Play is the Foundation of Learning

At Youngset, we believe that young children learn best through play in an environment where they move freely and learn by doing. A variety of developmental stations in each classroom give children the opportunity to observe, make choices, share materials with others, use language and experience their world through play.

Through the guidance of well-qualified teachers, our goals of emotional, social and cognitive development, as well as the enhancement of large and small motor skills, are achieved through a well-planned physical setting. 

A Day in the Life at Youngset
Four children at Youngset Preschool wearing helmets riding tricycles and a small wagon on a sidewalk near a house with trees and bushes.
A top-down view of children playing in a sandbox with plastic buckets and shovels.
Teacher Sandy standing on a pile of leaves surrounded by children playing in the outside courtyard at Youngset Preschool during fall.
Children at Youngset Preschool playing with green modeling clay on a wooden table, using their hands and a rolling pin to mold and cut the clay.
Children playing inside a small red playhouse at Youngset Preschool styled as a fire station with a sign that reads "Youngset Fire Station #14." The playhouse has windows and a door, with children inside, some wearing firefighter costumes and boots.
Children playing with colorful water beads in sensory bins, some toy animals in the water, on a wooden table.
Child drawing with chalk on pavement, creating a rainbow with clouds and the word 'Youngset' in the middle.
A young girl with pigtails wearing a colorful unicorn print skirt, a blue and pink sweater, and gold sneakers, holds a large, iridescent rainbow-colored rainbow fabric in a room with a mirror, white walls, and various items in the background.
Children and adults engaged in arts and crafts activities at a table filled with colored chalks, paper, glue, and decorative items like sequins and colored acrylic sheets at Youngset Preschool.
Children sitting in a sandbox playing with shells, a large seashell, a shell with black and white stripes, and a beach net at Youngset Preschool.
A craft project resembling a dog face made of orange dough, with two googly eyes, black candy nose, and black candy mouth. Pink spiral candies form fur on top of the head. A yellow sticky note with the name 'Leo' written in green ink is below the cra
A young boy wearing a gray cap and a colorful shirt is sitting on a carpeted floor playing with toy cars. There is a line of toy cars in front of him and a wooden parking garage with a ramp and parking spaces nearby. Wooden shelves with storage boxes

A Community Where Every Child is Seen, Supported, and Valued

As part of a co-op, teachers, children and parents work together to create this learning environment that respects the uniqueness of each child. This low child/adult ratio allows for individual attention as needed and the curriculum materials are planned to meet the needs of each child as well as the group.

Play-Based Learning in Early Childhood Education: A Scoping Review - Springer Nature - February 25, 2026

Embracing Learning Through Play - Harvard Graduate School of Education - May 17, 2023

The Power of Playful Learning in the Early Childhood Setting - NAEYC - 2022

Kindergartens Ringing the Bell for Play Inside the Classroom - New York Times - June 9, 2015

Let the Kids Learn Through Play - New York Times - May 16, 2015

Lively Minds: Distinctions between academic vs intellectual goals for young children - DEYProject.org - Apr. 9, 2015

The Building Blocks of a Good Pre-K - New York Times - Oct. 21, 2014

  • “Play is the highest form of research.”

    —Albert Einstein

  • “It is a happy talent to know how to play.”

    —Ralph Waldo Emerson

  • “Play is the work of the child.”

    —Maria Montessori

  • “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”

    —Mr. Rogers

Ready to Enroll?

Ready to enroll your child or get on the application queue?
Apply to our program and be added to our application queue by completing the enrollment application form here.

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