The Classrooms

Our high-ceilinged and spacious classrooms are vibrant epicenters of play and learning, and each space in every classroom is intentionally arranged by our teachers. The most powerful motivator to learn is the natural joy that comes from learning. There is a beauty and a purpose in the design and organization of all the spaces in our school, as well as the equipment and materials within it. The environment is rich in potential and is valued and cared for by children and adults.

Atelier

Welcome to our vibrant, dynamic space where our students are encouraged to explore, create, and learn through hands-on experiences in various forms of art and expression. In our school, inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach, the Atelier serves as a central hub for artistic exploration and discovery, fostering creativity, imagination, and self-expression.

Some of the Atelier’s key features and principles include:

Child-led exploration: Children are given the freedom to choose materials and activities based on their interests, passions, and curiosities. The Atelier is filled with a diverse range of art supplies, natural materials, and open-ended tools that inspire children to express themselves in different ways.
Artistic expression: The Atelier encourages children to engage in a variety of artistic mediums, including painting, drawing, sculpting, collage, and dramatic play. Through these activities, children develop fine motor skills, spatial awareness, and creative problem-solving abilities.
Atelierista facilitation: Our Atelierista, or studio teacher, guides and supports our students’ artistic explorations in the Atelier by observing the children’s interests and interactions, providing inspiration and encouragement, and facilitating meaningful learning experiences.
Documentation: Our teachers and Atelierista document students’ experiences and creations through photographs, videos, and written observations. This documentation serves as a form of assessment, reflection, and communication with parents, highlighting children’s progress, interests, and learning pathways.
Emergent curriculum: Learning experiences in the Atelier emerge from children’s interests, questions, and discoveries. Our teachers and Atelierista listen closely to children’s voices and ideas, co-constructing curriculum with them and adapting activities to meet their evolving needs and interests.
Collaboration and communication: Collaboration with peers, teachers, and visiting artists to work on projects and investigations is what our students do best. They learn to communicate their ideas, listen to others, negotiate differences, and work together toward shared goals.
Environment as the third teacher: The physical environment of the Atelier is carefully designed to inspire creativity, curiosity, and exploration. It is filled with natural light, flexible spaces, and inviting materials that invite children to engage in open-ended play and experimentation.

The Gym

Upon entering our school, you will immediately find yourself in the vicinity of our beloved gym. It is the MOST popular area of our facility because it meets the children’s need to move! The gym has a spring gymnastic floor which provides for safety and extra bounce. In addition, we have a variety of large mats and gymnastics equipment used to build obstacle courses and practice gross motor skills. The back wall of the gym features a bouldering wall, -a fantastic place for kids to challenge themselves and continually navigate out of their comfort zones. Besides running, jumping, balancing, tumbling, and climbing, the children often use the gym as the landscape of their imaginative play. No matter how our students are using the gym, every time they enter it, they are developing their gross motor skills, coordination, proprioceptive awareness, self-esteem, and social skills!

The Playground

Our playground was purposely designed to give children a true outdoor experience. The large canopy of trees gives the feeling of being in a forest and provides shady coverage from the hot summer sun. We have a green island of turf, reminiscent of what might be found in a clearing in the heart of a forest. A riding/walking path circles the turf. There is also a custom mud kitchen big enough for many chefs to work in at once and a large sandbox which is home to a fleet of construction vehicles, buckets, and digging tools. We love our many stumps, blocks, and planks used to design and build obstacles, ramps, bridges, all while encouraging safe risk-taking. This magical space encourages gross and fine motor work, along with imaginative play. Children practice self-regulation, group interactions, spatial awareness and a whole host of vital skills.

The Patio

Our newest outdoor space has expanded the variety of activities we can make available to our students. Often utilized for messy sensory play (and LOTS of water play!), this area makes way for deeper exploration in a small group setting. This space is ideal for fine motor work and project art. There is a large raised garden box for students to plant and dig in and they often spend the summer watering and watching the plants growing there.

What families say about our program.

