St. Mark’s Toddler Playgroup is based on the philosophy that two-year-old children, both typically developing and those with special needs, benefit from a developmentally appropriate group experience where they are comfortable to explore and learn. During the early years, cognitive, speech-language, social-emotion and motor skills develop rapidly. The Playgroup offers a loving and stimulating program that facilitates development in all of these areas through play. Play is seen as the most natural and important teaching context in early childhood. It is through play that children actively explore their environment, manipulate objects, interact with others, communicate, and learn about themselves.