The Play Garden

An Outdoor Parent-Child Group

for Children Ages 1-5 in Arvada, Co

Come spend time with me and other families in my beautiful and adventurous Play Garden. Get your hands in the dirt, help prepare our meal, explore with your child, or sit and drink iced tea with other parents while your children play, clamber, explore, and sit amongst the flowers.

A Waldorf-Inspired Curriculum Includes:

Preparing and eating a healthy snack together
Seasonal songs and ring games
A trained early childhood teacher to support children’s play
Space for children to experience nature
Support for your early childhood parenting
A copy of my book, Joyful Toddlers & Preschoolers: Create A Life that You and Your Child Both Love

Click Here to Register!

What Each Day is Like

Each morning starts at 9:30am. You and your child walk through the gate into the Play Garden and come say hello. You help your child settle into play or, if they are interested, they may join in the weekly activity of gardening, water play, crafts, or baking. There is always work for adult hands chopping fruit and setting the table, or you can sit and chat. Once everyone has arrived and had some time to play, we gather up for Circle Time to greet the day, sing some songs and act out seasonal rhymes together. Then we head over to the picnic tables, wipe hands, and settle down for a delicious snack of fresh fruit, oat cakes, and hibiscus tea (except on baking days, when we’ll have bitty-buns and home-made butter). Children clear their plates and cups and go off to play once more. At the end of he morning we gather once more for a sweet, simple puppet show, and then we wave goodbye as we sing our way home at 11:30am.

Choose: Tuesdays or Wednesdays,

9:30am-11:30am

Spring Session, 2018: April 10/11 through May 29/30. No class May 15/16. Seven classes.

Summer Session, 2018: June 5/6 through July 24/25. No class July 3/4. Seven classes.

Autumn Session, 2018: September 4/5 through October 16/17. Seven classes.

Cost:*

One session: $195 dollars

Two sessions: $350 (save $45)

Three sessions: $495 (save $100)

*Sibling price to attend: $150 per session. Babies under age 1 are always welcome. Non-enrolled siblings over 12 months, grandparents, and visiting relatives are welcome to visit once or twice per session with prior notice.

*I will offer half-price tuition to two families for each session, in exchange for set-up or clean-up help. If you are interested in this, please contact me at faith@joyfultoddlers.com. (note: these spots are all filled for 2018. However, if finances are tight for you, please reach out to me and we can come up with some other work-trade arrangement. ~Faith)

Click Here to Register!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Where is it located? The Play Garden is a half-acre garden behind my home in north-west Arvada, near 80th and Quaker (it’s on W. 79th Place in Arvada, CO 80007 if you want to map search). I’ll send you the exact street address once you’re registered.

Do we go inside at all? Nope! This is an outdoor playgroup, rain or shine. There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear. Put on your rain pants and get ready to jump in some mud puddles. If you or your child needs to use the restroom you are welcome to use the one in my house, then come back out. (*Note: for the spring session, if it is VERY cold and snowy we will do a baking project indoors for part of the morning.)

Who is Miss Faith?

I am a parenting coach with years of experience in the classroom. I have taught at Boulder Waldorf Kindergarten as the toddler teacher, at Rainbow Bridge LifeWays Program as lead teacher for children ages 1-5, and at Shepherd Valley Waldorf School (now Boulder Valley Waldorf School) as the parent-child class teacher. Play Garden classes started in 2017. My book, Joyful Toddlers & Preschoolers: Create a Life that You and Your Child Both Love, was published in autumn 2017 by Hohm Press. Click here or go to the Joyful Toddlers homepage to learn more about me. My daughter Sophie is four years old and will be joining us in the summer session.

Can I come visit to meet you and see the space? Yes! I’d be happy to arrange a time to chat and show you around; you are also welcome to come visit a class if we are in session. Send me an email at faith@joyfultoddlers.com and give me your phone number. I’ll give you a call and we can set up a time for you to come over.

What is the space like? The Play Garden takes place on a fully fenced half-acre behind my home in rural Arvada, with horse properties behind. A dry creek runs through the middle with a flagstone bridge, stepping stones, and a log bridge to cross. On one side is a big play hill with two slides and a tunnel running through it, and on the other side is a sand/gravel pit with lots of buckets, scoops, wheelbarrows, and other toys. There is a play-house with a sturdy three-rung ladder leading up to it, and a large veggie garden of raised beds with arches running between. There are flowers blooming all around. It is a place with lots of nooks and crannies to explore, and parts are well-cultivated, while others are left a bit “wild.”

How big will the classes be? I expect that each class will have around 8-12 families. If they get much larger that, I will open up another day. The yard can certainly support more people, but I want the children (and parents) to really get to know one another over the course of the session.

My child’s grandparents are visiting from out of town. Can they come too? Sure! Visiting relatives and un-enrolled siblings are welcome to come once or twice per session. Just be sure to give me some advance notice, so I am sure to make enough snack for everyone! Pets, however, should always stay home.

Who is responsible for my child while we’re there? I am here to run the class and I have lots of experience helping children navigate the social realm, but you are completely responsible for your child’s safety while you are here. There are hills, boulders and short bridges over the dry creek; if your child is a wobbly toddler or a reckless preschooler, you may need to stick pretty close. Regardless, please always make sure that your child stays within your view.