A nonprofit daycare center in Oak Creek is celebrating Olympics week with hands-on activities designed to get children excited about the Winter Games while supporting their development.
Ebenezer Childcare Center has transformed its facility into an Olympic wonderland, complete with torch-making stations, table hockey games, and even a makeshift ice skating rink for the children.
"We create our own little ice skating rink. The kids can take off their shoes. It makes it a little slippery but still safe," said Nikki Garcia, the school's coordinator. "My daughter loves it, so we do it every year and sometimes the classrooms even do it inside their rooms."
The center, which has operated since 2004, serves as part of a larger network of Ebenezer Childcare locations throughout Milwaukee and surrounding areas. As a nonprofit organization that has been around for 50 years, every dollar raised goes directly back into the classrooms and children's care.
Watch: This Oak Creek daycare center is ready for the Winter Olympics:
"Everything we do, so we do fundraising, everything goes right back into the classrooms and into the children's care," Nikki said.
The Olympic-themed activities serve multiple developmental purposes. Children create their own torches to help with fine motor development and creativity, while table hockey games support coordination skills. Special stools ensure even the youngest children can participate in all activities.
Ari, who has attended the center since she was a baby, expressed her excitement for the upcoming games.
"Probably the skiing because they like go downhill and it's like they go real fast," Ari said when asked what Olympic event she's most looking forward to watching.
The center maintains an active social media presence where parents can follow daily classroom activities and special events. The volunteer board of directors ensures the nonprofit structure supports the center's mission of providing quality early education.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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