Growing up together

Welcome to Steps Toddler Community

A warm, welcoming space for children ages 1 to 3. Rooted in the Montessori approach, we nurture growth through music, movement, and meaningful connection.

“Let the children be free; encourage them; let them run outside when it is raining; let them remove their shoes when they find a puddle of water; and, when the grass of the meadows is damp with dew, let them run on it and trample it with their bare feet; let them rest peacefully when a tree invites them to sleep beneath its shade; let them shout and laugh when the sun wakes them in the morning as it wakes every living creature that divides its day between waking and sleeping.”

-Maria Montessori

Our mission is to support toddlers in growing into their authentic selves: creative, confident, secure, and kind.

  • A Home Away From Home

    At Steps your child will find a home away from home, where they will make friends and learn skills to become more independent.

    We believe in the importance of sharing meals together and creating meaningful rituals around mealtime. We provide all meals and snacks for your child, allowing us to prepare and enjoy them as a community. Meals are served family-style, encouraging connection and conversation. Children take part in food preparation and table setting, building routines while fostering a sense of pride, independence, and belonging. These experiences also support sensory exploration as children discover new foods and flavors.

  • Skilled Educators

    Our program is co-led by an AMI Montessori-certified teacher and an Early Childhood Music & Movement Educator, blending principles from Montessori, RIE, Waldorf, and Outdoor Education to create a rich, well-rounded learning environment.

    At Steps we have created a prepared environment with specialized materials that allow our toddlers space to explore and learn at their own pace. Our space is intentionally designed with furniture at the child's height, artwork at their eye level, and materials that are accessible and ready for discovery.  Our play space encourages curiosity, creativity, and self-directed learning.

  • Welcoming

    At Steps, we strive to create brave, inclusive spaces where children feel safe to take risks, express themselves, and explore their artistic and personal identities. We deeply value and support families from all backgrounds, including but not limited to LGBTQIA+ families, families of color, and nontraditional family structures. We are committed to fostering a community where everyone feels seen, respected, and included.

  • Safety Inside and Out

    Safety, cleanliness, and hygiene are paramount in our program. We take extra care to ensure that each day begins with a thoroughly sanitized and welcoming space, ready for children to engage and explore freely.

    Bodily autonomy is integral to our approach. We support children in learning to listen to their own needs, communicate them to us, and practice the fundamental skills of giving and receiving consent, a key part of building meaningful friendships. We teach them to recognize their body’s signals, whether it’s asking for a hug, expressing a need for space, or using the bathroom. This focus extends to encouraging toileting independence, helping children gain the skills they need, such as dressing and undressing, so they can transition successfully to preschool.

“Our 1 year old has thrived under Megan and Kathryn's care at Steps Toddler Community. Within the first couple weeks of attendance, our daughter acquired new vocabulary in both spoken English and ASL. Over the next few months she brought home new skills such as putting away toys, taking initiative to wipe spilled water, and singing melodies all on her own. The small class size and enriching day-to-day experiences make Steps Toddler Community a wonderful place for little ones to grow and we couldn't recommend it enough.”

-Wuen

“Megan and Kathryn have built an outstanding program and community at Steps that we are beyond grateful to be a part of. There are too many wonderful aspects of the school to possibly list them all - from preparing and sharing diverse, home cooked meals together, to engaging in a wide variety of both practical works and free play, to making music together - Steps truly is the best place we could imagine for our little one to thrive.”

-Laura

“Kathryn and Megan are wonderful, and they’ve created such a special, child-centered environment. We see our son growing and developing new skills every week, and it’s clear how much he loves being there. Even at 1.5 years old, he talks about Kathryn and Megan at home and enthusiastically says “YES!” when we ask if he’s ready for school.

We are especially grateful for the small cohort sizes, which have allowed our son to build strong, trusting relationships with Kathryn and Megan while also developing friendships with his classmates. The integration of music into the curriculum has been another highlight. We’ve watched him develop such a genuine enjoyment of music, use it as a way to calm himself, and break into spontaneous dancing at home.

Kathryn and Megan also make outdoor time a priority, giving the children plenty of opportunities to move their bodies and explore the beautiful parks in the neighborhood. It’s wonderful to see how much thought and intention they put into creating a nurturing, engaging environment for the kids.

We are so proud to be part of the Steps community and truly can’t speak highly enough of Kathryn and Megan. We feel incredibly lucky that our son gets to spend his days with them.”

- Nyika & Omar