At Rootin’ Tootin’ Childcare, April Root brings her interests in farming, self-sufficiency and teaching young children together into one unique business. April and her husband Ben, along with their three children, 12-year-old Aiden, nine-year-old Marissa and three-year-old Clair, live on a little one-acre farm they call Rustic Roots Homestead. The family grows a garden and raises goats, chickens and rabbits. The children in April’s child care get to experience the cycle of seasons on the farm and learn what it takes to care for animals and grow food throughout the year.
The daily routine at her daycare starts off with breakfast followed by free play time. Just outside the big picture window is a rabbit hutch, and the kids can take a break from playing and watch the rabbits nibble and hop around. April brings nature indoors too, by having rocks, sticks and pine cones available along with blocks and toy figures for kids to create playscapes.
Where this childcare really differs from others is outdoors. The children gather leftover fruit and vegetable scraps from their own snacks and meals to feed the chickens on their way to play outside. Though they do not handle chickens or collect eggs themselves, the kids can watch the chickens peck and care for their young through the fence.
Activities at the daycare change with the seasons. In the spring the kids plant seeds in their own little gardens and weed and water the plants all the way to harvest. Then they get to eat what they grow. “Currently on the homestead we have two baby goats. The children get to interact with them. They’ve followed the momma’s pregnancy, and now babies,” says April. “The children learn how to be gentle and calm and empathetic to the animal’s needs.” Whenever the kids help with animal care they always follow proper hand washing procedures.
April runs the daycare with her “amazing assistant,” Victoria. April’s family members help, too. The kids get to watch Ben doing his farm chores and Marissa shares the chicken raising knowledge she has gained through her 4-H group.
April and Victoria lead crafts focused on fostering imagination and creativity, often using objects found in nature. The kids work on handmade gifts for holidays. For Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, April taught the kids how to make a batch of “Hard Worker’s Hand Salve.” The salve is something April learned to make while exploring ways to run a more self-sufficient household.
Parents with special skills and other adults with jobs of interest to the children are invited to talk to the kids about their work. These visits help the kids build connections with the wider community. Trooper Bryan, a Washington State Patrol Officer and a daycare dad, paid a visit. Recently they met the local mail carrier, Sunny. “Now when Sunny delivers our mail, all the children yell, ‘Hi, Sunny,’ and wave,” shares April.
Whether it is story time, singing and dancing, crafts or preparing and eating food, the kids are busy and learning throughout the day. “Children in our care learn through play,” says April. “Kids need to play to be successful in school and in life. Play teaches empathy and social skills which are essential in adulthood.” This is an approach she has learned and continues to enhance through the classes she takes at the Centralia College for Early Childhood Education. She is just a few classes away from earning her AA, with a goal of eventually obtaining her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education.
Rootin’ Tootin’ Childcare is a participant in the Department of Early Learning’s Early Achiever’s program and has received a Level 3 rating, meaning they exceed the necessary requirements for licensed childcare providers by “demonstrating a high quality” learning environment. April achieved this recognition by using the Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale (FCCERS) and the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS).
April strives to provide a nurturing and enriching environment and that includes school readiness. In collaboration with the Rochester School District, April assesses each child for kindergarten readiness to learn where the child is in his or her development. Then she knows what each child needs for a successful transition to kindergarten. When the time comes, April assures me, “They are kindergarten ready with life skills to boot.”
The business is licensed for birth to 13 years of age. April strives for a well-balanced age group. Right now, the kids range from one to four years old.
“I am very proud of what I do, and I love every minute of it,” April says.