Loving, Caring, and Attentive to Each Child’s Needs

We love Kidspace so much! The teachers are so caring and dedicated to helping the kids learn and grow. They are so thoughtful about coming up with activities that would interest and challenge each student. The teachers are also very dedicated to helping kids work on their social and emotional skills. They really meet the kids where they are at, instead of trying to make the kids fit into their classroom. It is very clear that they are experienced educators, and not just babysitters trying to get through the day. We had a tough experience at another preschool in Vancouver, so it was such a relief to finally feel at home at Kidspace!

Truly, every single teacher and staff member is lovely and caring. Everyone knows all of our names, even teachers from other classes. And they are very careful and thoughtful about our kid’s allergies. It’s a relief to send him to school feeling like he is in safe hands.

We also love the play-based curriculum — our kid comes home every day with a new project or story about a fun classroom activity. He is excited to go to school and see all his friends and teachers. What a joy! I am so glad we found Kidspace.

Beth Ford

Happy, Engaged, Supported Independent Play

My husband and I found Kidspace while searching for an alternative to the daycare our 3 year old daughter was previously enrolled in. We toured several different locations, but the moment we found Kidspace we stopped our search. As we toured the classes, we saw happy, engaged, supported independent play. It was like night and day from our previous childcare experiences.

We have been there for a year now, and it is not just our favorite childcare facility in Vancouver, it is one of our favorite places in Vancouver, period. Our daughter comes home excited about what she learned and what she explored every day. Her teachers, Miss Shasta and Miss Tracy are kind, attentive, and endlessly positive. The director of the school, Miss Kathy is one of the most thoughtful, reflective, and compassionate people I know. She runs a truly special program.

When my husband and I talk about our experience with KidSpace, the one thing we repeatedly say is, “I can’t believe this place isn’t at the top of the search results when you look for preschools. I can’t believe our good fortune in them having space for our daughter!”

Jennifer McIntyre

Opened Up a World

Kidspace was absolutely instrumental in my daughter’s growth. Her first language was Vietnamese when we enrolled and yesterday when I said it was very windy outside she said, “No, Papa, it’s blustery!”

This staff is all in on student-centered learning and the arts, crafts, and activities are just next level compared to other preschools. They’ve opened up a world in my daughters mind and we are so grateful to have found this place.

If there was a sixth star rating they’d get it. Worth every penny. Thank you

Scott Million

Perfect Fit

A little over three years ago when we first walked through the doors of KIDSPACE, we knew we’d found our fit. We’ve watched our son grow so much through his Chickadee, Bluebird, and Robin years.

KIDSPACE became home. And the amenities aren’t just limited to the high ceilings, fantastic gym, whimsical playground, and classrooms packed full of the best math, science, sensory, music, building blocks, table toy/manipulatives, libraries, and art centers. No, what makes a house a home is love. The teachers and staff have loved us all like family and we feel the same way. We couldn’t have chosen a better place to lay the foundation for our son’s education.

Katie Scot

Awesome Teachers

After visiting 6 different preschools in the area, we chose kidspace. They work with an in depth curriculum which is suited for the age group. They provide essential social skills and most importantly, the awesome teachers provide and loving and safe environment. Kathy, the owner is an experienced educator and runs a superb school. This school is truly the highest quality you will find. My son has grown by leaps and bounds in all areas in the two years he has been here.

Valerie Jones

Getting Out Energy Through Play

“My son, who is an only child and pretty introverted is absolutely LOVING Kidspace. It’s only day 4 as I write this review, and he goes 3x per week and I think he wishes he could go more! He is already learning so much, and thriving. The space truly nurtures his natural athletic ability, so that was a very important factor for us when choosing a preschool. He thinks the gym at Kidspace is his own American Ninja Warrior training space, so that’s pretty funny and awesome for us because he’s actually tired at night. He can really get out all that energy he has through play, but also learn so much about social skills and communicating his emotions, etc. They spend a lot of time outside and that’s so important! I highly recommend Kidspace.”

Meagan Hope

Well-rounded Education

“We have had two kids attend here and both have truly excelled when entering kindergarten thanks to KIDSPACE. They were always excited to go attend, even after 2.5 years! The staff is educated, and they teach in a wonderful, creative environment that is built on an excellent curriculum. They also go beyond that to teach manners, feelings, and basic life and self-managing skills. Most importantly, they do this because they are passionate to teach, and you can tell that. It has been a great experience for us and the kids!”

Kimberly Nelson

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