The Children’s School
A neighborhood nonprofit preschool established in 1965
The Children's School is a nonprofit preschool established in 1965. Here we believe children learn best through play. This means classrooms that invite children to explore materials at their own pace, an emphasis on strong community relationships, and the space to grow into a confident, curious learner.
Our nonprofit structure allows us to cultivate a culture that puts children and families first while supporting the well-being of our talented and experienced teachers. As a 501c3 nonprofit organization we ensure a majority of our funds are allocated to fair wages and benefits for our staff, maintaining small class sizes, and keeping tuition costs reasonable.
DETAILS
Hours: 9am - 1pm
Additional hours offered through Bigleaf Afternoon Preschool Program
Yearly schedule: 11 months, from September to the end of July
Our 2025/2026 school year ends July 30. We still have a few spots open for the 2025/2026 school year.
We primarily follow the Seattle Public School’s calendar
Ages: all children must be at least 30 months old and no older than 6 by their first day of school.
We do offer rolling admission, allowing children to start as needed throughout the school year.
We do not require children to be toilet trained.
We do not have facilities for children to nap.
Maximum Student-Teacher Ratio for all our classes is 7:1
All children bring a packed lunch from home and we provide a fresh snack (veggies/fruits/cheese/yogurt).
Weekly Schedule Options:
Everyone:
5-day: Monday-Friday
4-day: Monday-ThursdayUnder 3:
3 day: Tuesday - Thursday
2 day: Monday/Tuesday
We believe children do best when they have a longer week to settle into the routine. We also believe preschool is an important part of development and know it can be hard for families to commit to a 4 or 5 day week, especially for your first year. Therefore, we offer options for 2 or 3 days per week to students 3 years and under. However, we encourage you to consider 4 or 5 days.
CURRICULUM
We use an emergent curriculum approach, flexible and responsive to children's interests and experiences. This prioritizes young children’s right to play, self-expression, and exploration. The role of the teacher in this approach is to spark children’s curiosity and sense of discovery.
Core curriculum areas (math, science, language & literacy, art, etc) as well as social-emotional learning are integrated throughout the day both explicitly in lessons and implicitly in the classroom environment for children to explore.
In addition to our core curriculum TCS hosts monthly enrichment classes with Teacher Suzan for art and Teacher Cyd for Explore A Story (a movement based story time with acting and singing.
SISTER PROGRAM
Bigleaf Afternoon Preschool Program
Serving children ages 3-6 years old, 1:00-5:00 PM Monday-Friday
If you are interested in afternoon care, check out Bigleaf Afternoon Preschool Program, our sister program operating at the same location.
PARENT TESTIMONIALS
TCS has been, by far, the best preschool experience our family has had. My first two children did not attend TCS, and I wish they had. The teachers provide a structured, loving and educationally rich environment that nurtures the whole child. I have total confidence that my son will be fully prepared academically, socially and emotionally for kindergarten and beyond. The quality of education cannot be beat, and I wish all children had an opportunity to learn and thrive at a preschool like TCS.
— Gretchen DeSarno
Both my kids have been in The Children’s School. Great, caring teachers and very well managed. Good, regular communication with parents. Impressive and consistent response to Covid. Can’t recommend this preschool highly enough.
— Alan S, Yelp review
All 3 of our kids have attended TCS, with the first one, now 9, starting off at the original location in the Us District, and then continuing into the new locations in Green Lake. Great teachers, great director, and also great kids (and their parents). I feel our kids have gotten a great entry into school life at TCS, and I’ve enjoyed interacting with everyone each time I’ve dropped them off and picked them up. Our youngest one still has another 2 years left before big kid school!!
— Greg N, Google review