About Ladybug Childcare Center, Shakopee
Welcome to Ladybug Child Care Center in Shakopee! For more than 40 years, Ladybug has provided nurturing early education and care for families throughout Shakopee and surrounding communities.
At Ladybug, we believe children learn best through play, exploration, and caring relationships. Our programs are thoughtfully designed to support the whole child academically, socially, emotionally, and physically while helping each child build confidence and independence at their own pace.
From cuddles and sensory discovery in our infant classrooms to hands-on preschool learning and exciting school-age adventures, every stage of our program encourages curiosity, creativity, and meaningful growth. Our experienced teachers create warm, welcoming classrooms where children feel safe, supported, and excited to learn each day.
As a Parent Aware 4-Star Rated center, Ladybug is proud to provide high-quality early childhood education that helps prepare children for kindergarten and beyond while building strong partnerships with families along the way.
Our Programs
- Infants (6 weeks – 15 months)
- Toddler A (16 months – 24 months)
- Toddler B (24 months – 32 months)
- Proddlers (32 months – 42 months)
- Preschool Classroom (42 months – 5 years)
- School-Age (Adventure Center) (5 years – 12 years)
- Summer Programs
Infant Care
Language and Social Activities
Include songs. Finger plays, stories and personal talking time. Games such as peek-a-boo, gotcha, animal sounds and imitations are included.
Small Motor Activities
Focus on developing and strengthening muscles in the infants’ hands. Activities include shape sorters, grasping and letting go, stacking blocks, tape peel, eating finger foods, and beginning to scribble.
Large Motor Activities
Involve coordination of the whole body. Babies practice rolling, sitting, crawling and walking. Infant exercises such as the bicycle, back crossover, foot flex, and arm stretch are included here. Infants also play with beach balls, their playhouse and rocking cow and fish.
Sensory Activities
Include activities to help the infants learn about the world around them by using their five senses. Activities in this area would be feeling textures around the room, water play, musical instruments, bubbles and smells around the room such as their vanilla ball. The world outside provides more sensory experiences; grass on the toes, the feel of a breeze, and the sound of a bird or truck. We also use food items for exploring with senses. Ice cubes, snow, Jell-O, pudding, whipping cream and more are used.
Toddler A
Group Time
Includes songs, books, flannel board stories, puppets stories, simple language and counting games, etc.
Exercise Time
Includes physical activities such as moving or exercising to music, Follow-the-Leader, animal walking, dancing, etc.
Cracker Time
Is a light, additional snack designed to meet toddlers’ need for a smaller more frequent meal. This is usually a cracker and a drink of water.
Floor Play
Is a time for classroom staff to be on the floor, playing with the children and the toys. This provides important modeling as teachers dress and feed dolls or builds block constructions.
Outside Time
When weather permits, teachers may use their assigned playground times. In the warm-weather months, painting, stories, and other activities may be added to playground activities.
Daily Schedule
| 8:30 am |
Breakfast & Diaper Time |
| 9:15 am |
Group Time |
| 9:30 am |
Table Time & Free Play |
| 10:15 am |
Outside or Floor Play |
| 10:45 am |
Cracker Time |
| 11:00 am |
Exercise Time |
| 11:15 am |
Group Time & Diaper Checks |
| 11:30 am |
Lunch |
| 12:00/:15 pm |
Nap Time |
| 2:00/:30 pm |
Quiet Play & Diaper Checks |
| 3:00 pm |
Snack |
| 3:15 pm |
Group Time |
| 3:30 pm |
Outside or Floor Play |
| 4:15 pm |
Table Time & Free Play |
| 4:45/5:00 pm |
Cracker Time |
| 5:00/? pm |
Close Toddler A – Combine with Toddler B |
The above daily schedule is our base routine. Because children’s needs vary from day to day, teachers may adjust the timing of the various components of the day, making sure that each component is offered. However, activities in bold must remain at the indicated times.
