Our Philosophy

Morningsong Playgarden is an Waldorf inspired, play-focused, parent participation community preschool. Our homelike environment is safe and developmentally appropriate for toddlers through preschool age children.

Children learn best through play and develop the social emotional skills they will need later in life through play in a group of children.

Why Is play Important?

1. Children learn through play- children are able to develop their cognitive skills, build their physical abilities, learn new vocabulary, and develop their social and literacy skills

2. Play reduces stress- play can provide an output for anxiety and stress for many children

3. Play can be more than meets the eye- play is simple, yet complex. There are many types of play: Constructive play, symbolic/dramatic play, rough and tumble play, social play, games with rules, sensory/exploratory play, ect…

4. Play and learning go hand in hand-  Play and learning are not separate activities, they are intertwined with one another.

How play supports Child Development

1. Physical development: strong healthy bodies, fine & large motor skills, stress management, physical confidence, and agility

2. Social development: Cooperation, negotiation, collaboration, socialization, rules formation, and conflict resolution.

3. Cognitive development: Scientific and mathematical thinking, research & inquiry skills, independent thinking, language skills, & literacy skills

4. Emotional development: Joy, empathy, resilience, persistence, self-regulation, self-confidence, impulse control.

Set in a nurturing and inclusive environment, our daily rhythm supports children with the foundational skills and confidence that will serve them in kindergarten and beyond. Our parent participation hours give family members opportunities to form bonds and bring additional offerings to the children.

What makes Morningsong unique is our commitment to building sustainable communities for Portland’s urban families. Our teachers and staff are experienced community leaders who go the extra mile to create experiences involving the whole family. Festivals, crafts, live music, and family fun are some of the events we offer throughout the year. These events create a bridge between family and school.

Our teachers are Waldorf trained or receive training from Lifeways, which is a great resource for Waldorf Educators. To learn more about our teachers & teacher’s training and education, visit the following links:

Enrollment

ERDC

Morningsong Playgarden is proud to accept ERDC for low and moderate income families. To learn more and apply for ERDC go to https://www.oregon.gov/delc/programs/pages/ERDC.aspx.