By CKA Executive Leadership Team · Published October 2026
Our classrooms may have been quiet on Monday, October 12, but there was plenty happening behind the scenes at Creative Kids Academy!
Twice a year, we close all 13 of our locations for a dedicated staff training and development day. It’s an opportunity for our teams to step away from their busy daily routines, come together, learn new things, refresh their skills, and focus on making our programs even better for the children and families we serve.
Why Child Care Centers Close for Training Days
We know that closing our centers for a day requires families to make other arrangements for child care, and we genuinely appreciate that flexibility.
These days are an important investment in the quality of care we provide. When our teachers have dedicated time to learn, collaborate, plan, and improve their classrooms, our children benefit.
Providing high-quality child care takes more than a great curriculum and engaging classrooms. It takes knowledgeable, dedicated teachers who are continually learning and growing. Early childhood education is always evolving, and we believe there’s always something new to learn, whether you’ve been teaching for six months or twenty years!
What Happens During a CKA Training Day?
Our twice-a-year training days aren’t just about sitting through presentations or reviewing policies. They’re also an opportunity to accomplish important work that’s difficult to fit into a typical school day.
Across our 13 centers, teams spent time:
- Learning and growing: Completing professional development trainings, refreshing skills, and reviewing important policies and procedures that help keep children safe.
- Strengthening our programs: Reviewing classroom practices, planning activities, and finding new ways to support children’s learning and development.
- Refreshing our classrooms: Deep cleaning, organizing, decorating, and making improvements to learning environments.
- Building stronger teams: Participating in team-building activities, sharing ideas, and spending time connecting with coworkers.
Every center has its own needs and priorities, so each team had the opportunity to focus on what would make the biggest difference in their classrooms and programs.
What Does Training Day Mean for Your Child?
While families don’t always get to see the work happening behind the scenes, the benefits carry into our classrooms every day.
When our teachers have time to refresh their skills and review important policies, they’re better prepared to provide safe, consistent care. When teams have time to plan and collaborate, children benefit from more thoughtful activities and learning experiences. And when teachers build stronger relationships with one another, it creates a more supportive, positive classroom environment.
Even the smaller things, like reorganizing learning materials, deep cleaning classrooms, or refreshing decorations, make a difference in creating spaces where children feel comfortable, welcomed, and excited to learn.
Strong teams create stronger classrooms, and stronger classrooms create better experiences for children.
Thank You to Our Incredible Teams!
We’re proud of the work our teams put into this training day, and even prouder of the dedication they bring to their classrooms every day.
At Creative Kids Academy, learning isn’t just something we encourage in our children. It’s something we believe in for our teachers, too.
And to our families, thank you for supporting these important days. Your flexibility gives our teams the time they need to continue learning, improving, and making CKA the best it can be!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Creative Kids Academy close for training days?
Closing allows our teachers and leadership teams to focus on professional development, safety training, classroom improvements, and program planning without the responsibilities of a regular child care day.
How often does CKA hold staff training days?
Creative Kids Academy holds company-wide training days twice a year. All 13 Minnesota locations participate, with teams working together at their individual centers.
How do staff training days benefit children?
Training days help our teachers stay current on important skills and policies, strengthen classroom programming, and create safe, welcoming learning environments. They also give our teams valuable time to collaborate and grow together.
Want to see what makes Creative Kids Academy special?
Explore our 13 Minnesota child care locations and schedule a tour to meet our teachers and see our classrooms in action!