What is Experience Toddler?
Experience Toddler is a research-based curriculum designed for children 18 through 36 months — one of the most dynamic and demanding developmental windows in early childhood. Each month, a complete curriculum kit arrives at your program with lesson plans, manipulatives, dramatic play materials, movement activities, and family engagement tools, organized around a rich monthly theme.
The toddler years are characterized by rapid language development, emerging independence, and the beginning of peer relationships. Experience Toddler is built around these realities, with activities that channel toddler energy productively, support emotional regulation, and lay the groundwork for cooperative play and early literacy.
Experience Toddler activities are designed for 5–10 minute engagement windows, acknowledging the short attention spans and high activity levels that define this age. Transitions between activities are built into every lesson plan, with movement breaks and sensory experiences woven throughout the day.
What’s in each kit
- 4 weeks of daily lesson plans
- Manipulatives and hands-on play materials
- Dramatic play props and dress-up accessories
- Music and movement activity guide
- Family engagement take-home materials
- Observation documentation prompts
- Brightwheel digital activity companion
Developmental focus
- Language explosion: expanding vocabulary, two-word phrases, early sentences
- Parallel and early cooperative play with peers
- Emotional regulation and co-regulation strategies
- Gross motor: running, climbing, throwing, jumping
- Fine motor: stacking, sorting, early drawing
- Early independence and autonomy-building
- Cause-and-effect and early problem-solving
Why Experience Toddler is a strong fit for California programs
California’s licensed toddler programs operate under Title 22 requirements administered by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). Toddler-age children in programs receiving state or federal funding must be documented using the DRDP framework. Experience Toddler is formally aligned to California’s DRDP, with a detailed alignment PDF mapping every activity to the specific DRDP measure and developmental level it supports.
California’s toddler population is also one of the most linguistically diverse in the country. Experience Toddler’s language-rich activities and family take-home materials are designed to be adapted across home languages, supporting dual-language learners in meeting California’s DRDP language and literacy indicators.
Age band overlap: California’s DRDP and infant-toddler standards
California’s DRDP and early learning standards cover infants and young toddlers (birth to 24 months) together in many measure areas. For programs serving children in the 18–24 month window — the overlap between Experience Baby and Experience Toddler — both curricula draw on the same DRDP infant/toddler measures. The California Alignment PDF documents exactly how Experience Toddler activities map to these indicators for children at the younger end of the toddler range.
Developmental domains covered in Experience Toddler
Experience Toddler integrates all eight developmental domains from Experience Curriculum’s 35-skill framework, with activities calibrated specifically for the 18–36 month age range. The curriculum places particular emphasis on language development and social-emotional skills during this critical period of growth.
Experience Toddler activities map to specific DRDP developmental levels across all domains. The California Alignment PDF documents every activity-to-DRDP-indicator match, reducing documentation burden for educators and supporting compliance for programs in Quality Counts California.
What arrives each month
Each Experience Toddler kit is organized around a developmentally rich monthly theme that connects learning across all eight domains. Themes are chosen to be concrete and meaningful to toddlers’ real-world experience — not abstract concepts.
Hello Friends
Introductory theme focused on building classroom community, learning peer names, and establishing routines. Strong social-emotional and language emphasis for the start of the program year.
All About Me
Self-awareness and identity theme with mirror activities, body part identification, family photo explorations, and emotion recognition games. Supports DRDP Self and Social Development measures.
Animals Big and Small
Animal-themed exploration with sorting by size, animal sounds and language, dramatic play as animals, and nature observation. Integrates science, math, language, and physical development.
Growing Things
Spring planting and growth theme with hands-on sensory exploration, sequencing, early math through measurement, and family engagement gardening activities to do at home.
Experience Toddler and brightwheel: a complete solution
Experience Curriculum is fully integrated with brightwheel, the #1 childcare management platform. For California programs already using brightwheel for billing, attendance, and family communication, adding Experience Toddler creates a seamless curriculum-to-documentation workflow.
Document as you teach
Educators can log DRDP observations directly in brightwheel during or immediately after activities. Notes link to developmental milestones and build each child’s portfolio automatically — reducing end-of-term documentation burden significantly.
Keep families connected
Parents receive real-time photos, videos, and activity updates through brightwheel. Experience Toddler family take-home content can be shared digitally, giving families language-rich ways to extend curriculum learning at home.
For toddler programs navigating California’s DRDP documentation requirements alongside the high energy demands of toddler care, brightwheel’s streamlined mobile documentation means teachers can capture meaningful observations throughout the day without slowing down.
Questions about Experience Toddler in California
Is Experience Toddler aligned to California’s DRDP early learning standards?
Yes. Experience Toddler is formally aligned to California’s Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP). A detailed California Alignment PDF maps each Experience Toddler activity and skill to the specific DRDP measure and developmental level it supports. This document is accepted by CDSS-licensed programs as curriculum alignment documentation.
What is the toddler-to-caregiver ratio in California, and how does Experience Toddler accommodate it?
California’s licensed childcare ratio for toddlers (18–36 months) is 1:4 — one caregiver for every four toddlers. Experience Toddler’s activity design accounts for this reality. Lessons are structured for small group and individual interactions that fit naturally within a 1:4 setting, with materials and pacing appropriate for managing a toddler group effectively.
How does Experience Toddler support dual-language learners in California?
Experience Toddler’s language-rich activities are designed to be adapted across home languages. The curriculum emphasizes vocabulary building through concrete, hands-on experiences — an approach that supports both English development and home language maintenance. Family take-home materials can be used in any language, supporting California’s linguistically diverse toddler population.
Can Experience Toddler help my California program achieve a higher Quality Counts California rating?
Many California programs find that using a structured, research-based, DRDP-aligned curriculum supports their Quality Counts California rating, particularly in the Curriculum and Learning Environment domain. We recommend confirming specific QCC requirements with your local Child Care Resource and Referral agency.
What is the cost of Experience Toddler for California childcare programs?
Experience Toddler pricing is based on program size and the number of children served. California programs may qualify for subsidized pricing if serving children through state-funded programs. Pricing details and a free tour are available through the brightwheel website.