Admissions at Playgarden

Playgarden was founded in 2007 by two mothers (and a dad!) looking to create a clean, safe indoor space for young children to learn and play in New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood. Over the years we have expanded our offerings; in addition to being home to NYC’s largest indoor playground, our Tribeca location also offers programs for children ages 1 to 5 years old which include Preschool and Pre-k, Learning Pods, Enrichment Classes, and Afterschool Programs.

We opened our Upper East Side Preschool on 96th and Madison Ave. in 2017 to focus exclusively on formal early learning, tailoring the space to create a nurturing, enriching Preschool/Pre-K environment. In 2019, we began working on providing access to our early education programs online, which were made available to our in-person students in the spring of 2020, and made available to the world that fall.

In 2023, we opened the doors for our third in-person learning center, located at Park Ave. and 86th Street. For over 15 years Playgarden Prep has focused on creating educational and developmental programs for the youngest children, and we hope to continue to grow as we provide access to early childhood education for little ones in NYC and around the world!

Though not strictly Montessori-based, all of our programs are rooted in the Montessori method of learning. Our certified teachers use Montessori materials and curriculum, which we complement with tailored songs and language curriculum that we have developed over 13 years to teach our little ones. Our curriculum also takes elements of Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, Play-Based, High-Scope, and Cognitive-Based learning. For more about our Preschool and Pre-K curriculum, see HERE.

Yes! In addition to our Specialized Speech and Language Classroom, Playgarden encourages the attendance of your child’s SEIT.

From the NYC Dept. of Education: “A SEIT is a New York State certified special education teacher who comes to work with a preschool student with a disability on academic, emotional, and social skills. SEIT services include both direct and indirect services. “Direct service” is specially designed instruction in which the SEIT works directly with a child, one-on-one or in a group (based on the IEP recommendation). Direct SEIT allows the preschool child with an IEP to benefit from the early childhood program and to participate in age-appropriate activities. “Indirect SEIT” means consultation provided by a certified special education teacher to assist the child’s early childhood program teacher in adjusting the learning environment and/or modifying their instructional methods to meet the individual needs of a preschool student with a disability who attends an early childhood program.”

We offer multiple programs, with offerings for all ages 0-6 depending on the Playgarden location. Our Preschool programs accept students as young as 18 months and as old as 4 years, and our Pre-K program accepts students who turn 4 on or before the first day of November each year. Of course, the age range of students we accept at Playgarden is flexible depending on each child’s needs; contact admissions@playgardenprep.com to find out which program is right for your little one.

Our Tribeca location offers a variety of classes for little ones ages 12 months to 5 years, and our Playground is open for children aged 0-6. For more information on ages accepted for specific classes and offerings, please refer to their respective pages.

Playgarden Prep is well known by continuing schools, and supports parents in the next steps in their child’s education. We offer informational sessions to learn about future schools, and our Educational Directors will happily offer guidance with application processes and interviews. We can also provide letters of recommendation upon request.
Our graduates have gone on to the following schools: Avenues, Bank Street, Blue School, Brunswick School, City and Country School, Covenant of the Sacred Heart, Friends Seminary, Grace Church School, Greenwich Academy, Horace Mann, Little Red, Marymount, Spence, St Ann’s, St David’s, St Luke’s, The 92nd Street Y, The Dalton School, Trinity School, UNIS, Washington Market, Wetherby-Pembridge, and Whitby School, among others.

Yes! Our new Parent Teacher Association will be active next school year (2023-2024); more information coming soon!