Kinder Haus Main Campus

When a parent walks into the Toddler community in Mandeville, you are greeted by one of our loving, Montessori-certified teachers. Calm, serene colors fill the classroom, and every detail is intentionally designed with the one-year-old child in mind. Our room meets the toddlers’ natural needs for calmness, beauty, security, order, and purposeful learning. In this carefully prepared environment, the child can easily focus on shelves curated with hands-on activities that honor their interests and growing competencies. These materials support vocabulary building, sensorial exploration through sound, touch, smell, and sight, and exercises that strengthen eye-hand coordination. You will also find classic Montessori elements such as low, accessible shelving, real child-sized tools, and practical life activities that encourage independence and concentration.

The Toddler child’s days are filled with warmth, consistency, and encouragement. At circle time, they not only learn songs but also practice signing some of the words, supporting early communication. Story time, art experiences, cooking activities, and outdoor play are typically part of the toddler’s daily rhythm. The children actively participate in caring for their environment: cleaning tables, sweeping, watering plants, and wiping spills—developing confidence and responsibility. Social-emotional learning is woven throughout the day, with gentle guidance to help children express their wants, needs, likes, and dislikes. Great attention is given to helping each child identify their feelings and communicate them respectfully and effectively.

Modern neuroscientists have affirmed what Dr. Montessori observed: during the first three years of life, the brain absorbs more information than at any other time. We know that your toddler will thrive in this loving, intentional environment, one that honors the absorbent mind and supports the joyful, natural unfolding of early childhood.

With the knowledge that the first three years of life are foundational to brain development, the Preschool classroom is intentionally designed to support the two-year-old child’s growing independence and sensorial development. The environment offers rich opportunities for visual discrimination of size, shape, and color; auditory discrimination through matching and sequencing sounds; early language development; and gentle introductions to mathematical concepts using concrete Montessori materials such as number rods and spindle boxes. The classroom also includes dedicated areas for art expression, practical life activities such as pouring, spooning, polishing, and cleaning, and cozy spaces that encourage concentration and calm.

While the children experience abundant intellectual stimulation, our emphasis is always on nurturing each child’s individuality and inner sense of confidence. Singing, signing, storytelling, music, and movement flow naturally through the child’s day, supporting both expressive and receptive language. Social skills continue to grow as children learn to collaborate, take turns, and use purposeful communication in their interactions with peers.

Great emphasis is placed on recognizing, respecting, and appropriately expressing feelings. Practical life work extends into daily routines, where children refine grace and courtesy: saying “please” and “thank you,” waiting patiently, offering help to a friend, and caring for their environment. During lunch, children practice independence as they learn to push in their chairs, clear their plates, and help tidy the classroom with pride.

Friendships become an important and joyful part of each child’s school experience. Outdoor play provides wonderful opportunities for developing gross motor skills, exploring nature, and practicing social interactions in a larger space. We recognize the profound privilege of guiding and nurturing these precious children during such a formative time. Hugs, smiles, encouragement, and love truly fill each child’s day.

With bright, open classrooms that seem to invite the outdoors in through windows overlooking the beautiful front yard, children in the Primary class enjoy a thoughtfully prepared learning environment designed to meet their individual needs and support them in reaching their full potential. The shelves in the Primary classroom are carefully arranged with progressive materials that move from simple to complex and concrete to abstract. Each work is selected with the developmental needs and interests of the individual child in mind. Mathematics, Language, Sensorial exploration, Practical Life, Science, Geography, and the Arts all form essential components of the Primary curriculum, creating a rich and balanced foundation for learning.

In the multi-age 3–5 Primary community, younger children naturally look to older classmates for social and academic guidance, while older children gain confidence, leadership skills, and a stronger sense of responsibility. This dynamic fosters a meaningful sense of community within the classroom and supports each child’s intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development. Lessons in Grace and Courtesy help children develop respect for themselves, their peers, their environment, and the greater world. Each year in the Primary cycle offers new opportunities for growth, ensuring that children progress at their own pace and are well prepared to meet the challenges of Kindergarten and beyond.

The Primary child is immersed in activities that integrate movement, hands-on materials, and purposeful choice always within clear, consistent limits. In a Montessori classroom, freedom of choice means that children select only work on which they have received a lesson, use materials respectfully and accurately, and return them to the shelf ready for the next friend. Following these principles nurtures a deep sense of personal responsibility. Independence is strengthened through Practical Life activities as children learn to wash and dry materials, sweep the floor, scrub tables, prepare food, bake, and tend to plants. They also learn peaceful conflict resolution—using words to express their feelings when they are angry, hurt, or in need of help.

By the conclusion of the Primary program, the child is well on their way to becoming a confident, capable citizen of the world who demonstrates independence, compassion, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning.