What are the opening hours?

Monday 7:30am - 5:20pm Tuesday 7:30am - 5:20pm Wednesday 7:30am - 5:20pm Thursday 7:30am - 5:20pm Friday 7:30am - 5:20pm

https://www.tbeaptos.org/simcha-home

Simcha Early Learning Center, 3055 Porter Gulch Road, Aptos, CA (2026)

10/07/2026

Last week at Simcha, the Sukkot spirit was everywhere! 🌿✨ From decorating sukkahs and welcoming friends to bubbles, bouncing animals, puzzles, and space adventures, it was a week full of celebration, imagination, and community.

👶 Toddlers made their way to the sukkah for some special art time—and, naturally, a bubble party! 🫧🎨 There’s something extra magical about creating and playing together in the sukkah.

🌿 Preschool had a whole week of sukkah adventures! They practiced welcoming others into their classroom sukkah, then walked over to the Temple sukkah to admire all of its decorations. Inspired by what they saw, they created their own decorations for the school sukkah in the big yard—and then added them to the growing collection of beautiful things already hanging there. A wonderful hands-on way to experience the joy and tradition of Sukkot! 💛

🐴 Pre-K spent plenty of time bouncing around the big yard while riding all sorts of imaginary animals, and they’ve also taken on the important job of caring for their new passion fruit plants. 🌱 Their week culminated in a magical Shabbat in the sukkah, complete with songs and learning about the lulav and how to shake it. 🌿

🧩🚀 TK/K put their problem-solving skills to work as Super Puzzle Makers, then took their imaginations beyond Earth as Space Explorers! Who knows what adventures were waiting just beyond the next puzzle piece—or somewhere among the stars?

Sukkot is a beautiful reminder to make room for others, appreciate the world around us, and find joy in gathering together. Last week, our classrooms brought those ideas to life in their own wonderfully playful ways. 🌿💛

09/20/2026

Last week at Simcha, imaginations were taking us everywhere—from neighborhood restaurants to faraway countries, outer space, and even the many delicious possibilities of an apple! ✈️🍎🚀

👶 Toddlers spent the week building friendships while exploring art and sensory play. From creating alongside one another to discovering new textures and materials, there were plenty of opportunities for little hands and growing friendships to work together. 🎨💛

✈️ Preschool has officially caught the travel bug! After becoming fascinated with airplanes, the children got a close-up look at a real airplane control panel and then took off on some very imaginative flights—to Italy, Croatia, their own neighborhoods, and even an exotic destination called… “California”! 😂 Their adventures continued into the forest, where they explored, took pictures, and enjoyed stories and songs while patiently waiting for their turns. 🌲📚

🍽️ Pre-K transformed their classroom into a busy restaurant, practicing calling families, taking orders, and serving up imaginary meals. They also combined LEGOs and Magna-Tiles for the first time, opening up a whole new world of building possibilities! And “Gruffalo’s Granny” quickly became a classroom favorite, especially with guest star Teacher Grace joining in for the fun. 🦊📖

🍎🚀 TK/K discovered that there is much more to apples than apples and honey! They came up with a list of 17 different ways they love to eat apples—from cakes and muffins to dehydrated apples—and even brought some math into the mix with apple counting and comparisons. Then they headed in a completely different direction with their Adventures in Space, exploring the possibilities of the universe through imaginative play. 🌎✨

Whether they were flying across the world, running a restaurant, constructing with new materials, exploring the forest, investigating apples, or traveling through space, last week was a great reminder that at Simcha, a little curiosity can turn into a very big adventure. 💫

09/15/2026

Last week at Simcha was filled with curiosity, creativity, teamwork, and plenty of opportunities to explore! 🍎🌿✨

👶 Toddlers practiced the important art of taking turns while playing with colorful musical scarves, then headed outside for plenty of sand and water play. So much fun, and so much learning, happens when little ones explore together! 🎶💦

🕷️ Preschool followed their curiosity all the way into the world of spiders, learning some fascinating facts and creating their very own “Sammy Spider” inspired by the beloved book series. Their camping play-set was also a huge hit, with imaginary adventures taking them from the beach to the forest! 🏕️🌲 They explored the meaning behind the round challah for Rosh Hashanah, connecting its shape to the roundness of our Earth, and even harvested basil from the garden to bring home and share with their families. 🍞🌎🌿

