Toddler Daycare in Coquitlam

Toddler care is waitlist-only right now.

BC licensing allows a maximum of three children under 3 at Love Kids Daycare Coquitlam, and all three spots are currently full. If you'd like to be notified the moment one opens, please call (604) 338-8020 or send us a message and we'll add you to the waitlist.

For toddlers turning 3 soon, we can hold a spot in our preschool or full-day daycare for September - actively enrolling ages 3 and up today.

If you are running on three hours of sleep and wondering how a small human can have that much energy, you are not alone. The toddler stage is wonderful and completely exhausting at the same time. The tantrums, the "NO!", the sprinting toward danger, the meltdown over the wrong colour cup. It is a lot.

Here is what we want you to know: we genuinely love this age. Our team at Love Kids is trained for exactly this stage, and our toddler care in Coquitlam is built around what toddlers actually need. Consistency, language, independence, and a safe place to work through big feelings. No judgment of your child, and no judgment of you.

When you drop off and head to work, you can breathe. We have got this.

What we focus on in the toddler years

Language explosion

The stretch from 18 months to 3 years is the biggest language growth window in a child's life. We do not let that pass quietly. Our educators talk with kids all day long. They narrate activities, read aloud, sing, and ask real questions that stretch thinking. Kids who grow up in language-rich settings are more ready for school and better at communicating. Every single moment is a chance to build that.

Managing big feelings

Toddlers feel everything at full volume before they have the words to explain it. That is why meltdowns happen. We use calm redirection and emotion naming, things like "You are really frustrated right now." We help kids start learning how to handle big feelings in a healthy way. No yelling, no shaming, no harsh discipline. We model the calm we want to see.

Building independence

"Me do it!" might be one of the best things a toddler can say. We celebrate it. We give kids time to try self-feeding, help with dressing, pour their own water, and pick between activities. Yes, it is messier and slower. It is also exactly how confident kids are built. We set up the space so they can actually do it, and then let them feel proud of themselves for doing it.

Learning to play together

At 18 months, toddlers play beside each other. That is totally normal. By age 3, they start playing with each other: sharing ideas, taking turns, working toward the same goal. We do not rush it, but we do help it along. Through small group activities, turn-taking games, and gentle coaching, kids learn how friendships work. By the time they move into preschool, they are ready to be part of a group.

A typical toddler day at Love Kids

Time	Activity
7:00. 8:00 am	Arrival, free play, and quiet morning settling
8:00. 8:30 am	Morning snack and table time conversation
8:30. 9:15 am	Sensory play and hands-on exploration activities
9:15. 9:45 am	Circle time, songs, stories, and language activities
9:45. 11:00 am	Outdoor play and gross motor development
11:00. 11:30 am	Lunch, supported self-feeding and social conversation
11:30 am. 1:30 pm	Rest time / nap, quiet music, individual comfort items welcome
1:30. 2:15 pm	Afternoon snack and calm wake-up activities
2:15. 4:00 pm	Art, imaginative play, and small group activities
4:00. 5:30 pm	Outdoor play, family pickup, and end-of-day free play

Toddler daycare in Coquitlam is running full at Love Kids right now. BC licensing caps our under-3 room at 7 total, split across three toddler seats, and every seat is filled. Our ECE-certified team has kept safe-sleep and quiet-nap routines running the same way for 16 years, and older toddlers step straight into our SD43-aligned preschool room when a spot opens. Call to hold a waitlist slot.

From infant care all the way to preschool

Lots of Love Kids families start with us in our infant care program and then move into the toddler room as their child grows. From there, the next step is our preschool program, where all the skills from the toddler years become the foundation for early learning.

That kind of continuity matters. Your child does not have to start over somewhere new at every stage. The space is familiar, the educators already know them, and the friendships they have made keep growing too. For you, it means less worry at drop-off, more trust in the process, and a team that truly knows your child. We are not just a daycare in Coquitlam you pass through. We are a community your family becomes part of.

