Is My Child Old Enough for LCC?

Children are age eligible to join our multi-age preschool classrooms when they are 36 months old.

However “readiness” for our busy classrooms has more to do with an individual child’s development than it does with age. Here are a few questions to consider:

Is your child fairly independent? Your child should be able to take care of a few basic needs such as washing hands, eating snack and lunch without much assistance, dressing themselves (with help when needed) and using the bathroom fairly independently. We expect that children come in underwear and not pull-ups or diapers.

Are they ready to participate in group activities? There are 14 children in each classroom and we follow a consistent routine each day including time for group activities such as greeting and story circle times and we eat family style meals together. Is your child ready to learn about transitioning from play to planned activities, following simple directions, and joining a group of other children in following a routine?

Do they have the stamina for our preschool routine? Our schedule is designed to have a balance of structured activities and free choice with time for lots of outside play! It is a busy environment and can be exhausting for our youngest kids. Does your child need more than one nap in the day? We have one designated rest/nap time after lunch and kids (sleepers or not) are all together in the classroom on their own mats for a short period of time. They can sleep for as long as needed, but eventually activities will resume around them.

Please talk with the Program Director about any of your concerns or thoughts regarding these questions. We want your child's transition into preschool to be a positive one and look forward to partnering with parents to help make that happen.


Interested in enrolling your child at LCC in the future?

Please send us a Family Interest Form so we can stay in touch.

Completed forms can be emailed to Molly@leelanauchildrenscenter.org

or mailed to:

Leelanau Children’s Center

PO Box 317

Leland, MI 49654