University of Wisconsin–Madison
Active children play in a large room.

Daily Routine

Built for relationships, not just schedules

Every day at the Child Development Lab (CDL) is shaped by teachers who truly know your child — their rhythms, their interests, what helps them feel at home. This kind of attention is built into our structure.

Our mixed-age classrooms let children learn alongside peers at different stages, building patience, empathy, and friendships that grow with them.

A typical day

Predictable enough to feel safe. Open enough to follow curiosity.


Each day has a familiar shape — children always know what’s coming next. Within that structure, there’s room for exploration, creativity, and play.

Toddlers running on single file on path

7:30 AM

Arrival and connection

A warm greeting from teachers who know your child. Families share a quick morning update.

Children building a road on the floor with blocks

8:30 AM

Morning exploration and snack time

Building, painting, reading, experimenting. Teachers observe and support children’s thinking.

Bundled-up children climbing rocks among fallen autumn leaves during outdoor nature play

10:00 AM

Outdoor play

Time on the natural playground or a walking trip to “The Beyond” — the CDL’s outdoor spaces on the UW–Madison campus.

Two kids at a table with a basket and flowers

11:30 AM

Lunch together

Family-style meals shared with teachers and classmates.

An infant enjoying tummy time on a blanket under a sensory baby play gym in a cozy nursery

12:30 PM

Rest and quiet time

Children 2+ rest on a cot for 30 minutes. If they’re not tired, they’re invited to read or enjoy quiet activities.

Three kids huddle around a picture

2:00 PM

Afternoon exploration and snack time

Creative projects, storytelling, music, movement, or more time outside.

Three toddlers on a bench with yellow and green balls

4:00 PM

Pick-up and family connection

Teachers share real highlights from your child’s day — not just “it went fine.”

Outdoor learning

Every day outside.
A place called “The Beyond.”

Outdoor learning isn’t a break from the day — it’s part of it. Children play outside every day, weather permitting, both on our natural playground and on walking trips to “The Beyond”: a collection of natural outdoor spaces woven into the UW–Madison campus.

Children dig in sand, observe insects, collect sticks and stones, tend to gardens, and explore trees and birds — right in the heart of an urban university. These aren’t field trips. They’re a regular part of how children at the CDL come to understand the world.

Kids climbing on a metal playground tunnel while a girl is in the tunnel.
Two toddlers playing outside
A child bundled up is sliding on his stomach in the snow
Three children playing with carts on playground

How children learn

Play is the work. Teachers are the guides.

Children choose where to go and how long to stay. A child building a tower that keeps falling is practicing engineering. A child negotiating a role in dramatic play is doing some of the most complex social work of early childhood. Teachers see all of it and know how to support it without taking it over.

A teacher crouching down with a group of young children gathered in a circle on the grass

Intentionally designed classrooms

Every classroom is designed so every child always has a space that fits how they need to be right now.  

Classrooms are divided into learning centers or areas which include:

  • Dramatic play and pretend play areas
  • Blocks and large motor
  • Creative art
  • Music and movement
  • Manipulatives and math
  • Discovery science and sensory
  • Language and literacy

Age groups

Every stage, thoughtfully supported

Baby looking at themselves in the mirror

INFANTS · 6 WEEKS – 12 MONTHS

Held and heard.
Quickly responded to.

Teachers spend the day holding, talking with, and closely reading each infant, building secure attachments that everything grows from.

Four toddlers exploring a sensory sand table together in a classroom

TODDLERS · 1 – 3 YEARS

Eager to explore.
Ready to try.

Climbing, building, big emotions, early friendships. Consistent routines help toddlers feel confident as they discover what they can do.

Kids playing with translucent colored shapes on a classroom light table

PRESCHOOL · 3 – 5 YEARS

Full of questions.
Ready to collaborate.

Projects, investigations, imaginative play, and real conversation. Teachers follow preschooler’s curiosity and help them go deeper.

Grounded in research.
Taught by people who care.

As part of UW–Madison’s School of Human Ecology, the CDL’s daily practice is shaped by ongoing research in child development, learning, and family well-being. Our teachers are qualified, experienced, and supported to stay — because consistency is one of the most important things we can offer a child.

  • Consistent caregiver relationships
  • Predictable daily rhythms
  • Open-ended play & exploration
  • Daily connection with nature
  • Language & social development
  • Curiosity-driven environments

Enrollment

Enrollment information for the 2026-2027 school year will be sent out in March to families on the waitlist. 

View enrollment
A child holds up an acorn and looks at it. Another child in the background is exploring what's in the grass.

Where your child can thrive

Join a welcoming community where children feel safe, supported, and inspired to grow — guided by UW–Madison expertise.

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