The Enchanted Garden—“where creativity blossoms”—offers programs for children from infancy to…More second grade.</p> <p>Founded by Director Judy Hirt-Manheimer, the school specializes in programs centered on the arts. Infants and toddlers, for example, may enroll in “Judy’s Music” and “Music, Mommy, and Me" classes which introduce parent-accompanied children to music or a “Happy Feet” class for an introduction to dance.</p> <p>Enchanted Garden preschool programs offer four day a week, two-hour programs with an optional fifth "flex" day at no extra charge. Children from age 4 to 8 can enroll in more specialized classes like individual music instruction, ballet or tap.</p> <p>Hirt-Manheimer, who holds a master's degree in Dance Therapy/Psychology from Goddard College, is a nationally-recognized innovator in early childhood music education as well as an author and music education consultant for Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Publishing.</p> <p>The Enchanted Garden has an unusual origin as an educational institution. It started as a public access television show in 1989. That series, in turn, was based on the Music, Mommy & Me program that Hirt-Manheimer developed in her living room to teach music to a handful of friends and their young children. When classes grew too large for a living room setting, they moved to the offices of Ridgefield Parks and Recreation, then into a storefront in downtown Ridgefield and finally to its current location at 165 Danbury Rd. The building was partly designed by Sesame Street artist Tim Clarke, who crafted a child-sized village for Enchanted Garden students to play in, and the school’s popularity has led to a second location at 529 Ethan Allen Highway.</p>

Named for its goal of creating an atmosphere as comforting and safe as home, Almost Home Childcare offers a variety…More of early childhood programs, such as preschool (including programs for infants and toddlers), before and after school care, kindergarten enrichment programs and summer camp.</p> <p>Almost Home was founded in 1991 by Jennifer and Scott Soodek. Jennifer holds Masters degrees in Early Childhood Education and Community Counseling and has worked as a consultant for Work/Family Directions in Boston. She also has elementary school teaching experience.</p> <p>Almost Home's infant program incorporates music, literature and toys that help children develop their motor skills. The program is highly individualized, with parents filling out extensive infant information forms detailing their child's schedule and routines. These forms serve as the basis for each child's daily care.</p> <p>Children ages 1 through 3 enroll in the toddler program, which is based on an "integrated core curriculum." Daily themes are used to help the children explore art, music, literature, science, cooking, dance, motor development, language skills and social development. The preschool program uses monthly thematic units to help children develop positive self-esteem, creativity, problem solving skills and critical thinking skills. Themes may include units on subjects like dinosaurs, the rain forest or the solar system, and each unit incorporates lessons in areas including music, art, science, pre-math skills, pre-reading skills, writing and cooking.</p> <p>Almost Home has two locations. The director of the location at 35 Copps Hill Rd., Fran Kelley, can be reached at 203-438-6118 or 203-438-8551. Bunny Kolf, the director of the location at 100 Danbury Rd., can be reached at 203-894-8208.  Information is also available via e-mail at info@almosthomecc.com.</p>

Founded in 1991 by Nancy Biracree, All for Twos offers preschool education to children ages 1 1/2 to 3 years.…More Biracree, who has a background in both education and entertainment, is the author of  22 books, including <i>The Parents' Book of Facts: Child Development From Birth to Age Five </i>and <i>Buying The Best For Your Baby</i>.<br /> <br />Priding itself on individualized attention toward its students, All for Twos limits its class size to a maximum of ten students with two teachers assigned to each class. Each student is also accompanied by a parent or caregiver to ensure the child's emotional security.</p> <p>A typical day at All for Twos begins with twenty minutes of "free play" time, in which children have access to various toys, learning materials, and books, while parents are encouraged to both play with their children and socialize with each other. </p> <p>This is followed by "Circle Time," in which Biracree—a Broadway veteran—introduces the day's educational theme through songs and games. The theme usually covers early-education basics like colors or letters of the alphabet. These themes are reinforced throughout the day with relevant art projects and games.<br /> <br />Children can be enrolled in one of two class periods: early morning (9:30am to 10:45am) or late morning (11am to 12:15pm). Both time slots meet all five weekdays. </p> <p>All for Twos also offers a "Preschool Express" enrichment program to encourage enthusiastic learning, which children can take one afternoon a week.</p>