Magical PlayGarden

I don’t know what I would do without Rebekah and the haven she provides for my girl. I have been bringing my daughter to Magical PlayGarden for over a year now, starting when she was 2 years old. We attended MPG in Sebastopol and then followed to Santa Rosa.
I called almost 40 home daycares and interviewed with 10 before I settled on Magical PlayGarden.
When deciding on a preschool, I was absolutely insistent on 2 things:
1. My daughter MUST feel comfortable with the caregiver.
Of all the caregivers we met, Rebekah was the only one my girl initiated contact with (wanted her to sit and read a book). Rebekah’s spirit is kind, patient, loving and oh-​so-​very motherly. She guides the children with a soft voice and gentle manner but she is never a push-​over. She supports and appreciates the unique qualities of each of the children (and with my girl that’s not always easy…). I have never heard her say «no» yet she maintains a firm and graceful leadership. Through all of this she has a genuine smile on her face and a frequent laugh. Ultimately it comes down to the children: they adore her.
2. The food MUST be healthful.
Have you noticed how many places serve chicken tenders and fruit cocktail? Rebekah has a respect for the nutritional needs of growing children and makes the extra effort to feed them well. She serves simple and balanced home-​cooked meals. She even offers accommodations to special diets (gluten free, vegetarian, dairy, etc).
I also had strong preferences for a few more things:
1. Natural and open-​ended toys.
I avoid toxic plastic toys. I avoid batteries. I avoid narrow toys that limit imagination. This is not to say that my daughter is growing up in a sterile environment, but I have preferences that lean toward the crunchy side. Magical PlayGarden is stocked with wonderful wooden toys that feel so nice in the hand and offer endless play options. So while I enjoy the occasional Disney movie with my kid, I don’t want their licensed characters assaulting her toy aesthetic. Neither does Rebekah thankfully. Leave it to the kids to create the story!
2. Lots of time outdoors.
There is an appreciation of nature that runs throughout Magical PlayGarden, both inside and out. The backyard is completely and privately fenced in. There is plenty of room for a variety of activities. Cement for chalk play, garden for nature play, trees, and a water play area. My girls favorite is of course the water/​sand play area. The activity «tables» seem to be commercial grade and are quite wonderful, and there’s running water! I also like that it’s mostly shade because my girl is sensitive to the sun.
3. Focus on Play.
I don’t need my kid to know her ABC’s before she’s 2. I don’t need her to read before she’s 3. I just want her to enjoy herself. Play is universally acknowledged to be the primary mode for learning for the first 7 years. Why on earth do some people make a toddler sit still in circle time and recite things? Oh the agony. Let kids be kids. Let them have fun. Provide them with lots of tools and opportunities to create and explore. This is what Rebekah offers.
4. Ethical guidance.
Rebekah fosters an environment of support. There is no shaming, no guilt trips. Simply an open platform where everyones process is important and respected (weather the child is the one hitting or being hit). Magical PlayGarden is a place where each child is special and loved. Where wildly different temperaments can be together in a harmonious way. Where my daughter can freely be the little person that she is in all her abundance.
As you can see, I can’t say enough good things about Rebekah and Magical PlayGarden. I consider Rebekah a part of our family and an important part of my daughters development. Hopefully you will be as lucky in your search for good childcare.

We are so grateful that we found Magical Playgarden when our daughter was 3 years old. Our daughter, who is very sensitive, and cautious with new people, was instantly at home there. When I would drop her off before work, the morning scene was always so peaceful that I would want to linger there myself as long as possible! Rebekah Graham is what makes Magical Playgarden so special. She is gentle, kind, playful and always in control of the environment without even having to raise her voice. This was our introduction to Waldorf Education, and now that my daughter is in 3^rd grade, her little brother is at Magical Playgarden and loving it. He actually cries and begs to go to school on his days off. This school is a treasure that everyone should know about.