Nine toddler-care tips from sixteen years of doing this

These come from sixteen years of running a licensed daycare in Coquitlam, the things we find ourselves telling parents on every tour.

Send a transition object. A small stuffie or a cloth that smells like home does more for a toddler's first month than any pep talk. It lives in the cubby and comes out when needed.
Keep the goodbye under a minute. Long, lingering drop-offs make the crying longer, not shorter. A confident hug, the same goodbye phrase, and out the door. Most toddlers settle within minutes.
Treat toilet training as a team sport. Tell us when you're starting at home and we mirror it here: same words, same praise, same rhythm. Toddlers train faster when both places agree.
Know that biting is a phase, not a verdict. Most toddlers either bite or get bitten once somewhere between 18 and 30 months. What matters is the response: calm coaching, shadowing the biter, and honest communication with both families.
Bring a nap blanket from home. Familiar smell, familiar sleep. It goes home for a wash every Friday.
Invest in real rain gear. Muddy Buddy-style rain suits and lined rubber boots mean your toddler plays outside through a Coquitlam winter instead of watching it through glass.
Feed the language explosion. Between 18 months and 3 years, vocabulary quadruples. We narrate everything we do all day; do the same in the car and at dinner and watch it compound.
Match house rules where it counts. If we both hold the same line on hitting and sharing, your toddler learns it twice as fast. Ask us what script we use and borrow it.
Expect big feelings at pickup. Toddlers often save their meltdown for the person they trust most: you. A hard 5:30 pm usually means a great day where they held it together until you arrived.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age range is the toddler program?

Our toddler program is for children aged 18 months to 3 years. The timing for moving from the infant room or up to preschool is flexible. We go by your child's readiness, not just their birthday. We figure that out with you together.

How do you handle separation anxiety?

Separation anxiety is completely normal at this age, and we take it seriously. We help families build a short, warm, consistent drop-off routine so your child knows what to expect. Our educators are trained to help kids transition quickly after a parent leaves. Most kids settle within a few minutes once the routine clicks. And if you are worried, we are happy to send you a quick update about how the morning went.

Do you help with toilet training?

Yes. Toilet training is a team effort between us and your family. We follow your child's lead and your timing, not a strict schedule. When you are ready to start at home, tell us and we will do the same thing here. Consistency between home and toddler care in Coquitlam is the biggest factor in making it work.

How do you manage biting and hitting?

Biting and hitting are actually very common in the toddler years. Kids do them because they do not yet have the words for what they are feeling. We respond calmly every time: we address it right away, support both children, and help the child figure out what to do instead. We also look for patterns like tiredness or hunger that trigger these moments, and we adjust the day when we see them. You will always hear about it the same day.

What is the toddler-to-caregiver ratio?

We meet or exceed BC licensing requirements for toddler care. The goal is always real individual attention, not just supervision. Smaller groups also mean our educators get to know each child well and can give you a real update at pickup, not just "they had a good day."

How do I get started?

Just reach out. Call us at (604) 338-8020 or use the contact form on our website. We can answer your questions, tell you about availability, and book a tour if you want to come see the space. No pressure and no sales pitch. Just an honest conversation about whether we are a good fit for your family.

What does a typical toddler day look like?

Arrival and free play until about 9, snack, then a morning of stations, circle time, and outdoor play. Lunch around 11:30, nap from roughly 12:30 to 2:30, then snack and afternoon play until pickup. The order never changes, because toddlers run on predictability.

Do you provide meals or do I pack a lunch?

We'll walk you through exactly how food works at your tour and enrollment, including snack timing and how we handle allergies in the group. Whatever the arrangement, every eating window is supervised at the table and we tell you honestly what your toddler actually ate.

How will I know how my toddler's day went?

You get a real conversation at pickup, not a shrug. Naps, meals, mood, wins, and anything to watch. If something matters during the day, an injury, a fever coming on, a rough patch, you hear from us right away at the number on file.