preschool
why sprouts
how we think about childhood
The thinking, research, and real-world experience behind everything we do at Sprouts.
in short
less structure, more capable kids
At Sprouts, play is the most important activity.
Children do their best exploring, discovering, thinking, planning, and relationship-building through extended, uninterrupted free play time.
We provide the space to explore and investigate. Our daily rhythm encourages imagination through independence without adult interference. We create safe spaces for children to try new things, make mistakes, and solve problems. We help children learn to make attempts at challenges, persevere through frustration, then ask for help if they need it. We teach children to respect living things. We help children discover that we are all artists.
Our experience has shown time and time again that children who are given time, space, and freedom to play – outside – develop into more capable, confident, and curious people. Sprouts is definitely 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.
in practice
time
Long, unstructured hours – with no schedule to rush through and no adults filling the time.
independence
Children get the most out of figuring things out for themselves — even when it takes longer, and even when they fail first.
educational philosophy
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 an essential life skill – one that, when taught in early childhood, 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 parts, 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 genuinely 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.
feel right so far?
take the next step
If Sōdatsu and our approach to struggle already sound like what you want for your child, see the schedule and pricing to find out if it fits — or keep reading to see how it plays out day to day.
how we grow
at sprouts, we play
At Sprouts, play is the most important activity.
Children do their best exploring, discovering, thinking, planning, and relationship-building through extended, uninterrupted free play time.
We provide the space to explore and investigate. Our daily rhythm encourages imagination through independence without adult interference. We create safe spaces for children to try new things, make mistakes, and solve problems. We help children learn to make attempts at challenges, persevere through frustration, then ask for help if they need it. We teach children to respect living things. We help children discover that we are all artists.
risky play
Confidence, grit, and resilience grow through persistence, small failures, and challenges.
- climbing & jumping
- flipping & spinning
- sliding & swinging
messy play
Tolerance, imagination, and joy in new sensory experiences and the freedom to fully partake in them.
- dirt, mud, & mulch
- water tables & sprinklers
- paint, glitter & glue
outdoor play
A fondness for nature and the ability to entertain themselves with only what they find outside.
- sticks, logs & rocks
- acorns, pinecones & seeds
- leaves, snow & flowers
student experience
what it looks like
Some photos of play time at Sprouts – an experience like no other.
sprouts families
what families say
Our child had a difficult time at more traditional programs due to their abundant energy level. Not only do the providers offer ample space to quell our child’s thirst for action – we absolutely love the safe and nurturing environment they provide our kiddo.
– Sprouts Parent
We couldn’t have imagined a more magical place for our child to have her first school experience and it has been a joy to watch her confidence grow.
– Sprouts Parent
Going to Sprouts changed our daughter’s whole attitude. The teachers go above and beyond to make the kids feel safe and loved. I’m sad we’re moving on to kindergarten and won’t be there next year.
– Sprouts Parent
our teaching
at sprouts, we protect the play
At Sprouts, the teachers’ job is to protect the play time – not fill it.
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 get to know every child by watching — noticing patterns, temperaments, interests, and areas for growth just by being there, on the periphery. Observation tells us things we want to know, and things children can’t yet say themselves.
available
[ always ]
We don’t have an agenda beyond the day’s routine. When children know we’re consistently there and will respond no matter why they come to us, they learn to extend that same trust to themselves. With new children, we spend the first few weeks simply building that relationship — the trust it takes to venture out onto the playground on their own.
alongside
[ often ]
Children learn through imitation. When the adults nearby are absorbed in their own purposeful work — gardening, fixing, building — children learn focused attention, and feel free to be themselves.
stepping in
[ only when needed ]
We step in for genuine injury, a conflict getting out of hand, or when a child asks for help — plus the routine moments that hold the day together: meals, transitions, rest. Otherwise, we step back.
is sprouts your place?
every family imagines childhood differently
For each statement, pick one ending that best reflects your family philosophy.
1. children in preschool need:
- time and space to struggle [ or ]
- a buffer for hard times
2. children in preschool gain confidence through:
- failing and trying again [ or ]
- being supported to success.
3. art in preschool should:
- be an experience [ or ]
- have a goal.
4. preschool should be:
- open-ended without predetermined outcomes or activities [ or ]
- be teacher-guided with defined spaces and activities.
5. a child is kindergarten ready when:
- they are resilient, persistent, independent, and a problem-solver [ or ]
- they are able to write their name, name colors and shapes, and count objects.
6. the best thing adults can do for preschool children is:
- step back [ or ]
- be engaged.
There are no wrong answers here – every philosophy has real merit. But if you found yourself leaning toward struggle, exploration, and stepping back rather than structure and instruction, you’ve just described what happens at Sprouts every day.
ready to find out?
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