Catarinas Room

At Cultured Kids, Spanish immersion begins long before children say their first full sentence. In our Catarinas classroom—designed for children between 10 and 18 months—we build on the foundation set in infancy, offering more opportunities for active exploration, social interaction, and early independence. Here, every moment of the day is infused with the Spanish language, helping little ones develop a natural ear for bilingual communication while supporting their growth in all developmental areas.

Music & Movement

Movement is joy—and for our Catarinas, music is also a bridge to language. Each day begins with Spanish songs, rhymes, and dances that match our weekly themes. Whether clapping to “Caballito Blanco”, dancing to “La Gallina Turuleca”, or swaying to “Mi Burrito Sabanero”, children strengthen coordination, rhythm, and listening skills while connecting with Latino culture.

Language & Literacy

Books, finger plays, and interactive storytelling in Spanish bring our themes to life. Stories like “Vamos a la Granja”, “Mis animales”, and “En la granja podrías ver” introduce new vocabulary and concepts through engaging visuals and repetition, encouraging early comprehension and verbal expression.

Gross Motor Play

Our older infants and young toddlers are eager to move, so we provide safe, engaging opportunities to strengthen large muscle skills—crawling through tunnels, sliding down gentle slides, riding toy horses, pushing lawnmower toys, or dancing to themed music. Outdoor play is a daily priority, giving children space to run, climb, and explore.

Fine Motor & Sensory Exploration

Through hands-on projects and sensory play, Catarinas children practice grasping, manipulating, and exploring textures. Activities might include crafting farm animals from paper and feathers, stringing large beads, painting with brushes or rollers, playing with modeling clay, or scooping and pouring rice, beans, or sand. These moments strengthen fine motor control and spark creativity.

Cognitive Development & Problem-Solving

Our teachers guide children through activities that build thinking skills—sorting pom-poms by color, stacking blocks into towers, matching animal shapes, and exploring cause-and-effect with sensory bottles or rolling balls. We also use themed games, such as “Pin the Tail on the Cow” or animal sound identification, to connect play with learning.

Thematic Learning

The Catarinas curriculum is built around engaging themes that tie together language, art, movement, and discovery. In our La Granja (Farm) unit, children might make donkey masks, sing songs about cows and chickens, read farm-themed books, and explore sensory bins filled with “farm” textures—all while hearing and using Spanish words tied to the theme.

By combining a developmentally appropriate curriculum with a full Spanish immersion environment, the Catarinas classroom gives children the tools to grow socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually—while planting the seeds of bilingualism that will flourish for years to come.