Toddler B
Classroom Age Range
Our Toddler B Classroom is designed for children from approximately 24 months old to 32 months old.
Group Time
Includes songs, books, flannel board stories, puppets stories, simple language and counting games, etc.
Exercise Time
Includes physical activities such as moving or exercising to music, Follow-the-Leader, animal walking, dancing, etc.
Cracker Time
Is a light, additional snack designed to meet toddlers’ need for a smaller more frequent meal. This is usually a cracker and a drink of water.
Floor Play
Is a time for classroom staff to be on the floor, playing with the children and the toys. This provides important modeling as teachers dress and feed dolls or builds block constructions.
Outside Time
When weather permits, teachers may use their assigned playground times. In the warm-weather months, painting, stories, and other activities may be added to playground activities.
Daily Schedule
| 8:30 am |
Breakfast & Toilet Time |
| 9:15 am |
Group Time |
| 9:30 am |
Exercise Time or Outside |
| 9:45 am |
Outside or Floor Play |
| 10:15 am |
Cracker Time |
| 10:30 am |
Table Time & Free Play |
| 11:15 am |
Group Time & Toilet Time |
| 11:30 am |
Lunch |
| 12:00 pm |
Nap Time |
| 2:00 pm |
Quiet Play & Toilet Time |
| 3:00 pm |
Snack |
| 3:15 pm |
Group Time |
| 3:30 pm |
Table Time & Free Play |
| 4:15 pm |
Outside & Floor Play |
| 5:00/:15 pm |
Cracker Time |
The above daily schedule is our base routine. Because children’s needs vary from day to day, teachers may adjust the timing of the various components of the day, making sure that each component is offered. However, activities in bold must remain at the indicated times.
Proddler
Classroom Age Range
Our Proddlers Classroom is designed for children from 30 months old to approximately 40-42 months old.
Group Time
Includes songs, books, flannel board stories, puppets stories, simple language and counting games, etc.
Exercise Time
Includes physical activities such as moving or exercising to music, Follow-the-Leader, animal walking, dancing, etc.
Cracker Time
Is a light, additional snack designed to meet toddlers’ need for a smaller more frequent meal. This is usually a cracker and a drink of water.
Floor Play
Is a time for classroom staff to be on the floor, playing with the children and the toys. This provides important modeling as teachers dress and feed dolls or builds block constructions.
Outside Time
When weather permits, teachers may use their assigned playground times. In the warm-weather months, painting, stories, and other activities may be added to playground activities.
Daily Schedule
| 8:30 am |
Breakfast |
| 9:15 am |
Group Time |
| 9:30 am |
Exercise Time |
| 9:45 am |
Choice Time |
| 10:45 am |
Outside Time or Floor Play |
| 11:15 am |
Group Time & Toilet Time |
| 11:30 am |
Lunch |
| 12:00 pm |
Nap Time |
| 2:00 pm |
Quiet Play & Toilet Time |
| 3:00 pm |
Snack |
| 3:15 pm |
Group Time |
| 3:30 pm |
Choice Time |
| 4:15 pm |
Close Proddlers and Combine with Toddler B & Preschool |
The above daily schedule is our base routine. Because children’s needs vary from day to day, teachers may adjust the timing of the various components of the day, making sure that each component is offered. However, activities in bold must remain at the indicated times.
Preschool Classroom
Classroom Age Range
Our Preschool Classroom is designed for children from approximately 40-42 months old to kindergarten. Hundreds of parents in the Chaska, Chanhassen, Waconia, Victoria and Shakopee areas have relied on Ladybug for superb pre-school care for many years.
Free Play
Free Play gives each preschool child a chance to do whatever he or she might like. It is during these times that children choose playmates, learn the give and take of getting along together, practice problem-solving skills, and use their imaginations freely, inventing monsters, circuses or airplanes.
Outdoor Play
Times and indoor activities such as musical chairs, slides, climbing equipment, basketball, tunnels, and aerobic dance develop physical fitness while being just plain fun. Great for preschool children.
