Laurel Hill Nursery School

08/23/2026

“At the beginning of the school year we hold our hopes and concerns for the little ones in our lives: Will they thrive? Will they grow—in expected and unexpected ways? Are we enough for them? Is there enough love? Support? Connection?

“Well, you are enough. Our children are enough. You and your child do fit in.
We are exactly where we need to be.

“The work of connection and creating community is the stuff that centers us. It tethers us to the whole; to a community through which we can navigate and grow, so at times when we perhaps do not feel whole ourselves—when we do not feel like enough—we can re-center ourselves.“

08/06/2026

Butterfly alert! This one has emerged from its chrysalis! The bad news is the kids are on vacation 😫. The good news is there are more caterpillars munching away around the school.

05/20/2026

New trick day!

One of the best things about our mixed age school is when the big kids teach the young kids.

We’ve been reflecting on learning as the school year comes to its close, and one thing we’ve heard again and again is, “When I first started here, I couldn’t _______. But then such-and-such big kid taught me, and now I CAN do it!”

05/14/2026

An example of “less is more”™️ (Alissa) in process art. Just paper, glue, and sand from outside. The setup’s simplicity means that before anything happens, the kids have to get their hands into the materials, find a creative spark within, and then do the work of squeezing, sprinkling, shaking, and dripping to create something from seemingly nothing.

“I want to do another one!”

Thank you to ALL the members for taking on these projects, and for thinking about open ended materials, loose parts, nature, creativity, mess, process over product, and things the kids can do themselves. 💛

Sand art courtesy of

04/27/2026

🐞The kids were over the moon with this ladybug delivery! 🙏😍
—
“You’re not going to believe this: there was a ladybug on top of another ladybug!”
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“I got one!”
“Let me see… Awwww.”
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“One got on my arm and I was just laughing, hahaha!”
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“Come on, ladybug, go to your home. Let me show you where your home is. You’re such a cute bubba. Don’t be scared. Find your way.”
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“Haha, why is one climbing on me?”
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“One is not alive yet.”
“Yeah, we might have squished it.”
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“Look out, you’re going to step on one!”
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“There’s a bunch hiding in the fennel.”
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“If they land on you, it’s good luck.”
“I got three of them on me! I’m going to have EXTRA good luck.”
—
“Dear ladybugs, I like to sleep. I can hear them talking.”

04/17/2026

Something changed today…

Every day for eight months, these unit blocks have been set out or available for the early morning group. The kids typically prefer to knock them over rather than build; or use them as phones, to make roads, or to build small structures no taller than about one large block.

Today two kids sat down and started building one of those low horizontal structures. Then one balanced a large block vertically, then another, then bridged across them, then added another layer, and used smaller blocks when the large blocks ran out. They kept building up over their heads until the whole thing fell.

They got right back to work building it up a second time, but now with more stability, until it collapsed again. Then a third time, but with smaller blocks perched on the top.

Kids’ timeline for play (and growth) can move in a non-linear path: sideways, backwards, a big leap forward, another step back. These days, in our society, it’s easy to feel like the kids are only trailing behind.

At Laurel Hill, we know that each child follows a unique developmental timeline. We meet each child where they are in that moment, and we trust that they’ll get where they need to be with our presence and care, a little bit of patience, and the gift of time.

04/12/2026

Our Open House is this Sunday, April 19th, from 10am to 12pm at 401 Euclid Avenue in San Francisco!

Step onto our play yard and experience a morning in the life of Laurel Hill Nursery School. During your visit, you’ll:

🏡Explore the Campus
🤝Meet Teachers and Parent Volunteers
🏫Learn About Our Co-op Model
❓Get Your Questions Answered

No RSVP needed—just come along and bring the kids!

Where Children Learn Through Play—and Families Grow Together. Play Community Since 1947 〰️ "Laurel Hill Nursery School has been been the best decision we have made as parents." - Joshua Reiman 〰️ "My child loves spending their days exploring, creating, and learning through play." - Julie C...

04/10/2026

“Bumblebee alert!” It’s spring in the new pollinator garden. We’re hoping for even more blooms and more friendly visitors over the coming months.

Spider pictures omitted for the squeamish, but we have plenty of those too!

04/01/2026

To be honest, when I see a basket of dried-out markers, I don’t immediately imagine a captivating activity. But our magic red room teacher saw an opportunity! The kids explored what happened when they put the markers in water, used fine motor skills to fill the palate with water from a dropper, watched the water change colors, and carefully dumped the end results down the drain. Process over product (and no waste to boot!).

03/23/2026

“Ok, the soup’s almost ready. Would you like to try some?” 😋