Best Pre-school Education Schools Minneapolis Near Me

4worldlovers: Children explore the wonders of nature, socialize, create, and play together both indoors and outdoors. Warmer months we spend almost all of our time outside and colder months we spend time inside and go outside every day (unless frigid). Our outside, heated classroom allows the children to play outside in the winter and warm up when needed. We eat lunch outside every day in our outside classroom.

Through intentional, guided social play and nature-based preschool curriculum, we instill habits needed for healthy, wholesome, and authentic, social learning experiences for your child.

The Green Earth community of families participates in festivals all year and with such a wonderful community of people, many lasting friendships are established.

Children participate in free play, circle time, snack, outside play, lunch, and story-time. Children learn to sing, recite poetry, and experience a plethora of music, art, and play options every day.

4worldlovers:
Early Childhood Family Education's (ECFE) goal is to enhance the ability of all families to provide the best possible environment for their child's learning and growth.

We offer a variety of programs including Family Education Classes, Home VIsits, Affinity Groups and Individualized Consulting for all Minneapolis families with children between the ages of birth to age 8. View program and class descriptions as well as home visiting and consulting information. Click the catalog image to preview the fall and winter class offerings.

4worldlovers:
We are enrolling new students at The Gardner School of Minneapolis! Our learning atmosphere nurtures intellectual growth through a variety of visual and audio aids, educational toys, games, puzzles, and learning supplies and is centered around curriculum-based lessons, child-directed activities, and structured play. Your child will also have access to Creative Curriculum, World of Wonders Curriculum, and Learning without Tears Curriculum.


The Gardner School of Minneapolis is built with your child in mind. Our bright and welcoming state-of-the-art facility has open floor plans and plenty of windows that allow for open viewing. We included security features to ensure that all children are safe and well-monitored in our indoor and outdoor playscapes. The school also features a private nursing suite for on-the-go moms.


The Gardner School is thrilled to be a part of the vibrant Minneapolis metropolitan community with a school conveniently-located in the heart of downtown in the 811 LaSalle building on the ground level. The Gardner School of Minneapolis is more than a traditional preschool or child care facility. With year-round full and part-time child care and early childhood education programs for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years, The Gardner School of Minneapolis offers families a stimulating and educationally-engineered space that includes a beautiful indoor playscape, secure rooftop playground, state-of-the-art classrooms, a Kids’ Café and enrichment room, a computer room, and a nursing room. With an excellent staff that includes degreed and highly-qualified teachers in preschool classrooms, The Gardner School of Minneapolis offers a full suite of enrichment classes and our summer camp program, Camp Gardner. Families can also enjoy access to three skyway connections.


Real-time updates through the parent communications app with photos, nap and feeding times, and school announcements


On-site supplemental enrichment classes (sports, music and arts, computers, foreign language) in our enrichment studio and computer lab

4worldlovers: 1966 Ruth Helen Marks, wife of the pastor Joyce United Methodist Church, realized many children in the Uptown neighborhood lacked options for early education. She worked to found Joyce Preschool, which has offered high-quality preschool to families regardless of ability to pay ever since.

1994 Head Teacher Sharon Dill watched the rapidly growing Latino community and saw their substantial barriers to accessing quality early childhood education. In response to that growing need, the following year Joyce Preschool became the only fully bilingual preschool in Minneapolis. To support peer learning, the program was structured around equal numbers of English and Spanish speaking children, with the curriculum taught in both languages.

2004 Joyce Preschool became a nonprofit, a reflection of its commitment to accountability and the strength of Joyce’s donor community.

2012 Joyce at Windom, the preschool’s first satellite classroom, opened at Windom Dual Immersion Elementary in South Minneapolis. A landmark for both the preschool and Minneapolis Public Schools, the Joyce at Windom classroom was the first private preschool to operate in a Minneapolis public school.

