Welcome to Jardin Urbain... a small, bilingual, and multi-age daycare in the heart of Montreal.

The environment we create at Jardin Urbain is full of happiness and kindness, and this is felt by adults and kids alike. Activities and discussions are led by openminded people (small and big!) who value community, choice, and peaceful conflict resolution. We live a stimulating daily routine because participants here are overflowing with positive energy, imagination and creativity! We work hard to become partners with the families who choose us, and we aim to be a reliable and trustworthy presence in their lives.

We spend lots of time outdoors running, climbing, pulling our friends on sleds, digging in the earth, eating gooseberries, looking for insects, roaming in the neighbourhood, shoveling snow, observing the clouds, and listening to the birds.

By introducing the kids at daycare to urban agriculture and cooking, we are fostering awareness of current environmental issues. Our goal is to equip them for a sustainable lifestyle so that they can in turn help improve the future of our planet.

Introduction

Our location

Jardin Urbain Daycare...

welcomes 15 children between 2 and 6 years old;
integrates the preschool program (click here for more details concerning 4 to 6 year-olds);
offers a bilingual environment (FR&EN);
favours local and organic ingredients in our home-made lunches;
has a private outdoor classroom;
values community, creativity, critical thinking, voluntary simplicity, mutual assistance, questioning and discovery, kindness, and peaceful conflict resolution;
costs $68/day (tax credit applicable);
registers children on a full-time or part-time basis.

Our values

Here are some values that contribute to our pedagogical approach:

1) We want kids to play, we believe in imagination!

By creating an environment that is rich and inviting with interesting materials to manipulate, children are inspired to take initiative, to get organised, and to dive into activities together. Kids develop their social skills through imaginary play. We guide them as they learn to resolve conflicts peacefully by modeling kind and constructive interactions.

2) We are active members of our neighbourhood!

We are outside morning and afternoon almost all year round. We play at parks, garden in the spaces our partner-neighbours have lent us, take long walks to explore what's going on all around us. We visit the Jean Talon market regularly, and the Marc Favreau library. We take advantage of facilities close by, such as sports fields (covered in snow!) and splash pads, in order to keep moving and keep fit.

3) We encourage multilingualism!

At Jardin Urbain, English and French are both used throughout the day. We believe that learning many languages enriches our lives, and young children pick them up naturally. So we've created an environment where both languages coexist harmoniously without structure or rules... Bienvenu à toutes et à tous!

4) We are advocates for multi-age learning communities!

Our space is set up to allow children with different ages, talents, and abilities to interact with each other. These interactions push children to their maximum social and intellectual potential, for they need to seek out the expertise and knowledge of their classmates, regardless of their age. The older children role-model behaviour and master competencies by teaching and caring for the younger children. The younger children aspire to the maturity around them and improve quickly in their areas of interest. This environment mirrors society and helps kids figure out how to get along with all the people around them.

Lunch time is our favourite time!

All our meals are made from scratch by Danny. We prioritise local, seasonal, organic, and unprocessed ingredients.

The menu is based on a cycle of five different protein sources (three are animal protein and two are plant protein). We serve fresh fruits and vegetables every day, as well as other regional foods such as honey, cheese, grains, and dried fruit. To balance the meal we include a different starch each day: rice, pasta, potatoes, millet, quinoa, barley, buckwheat, etc.

Our menu

Karina & Danny

We are parents and entrepreneurs from Montreal with an innovative, enthusiastic, and alternative outlook on education. After a memorable year as educators in our own home daycare, we decided to expand our vision and open a small private daycare that would keep the same family feel. Each of us master of our domain, together we form an experienced and unstoppable team!

Our team

Introducing the educators of Jardin Urbain :

Janeth :

"Après de nombreuses années d'expérience en tant que technicienne et enseignante diplômée en éducation des enfants en Espagne, je peux dire que je suis passionnée par mon métier! J'aime pouvoir partager chaque jour avec vos enfants et les aider à être de petites personnes en stimulant leurs capacités cognitives, sociales et psychomotrices à travers le jeu et en leur donnant de la sécurité, motivation, compréhension et surtout beaucoup de patience et d'amour."

Aicha :

Kurara :

"Ever since I opened the door to the world of early childhood education, my passion has been growing. Throughout day-to-day life, I am always thrilled to see the children grow and thrive. I embrace that the world we live in is full of excitement! Supporting each child through his/her exploration is a big part of my journey as an educator."

Photos