Minnetonka Community Education

Birth-12 months/Non-separating Meet other parents and enjoy time with your new baby! Spend the entire class together, engaged in sensory and movement activities and a licensed educator-led discussion. Learn about your baby’s growth and development, how to develop healthy eating and sleeping habits and what research tells us about your baby’s important first experiences. If you are on maternity/paternity leave for a limited time and only able to attend a few classes, let us know and we will prorate your fee. Expecting a new baby after Sept. 1, 2019? We will start a midyear class based upon your child’s age as of Jan.1, 2020. Prorated fees apply.

Back to "School-itis" For parents of children ages 2.5-early elementary The start of a new school year is often full of new beginnings, new schools, schedules and budding relationships. It is a time of opportunity, growth and uncertainty, which can lead to increased anxiety and worry in our children. Learn about ways we can create new routines, increase confidence and security, and how we can build upon small successes, while helping our children develop coping strategies to deal with their fears of a new school year. There will be time for questions and shared discussion. Call 952-401-6812 for scholarship information. *Registration is required. Childcare is not available. Thursday, September 12, 2019 7-8:30 p.m. MCEC Deephaven room $10

Birth-Prekindergarten Welcome to this free, monthly opportunity to connect with other parents of young children and play in a space specifically designed for little ones. You do not have to be enrolled in a class to participate, however advanced registration is required.

6-12 months/Non-separating As your baby grows, you encounter a world of new experiences and milestones together. Start your morning by connecting with others who are experiencing the joys and challenges of parenting older infants.

Age 2.5-Prekindergarten Grandparents, this special time of discovery and connection is designed for you and your grandchild! Hands on activities, a snack, and lots of smiles will be provided at each class. Explorer the Outdoors-Enjoy a nature walk and hunt for clues about the change from summer to fall! Track It-Have you ever found animal tracks? Learn about animals and make their prints! Dig into Spring-With over a million different species of insects to learn about, the possibilities are endless. Let's have fun learning about bugs! This opportunity is facilitated by a licensed Early Childhood Teacher. Six sessions, register separately. $18 per child/per session

12-18 months | gradually separating Toddlers are curious, busy and on the go!

24-36 months/Separating Between the ages of two and three your child is a mover and shaker in a world full of wonder and discovery. Explore this world with them and gather for a discussion with other parents experiencing life with a toddler who is talking, becoming independent and challenging rules with a new found confidence.

Birth-4 years | separating Meet other parents of multiples and share joys and challenges, while finding the information and support that you need. Gain ideas for managing sleep, discipline, toileting, eating and more through parent discussion. Please register each child individually.

1-5 years/Separating Night Owls is a great way to reconnect with your child(ren) after a long day. Join other families for fun activities, followed by an educator-led discussion. Conversation topics range from behavior strategies to eating and sleeping routines. There will be no class on November 5, 2019 (General Election Night) or February 4, 2020 (Caucus Night)

18 months-Prekindergarten Turn your fall and winter Wednesdays and Saturdays into family fun time. Our open gym time allows for you to play with your child, while they burn energy. Spend time running, climbing, throwing and riding. Wear comfortable shoes. Wednesdays 4-5 p.m. and Saturdays 9:30-10:30 a.m. $3 per child/$5 per family. Space is limited to 35 children. Registration is required. No refunds will be issued for cancellations or non-attendance. Fees are non-transferable and cannot be applied to another Open Gym day.

The first selection for fall 2020 is The Gardener and the Carpenter by Alison Gopnik. Books will be available for check-out from the ECFE Parent Resource library if you choose not to bring a personal copy. Future titles will be determined by participant feedback. The Gardener and the Carpenter draws on the study of human evolution and her own cutting-edge scientific research into how children learn. She shows that although caring for children is profoundly important, it is not a matter of shaping them to turn out a particular way. Children are designed to be messy and unpredictable, playful and imaginative, and very different both from their parents and from each other. The variability and flexibility of childhood lets them innovate, create, and survive in an unpredictable world. "Parenting" won't make children learn - but caring parents let children learn by creating secure, loving environments.

Preschool Parent Talk Missing the connection with other parents while your child is in preschool? This class is for you! Led by a licensed parent educator, discuss topics relevant to you and other preschool parents. Sibling care is available for this adult-only class.

3-5 years non-separating STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. Enjoy one, two or all three of these fun and interactive classes with your child! Nature Art- The natural world is an amazing canvas! Leaves, pine cones, flowers, bugs, textures, and landscapes that are beautiful and versatile. Come explore our natural world through art and take home original creations that bring the outside in. Art in Motion-Bubbles, mobiles, and even how you move your body is Art in Motion! Come get creative with tools and materials to explore how amazing art can be! The Science of Art- Symmetry, patterns, colors, transparency- the intersection of science and art is complex and intriguing! Come experiment with science and create art that reflects the world around us. Sibling care is not available.

PLEASE NOTE: Science Discovery class titles and descriptions were published incorrectly in the catalog, these are the correct titles and descriptions for 2020-2021. 3-5 years | non-separating Explore fun science topics with your child during these afternoon or evening parent + child classes! All classes align with elementary life science, earth science, physical science and/or nature of science and engineering standards. The fee is $21 per class, per child−or register for all six classes at once for $111 per child. All afternoon classes are held from 1:15-2:30 p.m. and all evening classes are held from 6:15-7:30 p.m. Sibling care is not available. Build It Is your child a future construction engineer? Or an architect? Come and use your imagination to build with us! We will explore different materials and real tools. Habitats Where do you live? What kind of habitat is Minnesota? As we explorer our world, we will look at the different places that people, animals and plants live and what they need to survive. Magnets Can a magnet pick up a car? Explore the amazing power of a positive and negative force. Gear and Wheels Why is the wheel round? What things use gears? Explore the combination of gears and wheels with a favorite activity, the bike! Weather Spring in Minnesota can bring snow, rain, sleet and sun! Sometimes all in the same week! Come and explorer the many ups and downs of weather and how meteorologists predict what is going on! Creature Classification Mammals? Amphibians? Do you know the difference? Explore amazing creatures up close and see if you can tell them apart!