Little LEXplorers

02/27/2024

Inside: Time kids spend outdoors in nature play has been steadily declining for decades and it's costing them enormously when it comes to their physical and mental health. I feel my shoulders relax. My lungs

02/26/2024

In addition to our pets, we also have a few farm animals in our little homestead school. Pictured are our almost 5-week-old button quail, each the size of a two-day old baby chick! Our roo is named Dan (am I aging myself, here?!) and one of our hens is Snowflake. So far, Pokémon names are requested for the other two, but we can’t decide and I don’t know Pokémon!

What should we name the other two?

02/25/2024

Montessori is one component of our hybrid school that helps to support a child’s growth. Our Children’s House is about begin selecting each child’s garden crop for the year. What should we grow?

08/02/2023

Shaving cream and soap bathing and rinsing station for our animals (and arms, some bellies too! 🤪)

08/02/2023

Little Lexplorers is a very small Montessori/Waldorf/Reggio-Emilia blended philosophy family childcare home in the Orchard in Nicholasville in operation since 2012 with over 20 years of experience as a classroom teacher and center director. Just 20 minutes from downtown Lexington, we offer a unique and truly nurturing childcare experience that includes Spanish and ASL lessons with background-checked native speakers, growing and preparing food together, active all-weather outdoor play including swimming, and so much more. We are holistically minded and dye-free! Our meals are made from scratch and not typical daycare fare; because we prepare our food together, our friends are happy to try many new things so you can expect to see things like homemade hummus and veggies as a snack on your child’s real-time app update.

As Central Kentucky’s premier Montessori family childcare home specializing in early childhood development, Little Lexplorers understands the importance of a strong educational foundation. Lifelong learning skills, character development and independent thinking are the ABC’s of our program. Education and routine are tailored to each child’s personality and needs. We have homeschooled our own kids for about ten years, and homeschooling supplication is available for children up to grade 6.

Multi-age groupings are the basis of the Montessori Method: younger children learn from older children, and older children reinforce their mastery of previously learned concepts by teaching younger children. This arrangement also imitates the real world where adults work and socialize with people of all ages and dispositions.

Each child will be provided with a multitude of support encompassing:
1. Safe, warm, nurturing environment
2. Healthy meals
3. Practical lifelong teachings
4. Priority communication with parents

We currently have space for ONE infant or toddler ages 6 weeks-3 years old, and TWO primary kiddos 4-6 years old. We have competitive, affordable rates because we believe every child deserves what we offer.

To schedule a tour or learn more, please send a direct message.

06/06/2023

04/14/2023

Have you heard?! We are Kentucky Proud certified! What we eat and grow are hyperlocal…literally in our own gardens. How cool is that?

04/10/2023

One day, they will ask. Maybe it won't be at 2 1/2... but when your child does initially show interest in something you have in the house, I like to down play it REALLY quickly.
- deadpan face
- "sure" (with nothing else said about candy)
- serve a small amount
- serve it with a lunch that has foods they like
- "here's your lunch"
- no further commentary about candy

And move on.

Especially when kids are really young, the less of a "thing" you make it, the less they will make it a thing.

It does get more complicated when kids get older, but you can cross that bridge when you come to it.

And YES, you can do all the "right" things and your child can still obsess about candy. Regardless of easy answers you may read, there are many complex factors that go into whether a child is more or less interested in sweet foods. So, there's nothing wrong with you if you find yourself in a complicated situation.