3 to 5 Years Old Group Childcare in Coquitlam, licensed, ECE-led, and built around a daily rhythm your child can lean on. If you're a Coquitlam parent with a 3, 4, or 5 year old looking for a small group program that actually feels like a second home, this is what Love Kids has done for 16 years.
Group childcare at this age isn't babysitting. Kids between 3 and 5 are figuring out how to be their own person. How to share space with other kids without a parent nearby. How to try, fail, and try again. Our whole day is designed around that. Predictable structure gives them the safety net. Small group size gives them the room to grow.
We're right in River Springs, easy for families across Eagle Ridge, Oxford Heights, and Chineside. Under-3 spots are waitlist only right now. Ages 3 to 5 are open for September enrollment, and we're taking tours this month.
What a Day at Love Kids Looks Like
The rhythm is the whole point. Kids this age relax into learning when they know what's coming next. Same order, every day. That's what this table looks like Monday through Friday at our group childcare in Coquitlam.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 7:30 am to 8:30 am | Arrival, hang up your own coat, put lunch in the bin, choose a quiet activity. Free play as the group builds. |
| 8:30 am to 9:00 am | Morning snack around the table. Kids serve themselves, pour their own water, pass the bowl. |
| 9:00 am to 10:30 am | Circle time and structured learning stations. Books, letters, counting, sorting, sensory bins, art. |
| 10:30 am to 11:30 am | Outdoor play, rain or shine. Yard, sandbox, running games, gross motor skills. |
| 11:30 am to 12:15 pm | Hot lunch together, family style. Kids help set up and tidy their spot before rest. |
| 12:15 pm to 2:30 pm | Quiet rest. Nappers nap, non-nappers do quiet books or a puzzle on their own mat. |
| 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm | Afternoon activity. Dramatic play, building blocks, music, or a second outdoor block if the weather holds. |
| 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm | Afternoon snack, tidy-up, pack your own bag, pickup. Real caregiver-to-parent conversation at the door. |
The rhythm is fixed. The content isn't. Books rotate weekly, art projects change with the season, the outdoor play swaps out toys and games so it doesn't get stale. Same schedule, fresh day.
How Group Childcare Works Here
We're a small group. BC licensing allows up to 8 preschool-age children per ECE. We stay at or below that number. One caregiver, up to seven kids, all day, every day. Your child gets to know one person as their main adult through kindergarten, not a rotating cast.
Structured Learning Blocks, Not Worksheets
Learning at 3 to 5 is hands-on. Sorting buttons by colour is math. Retelling a story with puppets is literacy. Building a tower and rebuilding it after it falls is engineering. Every morning has a planned block, and every block has a purpose written down in the day book.
Outdoor Time, Every Day
Rain or shine, one full hour outside in the morning and often another block in the afternoon. Coquitlam gets weather. We layer the kids properly, keep spare gear on hand, and go. The rain jackets from October to May do the heavy lifting.
Family-Style Meals
Lunch is sat down, around a table, together. Kids pass the bowl. They pour their own water from a small pitcher. They wipe their own spot. It's slow the first month and second-nature by the third. The confidence that comes out of it is huge.
Rest Time That Respects the Kid
Not every 4-year-old naps. That's fine. Nappers get a proper cot and a quiet room. Non-nappers get books, a puzzle, or a quiet drawing pad on their own mat. Rest is required. Sleep isn't. Nobody gets forced into either.
Why Coquitlam Parents Choose Us for Group Childcare
You have options in Coquitlam. Big centres up on the plateau, home daycares in Maillardville, franchise brands on Lougheed. Here's what makes us different for the 3 to 5 age band.
ECE-Certified Team, Every Adult in the Room
ECE stands for Early Childhood Education. In BC it's a full post-secondary credential, not a weekend course. Every caregiver at Love Kids holds an active ECE certificate. That's the person planning your child's day and running the room, not a support assistant.
16 Years of Coquitlam Families
Love Kids opened in 2009. Kids who started here as three-year-olds are now in high school. Some of their younger siblings came through the same door. We've watched what works over full generations of the program, not one or two cycles.
Max Seven Kids in the Room
BC allows up to eight preschoolers per ECE. We stay at or below seven so there's always a little breathing room for the day when someone needs extra help with a coat, a wobbly moment, or a snack refill.
One Caregiver All the Way to Kindergarten
Your child stays with the same primary caregiver from enrollment through graduation to SD43. That continuity is what makes a small program feel like a family. It's also why parents recommend us to their friends.
Fees, Subsidies, and What's Included
Love Kids charges a flat monthly fee. Not per day, not per hour. You know your number for the year on day one.
We're a $10 a Day ChildCareBC participating program, so the parent portion of the fee is capped by the Province. On top of that, the Affordable Child Care Benefit (ACCB) can reduce your monthly fee further based on family income. The reduction is applied to your invoice, so you see the real out-of-pocket number, not a rebate you have to chase.
What's included in the monthly fee: all meals and snacks, all art and learning supplies, indoor and outdoor programming, daily photo updates, and end-of-day parent chats at pickup. What's not included: outdoor gear from home, a comfort item for rest, and two full changes of clothes in the cubby.