🍎 Pre-K celebrated Rosh Hashanah with a special “Hidden Star” apple story shared by volunteer Emily. They also dove into the world of words, working together to find letters and build three-letter words. Outside, the class ventured into the climbing trees for the first time, collecting sticks along the way for their pretend campfire “bonfires.” And, naturally, teamwork continued indoors with a challenging Hebrew-letter puzzle! 🔤🔥

🎨 TK/K combined science and art by painting apples with a foaming chemical reaction made from baking soda and citric acid. After picking apples, their curiosity led them down a trail at Luz de Valle Farm—and what did they discover? A fairy house! 🧚🍎 Sometimes the best adventures are the ones you find by simply wondering, “Where does this go?”

From musical scarves and muddy adventures to spiders, camping, Hebrew letters, science experiments, and fairy houses, last week was a wonderful reminder that at Simcha, curiosity can lead just about anywhere. 💛

09/09/2026

Last week at Simcha was all about growing, helping, creating, and celebrating the sweetness of a new year! 🍎🍯❤️

👶 Toddlers were busy little explorers, climbing and balancing on the stumps, splashing and scooping during sand and water play, and getting creative with play dough. They also enjoyed a special Rosh Hashanah treat—tasting apples and honey! 🍎🍯

💕 Preschool put kindness front and center by creating a beautiful “Kindness Wall” filled with photos of friends doing thoughtful things for one another. They also prepared and baked delicious apples and loved setting up their own Shabbat table, gathering together to sing and celebrate as a community. 🕯️🎶

🤝 Pre-K spent the week discovering just how powerful teamwork can be! Cleanup has become a true community effort, with everyone pitching in and discovering that helping together makes the work easier—and a lot more fun. They watered plants and grass, filled gopher holes, practiced folding laundry, and kept their mud kitchen busy cooking up all kinds of creations. Most importantly, we’re seeing their friendships grow as they look out for and support one another. 💛

🎨 TK/K practiced writing numbers with Rainbow Writing, then turned their attention to another kind of creative expression: watercolors! A little number practice followed by plenty of time to paint and explore. 🌈🖌️

From acts of kindness and teamwork to apples and honey, Shabbat songs and watercolor masterpieces, last week was a sweet reminder that so much learning happens when children are given the space to help, create, explore, and care for one another. 🍎🍯✨

09/04/2026

Last week at Simcha was filled with music, discovery, creativity, and a few magical surprises from nature! 💛🌿

👶 Toddlers experienced a little bit of everything—from washing chairs on a warm day to splashing through their very first rainy-day adventures! They balanced the excitement with cozy circle and Shabbat time, and enjoyed a very special visit from Zoey’s Great Uncle, who played his beautiful viola da gamba for the children. The toddlers even got to gently touch and explore the instrument! 🎶

🎨 Preschoolers had a wonderful week filled with special visitors. Caitlin’s aunt and uncle brought music and fun, Ella’s mom shared colorful scarves for movement and dancing, and Rumour’s mom read a story and joined the children for a painting project. What a wonderful reminder that learning extends beyond the classroom when our community comes together! 💕

✨ Pre-K discovered a new creative obsession with Hama beads, using glow-in-the-dark beads to make colorful patterns and designs. Outside, the construction crew was hard at work moving wood chips and designing elaborate parking structures. They also enjoyed the special musical visit from David, Caitlin’s uncle, who introduced them to the viola da gamba and patiently let the children try playing it themselves. 🎶

🦋 TK/K had a week full of wonder. They got to experience the beautiful sound of the viola da gamba with Uncle Dave, and then witnessed an incredible moment in the butterfly life cycle. One chrysalis turned black, revealing the butterfly wings inside—and just 15 minutes later, a butterfly had emerged! Nature's timing is pretty amazing. The rest of the week brought plenty of outdoor creativity too, including "chocolate basil pie" in the mud kitchen, bubbles, painting, dancing, Oobleck, and, of course, plenty of mud-pit adventures!

