“Where Little Minds Grow Big Dreams”
Baby Tree is a small, community-centered Mandarin immersion daycare and preschool dedicated to creating a warm, inclusive, and family-like learning environment. Opened since 2014, we have been staffed by the same team of 4 teachers. At the heart of our philosophy, we recognize children as capable, curious learners. Every child’s unique needs and development are seen and valued, and every family’s voice is heard. Our curriculum supports growth across eight key developmental domains: physical development, language, literacy, mathematics, science, creative arts, social-emotional development, and learning behaviors.
Our curriculum is centered on hands-on learning, and rich interactions with teachers and peers are built into the learning process. For example, children make models of the solar system after learning about the planets and the stars; children observe a real caterpillar as it transitions to a cocoon and then a butterfly, drawing each stage of its development; students plant vegetables in our backyard garden during our gardening unit.
Our units are guided by “themes”— topics that are closely connected to children’s real-life experiences, such as weather, transportation, bugs and animals, jobs, nature and gardening, and trash sorting. Teachers use colorful, recycled, and open-ended materials to design unique arts and crafts projects that encourage creativity and exploration. We also extensively integrate music into the learning process, teaching the children to sing and dance to songs every circle time.
Learning materials within each theme are thoughtfully created to reflect the children’s interests while supporting their specific developmental goals. Our curriculum is always expanding and changing— each new group of students have different activities and subtopics that engage them, so we tailor the curriculum to children’s interests. Units culminate in a final arts and crafts project, where students reflect on the discoveries they made and celebrate their learning journey.
At Baby Tree, we strive to build a school culture rooted in respect, trust, and mutual support. That starts with partnering with parents, honoring everyday interactions, and meeting families where they are. These meaningful relationships form the foundation for children’s social-emotional, physical, and cognitive development.
What makes Baby Tree stand out is the tight-knit community between Baby Tree families. Parents usually stay after drop-off times to chat in the driveway while their children play with each other! We host many parties and celebrations to showcase the children’s work, giving families many opportunities to socialize. We pride ourselves in building a strong network so that families can rely on each other even after their children graduate from Baby Tree and move into elementary school.
