Multi-Age Childcare in Chilliwack, BC (0-5 Years)
The Multi-Age Program is our mixed-age childcare option in Chilliwack, BC, for children aged 0 to 5 years, at Petits Pals Childcare. The program follows the Reggio Emilia approach in a setting where children of different ages learn and grow together.
Ratios and Staffing
The Multi-Age Program is staffed at one educator for every eight children.
Daily Schedule
Arrival and free play, with open-ended materials like blocks, drawing, and building
Morning snack and washroom
Circle time, with interactive group discussions, songs, and stories
Project work or learning activities, including theme-based projects, art, and math games
Snack time and washroom
Learning activities, including fine motor skills, cognitive games, and early writing
Lunch and washroom
Outdoor play
Snack time
Creative arts
Free play and departures
How Mixed-Age Learning Works
Younger children learn by observing older peers, while older children develop leadership, empathy, and confidence by helping others. Educators support each child's curiosity and creativity through exploration, hands-on activities, and collaborative projects based on individual interests, guiding learning while children actively participate in discovering and expressing their own ideas.
Key Developmental Focus Areas
🔍 Inquiry-based learning.
Children explore topics that spark curiosity through projects, experiments, and open-ended activities, which educators document and extend into deeper learning.
❤️ Social and emotional development.
Communicating, sharing ideas, solving problems together, and building friendships across a mixed-age setting.
📚 Language and communication.
Storytelling, group discussions, dramatic play, and literacy activities that build vocabulary and early reading and writing.
🏃 Physical development.
Indoor and outdoor play supporting fine motor skills, such as drawing and building, and gross motor skills, such as running and climbing.
🎨 Creativity and expression.
Imagination through dramatic play, arts, crafts, and music.
Screen Time and Active Play
Screen time is limited to 30 minutes per day for children over two, focused on educational content only. Every day includes at least 120 minutes of active play, with 60 minutes outdoors.
The Multi-Age Program is offered at Petits Pals Childcare on Victoria Avenue in downtown Chilliwack. For fee and subsidy information, see our fees and subsidies page. To arrange a tour or ask about availability, contact us.