Estrellitas Montessori Takoma

Takoma Park Child Development Center (TPCDC) is a year-round, full-time early childhood program at 310 Tulip Ave in Takoma Park, MD, located two blocks from the Takoma Metro. It is open Monday through Friday, 7 AM to 6 PM. The preschool serves children from 18 months to 5 years, grouped into a Toddler program (18 months to 2 years), a Preschool program (2 to 5 years), and PreK. Alongside the preschool, TPCDC runs before-care, after-care, and a summer camp for school-age children. Nutritious meals and snacks are included, and the center accepts children receiving scholarships through the Maryland State Department of Education Child Care Scholarship Program. The preschool follows a developmentally appropriate, play-based curriculum organized around social-emotional growth, gross and fine motor skills, language and literacy, cognitive development, math, science, social studies, and the arts. Classrooms are arranged by age band (Teddy Bears 18 months to 2 years, Munchkins 2 to 3, Rainbows 3 to 4, and Explorers 4 to 5). Teachers complete written progress reports and hold parent/teacher conferences twice a year, in January and June. The center's stated values include a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community that welcomes families of any race, national origin, religion, economic circumstance, gender identity, family composition, and sexual orientation. For elementary-age children (roughly K through 5th grade), the before-care and after-care program runs board games, arts and crafts, reading, outdoor play, and optional homework help, with breakfast offered until 8:30 AM and an afternoon snack after school. TPCDC contracts with Montgomery County Public Schools for bus transportation to and from Takoma Park, Piney Branch, East Silver Spring, Sligo Creek, and Rock Creek Forest elementary schools. The center follows federal government weather closings, so it often stays open on days the public schools close, offering full-day care on teacher work days and school holidays. The summer Travel Camp serves campers entering 1st through 6th grade (no rising kindergarteners) and runs roughly eight weeks from late June through mid-August, 7 AM to 6 PM with no extra charge for before or after care. Camp registration is week-by-week with themed weeks and field trips, including swimming at Long Branch Pool and trips up to two hours from Takoma Park. Weekly camp tuition is $575 (the July 4 holiday week is lower), breakfast and twice-daily snacks are included, and the camp enrolls about 50 campers per week. The camper-to-teacher ratio is usually 6 to 7 campers per teacher and never exceeds 15 to 1. The center notes the camp involves extended bus travel and is not recommended for children who get significant car or motion sickness.

4STEPS Therapeutic Riding Program is a nonprofit therapeutic riding center on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, located in the Wicomico Forest at 5367 Sixty Foot Rd in Parsonsburg. Sandy Winter founded the program in 2002, and it operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and a PATH International Member Center. The program serves children and adults with disabilities, including developmental, emotional, and physical challenges, using therapeutic riding and equine assisted activities. The farm setting includes an outdoor arena, a covered arena, and sensory trails, so sessions can run year round and move outdoors for trail rides through the forest. Programs cover both mounted and unmounted work. Therapeutic and Recreational Riding focuses on horsemanship and basic riding skills while working on muscle strength, coordination, balance, stamina, self confidence, and social interaction. Equine Assisted Learning and Horsemanship offers unmounted, experiential activities on the farm. The HORSEPOWER Empowerment Program uses horses for communication, problem solving, team building, and emotional growth, built around its four parts of Healing, Learning, Growing, and Riding. Equi-Thera-Play pairs horses with sensory stations, crafts, and outdoor play and is geared toward children, with an emphasis on social skills and engagement that fits families navigating autism. The center also runs HORSEPLAY, an adaptive summer camp, and Operation Charlie Horse, which provides riding lessons, trail rides, and seasonal trail ride socials for veterans, active and retired military, and their families. Private, one-on-one lessons are available for participants who prefer individual instruction, and programs can be tailored to individual needs. Summer camp cost varies according to available funding, so families should contact the program directly about pricing and any financial assistance. Instruction comes from certified therapeutic riding instructors, including PATH Intl Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors (CTRI) and CHA-certified instructors for riders with disabilities, supported by a trained volunteer team that helps keep sessions safe. Every participant completes an application and health history before riding. The 2026 spring session runs from March 3rd through May 23rd. The program can be reached at giddyup4steps@aol.com.

A Child's Garden is a preschool and daycare in Severna Park, Maryland, founded in 2001 as a sister school to nearby Wee Lad & Lassie. It is built around the very young learner, with a toddler program starting at 18 months, a 2-year-old program (split into young twos and older twos), and a 3-year-old program. Morning preschool classes run from 9 a.m. to noon, and full-day extended care runs from 7:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. for working families. Attendance is flexible, with schedules ranging from two half-days a week up to five full days. The school is accredited by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), which it earned in 2005 through the Early Childhood Accreditation Project, and it holds a Check Level 5 rating, the highest tier under the Maryland EXCELS quality program, awarded in 2015. The program teaches Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and the Arts through hands-on, play-based activities, and it keeps adult-to-child ratios and group sizes low so teachers can individualize instruction. Teaching staff are degreed and work from developmentally appropriate practice, and the school treats parents as partners in the learning community. A Child's Garden specializes in the care of children with food allergies and operates as a peanut and tree nut free facility. It maintains a Disability Nondiscrimination Policy and points families toward Anne Arundel County special education and ADA resources. The school also runs themed summer camps that mix outdoor play with reading, projects, and weekly themes, held at either the A Child's Garden site or the Wee Lad & Lassie campus at 1281 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd in Arnold, MD. For enrollment, families register by appointment with a $100 registration fee, a two-week deposit, and a signed contract. The school accepts CCS, Childcare Aware, and MCCYN payments. New school year enrollment opens in February, and tours can be scheduled on weekdays between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. by calling the office at (410) 647-2300.