Takoma Park Child Development Center

Estrellitas Montessori Takoma is a private Spanish-immersion preschool at 117 Elm Avenue in Takoma Park, MD. It is an expansion of Estrellitas Montessori School of DC, which has more than 15 years of experience in early childhood education using the Montessori method. The school works with children from 6 months to 6 years old and runs everything in a Spanish-language immersion setting, so children build both their first and second language while becoming bilingual in English and Spanish. The site is clear that this is a school, not a daycare, with a curriculum drawn from Maria Montessori's philosophy alongside the Spanish immersion program. Classrooms are organized by age into mixed Spanish-named communities: the Infant Community "Nido" (6 to 18 months), Young Toddlers "Orugas" (15 to 24 months), Toddlers "Mariposas" (18 to 36 months), and the Primary preschool and kindergarten "Libelulas" (30 months to 5 years). Programs are offered only as a 5-days-per-week option. Infant and toddler communities run a full day from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, while the Primary program runs 8:30 am to 3:00 pm with optional before care from 7:30 to 8:30 am and a Reggio Emilia inspired after-school program from 3:00 to 5:30 pm. Morning drop-off is 8:30 to 9:00 am and pickup is 5:30 pm, with late pickups billed at an extended care rate of $25.00 per hour. The school adds a Reggio Emilia summer camp built on its Brillando DC program for children ages 3 to 8, structured as four two-week sessions in a Spanish-immersion environment. Camp days center on open-ended art, where children choose when to start, pause, or return to a project, plus themes covering continents and countries, artists, historic figures, nature, animals, and food, along with yoga, dance, and grace-and-courtesy lessons. Registration involves an application fee of $100.00 (paid once), a one-time registration fee of $600.00, an optional lunch fee of $100.00, and a returning-students material fee of $250.00. Students enroll for the full school year, and tuition is owed for the entire year regardless of withdrawal date except for documented service, diplomatic, or out-of-state job transfers. Admission is open to children regardless of race, color, creed, or national or ethnic origin. The school can be reached at 301-302-8331 or info@estrellitastakoma.com.

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 Submit an inquiry through Special Needs USA to ask about program availability, eligibility, and scheduling. 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.