Daycare/preschool with a lot of outdoor time near Takoma Park?

[Anonymous]

We are looking ahead a few months and thinking about options for our soon to be 3 year old. Ideally we’d like a preschool or daycare program that spends a lot of time outside (maybe outdoor/nature based but not necessarily). The places I’m seeing near Takoma Park aren’t 5-day full working day programs. A program that ends at 3 pm isn’t really workable. Any suggestions? What’s within a 15-20 minute drive that you recommend?

[Anonymous]

Takoma Children's School usually is open 8-6pm and they have a great playground and are outside a lot. Right now they are open 8:30-3pm due to pandemic issues, but we hope they go back to 8-6 next school year.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks Pp. we took a tour there pre-covid and the outdoor time didn’t actually seem like that much. Do you have a child there now? Their website makes it sound like 3 year olds may have outdoor time from 9:30-11:45 am but I got the sense that kids rotated through so it’s not like every kid was out that long.

Audubon and Waldorf don’t have full day programs as far as I can tell. And I’m just not that familiar with all the options in the surrounding areas.

[Anonymous]

Lowell School isn't far from Takoma Park and has amazing outdoor space. They have after care to make a complete day.

[Anonymous]

Acorn Hill, which is Waldorf, has after care during noncovid times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Acorn Hill, which is Waldorf, has after care during noncovid times.

Yeah, but hardly anyone uses it. You’ll be one of maybe five families who doesn’t pick up your kid until dinner time. Not a great feeling

[Anonymous]

A program for 3 year olds that spends most of their time outside doesn't also offer full day care, because honestly there is so much of a 3 year old's day that is easier/only possible to do inside:

as in, lunch, nap and PM snack are done inside, so from 11:30 to 4pm is inside. (it takes a LONG time for 16 children to all use the potty, wash their hands and sit for lunch, and when they wake up, it's another process to have all 16 children put away nap things, go potty and wash hands for PM snack)

so you might see:

7:30/8am arrival, inside classroom, playing in classroom as teachers help children to say goodbye to parents

9am snack - if all 16 3 year olds stop for snack, then the tables need to be cleared off of legos, art, etc, washed, then the kids wash their hands, then you have snack, then the kids wash their hands again, teachers wash and disinfect the tables and the kids then go to the bathroom and wash their hands again before they go outside

10am outside - this might not be until 10:30am depending on whether kids arrive between 8 and 8:30am or if a lot of kids arrive at 9:30am - different schools have different parent habits re: timing

outside 10- 11:30am

11:30am - inside to wash hands (all 16) then eat lunch at 12 noon, (takes 30 -40 minutes) then go to the bathroom, then on their cots by 1pm (some are on their cots at 12:45, some not until 1pm)

nap 1-2:30/3pm

3pm - take apart cots, put away blankets, potty break, wash hands and...

3:30pm snack

4pm - wash hands (again), one more potty break for those kids who always need to pee, coats on, then

4:15 to 5:30pm outside

5:30pm - those kids still left go inside to wash hands, go potty before the car ride home, and get cleaned up. (after being on the playground for 1.5 hours, they are muddy, dirty, sweaty, they need a good hand washing!)


5:45pm last parents should arrive for a departure by 6pm

So that's why you'll find 'nature preschools" are only for 3 hours - they don't have to do the lunch, nap, pm snack, PM playground time. they can do
arrive in 30 minute time period (9-9:30am)
snack at 9:30
potty
outside 10-12 noon
leave at 12 noon to eat lunch at home

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A program for 3 year olds that spends most of their time outside doesn't also offer full day care, because honestly there is so much of a 3 year old's day that is easier/only possible to do inside:

as in, lunch, nap and PM snack are done inside, so from 11:30 to 4pm is inside. (it takes a LONG time for 16 children to all use the potty, wash their hands and sit for lunch, and when they wake up, it's another process to have all 16 children put away nap things, go potty and wash hands for PM snack)

so you might see:

7:30/8am arrival, inside classroom, playing in classroom as teachers help children to say goodbye to parents

9am snack - if all 16 3 year olds stop for snack, then the tables need to be cleared off of legos, art, etc, washed, then the kids wash their hands, then you have snack, then the kids wash their hands again, teachers wash and disinfect the tables and the kids then go to the bathroom and wash their hands again before they go outside

10am outside - this might not be until 10:30am depending on whether kids arrive between 8 and 8:30am or if a lot of kids arrive at 9:30am - different schools have different parent habits re: timing

outside 10- 11:30am

11:30am - inside to wash hands (all 16) then eat lunch at 12 noon, (takes 30 -40 minutes) then go to the bathroom, then on their cots by 1pm (some are on their cots at 12:45, some not until 1pm)

nap 1-2:30/3pm

3pm - take apart cots, put away blankets, potty break, wash hands and...

3:30pm snack

4pm - wash hands (again), one more potty break for those kids who always need to pee, coats on, then

4:15 to 5:30pm outside

5:30pm - those kids still left go inside to wash hands, go potty before the car ride home, and get cleaned up. (after being on the playground for 1.5 hours, they are muddy, dirty, sweaty, they need a good hand washing!)


5:45pm last parents should arrive for a departure by 6pm

So that's why you'll find 'nature preschools" are only for 3 hours - they don't have to do the lunch, nap, pm snack, PM playground time. they can do
arrive in 30 minute time period (9-9:30am)
snack at 9:30
potty
outside 10-12 noon
leave at 12 noon to eat lunch at home

This isn’t true. My child goes to a preschool in Arlington that’s almost all outdoors (because of covid) and it’s full day. Before covid, they went outside 3 times per day.

[Anonymous]

This is PP. Snacks and morning meeting are both outside. Only lunch and nap are inside. Plus inside on really bad weather days.

[Anonymous]

Yes op I disagree with the pp that it isn’t possible, but it’s true that most schools do it the way pp mentions. Our son is at an outdoor/nature based school that I think is what you’re looking for but unfortunately isn’t convenient for you at all (eastern ridge school) - during covid they are outside all day except nap time in truly almost all weather and usually still eat meals outside. But I agree it’s REALLY hard to find a program that does this for full time working parents. Even eastern ridge you have to be very flexible full time because after care only goes til 5. We drive about 20-25 min to get to eastern ridge but has been worth it to us. I feel like I’ve heard of similar schools in Bethesda area maybe? I’ll try to see if I can find what I had heard and post back if I do

[Anonymous]

Op I looked back at a post I remembered on free forest schools dc area Facebook page, most of the recs were unfortunately in VA like mine but there was a strong recommendation from a parent for Crossway Community Montessori in Wheaton which looks to be about 20 min from takoma park. Parent said they have pivoted to fully outside during covid and are doing a fantastic job

[Anonymous]

Ugh nvm looks like it may only go til 3p too. But might be worth a call https://www.crosswayschool.org/

Also if you aren’t a part of the free forest school dc area Facebook it might be worth a post there

[Anonymous]

TCS is doing about 1.5/2 hours every morning outside as part of the newer COVID schedule.

[Anonymous]

Highly DO NOT recommend Crossway Community Montessori. They are horrid at communication, dishonest, unethical, disorganized and unprofessional. I can provide more clear examples if anyone is interested.