Music
Your preschool child will enjoy music, and we include music every day, at group times with songs and finger plays, in marching and musical games, and during nap time.
Choice Time
During Choice Time, each child may set his/her own pace as they pursue personal interests and agendas, choosing from the many areas within the room or from the added interest centers such as cooking or arts and crafts. Preschool children learn best when they can handle and see and touch things rather than trying to work with abstract concepts and symbols. Our interest center activities and materials are chosen with this in mind. During Choice Time, our preschool teachers become facilitators, ready to help a child in making a choice or to provide extra materials or to suggest ways to resolve conflict, etc.
Outside Time
When weather permits, teachers may use their assigned playground times. In the warm-weather months, painting, stories, and other activities may be added to playground activities.
Daily Schedule
| 6:30 – 8:30 am |
Freeplay Time: May include manipulatives, dramatic play, block, large muscle play, writing, etc. |
| 8:15 – 8:30 am |
Circle/Group Time: May include story, language and math development, music, and social skills. |
| 8:30 – 9:00 am |
Breakfast: Menu is posted on the center’s kitchen door. |
| 9:00 – 9:15 am |
Circle/Group Time: May include story, language and math development, music, and social skills. |
| 9:15 – 11:15 am |
Choice Time: Children may choose any activity area(s) in the room or any of the additional interest center activities such as arts/crafts, large muscle games, outdoor play, cooking projects, expanded dramatic play, science and discovery, etc. |
| 11:15-11:30 am |
Story Time: May include a variety of storytelling techniques, such as puppets, drawing, books read aloud, dictation, etc. |
| 11:30 – 12:15 pm |
Lunch: Options include a pre-ordered kitchen lunch or a lunch from home. Beverages are provided by Ladybug. |
| 12:15 – 2:45 pm |
Rest Time: After resting quietly for at least 30 minutes, children may get up and engage in quiet activities. |
| 2:45 – 3:00 pm |
Circle/Group Time: May include story, language and math development, music, and social skills. |
| 3:00 – 3:15 pm |
Snack: Menu is posted on the center’s kitchen door. |
| 3:15 – 3:30 pm |
Circle/Group Time: May include story, language and math development, music, and social skills. |
| 3:30 – 5:00 pm |
Choice Time: Children may choose any activity area(s) in the room or any of the additional interest center activities such as arts/crafts, large muscle games, outdoor play, cooking projects, expanded dramatic play, science and discovery, etc. |
| 5:00 pm |
Wrap Up: Families are leaving, freeplay time, opportunity for children to be helpers as room is straightened and organized for the next day. |
School-Age (Adventure Center)
School-age children are ready for more: more adventure, more choices, and more freedom. However, they are in a place in their young lives where they still need an adult to guide them in their choices, lend a hand when they are stuck solving a problem, and listen when they need to process something that is hard.
At Ladybug AdventureCentre, we have trained our teachers to challenge your child to try new ideas, give them an opportunity to make decisions for themselves, and also to help your school-age child when he needs an extra helping hand.
Classroom Age Range
Our AdventureCentre is designed for children from kindergarten to 6th grade (12 years old).
Free Play
Free play gives each child a chance to do whatever he/she might like. It is during these times that children choose playmates, learn the give and take of getting along together, and use their imaginations freely, inventing cities or castles or imaginary families.
Outdoor Play
Outdoor play times and indoor activities such as basketball, volleyball, four square, aerobic dance, obstacle courses and the outdoor play structure, develop physical fitness as well as being just plain fun.
Choice Time
Choice time activities are designed to include several different activities each day. Children learn best when they can handle and see and touch things rather than trying to work with abstract concepts or symbols. That is why such things as playdough, water play, finger paint, sensory-tub play and science shelves are important; they provide an opportunity to feel and figure out how or why things work. Art and cooking projects also do this, as well as stimulating the imagination.