From musical instruments to butterflies, glow-in-the-dark creations to muddy masterpieces, last week was full of the kind of hands-on experiences that make learning at Simcha so joyful. 🌈✨

08/25/2026

Another week of discovery, creativity, and growing confidence at Simcha! 💛 From first adventures to imaginative engineering and early holiday preparations, our classrooms were busy learning through play.

👶 Toddlers celebrated some exciting firsts this week! They ventured to the upper garden for the first time, tackled their first cooking project, and explored the big yard. So many new spaces, experiences, and opportunities to build confidence together! 🌱🍳

🐚 Preschoolers got creative with sparkly watercolor-painted seashells, practiced turn-taking and coordination through their favorite slide games, danced along to beloved songs, and enjoyed plenty of sandbox fun with friends. ✨🎶

🚗 Pre-K became a team of engineers, designing and building roads and bridges for cars of all shapes and sizes. They practiced patience, shared ideas, and took turns testing their creations. When they weren't engineering, they were making "wood-chip angels" and beginning to explore Rosh Hashanah through stories and holiday puzzles. 🍎🍯

🧪 TK/K put on their scientist hats to create bubbly potions, and then discovered that cleaning up the laboratory is part of being a scientist too! Inside, our mathematicians put their problem-solving skills to work on a challenging puzzle. 🔬🧩

From first adventures to big ideas, last week was full of opportunities to explore, collaborate, create, and grow. 🌈

08/18/2026

Another wonderful week of learning, exploring, and letting imaginations run wild at Simcha! 🌿💛 Our classrooms were busy turning everyday materials, nature, and play into opportunities for discovery and connection.

👶 Toddlers spent the week getting to know one another while exploring through gardening, nature walks, painting, and plenty of books and stories. These simple, hands-on experiences are helping build curiosity, creativity, friendships, and a love of learning from the very beginning. 📚🌱

🥭 Preschoolers became passion fruit scientists! They investigated whether passion fruit would sink or float, counted them, and experimented with sending them down ramps. They also created a foam-block slide game that became an instant favorite, returning to it again and again throughout the week. And for their first cooking project, they made pesto pasta using fresh basil from their classroom garden! 🌿🍝

🍦 Pre-K officially opened the doors to their very own ice cream shop! Children took turns being customers and storekeepers while practicing communication, cooperation, and plenty of imaginative play. Nature walks transformed into jungle adventures, where friends had to be brave and help one another safely cross the "jungle." Back in the yard, they began turning the retaining wall into a colorful rainbow masterpiece using chalk. 🎨🌈

🪲 TK/K took imaginative fort-building to a whole new level—what started as a bug-catching fort became a grownup-catching fort! In the classroom, children explored the shapes that make up the letters in their names and practiced sorting them. Outside, the mud kitchen became a culinary laboratory where they whipped up basil soup and basil cupcakes. 👩‍🍳🌿

From passion fruit experiments to jungle adventures and basil cupcakes, last week was full of the kind of joyful, hands-on learning that makes Simcha so special. ✨

08/12/2026

The 2026–2027 school year is off to a wonderful start! 💛 What a joyful first week back at Simcha, filled with new friends, familiar traditions, big imaginations, and lots of hands-on exploring.

👶 Toddlers eased into their new routines with art, cozy story times, and their very first Shabbat of the school year. They also enjoyed a special visit from Aiden’s Savta (grandma), making the first week feel even more connected and welcoming. 📚❤️

🌸 Preschoolers jumped right into exploring! Water pouring, shaving cream, pretending to be flowers, and celebrating both real and pretend Shabbat made for a wonderfully busy first week. So much to discover!

🐹 Pre-K welcomed two new chunky classroom friends—Chips & Salsa! The children couldn't get enough of watching them happily munch on crispy lettuce. Their imaginations also took off on the Rainbow Swing, traveling to faraway places like Ice Cream Land and Soup Land! Back on earth, the mud kitchen became a bustling restaurant where the children cooked and served up delicious creations made with plenty of love and laughter. 🍦🥣

🌊 TK/K dove into the new school year with water-slime and ocean creatures, teamwork as they moved heavy logs from the Pre-K yard to their own yard, and some fascinating letter detective work—discovering that the letters in their names are made from combinations of curved and straight lines.

