Sensory Play Activities
Sensory Play Activities in Orlando: Hands-On Learning at Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips
Best of Orlando
Sensory Play With a Purpose at Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips
Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips offers sensory play activities in Orlando for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. We are an Orlando daycare voted Best of Orlando for 10 years. Your child can explore through water, art, science, and cooking play, and each one builds a real skill: hand strength, new words, or taking turns. We are a Gold Seal day care center. We are open Monday through Friday, 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM. Schedule a tour to see the rooms.
- Best of Orlando 10 years
- Status Gold Seal
- Open 6:30–6:30
- Weekdays Mon–Fri
Play With a Job
Sensory Play Builds Real Skills Before Kindergarten
Sensory play gives toddlers and 3 to 5 year olds in Dr. Phillips the hand strength, words, and social habits that kindergarten readiness depends on. Messy play may look like fun, but each activity has a job.
Pouring water, squeezing sponges, and painting work the small muscles in the hand, the same muscles your child uses later to hold a pencil. A new texture also gives your child a reason to learn a new word. Sticky, cold, rough, and smooth come easily when your child is touching the real thing.
Sharing one tub of sand or one paint tray teaches children to wait and take turns. Turn-taking is a social-emotional learning skill teachers watch for in kindergarten.
Outside Checks
Choosing a Sensory Play Daycare in Orlando Starts With Credentials
Credentials give families who are new to Orlando a way to judge a sensory play daycare before they have friends nearby to ask. If you moved here without a local referral network, reviews and outside checks are what you have to go on. Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips can show you these:
- Florida Gold Seal Quality Care, awarded by the Florida Department of Children and Families.
- A.P.P.L.E. Accreditation (Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment).
- N.E.C.P.A. Accreditation (National Early Childhood Program Accreditation). N.E.C.P.A. reviews how adults and children interact and how the school works with parents and the community.
As you compare licensed, accredited providers in the Dr. Phillips area, ask to see current accreditation dates and staff credentials on every tour, including ours.
Ms. Yliana Gomez
Director
Our director, Ms. Yliana Gomez, has more than 15 years of childcare experience. Ms. Gomez holds the National Child Development Associate (CDA) credential from the Council for Professional Recognition in Washington, D.C., as well as the Florida Director Credential. All of our teachers meet or exceed Florida state credential requirements.
By Age Group
Sensory Play Activities for Infants, Toddlers, and Pre-K
Sensory play at Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips changes as your child grows, starting with gentle touch for babies and building up to measuring and mixing in Pre-K.
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Infants (from 6 weeks):
Babies explore soft textures, gentle touch, and sounds. Our infant room teachers stay with the same age group all day, so your baby sees familiar faces from morning to pickup. Parents mention these teachers by name in their reviews. A familiar face helps a baby feel safe enough to explore something new.
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Toddlers:
Toddlers move between our Creative Play Centers, the water play area, and painting in the art room. At this age, much of the learning happens through the hands. Toddlers also practice sign language, and from age 2 they begin conversational Spanish.
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Pre-K:
Older children do hands-on activities in our Science Lab. Cooking activities let them mix, measure, and smell real ingredients, which also brings early math into the room.
Not every child wants to be busy all day, and some feel overwhelmed by too much noise and mess. For quieter sensory time, children can use Playtown, our dramatic play room, or settle into the library with a book.
Orlando weather allows outdoor sensory play all year, so the playground stays part of your child's week, not just in summer.
Rain or Shine
Safe Sensory Play Through Orlando Heat, Storms, and Hurricane Season
Orlando heat and sudden rain shape how Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips plans sensory play each day. Parents in Sand Lake and Bay Hill know a sunny morning can turn into a storm by mid-afternoon.
Our shaded playground equipment cuts direct sun during outdoor play, and the playground has safety surfacing under the equipment. On hot days, the water play area helps children cool down while they pour, splash, and fill cups. Children in our Summer My Way Summer Camp also get Monday water days.
Afternoon thunderstorms are common in Central Florida summers. When a storm moves in, play moves indoors to the library, Playtown, and the art room, so your child doesn't lose the sensory part of the day just because the playground is closed. Orlando hurricane season runs June through November, and during those months the weather can change plans fast. Having indoor sensory activities ready keeps the day steady for children, who do best when the routine still feels familiar. We keep our ratios at all times, indoors and out.
See the Messy Art Live
Watching Your Child's Sensory Play With Live Camera and App Updates
Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips gives working parents live camera access, so you can see your child's day even from a shift near Universal Studios. We sit 2.6 miles away (about 13 minutes), which makes us the closest day care to Universal Studios Orlando.
Classroom web cameras let you watch classroom activities, like messy art, as they happen. Real-time app updates and direct teacher messaging keep you informed through the day, and our front desk staff address parent concerns the same day. You're also welcome to visit in person. Our open-door policy lets parents visit anytime during operating hours, with no notice needed.
Before Your Visit
Preparing for Your Tour and Your Child's First Sensory Play Day
A tour of Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips is the best first step for families in Dr. Phillips, Williamsburg, and the Turkey Lake area who are ready to enroll. On your tour, ask to see the Art Studio, Science Lab, water play area, and Playtown. Bring your questions about flexible scheduling, full-time care, and toddler classes, and ask about start dates for your child's program. Florida VPK runs during the school year only, so ask about timing if your child is 4.
Two tips help your child's first sensory play day go smoothly:
- Pack a spare outfit. Paint, sand, and water play can soak or stain clothes. A full change of clothes saves your child from sitting in a wet shirt.
- Share food allergies early. Tell us about any food allergies, especially before your child joins cooking activities.
Ladybird Academy of Dr Phillips 6809 Daisy St, Orlando, FL 32819 (407) 412-6908 drphillips@ladybirdacademy.com Monday–Friday 6:30 AM–6:30 PM. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
Schedule a Tour
Come See Where Their Adventure Begins
Walk the classrooms, meet our team and bring every question on your list. You’ll know quickly whether Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips feels right for your family.
- See the classroom for your child’s age
- Meet the teachers and our director team
- Learn how check-in, cameras and daily updates work
Prefer to talk? Call (407) 412-6908
Thank you!
Your tour request is on its way. Our team will contact you soon to confirm a time. Need us sooner? Call (407) 412-6908.
