Special Section

Little Sprouts

new Chippewa Valley child care center keeping it green

photos by Andrea Paulseth |

Above: A towering achievement. Little Sprouts Academy in Menomonie is an “eco-friendly/eco-healthy” childcare center boasting low-VOC paint, floors made of renewable materials, a refrigerator filled with organic food, and toys geared toward stimulating imagination and creativity.
 
Above: A towering achievement. Little Sprouts Academy in Menomonie is an “eco-friendly/
eco-healthy” childcare center boasting low-VOC paint, floors made of renewable
materials, a refrigerator filled with organic food, and toys geared toward stimulating
imagination and creativity.

A new child care center has “sprouted” up in Menomonie, with the goal of providing not just quality child care but an awareness of the environment and how our health relates. Little Sprouts Academy Menomonie opened its doors on August 29 after months of reconstructing the former Menomonie Day Care. Now that the academy is open, owners Joe and Lucy Lawrence hope to share the information they’ve learned – and that they continue learning – with parents and community members while maintaining an “eco-healthy, child-centered” daycare. 

One of the things we feel is important is giving children choices so they have a say in decisions being made about them.” Joe Lawrence, co-owner of Little Sprouts Academy

“We’re not ‘tree-huggers,’ per se; we’re simply ‘aware’ of our environment,” explained Joe, who is in charge of the academy’s curriculum and programs. He holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and is licensed in Early Childhood-Elementary Education from the Wisconsin DPI. “We’re always going to be learning about things that are good and not so good for us, and trying to move towards more of the good.”

It was their desire to move toward that “good” that motivated the pair to begin an “eco-friendly/eco-healthy” childcare center that boasts low-VOC paint, floors made of marmoleum (a floor covering made from renewable materials), and a refrigerator filled with organic food. It also meant providing traditional toys like wood blocks and puzzles to better stimulate children’s imagination and creativity during play rather than electronic, one-dimensional toys. 

“Having children be able to function and thrive in their environment is important,” explains Joe. “A lot of toys are made for just one thing and don’t necessarily spark a lot of creativity. We have some that are simple, but allow the child to think a little bit more about what they can do with it.”

Joe recalls pausing one afternoon to watch the children play in the center’s backyard, which has twice as much space as that mandated for their 54-child capacity. 

“That day, the kids were simply running back and forth across the play area, chasing each other for like 20 minutes, just being creative,” he remembered. “They didn’t need any toys; they just needed a few hills to run on. What great fun and exercise! And they were working on their physical and social development, too.”


Joe and Lucy believe that the center’s daily routine must also help children feel comfortable and confident. They’ve integrated ideals from the Love & Logic Institute, which encourages the use of dignity and empathy while teaching children consequences and healthy decision-making.

“One of the things we feel is important is giving children choices so they have a say in decisions being made about them,” said Joe. For instance, a teacher may ask a child whether they want to clean up their blocks themselves, or if they’d like help. “Holding them a little more accountable is important.”

That accountability is what motivates Joe and Lucy to maintain such environmental and social standards at their center, but they realize some parents may not share their viewpoint – or have even given it any thought. For those who desire more information, Joe and Lucy are happy to share. They hope to organize regular discussion sessions that will be open not just to parents, but to the public as well. 

“Do we have all the answers? Most definitely not. … But if we are truly doing this to help people, then the ideas we embrace … should have no boundaries or limits as to who they should be shared with,” stated Joe. “We don’t want people to feel uncomfortable, or not want to go there because ‘they say they’re eco-friendly and that sounds scary.’ We hope it’s simply an added bonus for families to come – they see we have quality programs and a good environment, and we also happen to be eco-healthy.”

Little Sprouts Academy • 2407 N 4th Ave, Menomonie • (715) 233-2035 • MenomonieSprouts.com