At Sprouts, we’ve spent over ten years watching children learn. What we keep coming back to is simple: children who are given time, space, and freedom to play – outside – develop into more capable, confident, and curious people. Sprouts may be messier and less structured than other preschools. The kids are also more independent and imaginative than most. That’s the goal. Here’s how we get there.
educational theories
we didn’t start from scratch
At the heart of everything we do is Sōdatsu – the Japanese belief that children grow best when they are trusted to struggle, persist, and figure things out on their own. You’ll see it in how we respond when a child is frustrated: we wait. We watch. You’ll see it in how we handle conflict between children: we wait. We watch.
At Sprouts we give children the time and space to struggle. Then, the time and space to ask for help. Asking for help is a skill – one that allows children to acknowledge their feelings, to make attempts even when they aren’t easy, and develop the instinct to seek assistance when it’s needed. Not before. Not after.
Sōdatsu is the reason Sprouts kids leave with the deep, unshakeable confidence of a child who knows they can figure things out – and knows that they have a community of support when they need it.
We’ve been shaped by four approaches that represent the best of early childhood education – but we are not a Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio or Forest school. We’ve taken what resonates and filtered it through years of real experience with real children in Champaign-Urbana.
OUR TEACHERS
Waldorf
Childhood is its own season.
Early childhood is not a warm-up for elementary school. Each stage of childhood deserves to be lived fully, on its own terms.
At Sprouts, that means a predictable daily rhythm, an environment built with beauty in mind, and open-ended toys that invite wonder rather than demand attention. And it means following the seasons outside – the first frost, the first birds, the first flowers – as the living curriculum that it is.
Unscheduled time, rhythm, and nature aren’t luxuries. They’re the point.
Montessori
The children are the directors.
Provide the right environment and the freedom to move through it at will.
At Sprouts, that means no structured play – no center time, academic objectives, or predetermined outcomes.
Self-directed play gives children the chance to grow their imagination, discover their interests, and – in a world of endless entertainment – learn to entertain themselves.
Reggio Emilia
Art is a language.
Children have more to say than words allow. Especially while they grow their vocabulary. Reggio Emilia taught us to give them other ways to say it – paint, clay, loose parents, natural materials – and then let them at it.
At Sprouts, that means a loose theme – we may be making birds, or exploring what autumn looks like – but the specific materials, process, and especially the outcome, are entirely the child’s own. For our youngest children especially, art isn’t so much about making something – it’s about what happens when small hands meet interesting materials for the first time.
Forest Kindergarten
Outside is better.
The Scandinavian tradition of Forest Kindergarten is simple: children belong outside. In nature, in all weather, for as long as possible. The natural world isn’t a field trip – it’s right outside the door.
At Sprouts, that means we’re outside for almost everything – play, snack, story, art – coming in only for rest and geniunely extreme weather. Our playground is intentionally open and extensive, deliberately natural, and entirely unlike what you’d find at a typical preschool. No plastic. Homemade equipment, loose parts, sticks, pinecones, plants, flowers, and trees – everything a child needs to build, explore, imagine, and get dirty.
We’ve brought the forest into Champaign-Urbana; you can walk to preschool.
OUR TEACHING
we protect the play
At Sprouts, the teacher’s job is to protect the play time – not fill it. The children choose what to play, who to play with, and how long to stay.
During free play, you’ll find us nearby. Observing. Doing garden work, building things, tending the space. Available for hugs, conversation, or conflicts that need an adult – but stepping back from play that doesn’t need us.
This is intentional. A child who knows their teacher is present but not hovering learns to trust their own judgment. They make decisions, take risks, and work things out. That’s how confidence grows.
WHILE THEY PLAY
observing
always
We watch. Careful observation tells us what each child is working on, what they’re ready for, and where they might need support.
available
always
Children set the pace for connection. Some need frequent check-ins and cuddles; others invest themselves in play for an hour. We follow their lead and meet them where they are.
alongside
often
Children learn through imitation. Adults absorbed in purposeful work – gardening, fixing, building – teaches focused attention without pulling children away from their play.
stepping in
only when needed
For geniune injury, a conflict that’s getting out of hand, or a child needs support that they need more practice asking for. We step in calmly, briefly, and then step back.
IS THE SPROUTS SIDE YOUR SIDE?
every family imagines childhood differently
For each statement, pick a side.
- Children need time and space to struggle. -or- Children need a guide through hard moments.
- Children gain confidence through:
- failing and trying again. -or-
- being guided toward success.
- Art should be an experience. -or- Art should have a goal.
- Play at preschool should:
- be open-ended, child-directed, and without predetermined outcomes
- be teacher-guided with defined spaces and planned activities
- A child that is kindergarten ready:
- is resilient, persistent, independent, and good at problem-solving. -or-
- can write their name, sort, name colors and shapes, and count objects to 10.
- The best thing adults can do is step back. -or- The best thing adults can do is get involved.
If you found yourself choosing the first option more often than not, Sprouts might just be what you’re looking for.
sprouts.school 