Children enjoy toddler time

The room was packed with children playing with toys, sliding down slides or jumping in the ball pit.

This was just a typical scene at the Sweetwater County Child Developmental Center's toddler time. Although the attendance may vary from class to class, the children always seems to have a good time.

"We've had as many as 22 to 23," CDC employee Mary Beery said.

The CDC offers two toddler time sessions -- Wednesdays from 1:30-3:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 9:30-10:30 a.m. The center also offers a kinder music session on Tuesdays from 9-9:30 a.m. Beery oversees all of the toddler and kinder classes and still enjoys watching the children play. Toddler times are open to children ages from birth to three years old, however, Beery said she understands parents have older children. She said a couple of the children at toddler time were four and five years old.

The birth to age three was also a change from in the past. Beery said it used to be open to children ages one and a half to three years, but the center changed it to birth to three years old when they saw how many parents were trying to keep hold their younger children.

Beery said what's great about the toddler time room, is it has its own bathroom and they are far enough away from the rest of the school that they don't disturb the classes. This program is also a way for the children to start identifying with a school. She said a lot of these children wind up attending the CDC for preschool.

Parent Shane McCurtain, who brings his son to toddler time almost every Thursday, said it's a nice place for his son to interact with children. McCurtain said his son does have an older brother, but it's nice for him to play with younger children and learn how to share.

Beery said one perk of the job is she taught a lot of the parents when she was a teacher for Sweetwater County School District No. 2. It's nice for her to see the kids she taught as parents.

"I know most of these people," she said. "Every now and then we get a new one."

She said as with most toddler times there are a few rules the kids must follow, including sharing toys and picking up toys when its time.

Toddler time ends with the children picking up toys, gathering in a circle, singing songs and holding puppets. Beery and the group sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," "Wheels on the Bus" and "Five Little Monkey's Jumping on the bed" to end Thursdays class.