Judson Preschool,

4101 Harriet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55409, United States

"My daughter attended Judson Preschool for two years. My son is currently enrolled in his first year at Judson. The teachers are superb and the learning environment excellent. The "play-based" curriculum developed over many years is well thought out, thoroughly vetted and constantly improved, and implemented by outstanding early childhood education thinkers. The school's administators and teachers have created a safe and loving environment in which creative exploration can and does occur. The teachers always welcome feedback and the parent-teacher conferences demonstrate their interest in and dedication to meeting the unique needs of each child. The various events the school puts on for parent-child-teacher interaction are fun and well organized. Judson is a true treasure."

"When looking at preschools, our family must have toured at least seven or eight. We could not have been more pleased with our ultimate decision of going with Judson. In addition to a wonderful preschool experience for our daughter, we also met amazing families, built community, and long-lasting friendships. Judson made it a priority to create new, exciting, positive and invigorating opportunities for the children and families who attend. Science projects, rotating dramatic play, art projects that are beyond creative, and, ultimately, happiness are alive and well at Judson Preschool. Not only do the teachers and director work tirelessly to provide wonderful experiences week after week, but the preschool atmosphere as a whole creates many other connection points throughout the year for the whole family--through Discovery Night, family picnics, singalongs, and more. I was so amazed at our experience and only wish we had our daughter attend more than one year. If she weren't headed for kindergarten in the fall, she would! I will continue to recommend Judson to families for many years to come."

"I would also like to share our experience at Judson, where our son went to preschool 2012-2013. Judson exceeded our expectations in every way! We were looking for a play-based program that would prepare him for the social transition from home to school and introduce him to "school" with a fun and positive first experience. We wanted him to come home excited from a day of new friends and experiences at school, not a backpack full of worksheets. His class at Judson had a curriculum with weekly topics and activities tailored to important skills for children of his age--conflict resolution, teamwork, communication and expression of emotions, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, pre-reading and pre-writing, science, math etc. But these were all incorporated into fun activities for the children. The lead teachers all have teaching degrees. I was glad that we were informed and updated on important safety issues. I was very impressed by the director's commitment to safety and communication with the parents. For the quality, Judson could be much more expensive than it is. By keeping costs low, they keep Judson accessible to more families. My son loved his experience at Judson, and I will continue to recommend it to other parents."

"I love Judson Preschool. My daughter has spent two wonderful years there, under the guidance of thoughtful, engaged teachers, and Kristie, the director, who is a hands-on leader, with seemingly limitless energy and optimism. A play-based program is exactly what child development researchers recommend to foster a life-long love of learning. My daughter is very shy and I worried about how she would do in preschool, but she loved going to Judson, always excited when Tuesday rolled around and she got to go back. One thing you will notice is that kids at Judson are happy. I cannot recommend it highly enough."

"My 3-year old twins have completed one year at Judson and are currently enrolled in the Summer Fun program. We absolutely love Judson. The kids become excited every morning when it is time to get ready for school. Judson is a play-based preschool, which they make a point of telling you when you enroll your child. Play-based education is based upon a different philosophy than academic-based education. Plenty of scientific research supports play-based education for children this age. I appreciate the play-based philosophy, but do some research (a quick google search will provide lots of good information) if you are not sure. The staff at Judson are terrific. They truly care about the children and their progress. I receive quick updates every day when I pick up my kids. Areas of concern. Things that went well. At the conferences, their teacher provided detailed reports showing my child's progress in many different areas. I felt very informed of their progress at Judson. I also do appreciate the emails sent from the director about the school in general. I believe most parents are interested in the progress of facility improvements at their child's school. Long review, but we do love this school!"