Preschool Classroom for 24-Month-Olds to 30-Month Olds at Heritage Preschool | Oak Ridge, TN

At Heritage Preschool in Oak Ridge, TN, our Preschool Classroom for 24- to 30-month-olds provides a warm, nurturing environment where toddlers can continue to grow, explore, and reach important developmental milestones. This critical stage in early childhood focuses on language development, fine and gross motor skills, social interactions, and cognitive development. Through play-based learning, hands-on activities, and a structured routine, we ensure that every child reaches their full potential at their own pace.

Key Developmental Milestones (24-30 Months)

During the 24-30 month stage, toddlers are rapidly progressing across several areas of development. At Heritage Preschool, we structure our activities to support and encourage these key milestones:

Physical & Motor Skills Development

Gross Motor Skills: Children in this age range are refining their ability to run, jump, and climb. We encourage movement through outdoor play, obstacle courses, and group activities that enhance coordination and balance.

Fine Motor Skills: Toddlers are starting to use their hands with more precision. Activities such as puzzle-solving, stacking blocks, and using utensils during snack time help strengthen their hand-eye coordination and fine motor abilities.

Body Awareness: We help toddlers understand the relationship between their body and space through dancing, stretching, and movement games that also improve flexibility and balance.

Language & Communication Skills

Expanding Vocabulary: At this age, toddlers experience a vocabulary explosion. We encourage language development through songs, rhymes, and interactive conversations, allowing toddlers to express themselves in more complex sentences.

Sentence Formation: Toddlers begin to form short sentences and communicate their needs, thoughts, and feelings more effectively. Teachers actively engage in conversation to model language use and expand on their speech.

Listening Skills: Through storytime and group activities, toddlers practice listening skills, learning to follow simple directions and understand basic concepts such as "first," "next," and "last."

Cognitive Development

Problem-Solving: Toddlers are increasingly able to solve simple problems and complete tasks independently. We encourage cognitive development through hands-on activities like sorting objects, building with blocks, and matching games.

Memory & Recognition: Activities that focus on memory recall—such as recognizing familiar faces, objects, and routines—help toddlers develop their short-term memory and cognitive skills.

Cause-and-Effect Learning: Toddlers begin to understand cause-and-effect relationships, such as pushing a toy to make it roll or turning a book’s page to reveal a new picture.

Social & Emotional Development

Self-Identity: Toddlers at this age begin to form a sense of self. They are learning how to express their emotions verbally and are beginning to understand concepts such as “me,” “mine,” and “I can.”

Cooperative Play: Through group activities and peer interactions, toddlers begin engaging in parallel play and may participate in simple cooperative play, such as playing side by side or sharing toys with friends.

Emotional Expression & Regulation: Our teachers model appropriate ways to express feelings and manage emotions. We support toddlers as they begin to understand and express emotions like happiness, frustration, and excitement.