TEMPORARILY ENROLLING 2.5 Year Olds for the 2024-25 school year!

 

Pedagogy

Aligned with the Pennsylvania Early Childhood Learning Standards and guided by our core values, our curriculum is designed to engage, excite and build on your child’s individuality, curiosity and imagination.

 

PLAY-BASED Learning

Our play-based learning approach allows children to explore and develop their own interests through daily, open-ended, self-guided play. We provide the ideal space and the tools for children to build relationships, improve social-emotional skills, increase autonomy, and tap into their imaginations.

ARTS IMMERSION

Our multi-disciplinary approach encourages child self-discovery, self-expression, and self-confidence. At PlayArts not only are the arts interwoven into our daily education lessons, children experience daily arts classes:

  • Dance

  • Visual Arts

  • Music

  • Theater

Additionally, children participate in two annual showcases!

CLASSROOM DESIGN

We consider our classroom environment a key component to the learning experience. Through thoughtful layout and visual portfolio documentation, children see themselves and the importance of their work aesthetically displayed around the room.

THEMATIC instruction

Utilizing project-based, thematic instruction, we offer children the opportunity to “go deep” in their learning. Academic standards are still present in each lesson, however, thematic planning inspires additional engagement and excitement from students. Themes are based on a wide variety of concepts and may include cultural events, seasonal units, diversity segments, family & child backgrounds, and children’s interests. At PlayArts, children are seen as partners in the learning experience and play an important part in the planning process.

Teachers plan flexible and open-ended activities to best suit each child’s individual learning style and cognitive/developmental abilities.

Social consciousness

In our mission to create the next generation of global change makers, our work begins with teaching the importance of community. We’ve crafted a socially conscious curriculum that explores what it means to be an active participant in your classroom, your neighborhood and the world. We believe in celebrating diversity and multiculturalism and teaching children tolerance, inclusion and advocacy from a young age. We strive to lead open and age-appropriate conversations around current events and social issues, like global warming and racism and we encourage families to share their cultural traditions with us so that we can celebrate and learn together!

 
 
 

Tuition & Enrollment

Everyone is welcome here. PlayArts makes admissions and employment decisions without regard to race, color, religious creed, disability, ancestry, national origin, language, age or sex and provides reasonable accommodations for those who need them for religious or medical reasons, as required by law.

Read about our Diversity & Inclusion action plan.

 

Enrollment

PlayArts Creative offers full-time enrollment, 5 days a week, 12 months a year, for students ages 2.5-5 years old.

The regular school day runs from 8:00am to 3:00pm, with aftercare options available. (Drop-off anytime between 8:00-8:45am.)

There is a $50 application fee.

Please contact admissions@playartsphilly.com for all questions re: admissions.

2024-2025 Tuition*

School day | 8:00am-3:00pm: $1885/mo.* **

“Club Creative” AfterCare | 3:00-6:00pm: $325/mo.***

Club Creative Daily Drop-In $30/day

*Rate for listed school year. A small increase should be expected for each subsequent school year. New rates will be published in January for the following school year.

**Sibling discount: A $100/mo. discount is applied to the older sibling(s) when two or more siblings are simultaneously enrolled.

***Pricing for Club Creative AfterCare applies ONLY to students enrolled in full-time (school day) preschool. We will accept outside enrollment for our Club Creative program, as space allows, at a different tuition rate. If you are interested only in Club Creative, click here for pricing and more information.

There is a $500 security deposit (applied to last month’s tuition) and an annual, non-refundable $350 materials fee. We require at least 60 days notice of withdrawal.

 
 
 
 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Preschool: 3 - 5 years old

    Club Creative: 2.5 - 5 years old

  • We have 23 students who re split into two classes based on age.

    Although there are two groups of students, we have on shared classroom. The groups spend some parts of the day combined, such as drop-off and meal times, and then splits for centers and art classes to all for small-group instuction.

    Our student-to-teacher ratio of 6:1 is mantained at all times, which is lower than the state-mandated ratio of 10:1, giving our students the individualized attention they deserve.

  • Monday-Friday based on published yearly calendar

    8:00am - 3:00pm Preschool

    • Arrival is anytime between 8:00-8:45am

    • Dismissal is anytime between 2:45-3:00pm

    3:00pm - 6:00pm Club Creative

  • Yes, it is our policy that all children in our program must be fully potty trained prior to their first day. We acknowledge that this is a big transition for children, and will work to support them through the change.

  • We have two big school performances per year - one in the winter and one in the spring.

    In addition, we host community events and opportunities for parents to get involved a our school. Parents have been invited to celebrations for Halloween, the Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day, and much more.

  • Yes!

    Families enrolled at the Preschool receive:

    • Younger Sibling Priority Enrollment

    • FREE Weekend PlaySpace Membership

    • Monthly PlaySpace Guest Passes

    • 10% off Birthday Party Bookings