Daily Schedule
Our daily schedule allows each child to make choices on how to spend their time. Available choices might include outdoor play, a special dramatic play area, listening to music and doing homework. Each week explores a new theme, including “Up, Up and Away”, “Wearin ‘O’ the Green”, “Summer Olympics”, and “Black and White”. Field trips are scheduled nearly every week throughout the summer to many area locations.
Wise Guys
(3rd–6th grade)
As your child gets older, our programming at Ladybug Adventure Center will change to continue to meet your child’s needs. Wise Guys is a club here at Ladybug for kids in 3rd grade or older. These kids are no longer “little,” and they need different support from the teachers in the classroom than their young friends.
These children might start to get more homework in school; we can help them with their homework and give them a place to study. These kids might need a place to “chill”; we will give them a club room where they can relax into a comfortable couch and talk to friends about their school day. As your child gets older, we will work with you to help get your “not-so-little-one-anymore” ready to stay at home and be independent.
Summer Programs
To your child — summer means more adventure, more choices, and more freedom. Ladybug AdventureCentre offers fun, fast-paced activities and programs for your growing child. In the classroom, on the playground, or in our variety of summer camps, our teachers will challenge your child to try new ideas, give them an opportunity to make decisions for themselves, and help your school-age child when they may need an extra helping hand.
Ladybug offers summer camps such as cooking camp, basketball camp, and tie-dye camp and field trips such as Twins games, Minnesota Zoo and fishing! The weekly camps and field trips, including to the park and to the beach, are always parent and child choice.
Contact us for Summer program calendars and enrollment information for school-age and preschool children. Summer fun includes fun classroom activities, field trips and enrichment programs.
Wise Guys is a club here at Ladybug for kids in 3rd grade or older. These kids are no longer “little,” and they need different support from the teachers in the classroom than their young friends. Wise Guys have even more fun options during their summer stay! Wise Guys have even gone to Valleyfair!
Their club room allows these kids a place to “chill” and relax with their friends. And on Wednesdays, Wise Guys open their Wacky Warehouse for business at pickup time in the afternoons. They work throughout the summer to make items to sell, and the money that they raise goes in their very own bank account. As a group, they decide how to spend it! Last summer the Chaska Wise Guys raised enough money to buy their club room a Wii.
Grow It, Try It, Like It! is an enrichment program for summer for our little bugs to have fun with fruits and vegetables. Grow It, Try It, Like It! provides learning opportunities that contribute to each child’s individual growth and development. Children can have fun while learning about nutrient and fiber-rich foods.
They learn how fruits and vegetables grow and where they go for us to prepare and eat them in many different ways. Carefully crafted activities develop the entire child, body and mind, through discussing ideas and developing vocabulary; enjoying physical movement; enhancing fine motor skills; reading children’s literature; singing familiar music; participating in hands-on science activities featuring plants, and creating individual art and crafts.
In a Ladybug summer program, your child will find a place to enjoy their summer, and as your child gets older, we will work with you to help get your “not-so-little-one-anymore” ready to stay at home and be independent.
What Makes Ladybug Childcare Center Unique
At Ladybug, we know families are looking for more than child care. They are looking for a place where their child will be known, loved, encouraged, and supported every day.
What makes Ladybug special is our long-standing commitment to nurturing the whole child in a warm, family-focused environment. Our teachers create engaging classrooms filled with hands-on learning, creative play, movement, music, sensory exploration, and opportunities for children to develop confidence and independence naturally through everyday experiences.
Families love our:
- Long-tenured, caring teachers
- Play-based learning approach
- Parent Aware 4-Star Rated programs
- Strong kindergarten readiness focus
- Family communication and partnership
- Spacious classrooms and outdoor play areas
- School-age Adventure Center and summer camps
- Fun enrichment experiences and field trips
As children grow, our programs grow with them. Whether your child is taking their first steps, preparing for kindergarten, or heading into elementary school, Ladybug provides a supportive environment where children can thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.
