St. Paul's Premier Hourly Child Care Center
KidsPark Child Care
Since 1982, KidsPark Child Care has filled a unique role for parents looking for high-quality child care, on a flexible schedule, that didn’t cost a fortune or charge full-time prices for part-time needs. Instead, KidsPark uses a co-op member model that requires more investment from each member family, in return for affordability, personalized learning, and a warm, supportive community of parents and families.
Hourly Drop-in Child Care
KidsPark Child Care provides quality hourly drop-in child care for member families. Hours are paid for in advance and reservation times can be changed week to week, depending on individual family needs.
Screen-Free Learning
Our learning philosophy views children as individual, capable, and independent co-learners. We believe young kids learn best from being outdoors and exploring nature, not sitting still, staring at a screen.
Community Membership
To join our community and register a child, parents must join our Co-op and commit to membership responsibilities. When we all work together to create a strong, supportive community, all of our children benefit.
Who is KidsPark for?
KidsPark is for flexible parents looking for flexible child care that won’t break the bank. Since most child care centers charge full day prices for part time use, parents whose schedules allow for more flexibility in child care find themselves priced out of the typical “all or nothing” approach to child care. Instead, KidsPark families are able to use their flexibility to invest more in the child care than a typical full-time working parent could, which lowers the cost and increases parents’ involvement in their children’s lives and development.
Safety, Quality, and Affordability.
KidsPark offers peace of mind for parents at accessible rates.
We are a state-licensed facility with highly qualified, caring and dedicated teaching staff. We maintain low child-teacher ratios to ensure safety and maximize individual attention and personalized learning objectives. All of this is possible while still being affordable because of the involvement of our close-knit community of parents and families. We invite you to experience the best of both worlds with our unique approach that prioritizes children while building community.
Reggio-Inspired Curriculum
100 Languages
We believe there are “100 Languages” through which people learn and express their knowledge and emotions. Speaking, painting, drawing, building, sculpting, acting, singing, moving, dancing, writing, inventing and playing music are only a few of the many “languages” we use at KidsPark.
Observation
Reggio-inspired teachers know their first responsibility is to pay attention. We watch, listen to, and respond to each child’s ideas and encourage them to take new steps in their learning and thinking. We use open-ended questions and curiosity to inspire creative projects and unique experiences.
Art and Music
The arts are essential for development and creativity, so we prioritize having materials and instruments available to all ages for experimentation and exploration. KidsPark offers weekly music classes as a part of the curriculum to engage children in new sounds and songs.
Critical Thinking
With Reggio-inspired curriculum, we see children as possessing multiple intelligences and competencies, and invite them to share all their ways of knowing. The Reggio approach offers a vision of learning that provokes dialogue, exchange, and collaboration across all ages.
What ages can attend KidsPark Child Care?
KidsPark is licensed for infants aged 6 weeks old up to preschoolers 4 to 5 years old (not yet in kindergarten.)
Do you provide meals?
We provide a variety of healthy snacks as age-appropriate, but require parents to send packed lunches or bottles of milk or formula for infants.
Does KidsPark provide licensed child care?
Yes, KidsPark is licensed by the State of Minnesota Department of Human Services and meets or exceeds its minimum requirements. KidsPark teachers meet and exceed state mandated qualifications to work with children in a child care setting
Can my child attend full time / part time?
KidsPark is not a full-time child care, as the hours are Tuesday-Friday, 9am-3pm. Depending on availability and needs, some members may attend all four days all day or only a few days part of the day.
Are there any minimums / maximums for how much I can use KidsPark?
There are no minimums for KidsPark usage, but the state limits maximum total usage to no more than 90 hours per month per child.
The KidsPark, Inc. program based in St Paul, MN is not associated or affiliated with KidsPark, Inc. based in California or any other KidsPark, Inc franchises.