What a beautiful beginning to a brand-new year! We can't wait to see where the children's curiosity, creativity, friendships, and imaginations take us next. 🌈✨

07/27/2026

Our final week of the school year was filled with adventure, discovery, laughter, and heartfelt goodbyes. 💛 As we look back on these last special moments together, we're so grateful for another incredible year of learning, growing, and building community at Simcha.

👶 Toddlers celebrated an amazing year together with a special field trip to Willowbrook Park, pizza with friends, and lots of hugs as they said goodbye to a wonderful group of little learners. We can't wait to watch all of you continue to grow! ❤️

🌈 Preschoolers embraced one last week of exploration with a rainy-day rainbow hunt, pausing to feel—and even taste!—the raindrops. They created colorful bead bracelets and necklaces, sampled delicious recipes made from the giant zucchini grown in the upper garden, reflected on memories in their end-of-year binders, and enjoyed a flashlight lunch that made an ordinary day feel extraordinary.

🌸 Pre-K spent the week celebrating friendship, curiosity, and the wonders of nature. They gave plenty of love (and lettuce! 🥬) to classroom guinea pigs Chips and Salsa, explored how flowers "drink" colored water through a beautiful science experiment, and put their engineering skills to work building water bead structures. As the week came to a close, there were many hugs, smiles, and plans for future playdates—a wonderful reminder that the friendships made at Simcha extend far beyond the classroom

🪲 TK/K wrapped up their summer session with endless creativity and imagination—building, painting, bug hunting, exploring dentistry through dramatic play, creating a temporary salamander habitat, and mixing colorful potions. Every day was another opportunity to learn through play and curiosity.

As one chapter comes to a close, we're reminded that the memories, friendships, and confidence our children build here will stay with them for years to come. Thank you to our incredible families, teachers, and children for making this school year so special. We can't wait to begin a new year of adventures together!

07/25/2026

As we prepare to welcome a new school year at Simcha, we're taking one last look back at the countless moments that made this past year so meaningful. 💛

From muddy puddles to monarch butterflies, garden harvests to graduation, science experiments to Shabbat celebrations, this year was filled with wonder, discovery, laughter, and love.

Our children explored nature with endless curiosity—watching caterpillars become butterflies, planting gardens, climbing trees, splashing in puddles, tasting new foods, and discovering the world through all five senses. They became scientists, artists, musicians, builders, chefs, storytellers, and explorers, learning through play every step of the way.

We celebrated the rhythms of the Jewish year together through Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Tu B'Shvat, Purim, Passover, Lag B'Omer, and Shavuot. These traditions came alive through songs, cooking, crafts, storytelling, and joyful community gatherings that helped create lasting memories.

Perhaps most importantly, we watched friendships grow. Children learned to care for one another, solve problems together, welcome new friends, practice kindness, and celebrate each other's successes. These are the moments that truly define a Simcha education.

And of course… what better way to celebrate the end of an amazing year than with everyone's favorite Shabbat guest? 🦖💙 Dino Shabbat reminds us that learning should be joyful, traditions should spark wonder, and childhood should be filled with laughter, imagination, and just a little bit of magic.

To our incredible teachers, families, and children—thank you for making Simcha such a special community. Your partnership creates a place where every child is encouraged to explore, grow, and feel deeply loved.

As we turn the page to a new school year, we're filled with excitement for all the adventures that lie ahead. Here's to new discoveries, new friendships, and another year of joyful learning together. We can't wait to see everyone back in August!

Simcha Early Learning Center

10/07/2026

09/20/2026

09/15/2026

09/09/2026

09/04/2026

08/25/2026

08/18/2026

08/12/2026

07/27/2026

07/25/2026

Address

Opening Hours

Website

Alerts

Contact The School

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request

Monday	7:30am - 5:20pm
Tuesday	7:30am - 5:20pm
Wednesday	7:30am - 5:20pm
Thursday	7:30am - 5:20pm
Friday	7:30am - 5:20pm