Little Friends
Getting an Early Start on a Life of Learning
The desire to develop an enduring passion for learning has no minimum age limit. At our Little Friends Early Learning Center, a full-service childcare center, we focus on developing a broad range of age-appropriate skills for children 6 weeks to 4 years old.
Mission Statement
We seek to create a safe, nurturing, and engaging environment for young children and the adults who care for them, guided by:
- Quaker testimonies: Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality/Diversity, Stewardship
- Developmentally appropriate practice: meeting children on their level with an emphasis on play and emotional/social development
- Emergent curriculum: allowing children's interests and the environment to direct learning experiences
- Magda Gerber's philosophy: treating even the youngest infant as a unique human being
- Research: focusing on experiences that support healthy brain development
Vision
To create and sustain a more peaceful, just, and loving world for children.
Campus Tours
We invite you to see our campus in action! Join us for a group tour this fall or spring from 10:00 a.m. to noon on one of the dates listed below. Please click the date you wish to attend to register. Walk-ins are also welcome.
Please contact Little Friends Director Danyell Felton at dfelton@friendsbalt.org to schedule an individual tour.
| Fall 2025 Tours | Spring 2026 Tours |
| November 11 | March 25 |
| December 5 | April 1 |
| December 10 | April 15 |
| April 22 |
About Little Friends
We are currently accepting Little Friends applications for the following school years:
2026-2027
2027-2028
Instructions:
When you click Apply to Little Friends, you will be prompted to create a myFriends account.
When creating your candidate, choose the "Candidate Entering Year" option available.
Once you are in the application, choose the Grade and Year Applying for your candidate from the dropdown menu.
About the Program
Curriculum
Little Friends tailors learning and activities to match the age and developmental skills of our children. Our classrooms are designed to encourage creative play, with experiences that develop fine and gross motor skills and build self-esteem. Parents are welcome to be as involved as their day allows. Feel free to come for lunch, join us for a special activity, or share in a unique family tradition.
Facilities
Like the big kids, Little Friends children benefit from dedicated class time with Friends teachers, using learning spaces that include the Friends School gymnasium, Lower School library, and the turf fields. Structured cross-divisional collaboration is an essential part of the Little Friends experience, as our children learn from and with students from different academic divisions. All Little Friends children spend time outside each day, exploring the main campus and the School’s Native Plant Teaching Gardens.
Values
The Quaker values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship (SPICES) are central to the work that happens every day. We focus on socialization skills and teach our little friends to stop and think about their actions and the ways in which they may affect others. Service learning projects conducted throughout the year further help them develop empathy for others.