One of the advantages to family childcare is that children are not limited to a single classroom or outdoor space.  As you will see here, we use many areas of my home and yard in a variety of ways during our time together. My home is a raised ranch home located in a safe, family neighborhood in Streamwood, Il. Though it does not feature endless rooms of hardwood floors, it does very gracefully meet my needs for a home and business. The children in my care enjoy the main level of my home, a downstairs playroom for active and imaginitive play in inclement weather, plus a backyard which includes sand areas a toddler climbing structure, a playhouse, a swing set, even a "digging spot" for pretend excavation and finding bugs. The children know how some food grows since we harvest pears, peaches, tomatoes, strawberries, peas, aspargus, and the occasional almond or two, if we beat the squirrels to them. I use no pesticides or herbicides on my property. I value healthy kids more than I value a picture perfect lawn.