Now enrolling our interest list
Arrowhead
Explorers
Growing Curious Minds Through Nature & Play.
Family Childcare · Ages 18 Months–School Age · North Waterboro, ME
Meg — owner & provider
Hello from the woods
I’m Meg, and I’m building the childcare I was looking for.
I’m Megan Small — Meg to the kids. We’re raising three boys of our own here: Myles, who’s fifteen, and Oakley and Orion, four and three. This is a family home, not a facility, so your child joins a house already built around small people.
I’ve cared for children since I was a teenager — babysitting, summers as a camp counselor, then nannying when my first son was born. In between I worked in healthcare, which taught me to stay calm when something goes wrong and keeps my CPR certification current. These days I’m also studying at the University of Southern Maine.
We keep the group small on purpose and spend most of the day outside — trails, mud, the beach down the road, and whatever the Maine season is doing. The rest happens on the rug, with a stack of books and a snack.
Children don’t need to be entertained every minute. They need a safe grown-up, good boots, and permission to be curious.
— Meg
A day with us
Our days follow a rhythm, not a schedule.
Children settle when they know what comes next. Ours is predictable enough to feel safe and loose enough to follow a good idea when one shows up.
- Arrival
Slow starts & soft landings
Hooks, boots, hellos, and quiet play while everyone arrives. We share a morning snack together around 8:30 — nobody gets rushed through the door.
- Morning
Outside, whatever the sky is doing
By 9:00 we're out — trails, woods, the playground, mud, buckets, snow. Around 11:00 we gather for circle: stories, songs, and a little early literacy.
- Midday
Lunch, then a good long rest
Packed lunches at a real table around 11:45, then rest and quiet time — a nap for those who need one, a book for those who don't.
- Afternoon
Snack, then making things
An afternoon snack around 2:00, then the making part of the day — art, sensory play, nature science — before we head back outside for free play.
- Pick-up
The handoff, with details
Between 4:00 and 5:00, with a day recap: what they ate, what they found, and who they played with. Not a summary — the actual story.
Times shift with the children, the weather, and what we're exploring that day.
Ages & care
One small group, mixed by age.
Eighteen months through school age, together — plus before- and after-school care for the big kids.
Our mixed-age group
18 months – school age
One small group, together — older children help the younger ones, and the younger ones stretch to keep up.
- Outdoor exploration in every season
- Sensory play & nature science
- Stories & early literacy
- Art & creative projects
- Music & movement
- Rest & quiet time after lunch
- Practical life — pouring, cleanup, boots on your own
School-age care
Before & after school · no-school days
We walk to the Victoria Lane bus stop together, morning and afternoon — the little ones ride along in the wagon.
- Before-school care
- After-school care
- Full days on RSU 57 vacations & no-school days
- Homework & quiet time
- Outdoor play & the neighborhood playground
We're in RSU 57 (Massabesic), and the bus stop is a short walk from our door. See Tuition for before/after-school and no-school-day rates.
Why nature-based
The woods are the classroom.
Outdoor learning isn’t a nice extra we add on when the weather cooperates. It’s how the whole program is built — and it’s balanced with story time, early literacy, and plenty of hands-on projects.
Bodies that know what they can do
Climbing, balancing, hauling, digging. Real risk in safe amounts is how children build coordination — and the confidence that comes with it.
Questions before answers
Why is that log soft? Where did the frog go? Curiosity grows when children have time to notice things — and a grown-up who takes the question seriously.
Kindness, practiced daily
Small groups mean conflicts get worked through, not managed around. Sharing a trail, waiting a turn, helping someone up — the lessons that stick.
“There’s no such thing as bad weather. Only the wrong mittens.”
Everyday adventures
Little hands, big adventures.
Most of our day is spent outside — in the yard, on the trails, and at a neighborhood playground a short walk away.
A short walk from everything
Our own fenced backyard play space, with woods beyond — plus a neighborhood playground, the beach, and the school-bus stop, all a short walk away.
Water play, all summer
When it’s warm, we love water play — sprinklers, water tables, and splashing outside.
Tuition & enrollment
Simple, predictable, and worth it.
