Creative Play Centers
Creative Play Centers in Orlando: Art, Science, and Pretend Play at Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips
Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips is a child care center on Daisy Street in Orlando. Our five Creative Play Centers include an Art Studio, a Science Lab, a Library, a Computer Lab, and Playtown. Each center gives your child a different way to learn by doing. You can follow along from work through our cameras and app.
Five Specialty Rooms
Five Creative Play Centers Give Your Child Hands-On Choices
We are a Gold Seal day care center, and we use play to build kindergarten readiness. We're open Monday through Friday from 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM. To start enrollment, contact our front desk.
Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips gives each child five specialty rooms to explore. Here's what your child does in each one.
In the Art Studio, children paint, draw, and build with real materials. The Science Lab is where they try simple experiments, ask questions, and look closely at how things work. The Library holds storytime sessions and early reading. In the Computer Lab, teachers guide children through early tech skills. And in Playtown, children who love dramatic play act out roles and pretend.
Each room asks something different of your child. Painting builds hand control. An experiment builds patience, because a child has to wait and watch. Playtown builds language, because a child has to talk through a role with a friend.
Having five rooms matters because young children rarely learn the same way every day. A child who struggles to sit for a story may focus well while sorting objects in the Science Lab. A choice of rooms gives teachers more ways to reach that child.
Dr. Phillips families get every one of these specialty rooms on one campus. Your child doesn't need a separate art class or science program somewhere else to get this mix during the week.
- Centers Five
- Status Gold Seal
- Open 6:30–6:30
- Weekdays Mon–Fri
Play With a Plan
Learning Centers Tie Play to Abeka and Saxon Math
Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips uses two named curricula: the Abeka curriculum and Saxon Math for early math skills. When you compare learning centers at Orlando daycares, ask which curriculum the play connects to.
Center time gives your child more practice with early skills such as:
- Counting
- Sorting
- Letters
- Patterns
A child might sort shapes in the Science Lab, count paint cups in the Art Studio, or find letters in a book in the Library. The play feels free, but each activity practices an early skill.
Center-based play has one honest tradeoff. When children choose, some pick the same center again and again. In a center-based room, a teacher's job is to notice what a child avoids and gently invite that child toward it. A child who only builds may need a nudge toward letters, and a child who only reads may need a nudge toward counting.
Our goal is kindergarten readiness and steady progress on developmental milestones. Developmental milestones are the skills most children reach by a certain age, such as speaking in short sentences or holding a crayon.
Every Age, Every Day
Sensory, Story, and Movement Play Fill the Daily Routine
The daily routine at Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips changes with your child's age. Each stage gets play that fits what the child is ready to learn.
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Toddlers
Toddlers do sensory play activities. Sensory play means touching, pouring, squishing, and listening, which helps young children make sense of the world. Our teachers also give potty training support during the day.
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Preschool and Pre-K
Preschool and Pre-K children take part in storytime, cooking activities, and science activities. Cooking pulls several skills into one task: children measure, follow steps in order, and see how ingredients change.
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Enrichment
Enrichment includes ballet dance and soccer. Ballet builds balance. Soccer builds teamwork, because a child has to share the ball and play with a group.
Outdoor play happens on shaded playground equipment and in our water play area, but Orlando weather shapes the day. Central Florida summers are hot, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. When heat or storms make outdoor time a poor choice, play moves indoors to the library, Playtown, and the art room.
Watch From Work
Live Cameras and App Updates Show You Play in Action
Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips gives parents three ways to see the school day while it happens:
- Live parent camera access
- Real-time app updates
- Direct messaging with your child's teacher
These tools help working Orlando parents who can't step away during the day. You can check in on center time from your desk or on a break. Parents also tell us our front desk addresses their concerns the same day.
Families new to the Dr. Phillips and MetroWest area often have no local friends to ask for a referral, so outside reviews of a school carry more weight. Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips holds 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), valid through April 30, 2027
N.E.C.P.A. reviews how adults and children interact, which is a useful check for a play-based program. In a creative play center, much of the learning comes from how a teacher talks with a child during play.
Summer My Way
Summer Camp Keeps Creative Play Going All Year
Summer My Way Summer Camp at Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips serves children ages 5 to 11 when school is out. Week-long camp options let you plan around your own summer.
Camp follows weekly state themes. Monday is water day, which helps children stay cool in the summer heat. Campers go on two field trips per week, and field trip destinations include Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake. Back at school, science and cooking give children practice measuring, testing ideas, and following steps.
Four Steps to Start
Enrolling in Creative Play Programs in Dr. Phillips
To get started at Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips, you can:
Contact our front desk.
Ask about visiting the creative play centers.
Pick full-time care or flexible scheduling.
Finish child care enrollment.
Our hours are 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM, Monday through Friday. We're closed Saturday and Sunday. Many Dr. Phillips parents work in hospitality and at the theme parks, where shifts start early or end late. A 6:30 AM drop-off and a 6:30 PM pickup fit those shifts better than a shorter school day.
We are 2.6 miles (about 13 minutes) from Universal Studios Orlando, which makes us the closest day care to Universal Studios Orlando.
Ladybird Academy of Dr Phillips 6809 Daisy St, Orlando, FL 32819 (407) 412-6908 drphillips@ladybirdacademy.com
Parent Questions
FAQ
What Dr. Phillips parents ask us about centers, dramatic play and enrollment.
Still have questions?
Our team is happy to help. Call during school hours or send us an email.
(407) 412-6908 drphillips@ladybirdacademy.comYes, toddlers at Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips join creative play sessions as part of toddler classes. Toddler classes also include sensory play, such as touching, pouring, and squishing. Room schedules vary, so ask our front desk when your child's group uses each center.
Yes, dramatic play is part of the preschool day at Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips. Playtown gives children an indoor room for pretend and role play. Acting out roles helps children practice talking, sharing, and taking turns with friends.
Yes, the learning centers at Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips support VPK and kindergarten readiness by giving children hands-on practice with early skills. Children count, sort, find letters, and spot patterns during center time. Florida VPK is offered here during the school year.
On rainy or very hot Orlando days, children at Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips play indoors in the library, Playtown, and the art room. When it's safe to go outside, children use shaded playground equipment and the water play area.
Yes, parents can see their child during center time at Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips through live parent camera access. Real-time app updates show you what your child is doing, and you can message your child's teacher directly.
To enroll your child in creative play programs at Ladybird Academy of Dr. Phillips, contact our front desk to begin child care enrollment. From there, you can ask about a visit and choose full-time or flexible scheduling.
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.
