Primrose School of Algonquin – website

Last weekend I visited Primrose School of Algonquin with my family for their Mommy Mixer. We had a delicious breakfast (from Georgia’s Restaurant, a place we will DEFINITELY be visiting in the future – all the food was fabulous!).

The boys quickly found all the fun stuff – the hockey table, blocks, and animals.

After breakfast, some play, and some mingling with school administrators and staff and bloggers, we sat down for a music class. The instructor was very enthusiastic and energetic and my kids LOVED it!

After music class, the kids were split up into toddler and preschool groups to do some activities while the parents took a tour of the school. Neither of my boys is away from me much, especially with people they don’t know well, so I was concerned about their reaction to separating from me, but it was no problem. The teachers were very engaging and Cooper and Dexter were already having so much fun they hardly noticed we were separating. Dexter did look back when he was halfway down the hall and saw me, but he just turned around and kept walking.

We started our tour with the baby room. A typical daily schedule includes snacks and meals, diaper changes (of course), sign language, songs, art activities, naptime, stories, and social development play.

We moved on to the toddler rooms next. Primrose offers care for both toddlers and early preschoolers in different classrooms. Toddlers enjoy days filled with music, quiet time, snacks and meals, story time based on the current character development theme, art projects, and science and nature groups.

Finally, we saw the pre-kindergarten classroom. Primrose offers a preschool and pre-kindergarten program. In both programs the kids have meals and snacks, quiet time, outdoor play, language instruction (Spanish), reading, math and science activities, character development programs, art projects, story time, and music class.

Primrose also offers and after-school drop-off program for older kids. The room for the after-school program was where we started and ended our day at Primrose (see the hockey table, blocks, and music class pictures above). There is a stage area, a variety of toys and art supplies, a snack area, and a place for kids to work on homework.

After our tour, Cooper and Dexter were both excited to show us projects they created and the playground outside. There are different playground areas for different ages, but the “fire engine playground” is a particular favorite of the kids, according to the Primrose staff.

I was impressed with our Primrose tour. Everything was incredibly clean, bright, and colorful. It is definitely an environment I’d like to spend time in so I’m sure kids feel the same. Here are some of the things I learned about Primrose on the tour and in the materials provided to me that I really like:

• A Balanced Learning curriculum encourages the natural tendency to explore. Daily activities focus on physical development & health, social/emotional development, language and literacy, creative arts and expression, mathematics, science and technology, and social studies. Classrooms are filled with activities to stimulate, develop, and support a child’s sense of wonder. 
• Character Development Programs that focus on things like Safety and Health, Community Awareness, Ecology, and Musical Appreciation.
• Primrose Parents’ Place, an online portal to keep parents connected to their child’s classroom, as well as frequent communication between teachers and parents. 

Primrose provided me with two helpful documents that I’m sharing here:

• Choosing the Best Child Care Option – A Guide for Parents
• Will My Child Be Ready for Elementary School?

Primrose also has locations in South Elgin and Naperville.

How did you choose your child’s preschool or day care? What things are most important to you in choosing a preschool or day care program?

My family was invited to the Mommy Mixer at Primrose School in Algonquin and provided with a few promotional items, and I am being entered in a giveaway for a gift card, but all opinions are my own.