Nine things Coquitlam parents should know about 3 to 5 group childcare
These come from sixteen years of running the same program in the same room. Every parent hears some version of these on their first tour.
- Tour at pickup, not at 10 am. A quiet mid-morning room tells you nothing. Watch a 4:45 pm pickup and you'll see the real staff patience, the real energy, and how a caregiver actually talks to a tired kid.
- Read the Fraser Health inspection report first. Every licensed program in Coquitlam has public inspection reports. Pull the last two, read the findings, and bring the questions to the tour. Providers who welcome that question tend to be the good ones.
- Ask about the primary caregiver, not just the room. At 3 to 5, the caregiver is the program. Ask who that person is, how long they've been there, and what happens if they're sick.
- Watch what happens at rest time. Some programs force non-nappers to lie still for two hours. That's a bad sign. Look for a rest set-up that lets a kid do quiet books or a puzzle on their mat if they don't sleep.
- Ask exactly how outdoor play works in the rain. A Coquitlam program that skips outdoor time from October to April isn't giving your kid what they need. Real answer: proper rain gear, an outdoor time block on every daily schedule, and a good yard.
- Pack two full changes, not one. Puddle season is long. The second change comes home wet more often than you'd think.
- Start on a Wednesday. A midweek first day gives your child two days to try it, then a weekend to process. Five straight days from Monday is a lot for a first-timer.
- Ask how independence is built, not taught. A good 3 to 5 program lets kids do things themselves, coat, water, bag. If everything is done for them, they'll stay dependent longer than they need to.
- Get on the waitlist earlier than you think. September spots at good Coquitlam programs go months in advance. Even if you're 8 months out, get on the list. Under-3 spots at Love Kids are waitlist-only right now, ages 3 and up are open for September.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 3 to 5 years old group childcare?
Group childcare for 3 to 5 year olds means your child spends the day in a small licensed group of same-age peers, led by ECE-certified caregivers. At Love Kids in Coquitlam it looks like circle time, learning stations, outdoor play, a real lunch, quiet rest, and afternoon activities. The point is a predictable day where kids learn to do things for themselves, share space, and build friendships before kindergarten.
How is this different from your 3 to 5 group daycare page?
Same age band, same room, same team. The group daycare page focuses on academic readiness and SD43 school prep. This page focuses on the daily structure itself, how the rhythm of the day builds independence and confidence. Kids need both, and they get both here. It's one program with two different ways of talking about what your child gains from it.
What are your hours for 3 to 5 childcare in Coquitlam?
We're open Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. That fits most Coquitlam commutes, whether you're headed downtown, into Burnaby, or up to Port Moody. Drop-off can happen anywhere in the morning window, pickup the same on the afternoon side. We ask that your child is here by 9:30 am so they don't miss circle time and the morning activity.
How big is the group?
Small on purpose. BC licensing allows up to 8 preschool-age children per ECE. We stay at or below that number, and often lower, because a smaller group means every child gets seen, heard, and known. That matters more at this age than any single toy or piece of curriculum. Ask us about current numbers when you tour.
Is Love Kids licensed?
Yes. Love Kids Daycare Coquitlam is a Group Child Care (30 Months to School Age) facility licensed under the BC Child Care Licensing Regulation and inspected by Fraser Health. The license is a public record and you can pull our latest inspection report from the Fraser Health website before you even book a tour. We take that seriously. The license is a floor, not a ceiling.
What does a typical day look like?
Arrival and free play from 7:30. Morning snack, then a structured learning block with circle time and stations. Outdoor play rain or shine. A hot lunch together. Quiet rest for around two hours. Afternoon activity, art or building or dramatic play. Afternoon snack and pickup. The same rhythm every day. It's the predictability that lets 3 to 5 year olds relax into learning.
How do you help my child build independence?
By stepping back on purpose. At 3, 4, and 5, kids can put on their own coat, wash their own hands, pour their own water, and pack their own bag. We give them the chance to do all of it. It takes longer than doing it for them, and that's the point. A child who's done it once at daycare will try it at home. Independence isn't taught, it's practiced.
Do you accept the Affordable Child Care Benefit and CCFRI?
Yes. We're a $10 a Day ChildCareBC participating program, which means the parent portion of the fee is capped. The Affordable Child Care Benefit (ACCB) can further reduce that based on family income. The reduction happens on your monthly invoice, not as a rebate. We'll show you exactly what your out-of-pocket looks like before you sign anything.
How do I book a tour or join the waitlist?
Call (604) 338-8020 or email lovekidsdaycare@outlook.com. Ages 3 and up have current openings for September. Under-3 spots are waitlist only. We'll set up a tour so you can walk through the space, meet the caregiver your child would spend the day with, and see how the room actually runs at pickup time.
Ready to Book a Free Tour?
Come see how the day actually runs. Meet the caregiver your child would spend the day with. Ask any question you want. If it feels right, we'll get you set up on the September list.
Love Kids Daycare Coquitlam
3007 Pasture Cir, Coquitlam, BC V3C 2C3
Phone: (604) 338-8020
Email: lovekidsdaycare@outlook.com
Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30 am to 5:30 pm