What Do You Want Most from a Local Daycare?
That is the question.
Because you have plenty of child care options in Billings, MT.
Here’s what our Heights daycare, a group home, offers you:
- Zero screen time
- Long stretches of heart-racing outdoor play
- A tidy interior that promotes imagination and conversation
- A Christian moral environment
- One-on-one and group teaching in reading, writing, and numbers
- Daily snacks and lunch (organic produce)
- Secure building and grounds
The formal teaching process looks like this:
When your child is around four (give or take a few months), he or she will start learning to read the old-fashioned way using phonics.
He or she will write what they read (letters and words).
If they can’t hold a pencil (quite common for kids under five), they’ll write in the air.
Daily, your child will count out loud. He or she will learn to recognize and compare (bigger? smaller?) numbers.
Your child will memorize dozens of fun songs, including traditional and Christian ones.
The result?
They’ll grow and develop more than you thought was possible at their tender age.
That’s true whether your child attends our daycare for a few months or a few years.
And if your child isn’t ready to “officially” learn?
That’s OK.
We do not apply pressure on the kids to produce anything.
As it happens, our low-stimulation environment is a perfect setup for pre-learning and maturing with confidence.
But progress and victories come in all sizes. For some children, sitting still for a 4-minute reading lesson is a breakthrough.
(We’ll celebrate it!)
It might surprise you, but daily lessons actually have a calming effect on most children.
N has become more confident. He’s learned to write and is now reading simple books.
Lessons help them tell time.
They get used to the routine.
And they enjoy the challenge of learning!
How our Preschool Does Fun and Rest
While classroom learning is great, it’s a small part of our program.
Frankly, at First Things, most of the day is spent playing. Unstructured free play as well as some organized games.
Quiet play and loud, vigorous play.
(Without the help of tablets, video games, movies, or TV.)
We also draw lots of pictures, do seasonal events like Easter-egg hunts, and make the occasional craft.
Storytime, anytime!
No matter the activity or type of play, we monitor the clock. This allows us to manage your child’s energy and emotions.
It also helps make transitions simple and breezy.
(Daycare can feel very looong for kids if the schedule is loose. Too much play = too much of a good thing!)
Your child will leave with you at the end of the day neither exhausted nor hyper.
We’re Big on Outdoor play
Outside is especially awesome at First Things.
The kids find going outside therapeutic (really).
Most days, including winter, your child will spend two, three, even four hours in the fresh air.
He or she will get dirty.
Like sand-in-the-hair, gravel-in-the-pockets dirty!
They’ll get stronger, faster, and braver.
(Why Outdoor Play Should Be on the Daily Schedule of Your Daycare.)
The play space consists of a front and backyard.
We use both each day.
The backyard has a natural design, with lots of wood, rocks, and sand. It also has paved space for basketball and drawing with chalk.
There’s plenty of room for your child to run, socialize, swing, or spend a few minutes alone.
In the summer, we use the front lawn for sprinkler runs and splash-pad romps.
The rest of the year, we use it to race, dig holes, look for bugs, and play games (keep away and freeze tag being the two most popular).
We’re a Secure Daycare
First Things Child Care is licensed by the State of Montana’s DPHHS.
Our employees undergo background checks and training, including First Aid and CPR, before starting work.
The daycare has indoor and outdoor cameras. You are always welcome to review them.
Why not schedule your tour today?
See what parents like you have said about us.
Daycare near me? We’re in your neighborhood.
First Things Child Care is in the Heights, one block in (east) from Main St., behind Taco Bell.
705 Lincoln Lane, Billings, MT. 59105.
705 Lincoln Lane, Billings, Montana 59105
Call the office at 406-534-3442 or shoot us an email at info@firstthingschildcare.com.
Best to you,
Mike Devaney
Director/Owner
(*Be sure to ask about our referral program. You’ll earn a reward when a student enrolls because of your recommendation.)
Child Care in Billings, MT compared
| Daycare | First Things Child Care | Preschool | |
| Hours | varies | M-F, 7:30am-5:30pm | 2-3X, half days |
| Pricing | $-$$$ | $$ | $$-$$$ |
| Teaches Reading | no | Yes | no |
| Teaches Writing | no | Yes | usually |
| Bible Stories | varies | Yes | no |
| Outdoor Play | usually | Yes | varies |
| Music Appreciation | no | Yes | varies |
| Best Beginnings | varies | No | no |
| TV, movies, video games | yes | No | no |
| Staffing Ratio | low | Low | low |
| Crafts, Games, Free Play | yes | Yes | yes |