18 month old Playschool(?) for 2/3 hours a day in DC

[Anonymous]

Hi

My son is coming to 18 months and I'm thinking of starting some type of play school where I can drop him off once or twice a week for 2/3 hours.
I'm a sahm and feel that we are staying home too much. Would anyone have recommendations? I don't drive so something near a metro would be great (cafes nearby or other amenities would be a bonus too)

[Anonymous]

NCRC has a great morning program for 2.5 year olds. You would have had to already apply though.

[Anonymous]

Thank you

[Anonymous]

18 months is a difficult age to find a drop off program. You might have better luck with one of the formal playgroups, like Blue Igloo, Little Graces, or some others whose names I do not remember. The two i mentioned are not metro accessible, but there are probably some that are. You might need to post in a different section. They are not drop off programs, but again, at 18 months you will not find a drop off pre-school. They do have organized activities for socialization.

[Anonymous]

PP here. Intown playgroup is pretty close to the Dupont metro.

[Anonymous]

Thanks again , very helpful information!

[Anonymous]

I agree that 18 months is a hard age. I understand why you want a drop-off program and why it'd be good for you and your kid (we wanted this, too, at that age), but I don't think there are many programs like you're seeking for this age.

At age 2, you can start a preschool a couple of days a week, but 18 months is trickier. (And most preschools operate on a school-year basis, so you start in September, and the kid usually has to be 2 by Sept 1 or Oct 1.)

One option might be to start your own playgroup with other parents -- or a sort-of babysitting exchange with others in your area. I almost joined one and thought it was a great idea, but my kid ended up being way younger than the other kids at the time, and I wasn't quite ready for it yet. I think he was only about 8 months at the time, and I was hoping to find something for when he was 12 or 15 months. You could easily arrange this even with one other mom -- where you agree to drop off your kid at her place on Tuesday mornings and vice versa on Thursday mornings, or whatever.

[Anonymous]

I am in the same boat now. I posted a similar post a few weeks ago (and now I can't find it but I found yours). Did you have any luck? My son just turned 1 but I am looking for something for next fall. I'm planning to get pregnant again and want to be able to drop him off somewhere so I do not exhaust myself.

[Anonymous]

Aidan Montessori has a toddler program that starts at age 18 months. I think Franklin Montessori takes kids that age too, as they started an infant program not too long ago. The admissions decisions for this Fall are probably already made though.

[Anonymous]

CCBC on Chevy Chase circle has a 1's class, and is an easy walk from the Friendship metro. It may be full though.

[Anonymous]

I've seen a small number of 1's classes (15 months and up) in Northern VA. Not too many though. You might want to join a moms group/moms club type thing for play dates and such at this age. Most preschools start at 2 or 2.5, but they are probably all enrolled already for next school year.

[Anonymous]

Arlington county has a co-op playgroup that starts at one year. The one at the Lee Center is close-ish to the EFC metro. But I think they are already full for the summer. I would check for the fall though.

[Anonymous]

Blue Igloo is a 10-15 minute walk from the Dupont Metro.

[Anonymous]

I've seen 1's classrooms referred to as "Mothers Day Out" programs so try searching for that too.

[Anonymous]

DPR coop starts at 18 months. Worth getting on waitlists plus last I checked there's a space at Rose Park.