Even Brighter Horizons

On Saturday morning, teachers, parents and children gathered at to celebrate the completion of their renovations.

For the ribbon cutting ceremony, families wrote wishes for the center on strips of construction paper and the strips were wound together into a chain stretched across the entrance. Wishes included "the safest place," "love and granola" and "many years of happiness."

Accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Bright Horizons Long Ridge opened in 1997 and continued to operate throughout the entire renovation process.

"We sent out newsletter updates and had the phases posted and color coded. The kids loved it, especially when the movement and art zones started to be built," Alishia Salerno, assistant director of Bright Horizons Long Ridge, told Patch.

The new space maintained three infant rooms, four toddler rooms, three preschool rooms, and a school-aged space to serve up to 136 children between the ages of six weeks to 12 years.

Karen Hall, the enthusiastic star of "Acting Out With Ms. Karen," an enrichment program at Bright Horizons Long Ridge, led children through a series of songs and activities.

In the new movement zone, children played in a spacious, mat-lined room, explored a scaled-down rock wall and played on a drum set. While teachers used to do these activities in their own classrooms, the new movement zone will give them a designated fitness area.

"We've been doing a lot of structured classes, Movement Matters, yoga, activities in response to Mrs. Obama's campaign," Kim Warecke, regional manager of Bright Horizons, said.

In the new art room, art teacher Carol Herd-Rodriguez sat with children at a table in front of a wall lined with a rainbow of supplies. Outside, tiny primary colored easels were set up, just waiting for the day when it's warm enough for to paint outside. For all of the buzz about the newly renovated interior, it is the outdoor space that is one of the most prized features of center.

"I love the location, we're off the beaten path," Salerno said.

Set far back from the road, Bright Horizons Long Ridge does feel completely removed from the surrounding city. Outdoor play spaces wrap around the building with designated playgrounds by age group. While most of the playground equipment is still partially buried by snow, parents and children peaked outside with anticipation.

"We worked natural elements into it — trees in the play areas, natural hills to roll down — it's one of the unique elements of this particular center," Warecke said.