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June 2023 by Megan Ibarra
La Playa is truly one-of-a-kind and my children love going here! The teachers are great at recognizing and anticipating the needs of the children and are always finding new ways to engage them and work with their energy and big feelings. As a co-op, the school relies on families to be involved and work together and we are so happy to have found this incredible community. The families care about each other and the school. We also appreciate the emphasis on social development and conflict resolution and have seen incredible growth in our children this year!
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April 2023 by Jennie D.
I'm so grateful we found La Playa! It truly is a special place with a warm, loving, and supportive community. I love that I get to be a part of our son's preschool experience and have made life long friends. My son's social/emotional and problem solving skills have developed so much since starting La Playa. The kiddos are the sweetest and the teachers are so loving and supportive. Teacher Teri is an amazing director and teacher who truly loves her job. She goes above and beyond to support different learning styles and personalities. I have also learned so much from the parent education. We couldn't have asked for a better experience!
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March 2023 by Brooke Nowling
what a wonderful community and environment for our little one's first school experience. we love the play-based curriculum, loads of outdoor play, part-time options, parent enrichment, community, opportunities to be involved, the way the school aligns so well with our desire to parent respectfully at home, the garden, and of course the teachers and kiddos. it's a really special place and we're grateful to be a part of it.
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March 2023 by Emily S.
I have had my children at La Playa since 2020. It has been a wonderful experience for all three of them! Teachers Teri, Mayra and Lauren are fantastic! My children have learned a lot through valuable social interactions. I love that parents also participate because I have met so many wonderful families!
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December 2022 by Emily Sheehy
Our family loves La Playa! After being away from kids for so long during the pandemic, it was a wonderful transition for them into this school! They love the teachers, and they love the kids! The school encourages play-based learning, which I love! My kids will get years of structured education in a classroom, so I want them to be kids as long as possible! It is a great way to meet like-minded families and build friendships in Los Angeles, which can be really hard. The teachers are delightful! They are really caring and help the kids build good social skills that they will use for the rest of their lives!
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December 2022 by Roy Rivas
Where can one start with this truly magical place. We are on our third child attending this play based learning cooperative! From the first day we absolutely loved it. The safe outside play area only adds to the wonderful atmosphere at this parent lead pre school in Culver City. The parent to child ratios are perfect and the amazing teachers leading the way will truly transform the way you feel about schooling.The monthly parent education seminars also provide reassurance to all parents who may have any questions or need a little more guidance in navigating pre-schooling. I can honestly say that La Playa has been a life changing and life altering experience for our family.
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December 2022 by Bruno Dieseldorff
La Playa is a preschool that is truly different from most others. The combination of professional/tenured teachers and caring parents is a wonderful way to run a preschool. Our son has spent a year here and he loves it. Our daughter will soon join him. I look forward to my weekly "work" days at La Playa, to connect with friends - both adults and little ones.
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December 2022 by Billie Larson
La Playa is such a wonderful school. My child was never in preschool/daycare before and I was looking for an affordable, part-time to help the transition to kindergarten. The concentration on play-based learning helped my children learn and the environment was extremely helpful in teaching socialization. The co-op aspect was great for our family and meeting other families in our area. The time commitment seemed overwhelming in theory (1 volunteer day a week, monthly board meetings and 2 maintenance days a year) but it’s completely doable and helped us feel more involved in the community. The response to COVID was amazing and I continue to feel very safe with most activities being kept outside. This place is now my village and I couldn’t see my kids or family in another other place.
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December 2022 by William Brode
I went to La Playa 30 years ago as a 3 year old and now my kids are going there! It's play-based education with parents participating which is a ton of fun. We have been doing events outside of school too and are making lots of friends for play-dates. The teachers are an excellent source of wisdom for helping with issues we've had at home too.
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December 2022 by Rebecca Schmiederer
Our daughter goes to la playa and we absolutely love it!!! We highly recommend this school if you’re looking for you’re child to learn , grow and play !
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May 2022 by Jen C.