2013 After nearly 47 years housed in its original location, Joyce Preschool relocated to a space within Park Avenue United Methodist Church, where it continues to operate today. The move was prompted in part by the preschool’s longtime plan to expand to accommodate more students, and in part by the closing of the historic Joyce Church. In the years since Sharon Dill first proposed a two-language concept, Joyce Preschool has refined its two-way immersion approach and more than doubled in size. Joyce continues its commitment to removing barriers to accessing early childhood education by providing scholarships and transportation.

En 1966, Ruth Helen Marks, esposa del pastor de la Iglesia Metodista Unida Joyce, se dio cuenta de que muchos niños en el vecindario Uptown carecían de opciones para la educación temprana. Ella trabajó para fundar el Preescolar Joyce, que desde entonces ha ofrecido educación preescolar de alta calidad a las familias independientemente de su capacidad de pago.

En 1994, la directora Sharon Dill observó la comunidad latina en rápido crecimiento y vio sus barreras significativas para acceder a una educación infantil de calidad. Como respuesta a esa creciente necesidad, el año siguiente el Preescolar Joyce se convirtió en el único preescolar completamente bilingüe en Minneapolis. Para apoyar el aprendizaje entre iguales, el programa se estructuró con números iguales de niños que hablan inglés y español, con el currículo enseñado en ambos idiomas.

En el 2004, el Preescolar Joyce se convirtió en una organización sin fines de lucro, un reflejo de su compromiso con la rendición de cuentas y la fortaleza de la comunidad de donantes de Joyce.

4worldlovers: Located in South Minneapolis, Lake Harriet Montessori School was created in the spring of 1982 by parents interested in providing quality preschool and kindergarten education for their children within a neighborhood setting.

The staff at Lake Harriet Montessori School is committed to providing a fun, engaging learning environment for our students. One of our biggest goals is to make this a positive, interactive, and holistic school experience. While learning to read, write, add and subtract may all be part of the day, so too are learning social skills, dressing one’s self, nurturing creative endeavors, and independently working in the classroom. We try to create a fun, educational, and flexible learning environment for your children.

A nonprofit, parent-board operated corporation, enrolling in Lake Harriet Montessori enables families to become part of our vibrant community and participate in the operation of their school.

Find out about the Montessori Method and how it prepares children for a lifetime of learning.

Think Lake Harriet Montessori School might be right for your family?

“Our son has spent the last 3 years at LHMS and our and his little brother will join him soon. We can't say enough positive things about his school experience. The teachers have been steadily observing him and tracking his development, helping him to be ready for kindergarten, and also following his lead and allowing him to grow in a way that is truly his own. To us what sets this place apart is the joy. The teachers here exude a love for their work and I often marvel at the palpable delight. Our son knows he is loved for exactly who he is and he has been celebrated, while, critically, has learned the importance of celebrating others. The community fostered amongst the students has been beautiful to behold and we are so grateful to be part of it.” ~Bethany, 2022 graduate

“Echoing all of the resounding positivity others have written. LHMS offers an heart-forward approach. I feel so lucky to be part of the COMMUNITY they have built. Very strong academic program nestled amidst practiced ethos that values individuality, respect, care for others, fun and an awareness of our small place in the greater world. I genuinely LOVE this school and feel so lucky (daily) that we are enrolled there. Thank you LHMS for being a unicorn of a preschool. We could not be happier with all aspects of the program.” ~ Kathryn

“My 5 year old attended a different preschool for the first 5 years of his life, but as he grew older the traditional learning model didn't seem to be working for him, and there was a lack of flexibility to his needs. We were hesitant to transition him to a new preschool so close to kindergarten, but it was the best decision we could have made for him. He has thrived at LHMS; he is happier, more independent, and more confident. The staff are so patient and attentive, and have given us a lot of insight into our kiddo's behaviors and needs that we can utilize at home. We couldn't be more grateful for the care LHMS has shown him.” ~ LHMS 2022 graduate

"This is a preschool that adheres to the Montessori method in the most honest and playful ways. The teachers have consistently paid attention to my child's strengths and follow one step behind him so that he can lead the way in his learning and growth. My son has made lasting friendships here and the community of parents is unmatched. We can't imagine getting through these past few pandemic years without the LHMS community!"~k