Lil' Explorers Childcare Center

About Lil’ Explorers Preschool in Prior Lake

Lil’ Explorers Childcare Center is a preschool and daycare serving the Prior Lake area of Minnesota. Established in 2003, Lil’ Explorers Childcare Center continues to provide a safe environment for children – centered on exploration and development.

Our expansive facilities offer plenty of room for your children to learn, grow, and develop, while our caring staff provides a nurturing and enriching atmosphere. Each facility features Infant Rooms, Toddler Rooms, Preschool Rooms, and dedicated Pre-Kindergarten Rooms, along with a large gross motor room inside each location.

We are proud to lead the way in preparing children for kindergarten. Through our specialized curriculum and dedicated teachers, we strive to ensure that your child is not just ready for kindergarten, but ready to excel. In 2024, 100% of the Pre-K children assessed in our school demonstrated Readiness or Advanced Readiness for Kindergarten!

It is the mission of our childcare staff to provide top-notch service for all families and provide an enjoyable and exciting time for all children in our care.

Cadence KickStart™ Soccer

Big Fun. Little Players. Growing Confidence.

Cadence KickStart™ Soccer is a high-energy enrichment program designed to build confidence, coordination, and teamwork through fun, age-appropriate soccer play. Led by the teachers your child already knows and trusts, it’s seamlessly built into the school day.

Program Highlights:

• Designed for ages 3–5
• 12-week program (once per week)
• 40–50 minute sessions
• Builds balance, coordination, and motor skills
• Encourages listening, teamwork, and confidence
• No prior soccer experience needed
• Integrated into your child’s daily schedule

Talk to your School Director today to learn more and enroll.

The Ascend Curriculum

We believe that every student is a unique individual who deserves to be treated with respect. The flexibility built into our Ascend Curriculum allows us to create individualized learning experiences for each child and our teachers focus on developing new skills in subjects such as Literacy, Baby Signs, Spanish, Art, Science & Sensory, and Technology every month. Activities can be modified to match the interests and current skill level of every child and we teach through play so our students treasure these first learning experiences and develop a lifelong love of learning.

Kind Child

We nurture friendships, cultivate positive character traits, and strengthen social skills through our Kind Child culture. Kind Child is an integral part of our Ascend Curriculum and we focus on social and emotional skills every month and the development of a new character trait such as Friendship, Empathy, and a Positive Self-Image every two months. The result is a positive and supportive preschool environment where every child feels welcome.

Lil’ Farmers Enrichment Program

Lil’ Farmers is our nutrition program that focuses on health, nutrition and community involvement. We incorporate aspects of the “Farm to Childcare” initiative by partnering with local farmers for fresh and local products. We feature a new fruit or vegetable each month from a list of the farmers seasonal crops. Our students will explore the food through taste, texture, and smell, while learning about where the food was grown in our community. Lil’ Farmers program will help children build lifelong healthy eating habits, so they can become real life farmers too!

Kids Café Preschool Cooking Program

Cooking Up Confidence, One Recipe at a Time

Kids Café is a hands-on cooking program where children explore new foods, build confidence, and develop essential life skills through fun, guided kitchen experiences.

Program Highlights:

• Designed for ages 3+
• Weekly sessions over a 12-week program
• Hands-on cooking activities and kid-friendly recipes
• Builds teamwork, sharing, and communication skills
• Encourages problem-solving and following directions
• Supports early math, literacy, and critical thinking
• Includes a take-home cooking kit for continued fun

Talk to your School Director today to learn more and enroll.