As Virginia Governor Ralph Northam indicated on June 23, Northern Virginia entered Phase 3 of the reopening process effective July 1, 2020. We understand that this means more of our parents will be returning to work, and as such, more children will be returning to our center. To comply with the latest State Licensing Department, and CDC safety guidance for our industry, effective July 1, 2020, the following safety measures will be in place until new guidelines from our regulatory agencies are in effect: Parents will be required to use face-covering while at the center. Also, to prevent additi ..read more

Sparkles! At Fair Oaks wants to ease your minds about the upcoming “Return To School Plan” for your children come Fall 2020.   On July 21st, Fairfax County School Board supported the revised recommendation of Superintendent Dr. Scott Brabrand, to begin the 2020-21 school year with 100% virtual learning for all students starting September 8th, 2020. As we get ready to support your family during this new learning structure, we are planning to focus on two priorities: Health & Safety and Distant Learning Support.   Health and Safety Group Sizes and Daily Schedules – We are conc ..read more

Earlier today the Virginia Governor, Ralph Northam, announced a statewide order to protect the health and safety of Virginians and to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 by ordering the closure of certain non-essential business, banning all gatherings of more than 10 people, and closing all K-12 schools for the remainder of the academic school year. It was reassured by the Governor the importance of the services provided by child care centers to support essential personnel and first responders.   Sparkles! Centers will remain open to support the families that have the need for care as we continu ..read more

The holidays are hectic enough if you’re celebrating one holiday. Many families have multiple faiths or cultures coming together. You can honor all your family’s traditions so that you celebrate everyone’s heritage. Here’s how you can manage this season if your family has multiple holidays to celebrate. Create new traditions You can put your own spin on old holiday traditions to make them unique for your family. Maybe you all get together and sing Christmas carols and Hanukkah songs. Or maybe you light a Kinara and a Menorah. Whatever you choose to do, celebrate all holidays equally so your ch ..read more

Thanksgiving is a great time for the family to get together, bond and share a meal. Preparing Thanksgiving dinner is also a wonderful teaching opportunity for little ones. Cooking is a great time to bond with your kids and encourage innovative thinking. Cooking teaches children valuable life skills, math, science, asking and answering questions and more. Bonus — picky eaters tend to be more willing to try foods they have helped prepared! Here are four simple recipes to try with your kids this Thanksgiving. Fruit Salad Cornucopias Fruit salad is a simple dish for kids to put together and these ..read more

Children learning a second language at an early age has many benefits. Learning a second language is much easier for small children than it is for teens or adults. Here are six benefits to young children learning a foreign language. Children learning a second language builds problem-solving skills When you speak multiple languages, it’s like a constant workout for your brain. When children learn to be bilingual, they constantly have to sort through two languages which prepares them to be expert problem solvers. Studies show that learning a second language improves executive function. Executive ..read more

We are so excited to be named as a best daycare and preschool in Northern Virginia Magazine! Our Sparkles! families showed us some love by voting for us in this readers’ poll contest. Why are we consistently voted the best daycare and preschool? We are honored to be consistently voted one of the best daycares in Crystal City and Fair Oaks. We provide top-notch childcare and educational opportunities for families in those communities. Our programs include tutoring services, before and after school programs, pre-k STEAM and day camps for our students. Pre-K education is more important now than e ..read more

We are thrilled to announce that we have been named “Best Daycare” in Northern Virginia by Virginia Living magazine! We are so thankful to all our wonderful families who voted for us. This honor was chosen from the results of the “Best of Virginia Reader’s Survey” for 2019. Readers voted for their favorites in over 100 categories. What makes us the best daycare around? Sparkles! provides child care and educational opportunities to families who live and work near Crystal City and Fair Oaks. We have tutoring services, before and after school programs, pre-k STEAM and day camps available to our s ..read more

Virginia Living’s 8th annual “Best of Virginia Reader’s Survey” is open, and we’d love to have your vote! Those who matter most, our Sparkles! families, help choose the winners of this much-anticipated competition. Please take a moment to: Click to open survey & select “Northern Virginia” region Scroll to #50 Best Daycare and Vote “Sparkles! Early Learning Academy” Share this post on your social media The survey includes over 100 categories, covering everything from best dessert menu to best charity, so make sure to support all of your local favorites. Survey is open until 11:59 pm, Jan ..read more

Thanks to all of the parents who participated in Sparkles! Early Learning Academy’s “Connect and Win” contest! Recently, participants connected with Sparkles! online, submitting multiple entries by watching videos, viewing our Instagram page, and more. Hundreds of local parents submitted over 1,000 entries during its month-long duration, with a winner randomly selected each week to receive a $25 Amazon gift card. We want to give a big thank you to all who connected with us, and a special congratulations to our winners, Veronica from D.C., Brandy from Arlington, and Sarah from Woodbridge! Fol ..read more