Places near SS with lots of outdoor time that work for working families?

[Anonymous]

I've been looking for a new program for my 4 year old for next year and would love one with lots of outdoor time... but everything I can find has either short hours or high prices or both.

Are there any programs that are more like a regular child care with hours that are designed to actually work for working families (I guess these other ones assume you have a SAHP or nanny?) but have more outdoor time than a couple short recesses?

We live in Silver Spring (20902) but willing to travel a bit.

[Anonymous]

Karasik.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Karasik.

Second Karasik!

[Anonymous]

How much outdoor time do they get at Karasik?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much outdoor time do they get at Karasik?

How much are you looking for? It’s pretty standard for daycare classes to go outside 2x per day, for half hour or so. At centers you get all share the playground(s). There the acorn(?) school but I remember that being kinda expensive with preschool-hours rather than daycare.

[Anonymous]

Acorn Hill has before and after care hours, so they span 8:30am-5:30pm. But yes, it’s expensive. There are also quite a few days off. It’s a really special school and is worth it if you can swing it, but it’s definitely not everyone’s ideal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Acorn Hill has before and after care hours, so they span 8:30am-5:30pm. But yes, it’s expensive. There are also quite a few days off. It’s a really special school and is worth it if you can swing it, but it’s definitely not everyone’s ideal.

I pay around $1450 per month for a 4-year old at Karasik. It looks like the full day cost of Acorn Hill is significantly higher.

[Anonymous]

Takoma Children's School is in Takoma DC, right near the Takoma Metro (on the Takoma Park, MD/Takoma DC line). They spend alot of time outside and are open 8am to 6pm. Depending on where in SS you are, this could be an option

[Anonymous]

Temple Shalom has a full day pre-school (non-Jews welcome) and kids spend a lot of time outside

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much outdoor time do they get at Karasik?

How much are you looking for? It’s pretty standard for daycare classes to go outside 2x per day, for half hour or so. At centers you get all share the playground(s). There the acorn(?) school but I remember that being kinda expensive with preschool-hours rather than daycare.

Right, that's the usual, looking for places significantly above that... let's say 2 hours or more a day most days? Although more than that would be even better.

[Anonymous]

This is going to be super dependent on weather, too. Karasik, for example, does have a couple of outdoor recesses and classrooms often go for walks around the neighborhood or down to the park on Sligo Creek parkway if the weather is good for that. Summer programming there tends to have a good deal of outdoor activities planned, too. But most of these center-based facilities, including Karasik, need to make outdoor time work for the entire program, so they have scheduled outdoor times for every classroom to keep age cohorts on the playground together, work around nap times for the younger rooms, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much outdoor time do they get at Karasik?

How much are you looking for? It’s pretty standard for daycare classes to go outside 2x per day, for half hour or so. At centers you get all share the playground(s). There the acorn(?) school but I remember that being kinda expensive with preschool-hours rather than daycare.

Right, that's the usual, looking for places significantly above that... let's say 2 hours or more a day most days? Although more than that would be even better.

I don’t think that’s realistic - two hours per day per group (either class or age group) would mean only four groups a day, and most schools have more than that.

Crossway Montessori is all outside all the time but there are significant concerns with that place so I can’t recommend it.

[Anonymous]

Takoma Park Child Development Center

[Anonymous]

I feel like when we visited Rock Creek Montessori said they do quite a bit of outdoor time (not sure if it was 2 hours). We liked it but didn't end up enrolling so can't confirm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much outdoor time do they get at Karasik?

How much are you looking for? It’s pretty standard for daycare classes to go outside 2x per day, for half hour or so. At centers you get all share the playground(s). There the acorn(?) school but I remember that being kinda expensive with preschool-hours rather than daycare.

Right, that's the usual, looking for places significantly above that... let's say 2 hours or more a day most days? Although more than that would be even better.

I don’t think that’s realistic - two hours per day per group (either class or age group) would mean only four groups a day, and most schools have more than that.

Crossway Montessori is all outside all the time but there are significant concerns with that place so I can’t recommend it.

What’s wrong with Crossway?