By guest writer/photographer Ryan Swearingen.

KinderCare’s newest and largest early childhood learning center officially opens April 16 at 311 Greenwich. Tribeca will mark its third Manhattan location, with a fourth slated to open later this year on the Upper West Side.

A visit to the new location begins with street-level windows filled with whimsical imagery (currently a Maurice Sendak–inspired display), beyond which a modern brick-and-woodland-themed lobby awaits.

Inside, the former home of New York Sports Club has been completely renovated, with 17 purpose-built rooms on two levels, each tailored to its young students’ particular needs. Classrooms are bright, warm, and filled with educational playthings arranged in themed “learning center” areas that invite discovery and play. Colorful, Reggio Emilia–inspired constructivist artwork spills out of classrooms and into bright hallways, stairwells, and common areas. Labels, signs, and charts throughout the center encourage connections between spoken and written words, according to the center’s staff and literature.

Programming ranges in age from infancy (less than 12 months) to kindergarten (5-6 years), with offerings for every stage in between, including Toddler (12-24 months), Discovery Preschool (2-3 years), Preschool (3-4 years), and Prekindergarten (4-5 years). In addition, a trans-kindergarten option is available when children aren’t quite ready for the leap to kindergarten. KinderCare also offers before and after-school programs, enrichment, bilingual Mandarin immersion, and “school break solutions.”

KinderCare is at 311 Greenwich (at Reade); 212-962-1316; kindercare.com.

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