Parent Aware Awarded Ladybug Child Care Center 4 out of 4 stars, The Highest Possible Rating.
Parent Aware rated Ladybug Child Care as excelling in the use of most best practices in preparing kids for kindergarten.
In addition, the four-star rating identifies Ladybug Child Care with the following characteristics:
- Communicates across cultures to honor the unique customs and needs of each child and family
- Offers activities that invite family participation and support smooth kindergarten transitions
- Gives families opportunities to provide feedback and share their perspectives on the program
- Regularly updates parents on their child’s development and works together to set goals
- Makes thoughtful accommodations for children with developmental disabilities and their families
- Employs leadership, teachers, and caregivers who are highly trained and qualified
- Follows a program-wide plan for continued professional growth and education
- Promotes healthy habits through nutrition and physical activity, with ongoing evaluation to set new goals
By earning Four Stars, Ladybug Child Care shows that it is equipped to offer the very best in quality care, assuring parents that it is doing all it can to prepare their children for school.
Schedule A Tour Today!
We would love to meet your family and show you around Ladybug Child Care Center!
During your tour, you’ll have the opportunity to explore our classrooms, meet our teachers, learn about our programs, and see firsthand how we create a safe, engaging, and nurturing environment for children of all ages.
Come discover why families throughout the Chaska area have trusted Ladybug for generations. We look forward to helping your child learn, grow, and shine at Ladybug Child Care Center.
Lunch Menu
Parent Forms
Vacation Day Form
*Please note, that you must download the Vacation Day Form first. The PDF will not properly work unless downloaded.
Parent Handbook
Learning Ladybug Style
Touring Paperwork
DHS Parent Information
Enrollment Contract
Summer Field Trips
Below you will find the information and requirements for upcoming summer field trips. You can download and open the form on your computer or smartphone, fill it out digitally, save, and email it to us. Otherwise, you can print out the menu, fill in your child’s information, and bring it into your center.
Field Trip Cover Letter
Field Trip Emergency Form
Field Trip Permission Form
T-Shirt Order Form
Daily Enrichment Programs At No Extra Cost
Sonrisas Spanish
Learning a second language at a young age is important for child’s brain development. Your “bug” will be given an opportunity to learn Spanish through fun songs, stories and games.
Peace Factors
Peace Factors is founded on three basic principles: peace begins within through our thoughts, thoughts develop words and words lead to action. The children will learn and practice making decisions based in care and compassion for others around them.
Etiquette Factory
Etiquette Factory will teach your child table manner, kindness, sharing, good hygiene and how to be a polite guest.
Gitssmart
This computer education class teaches children computer skills such as: computer care, terminology, graphic, webcam, digital camera, word processing, windows, keyboarding, printing, and microphone and sound recording. Gitssmart will help prepare your “bug” for today’s world where technology continues to evolve and be a part of our daily lives.
LANA
The goal of the LANA program is to help your child learn to taste, eat and enjoy fruits and vegetables each day for good health. There are three components to this program for children: menu & mealtimes, fruit & vegetable related activities, and family involvement. The LANA Preschool Program is based on well-established nutrition education and behavior-change theories and will help your child learn to eat more fruits and vegetables.
World Music & Rhythm Talk
This comprehensive music program has been developed to take your child on a journey through rudiments of music allowing him to develop the skills of good musicianship as well as enabling her to foster the spirit of creativity within.
Specialized activities for infants and toddlers
Ladybug infant teachers provide individualized curriculum that teaches skills through language, social, sensory, and small and large motor play. Your “bug” will learn about themselves and their feelings; learn about others; learn to communicate; learn about moving and acquire thinking skills.
You toddler “bug” will learn from activities designed to promote intellectual, social, physical and social development. He will learn about others, build vocabulary skills, learn about math and science and build relationships. And of course, we practice large muscle skills all day long!