I am so happy we found La Playa! The teachers are wonderful and we have been so thrilled with the school's philosophy of play-based learning and conflict resolution. Coming out of the pandemic we were excited to meet school friends for our son, but we've gained an incredible community of devoted parents who all are invested in making La Playa the best for our children. It's fun to work together, help each other, and I feel great knowing my son is being lovingly guided by the teachers and parent volunteers at La Playa.
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December 2021 by Grace Juhn
I’ve had 2 kids attend this school over 3 years and I cannot say enough good things about it. My kids LOVE this school! The coop aspect with the parent involvement was what convinced me, but the emotional support for the kids and conflict resolution was what convinced me to stay. I think it’s important for children this age to engage in social interaction and to learn how to interact with each other and recognize their own emotions. La Playa has amazing teachers who lead by example and teach with heart and I cannot thank them enough for guiding my kiddos on their journey of growth. I highly recommend!!!
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December 2021 by Sarah Natalini
We love La Playa! It truly is a school where children learn through play, and our son has thrived in this supportive, nurturing environment. The teachers support the children's learning and development by allowing them to choose what they play with (e.g. sand box, painting, play dough, tricycles, etc) while also providing some structure to each day (circle time, snack time, music, yoga) so that students get to know their classmates and develop their listening & conversation skills.We also love the co-op model because we've really gotten to know the other parents and children in a meaningful way. When I'm there once a week for my workday, I love being part of a fun, supportive community where everyone pitches in and does their part for the school.We highly recommend La Playa and it's a fantastic, nurturing place to send your child for his/her precious first years of school.
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April 2021 by Evelyn F.
Our family is on our third child and our fifth year at La Playa. At the time when We arrived at this amazing community, We were new to the co-op method but quickly learned of its awesomeness. The play based learning method was clearly defined and beautifly executed on a daily basis. Our kids naturally gravitated to the method and the warm embrace of the community. The increadible knowledge possesed by the teachers and instructoral aides was deeply rooted in experience. The teachers appoach to each individual child is truly amazing. The ability to connect with all types of little personalities is legendary and is only found in textbooks. We truly have had a life changing experience at La PlayaThe co-op aspect was just as motivating. This is truly a place where all parents are involved. Everyone contributes to their best of their abilities, in order to make La Playa a well oiled machine. It was quite refreshing to have found a place where all those that opt into the methods of La Playa, have found beautiful cohesive success. Yes, this is THE place that parents dream about. We recommend La Playa to everyone We meet because We have seen the life forming effects it provides for all the little ones that attend La Playa. As our older kids have moved on to public schools, the skills learned at LP are evident in their in their daily interactions with other children and their teachers. We absolutely recommend La Playa... It will change your life
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April 2021 by Melissa B.
Between my two children, my family has been a part of La Playa for the last four years. Throughout our time there, we have had nothing but positive experiences. When my son first started, I didn't know much about co-op schools. I did know that I loved the parent participation aspect, and that, even more, parents were welcome to be there on the days they weren't required to. As a parent going through the preschool process for the first time, I found that to be so refreshing, and it made me feel so comfortable leaving my son there.What I came to learn quickly about our little co-op, was that La Playa is a play based preschool with wonderful teachers whose knowledge and experience is matched only by their caring and concern. La Playa is a place where children learn so much without realizing it; where they are encouraged to express and be themselves, and to play their hearts out, all while their amazing teachers are guiding them towards whole-self development. For anyone who questions what children learn in a play-based preschool and if they are set up for success once they get to Kindergarten, I can tell you that my son thrived in Kindergarten. I wholeheartedly believe that his confidence and curiosity came from the support and experiences he had at La Playa. In fact, my husband and I chose to keep our son a there an extra year rather than send him to TK because we believed that the gains he would make at La Playa would serve him much better than an extra year of academics. That is a choice that we have never once regretted, now two years later. In fact, the only thing we regret now is that, due to the Pandemic, our daughter is missing out on a year of all of amazing in-person experiences and learning she would have otherwise had at La Playa/La Playa is also a place where community is built. It is a place where children and parents both make friends whose relationships last long past preschool graduation. This is a place where kindness is standard, and where every parent looks out for every child, because they understand how important, and teachable, even the smallest moments can be. If you are looking for a warm and nurturing school environment where you and your child will both learn so much and walk away with great memories, I can not recommend La Playa enough!
