Nestled close to coffee shops and old sycamore trees, there’s a preschool where everyone is clearly scratching their heads—in a positive manner. Little Acorns Preschool offers something different than most schools—storytime circles and counting to ten. Consider garden-fresh vegetables, small-scale artist displays, and a little of circus flare. Based on the morning traffic in the parking lot, parents are clearly fascinated. Get the facts about this topic!
We should start with vegetables initially. Imagine a group of children elbow-deep in compost smiling as they plant beans and hunt ladybugs. Everyone under five turns into a tiny botanist in a garden. Children chew cilantro for salsa day and argue about whose carrot is highest. Your usual snack hour is different here. It’s “farm to tiny fork,” bugs, filth, and all else. A four-year-old looking at a beet would astonish you in terms of pride.
Still, the enjoyment transcends unclean hands. Any random Thursday, stroll inside and you might see a pop-up “Art Gallery.” Little drawings, clay monsters, and strangely formed rainbows all take the stage. One hears teachers comment, “Picture Picasso if he was still in pull-ups,” occasionally. Though sloppy and a little wild, it is actual art. This place’s walls have stories to tell.
The curveballs now come from circus day. Every month a touring artist brings in hoops and silks. Children alternately swing three feet from the ground, looking equally scared and excited. One parent promises his daughter gained more confidence by hanging upside-down than from any pep talk.
There’s yet another twist. Teachers here let children sort things out, back off, and only intervene if the pasta gets into hair. Parents frequently hear arguments like, “You can’t build a rocket with cheese sticks!” But by snack cleanup, the arguments usually date back only to ancient past. Solving problems here is real-life squishy stuff, not a worksheet.
This institution is not attempting to wow with sparkling devices or copious amounts of homework. Children are learning to lead, fall, and laugh about it afterwards. Here strange ideas get a gold star and curiosity rules. And perhaps this is the reason those sycamores outside appear to be slightly higher these days.