Philosophy
At McMinnville Playschool, children are encouraged to extend their natural excitement for learning through interaction and through playful, self-chosen exploration. Different learning styles are supported by many kinds of activities which promote social, emotional, creative, physical and intellectual development. We strive to allow children to pursue their interests, construct a personal understanding of their world and learn healthy patterns of interaction with others.
The McMinnville Playschool is committed to nurturing the abilities and self esteem of each child. McMinnville Playschool does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex or religion. We are a nonsectarian preschool, there is no religious instruction included in the preschool curriculum.
Cooperative Learning
A cooperative preschool fosters an exchange of ideas and maximizes resources and talents. Each family shares in the planning and operation of our school with a family job and in the classroom a few times a month as a parent teacher. The Lead Teacher is assisted by two or three parent teachers in the classroom which allows us to provide a very low 4:1 child to adult ratio.
The McMinnville Playschool is a member of multiple cooperative organizations. Parent Child Preschools Organization (PCPO) supports over 60 developmentally appropriate parent child cooperative preschools in Oregon and Washington. Parent Cooperative Preschools International (PCPI) represents more than 50,000 families and teachers and works to promote the cooperative movement across the country and world.
Learning Through Play
At McMinnville Playschool, we believe a child’s play is their work, and their work is their play. We espouse a play-based philosophy that is not rooted in worksheets or a rigid curriculum. Children naturally engage in play that is appropriate for their developing brains. Through independent and curated play, children learn to control their impulses, solve problems, negotiate with others, think creatively, and work as a team. They develop academic skills like writing, logic, and experimentation through the need for them in their self-directed projects.
Our Classroom
We are moving, but here is what our class looked like in May 2026!