Choose the number of days that fit your week. Tuition is billed weekly and holds your child’s spot — Monday through Thursday, 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
| Weekly | Under 2 | 2 – school age |
|---|---|---|
| 4 daysMon–Thu · our full-time | $240 | $215 |
| 3 daysyour choice of days | $195 | $175 |
| 2 daysyour choice of days | $140 | $125 |
Children under two need a lower caregiver-to-child ratio under Maine's licensing rules, which is why those places cost a little more.
School-age care
- Sibling discount — 10% off the younger child's tuition.
- $75 one-time registration fee per family.
- A deposit of two weeks' tuition holds your place, applied to your final two weeks.
- Tuition reserves your child's spot, so it stays the same during vacations, illness, and holidays.
Rates are set while we complete Maine's family childcare licensing process, and are confirmed in your enrollment agreement.
What’s included
- Morning and afternoon snacks
- All art, sensory, and activity supplies
- Outdoor time every single day
- Photos and a short note about your child's day
- A small, consistent group and one steady caregiver
Pack a lunch, a water bottle, a spare set of clothes, and boots you don’t mind losing to the mud.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the questions families ask most. Have another? We’d love to hear from you.
18 months through school age. Weekly tuition is split into two age groups — under 2, and 2 through school age — because Maine licensing requires a lower caregiver-to-child ratio for the littlest ones.
A four-day week keeps the group small, the program well-planned, and the caregiver rested — which is what makes the other four days good ones.
Yes — two- and three-day families choose their days, subject to what's open. Consistent days work best for children, so we keep the same schedule week to week.
We go out anyway, dressed for it — that's rather the point. We stay in for thunderstorms, extreme cold, and poor air quality, and we always come in when a child has had enough.
No. We work alongside you at your child's pace and keep it low-pressure. Just send diapers, wipes, and plenty of spare clothes.
We provide a morning snack and an afternoon snack. Parents pack a lunch and a water bottle, and we sit down to eat together around 11:45.
Labeled weather gear (boots, mittens, snow pants, rain suit), a full change of clothes (two in mud season), a packed lunch and water bottle, a nap blanket or comfort item, diapers/wipes/cream if needed, and sunscreen and bug spray in season.
Yes. Before or after school is $28/day, before and after is $42/day, and full days on RSU 57 vacations and no-school days are $52/day. We're in RSU 57 (Massabesic), and the bus stop is a short walk from our door — we walk down together, morning and afternoon.
Tuition is due weekly, by Monday morning, for the week ahead — by Venmo, check, or cash — and it reserves your child's spot, so it stays the same during vacations, illness, and holidays. You'll get a year-end statement with my tax ID for the federal child-care tax credit. There's also a $75 one-time registration fee and a deposit of two weeks' tuition, applied to your final two weeks.
For a fever of 100.4°F or higher, vomiting or diarrhea, an unexplained rash, or anything contagious. Children can come back once they've been 24 hours symptom-free without medication.
We generally follow RSU 57 for full storm closures; a delayed opening usually just means a slower morning here, and I'll message you by 6:00 AM either way. We're closed for the major holidays, any other planned closure is announced 30 days ahead, and tuition is unchanged during holiday weeks.
Yes — cats indoors, and our dog has his own fenced section of the yard, so the children's play space stays theirs. Please tell us about any allergies.
We're opening with a very small group while we complete Maine's family childcare licensing process, then growing carefully. Join the interest list and we'll reach out in order as places open.
It's a home childcare program that weaves age-appropriate early learning — reading, letters, creativity, and kindergarten-readiness — into a play-based, mostly-outdoor day.
Join the Interest List
Save your family’s spot on our interest list.
Arrowhead Explorers is currently building its interest list for Lake Arrowhead and North Waterboro families. Share a little about your family and we’ll reach out as enrollment details become available.
- No obligation — this simply adds you to our list
- Be among the first to know when we open
- We'll share tuition, availability, and next steps
Prefer to reach out directly?
- lacexplorers@gmail.com
- 207-432-9492
- Follow us on Facebook
- Located in the Lake Arrowhead community of North Waterboro, Maine. Exact location provided to enrolled families.