The Children's Adventure Center is a top rated NAEYC Preschool with extended care.  We are open year round, weekdays, between 7am and 6pm, offering partial day and full day programs during the school year and summer months.  We provide a warm, positive environment where your child can develop confidence, academic and social skills, and creative thinking within a caring community of young learners.  We provide various options to meet the needs of children and families.  Our parents appreciate that we have an excellent, experienced cook that provides early breakfast, fresh hot lunches made on the premises, and nutritious snacks for all students.  Meals and snacks are at no extra charge.

 

Our Mission

Children's Adventure Center is a dynamic learning community dedicated to providing a superior early-learning educational experience to all children regardless of economic boundaries. We pursue our goal of excellence working with our town selectman and town offices, to ensure the best community of young learners. As a Quasi agency we remain transparent to our community and to our families. CAC is always available first and foremost, to our children. We empower our youth to become achievers, able to conquer each endeavor that may come their way. We remain dedicated to the mission that was established by our forefathers, inspired by the belief each child can and will conquer when given every opportunity to do so.

 

Our History

The Children's Adventure Center was established in Newtown in 1969 by a group of concerned community leaders, as a non-profit organization, to provide early childhood education for local families.  While researching a place for the Children's Adventure Center, the school opened in a barn on the property of the United Methodist Church in Sandy Hook, CT.  Volunteers came and helped repair and prepare the center for the children and staff.  In 1971, the center relocated to a contemporary building on 14 Riverside Road.

The Center is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.

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NAEYC Accreditation

CAC is accredited by NAEYC - the National Association for the Education for Young Children - a national organization whose goal is to raise the quality of Pre-school Education through a stringent accreditation process. CAC is also licensed by the State of Connecticut; Office of Early Childhood. The State Board of Education, Town of Newtown Health Department, State Fire Marshall and the Town Building Inspector. CAC is also accredited through CACFP, the Children and Families Food Program, DCF, The Department of Children’s and Families, State of Connecticut.

 

Our Philosophy

Our philosophy is that all children can learn and succeed; it is the charge of early childhood educators to provide the environment that fosters this growth. An environment that is engaging, creative, comfortable and inviting is a pre-requisite for learning to occur. We believe that the environment should also provide intellectually challenging activities that will spur exploration and discovery. We believe that through exploration and discovery, children will discover new and exciting skills within themselves; skills that will provide them with a sense of confidence and achievement. We want our children to possess a self confidence that will allow them to attack and complete new skills and activities, trusting in their ability to succeed. We believe that the environment should be open and inviting, allowing children to make choices and preferences. We believe that the teachers should be facilitators ~ to provide assistance, comfort and encouragement, skillfully introducing higher level intellectual skills into the children’s play environment.

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​Curriculum

Our creative curriculum is based on the Connecticut State Department of Education Curriculum Assessment Framework including the NAEYC Accreditation Criteria, the NAEYC Early Childhood Code of Ethics.

 

Our staff provides enrichment activities including math, music, movement, science, and art. Our classrooms include computers, manipulative centers, art centers, free play areas, sinks, and child size washrooms. Our integrated curriculum incorporates personal and social development, physical development, cognitive development, creative expression and aesthetic development.

 

Our playground is a wonderful space with a train playscape and train station, an outdoor classroom, bike area, basketball area, gardens where the children and teachers plant, swings, and other climbing structures.

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Effective Learning

• Actively engages parents in a meaningful and cooperative partnership that supports their child’s education.

• Teach children to contribute positively to home, school, and community.

• Reflects a research-based program that utilizes a curriculum that is meaningful and relevant to the young child.

• Occurs in a non-threatening, nurturing, non-judgmental environment fostering creativity.

• Actively involves the child as a participant in hands-on discovery, exploration and investigation with teachers as facilitators.

• Encourages children to use thinking skills for solving problems.

• Models respect and understanding of individual differences.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​