Your School
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.
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!
Thanks to the flexibility of our Ascend Curriculum, we take an individualized approach to early childhood education and encourage every child to progress towards age-appropriate goals at their natural pace. New skills are introduced sequentially in 9 different learning domains each month and activities are modified to fit the interests and current skill level of each child. This skill-based approach to early education ensures that every child feels engaged, supported, and challenged and makes learning fun!
Another significant part of our curriculum is our Kind Child program. Kind Child is a year-long program for children ages two and older that helps our teachers nurture and strengthen every child’s social and emotional skills. We have found that when we focus on the emotional well-being of each child in our care, we strengthen our school as well. We are confident that Kind Child will continue to strengthen the culture of our entire preschool center by elevating every child’s feelings of happiness, improving their well-being, and enriching their friendships.
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.
Talk to your School Director today to learn more and enroll.
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.
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
Integrated into your child’s daily schedule
Talk to your School Director today to learn more and enroll.
Greetings! I am the busy mom of four kiddos! I have worked in ECE for the past 13 years and have been a director for the last 6 years. I have a Bachelors in Math and Masters in Finance. My family moved to Prior Lake in 2017 and I am so excited to have the opportunity to support a center in my community!
Caitlin Johnson is excited to be part of the Lil Explorers family and has built strong connections with the children and families in her classroom. She brings a warm, caring personality and loves creating a welcoming environment where children feel supported, encouraged, and excited to learn each day.
Outside of school, Caitlin enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She is a proud aunt to three little boys and loves spoiling them whenever she can. Caitlin is excited to get to know each family and become a positive part of their child’s early learning journey.
Hi, my name is Amanda, and I am the Infant 2 lead teacher. It’s so rewarding to finally find a career where I am excited to get back to work on Monday. Seeing all the babies face light up when I walk in the room fills my heart with joy every day. Watching them grow and learn is such an amazing experience. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of our fabulous team at Lil’ Explorers!
We want to learn about your experience with Lil' Explorers Childcare Center. Please take a moment to share your experience with us and let us know how we are doing.
Every family’s routine is unique — and your childcare should be too. With Cadence Education, our Family of Schools may offer various schedule options designed to fit your life.
Each of our school’s are unique, and may not offer all of the options listed below. Talk with your School Director to learn what options are available for your family at this location.
When schedules change, or the grandparents cancel, or life just gets busy, FlexiPass gives you five prepaid days of care that you can use whenever* you need them, one at a time or all at once. No registration fees. No ongoing tuition. Just dependable care when you need it most.
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