Family Daycare With a Personal Touch
Happy Hearts is a family daycare built around a simple idea: young children thrive when they are surrounded by people who know them, care about them, and make them feel secure.
As a home-based program, we're able to offer something different from a large childcare center. Our environment is smaller and more personal, giving us the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with the children in our care and with their families.
We celebrate children's individual personalities, encourage their growing independence, and create opportunities for them to learn at their own pace.
We're proud to be part of our Oakland community and honored by the trust families place in us during such an important stage of their children's lives.
Infant Program
Beginning at 4 Months
A baby's first year is full of extraordinary growth. Our infant program provides a calm, nurturing environment where babies receive individualized attention while beginning to discover the world around them.
We follow each baby's developmental stage and individual needs, providing plenty of opportunities for floor play, sensory exploration, movement, language, music, outdoor time, and loving one-on-one interaction.
We understand that infant care is about much more than feeding, naps, and diaper changes. Those everyday moments are opportunities to build trust, connection, communication, and a baby's sense of security.
Our goal is to work closely with families to make Happy Hearts feel like a natural extension of home.
Infant days may include:
Sensory exploration
Tummy time and age-appropriate movement
Songs, music, and language
Books and story time
Outdoor time
Individual and group play
Lots of conversation and interaction
Rest, feeding, and care based on each baby's needs
Toddler Program
Toddlers are busy discovering how the world works — and we give them lots of opportunities to explore it.
Our toddler program blends play with developmentally appropriate learning experiences designed to encourage communication, creativity, curiosity, independence, and physical development.
Throughout the week, children are introduced to sensory activities, language and communication, science, early mathematical concepts, art, music, movement, and both fine and gross motor activities.
And because toddlers need plenty of time to move, explore, and use their imaginations, outdoor play and free play are an important part of every day.
Our Weekly Learning Rhythm
Monday — Sensory Exploration
Children discover different textures, materials, colors, sounds, and experiences through hands-on sensory play.
Tuesday — Language & Communication
We encourage vocabulary, conversation, songs, stories, and communication, including exposure to Spanish.
Wednesday — Science Exploration
Simple, age-appropriate activities encourage children to observe, investigate, experiment, and ask questions about the world around them.
Thursday — Fine & Gross Motor Skills
Children practice coordination and build confidence through movement, climbing, dancing, stretching, yoga, and hands-on activities.
Friday — Early Math Exploration
Counting, sorting, shapes, patterns, sizes, and other early mathematical concepts are introduced naturally through play.
Outdoor Play
Little Children Learn by Doing
At Happy Hearts, we don't expect infants and toddlers to sit at desks or spend their days completing worksheets. Early childhood learning happens through touching, moving, talking, listening, creating, pretending, experimenting, and playing.
Our activities are designed to introduce children to new ideas in ways that feel natural and fun.
A typical day may include:
Circle time
Art and creative activities
Story time
Music and movement
Outdoor play
Free play
Age-appropriate curriculum activities
Meals, snacks, rest, and quiet time
Our schedule provides children with a reassuring daily rhythm while still allowing us to respond to their individual needs, interests, energy levels, and developmental stages.
Fresh Air, Movement & Exploration
Outdoor time is an important part of our day.
Weather permitting, our toddlers typically enjoy at least 60–90 minutes of outdoor play, giving them time to run, climb, explore, build gross motor skills, and enjoy being outside.
For our youngest children, outdoor experiences are adapted to their age and developmental stage.
We believe children benefit from having space to move their bodies, experience nature, and enjoy the simple freedom of playing outside.
