Why a Caregiver and Child Class is a Wonderful Start for your Toddler
Park West Cooperative's Tots Program gives Chicago's youngest learners a research-backed head start, with a parent or caregiver right by their side every step of the way.
There is a particular magic in watching a toddler discover something for the first time. The way they crouch down to inspect a puddle, or drag a paintbrush across paper with total concentration. These are not small moments. They are the building blocks of a curious, confident learner.
At Park West Cooperative Nursery School in Lincoln Park, our Tots Program is designed around exactly these moments. It is a parent-accompanied class for children ages 18 months to 2 ½ years old.
What does a Tots class look like?
"When we enter the classroom, we try to look at it from the perspective of being 34 inches tall. Young children see things differently, and so our teachers plan activities and environments that meet them exactly where they are.” - Park West Leadership
Each class brings together sixteen children and two experienced teachers in one of our award winning classrooms: the same classrooms used by our older kids but stacked with materials and provocations for our youngest learners. You explore alongside them through messy art, sensory play, water tables, blocks, and pretend play at their own pace.
Every class also includes a visit to Park West's gym for climbing, jumping, and large-motor play, which is foundational to cognitive and physical development at this age. Teachers deliberately repeat activities throughout the year, because research shows toddlers deepen understanding through repetition.
What the research says
The parent/caregiver-accompanied model is one of the most developmentally sound approaches for children between 18 months and 3 years.
🧠 Secure attachment as a learning scaffold — Children explore most freely when a trusted adult is nearby, taking more cognitive risks and recovering from frustration faster. (Bowlby & Ainsworth)
💬 Language development through narration — Back-and-forth conversational turns are among the strongest predictors of language development. When a parent narrates their child's play, they're doing exactly what the science recommends. (Hart & Risley, 1995)
🎨 Constructivist learning works — Toddlers build knowledge through direct physical interaction with their environment. Child-led play with open-ended materials is how the toddler brain actually constructs understanding. (Piaget)
🤝 Social skills develop gradually — Play with parents and peers is a primary driver of social-emotional development. Parallel play without direct interaction is completely normal under age three. (AAP, 2018)
🏫 Easing the transition to drop-off — Children with prior positive classroom experience adjust faster when drop-off begins. Tots class builds familiarity with schedules, materials, and social expectations.
🌱 Sensory play builds neural pathways — Sand, water, clay, and messy art build the neural connections underlying language, emotional regulation, and early scientific thinking. (Harvard Center on the Developing Child)
What this means for the Attending Parent or Caregiver
This is a class where you are an active part of your child's learning in Tots. Our teachers will support and model, but your child's most meaningful learning happens in the moments between you two: when you crouch down to the water table together, when you help narrate a negotiation with another toddler, when you simply sit close and let them lead.
Many families tell us the Tots program was as transformative for them as it was for their child. You will learn to observe your toddler differently, to follow rather than direct, and to trust the powerful process of play-based learning.
Who is Tots for?
Park West’s Tots program is for toddlers and their caregiver as a gentle first school experience. We offer two sections, Tots 1 and Tots 2, segregated by age, both intended to provide students with some group experience and deepen social and motor skills before drop-off preschool. Both are accompanied - a parent, grandparent, nanny, or caregiver attends with the child.
The goal is not separation. It is building positive associations with school, teachers, and learning so the eventual transition to drop-off feels like a natural next step.
Spots for 2026–2027 are available now. We'd love to welcome your family to Park West.
You can schedule a visit with Park West Co-Op to learn how your child can enjoy a joyful learning environment while being nurtured to discover, connect and be curious about the world around them.
Park West Co-Op is a play-based preschool located on Chicago’s near Northside in the heart of Lincoln Park. Park West is a diverse group of teachers who are experts in early childhood education. We've dedicated ourselves to understanding and developing teaching methods that cater to each child's individual needs so they can grow in a positive way. Teachers work hand in hand with the parent run Co-Op and offer robust hands on parent education in the classroom.