Mariposas Room

In our Mariposas classroom—designed for children between 12 and 24 months—we nurture curiosity, growing independence, and a love for learning through a fully Spanish immersion environment. At this stage, children are rapidly developing their language, motor, and social skills. By hearing and using Spanish daily, they begin to connect words to actions, objects, and feelings, building a bilingual foundation in the most natural way possible.

Music & Movement

Movement and music are essential for learning at this age. Our young toddlers sing, dance, and explore instruments such as drums, shakers, and bells while engaging in Spanish songs that connect to our weekly themes. Whether acting out a profession in “Guess the Profession”, counting in “Number Song 1–10”, or singing “The Vowel Song”, children strengthen rhythm, coordination, and vocabulary while expressing themselves creatively.

Language & Literacy

Books and storytelling in Spanish take center stage in our daily routine. We read engaging stories that reflect our weekly themes—like careers, animals, or community helpers—and pair them with finger plays, role play, and puppetry. This approach expands vocabulary, supports comprehension, and sparks imagination, while helping children associate spoken words with images and actions.

Gross Motor Play

The Mariposas classroom offers both indoor and outdoor opportunities to strengthen large motor skills. Children climb, slide, push riding toys, run in the yard, and participate in themed gross motor games that encourage balance, coordination, and spatial awareness. Activities like “Obstacle Courses” or “Movement to Music” also connect physical development with listening and following directions in Spanish.

Fine Motor & Sensory Exploration

At this age, fine motor skills are growing quickly, and we provide many opportunities for children to use their hands purposefully. Sensory boxes with sand, water, or rice, art projects like finger painting or creating profession-themed crafts, and activities such as placing objects into containers or lacing large beads help children strengthen hand-eye coordination and concentration.

Cognitive Development & Problem-Solving

Through puzzles, sorting games, and matching activities, Mariposas children practice observation, memory, and classification skills. We integrate theme-based cognitive play, such as matching tools to professions or identifying items in a sensory bin related to the week’s topic. These activities encourage curiosity and critical thinking in a playful way.

Thematic Learning

Themes—like Careers and Professions—tie all areas of the curriculum together. During these weeks, children may pretend to be firefighters, paint using “construction tools,” read stories about community helpers, and sing profession-themed songs, all while learning related vocabulary in Spanish. Themes help toddlers make connections between their learning, their environment, and the world beyond the classroom.

In the Mariposas classroom, learning is joyful, purposeful, and deeply rooted in relationships. With a developmentally appropriate curriculum enriched by art, music, movement, and sensory play, our young toddlers thrive—building confidence, independence, and the lifelong gift of bilingualism.