Kids' Safari Learning Center
Kids' Safari Learning Center, 207 Commerce Pkwy, Cottage Grove, WI 53527
About
Kids' Safari Learning Center offers care and education in thirteen large classrooms that are broken down by age group, each with large windows and doors that lead directly to outside play areas. Children use a gym for large motor play and a library for special sessions during the academic school year from September through June. Meals, including breakfast, lunch, and snack, are cooked in an onsite kitchen by a nutrition manager and served in a cafeteria for preschool and school-aged children.
• Ages: 6 weeks–12 years old
• Schedule: Open Monday–Friday, 6:00 am–5:30 pm; closed on weekends, holidays, and occasional staff in-service days
Kids' Safari Learning Center was founded and opened on June 6, 2005, by the late Linda Vial and added three additional classrooms in 2007. In 2008, the program partnered with the Monona Grove School District to offer in-house 4K programming, a 3K part-day program, and wrap-around care. In 2010, the center enrolled in the NAC accreditation self-study program and began preparing to implement YoungStar standards, achieving NAC accreditation and a 5-Star YoungStar rating in 2013. Founder Linda Vial passed away in 2017, and her son, Tim Vial, continued operating the center until selling the business to Michael Thomas on January 14, 2022. The center remained open through much of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, closing for two weeks in March and implementing protective measures such as masks, additional cleaning, health screenings, and limiting visitors, and enrollment increased back to full capacity in 2021.
The primary mission of Kids' Safari Learning Center is to provide superior care for children in the community, with a focus on a safe and loving environment and learning experiences that support each child's healthy growth in all developmental domains. The program continues to be family owned and operated and serves the Cottage Grove community while partnering with the Monona Grove School District for 4K programming and wrap-around care.
Kids' Safari Learning Center employs a part-time nurse and reports that 80% of the teaching staff have an associate degree in Early Care and Education or are currently enrolled in school. Staff participate in annual continuing education opportunities, and the in-house curriculum aligns with the Wisconsin Model for Early Learning Standards. Weekly observations and quarterly assessments are conducted, parent-teacher conferences are hosted twice a year, and daily highlights are sent home through the Procare App.
The facility uses a new, state-of-the-art security system, and the building is accessible only to authorized individuals. The facility is sanitized throughout the day and deep cleaned each night by a professional cleaning crew.
Last updated July 27, 2026.
• Ages: 6 weeks–12 years old
• Schedule: Open Monday–Friday, 6:00 am–5:30 pm; closed on weekends, holidays, and occasional staff in-service days
Kids' Safari Learning Center was founded and opened on June 6, 2005, by the late Linda Vial and added three additional classrooms in 2007. In 2008, the program partnered with the Monona Grove School District to offer in-house 4K programming, a 3K part-day program, and wrap-around care. In 2010, the center enrolled in the NAC accreditation self-study program and began preparing to implement YoungStar standards, achieving NAC accreditation and a 5-Star YoungStar rating in 2013. Founder Linda Vial passed away in 2017, and her son, Tim Vial, continued operating the center until selling the business to Michael Thomas on January 14, 2022. The center remained open through much of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, closing for two weeks in March and implementing protective measures such as masks, additional cleaning, health screenings, and limiting visitors, and enrollment increased back to full capacity in 2021.
The primary mission of Kids' Safari Learning Center is to provide superior care for children in the community, with a focus on a safe and loving environment and learning experiences that support each child's healthy growth in all developmental domains. The program continues to be family owned and operated and serves the Cottage Grove community while partnering with the Monona Grove School District for 4K programming and wrap-around care.
Kids' Safari Learning Center employs a part-time nurse and reports that 80% of the teaching staff have an associate degree in Early Care and Education or are currently enrolled in school. Staff participate in annual continuing education opportunities, and the in-house curriculum aligns with the Wisconsin Model for Early Learning Standards. Weekly observations and quarterly assessments are conducted, parent-teacher conferences are hosted twice a year, and daily highlights are sent home through the Procare App.
The facility uses a new, state-of-the-art security system, and the building is accessible only to authorized individuals. The facility is sanitized throughout the day and deep cleaned each night by a professional cleaning crew.
Last updated July 27, 2026.
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