat: Scuba-Cat (Pre-reader) Item
Board Book Classics Collection Item
The Pigeon Won’t Count to 10! Item
Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale Item
Rescue Trucks Item
Dragons Are the Worst! Item #188064
Eric Carle Picture Book Pack Item
The Stinky Wonky Donkey Item
Never Touch a Pop-Up Shark! Item
Lace It Item
I SPY™ A to Z Item
We’re Going on an Egg Hunt Item
Spring Savings Collection Item
Hello! My Name Is...Honeybee Item
A Season of Sight Words: Spring Pack Item #191936
The Way Champs Play Item
Be an Expert!™ Spring Science Pack
Item #187975
National Geographic Kids™ Things That Go Pack (Early Readers) Item
National Geographic Kids™: Little Kids First Big Book of Science Item
Mootilda’s Bad Mood Item
Bluey: The Doctor Item

Our classroom wish list:
A Pizza My Heart Item
Hello! My Name Is...Animal Facts Pack Item
There Was an Old Dog Who Needed a Nap Item
Once Upon a Dragon’s Fire Item
I Knew You Could! Item
I Want to Be a Community Helper Pack (Level 1 Readers) Item
Feeling Crabby Item
Little Loves: Let’s Giggle! / ¡A reír! Item #188627
Paletero Man Item #188312

Your book order earns FREE Books for your class. Plus you pick a FREE Book with a $25 order!

03/13/2026

☀️ Different Ways Children Learn Through Play

At Dandy-Lion Early Childhood Learning Place, children are free to play in the way that best supports their development in the moment.

Sometimes children choose to play independently, and other times they enjoy working and exploring alongside friends.
Both are important and developmentally appropriate.

Early childhood experts describe several types of play children naturally move between during the day:

🌱 Solitary Play – a child plays independently and explores materials on their own. This builds focus, creativity, and confidence.
🌱 Parallel Play – children play near one another, often using similar materials, but without directly interacting yet. This is a normal and important stage where children observe and learn from peers.
🌱 Associative Play – children begin interacting more, sharing ideas and materials while still working on their own creations.
🌱 Cooperative Play – children work together toward a shared goal, problem-solve, and build friendships.

Young children naturally move between these stages throughout playtime. A child might begin playing independently, then notice what a friend is doing, and soon they are exploring and solving problems together.

Our outdoor play environment gives children the space and equipment to explore in all of these ways. We intentionally reinvest in our program to provide engaging materials and safe play spaces that support active learning.

Through play like this, children build skills aligned with the Iowa Early Learning Standards, including:

• Social & Emotional Development
• Physical Well-Being & Motor Development
• Approaches to Learning
• Communication & Language Development

Play is powerful learning. And every child gets to participate in the way that works best for them. 💛

Address

Marshalltown, IA
50158

Opening Hours

Monday	5:45am - 4:45pm
Tuesday	5:45am - 4:45pm
Wednesday	5:45am - 4:45pm
Thursday	5:45am - 4:45pm
Friday	5:45am - 4:45pm

Telephone

+16416917513

Website

facebook.com

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Dandy-Lion Early Childhood Learning Place

04/18/2026

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