There are plenty of Main Line early childhood education programs. How do you find the right early learning center for your preschooler or big kid in the western Philadelphia suburbs? Discover the unique early childhood educational options for kids up to age 8 in the greater Philly area below.

Main Line Progressive Early Childhood Education

The Miquon School (610-828-1231) follows the progressive education movement, or educational progressivism. The school believes in balancing structure and flexibility while focusing on meeting expectations and achieving defined goals.

For pre-K through 6th-grade, or ages 3-12, this progressive Main Line early childhood educational option provides child-centered, inquiry-led, and play-based education. More than 30 zip codes in and around the greater Philly area attend the 11-acre campus.

Main Line Play-Based Early Childhood Education

Using a play-based education model, the Phebe Anna Thorne School of Bryn Mawr College (610-526-7913) celebrates early childhood. The Thorne School encourages play to help children grow their problem-solving and social skills. They believes play creates joyful and independent learners.

This school offers traditional programs for toddlers, preschoolers, and Kindergarten kids, plus specialized programs for children with speech language needs. Reax about this Main Line preschool in Learning to Play and Playing to Learn at Phebe Anna Thorne School.

For nearly 60 years, Trinity Preschool of Berwyn (610-644-9370) has educated preschoolers in the Main Line. Since 1986, it’s been a non-religious, non-sectarian early learning center for children ages 16 months through pre-K.

Children can experience hands-on, creative, and play-based learning for students typically from Chester and Delaware counties. Intentionally-designed classrooms, a state-of-the-art outdoor playground, nature center, and a large indoor playground make for active play year-round.

Main Line Nature-Based Early Childhood Education

Friends’ Central School’s Nature Nursery (610-642-7575) builds organic opportunities for learning, child-led exploration, and unstructured play into the daily curriculum. The emphasis is on the outdoors, with 70% of learning occurring outside in designated areas on the school’s 18-acre campus.

Children as young as age 2 years and 7 months may begin. Nursery school students take outdoor “field trips,” have their own playground, a lunch grove, and two “mud kitchens.”

Main Line Frog Street Curriculum

The YMCA of Greater Brandywine (610-643-9622) is one of the largest providers of childcare and early childhood education around the Main Line. More than just babysitting, the credentialed teachers at the YMCA follow the research-based Frog Street curriculum, which focuses on socially-based experiences.

Parents may add in YMCA programs, such as swim lessons, karate, or gymnastics, to their child’s day. With eight locations in the Philly area, the YMCA provides a social starting point for kids ages infant to preschool. The YMCA of Greater Brandywine Summer Camp has traditional or specialized options for kids aged 3 – 15.

Main Line Montessori Schools

Gladwyne Montessori (610-649-1761) is the sole American Montessori Society accredited school for kids ages six weeks to 12 years. Classrooms include multiple ages and a non-traditional, science-based approach to education.

It’s an individualized learning experience. Gladwyne Montessori’s Primary program combines children ages three to six-years-old. Classrooms brim with hands-on materials specifically designed for the development and cognitive growth of children this age.

Main Line Waldorf Early Childhood Education

The Kimberton Waldorf School, or KWS, emphasizes an arts-integrated curriculum. KWS is the second oldest Waldorf school in North America. The school serves children from pre-K through grade 12 on its 430-acre campus .

This Chester County early childhood education option (and beyond) in Chester County, nurtures child development in the Rosebud Garden Preschool and Kindergarten. Simple toys help inspire the imagination of kids in an active, yet play-based, environment. Early childhood classrooms are screen-free.

Main Line Christian Schools

Founded in 1785, in Newtown Square, The Episcopal Academy (484-424-1400) offers a Pre-K through 12th grade education. With an eye on future academics, their preschool program includes simple math concepts like counting and shapes, and foundations of literacy, such as alphabet study and story times.

The nursery school program also includes elements such as music, movement, puppetry, traditional folk songs, and Spanish. Religion takes the form of Chapel. This is a community experience in the Episcopal tradition playing a strong role in even the youngest students’ curriculum.

The stately old stone buildings and beautiful property of the Waldron Mercy Academy (610-664-9847) are hard to miss on Montgomery Avenue in Merion Station. Based in the Sisters of Mercy Catholic tradition, Waldron Mercy serves students from preschool through 8th grade. Established in 1923 and sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, WMA fosters a diverse faith community rooted in gospel values of mercy and justice.

Waldron Mercy’s Lower School offers both a Montessori and a non-Montessori early childhood education track. WMA’s distinctive service learning program empowers students to engage with their community meaningfully, turning empathy into action. At Waldron Mercy, children thrive in a faith-filled, inclusive environment that prepares them for success in grades school, high school and beyond.

Main Line Jewish Schools

The Perelman Jewish Day School (610-658-2518) provides Main Line early childhood education for ages Pre-K through 5th grade at two locations: Wynnewood and Melrose Park. Perelman’s Junior Kindergarten in Wynnewood offers a full-day, Hebrew-immersive program. 

Their progressive education program is grounded in active, hands-on learning and play in a specially-designed setting for ages 4 and 5. Judaism is the lens through which they help kids develop social skills, appreciation, and gratitude.

Main Line Quaker Schools

The Westtown School (610-399-0123) operates in the Quaker tradition. It’s a private, co-ed school for grades pre-K through 12th grade. The core curriculum is built on the idea that every child has unique gifts to contribute. Action and collaboration are emphasized.

The West Chester preschool and its early childhood education program, called the Primary Circle, comprises Pre-K and Kindergarten. The mixed-age classroom encourages socialization, leadership, engagement with their teachers, and conflict resolution. The campus occupies 600 acres, features a 14-acre lake (with a beach and boathouse),

Main Line Language Immersion Schools

At Mi Casita (215-232-3222) in Ardmore, preschool activities are conducted in Spanish, using the Creative Curriculum and project-based learning as foundations. Authentic cultural experiences include crafts, reading, and games.

What is a Spanish immersion preschool? Teachers conduct every lesson and activity in Spanish. By using hand gestures and facial expression, children naturally learn the language. This early childhood education method emphasizes learning by doing — in Spanish.

Main Line Literacy-Based Early Childhood Education

Bright Minds Preschool of the Main Line (484-272-2582), formerly known as Kids’ Clubhouse, focuses on early literacy for children ages 2–5 . Their Beginners program encourages children to verbalize their needs, increase vocabulary, and develop gross motor skills through games and outdoor play.

In their Preschool and Pre-K curriculums, teachers introduce writing using the Handwriting Without Tears program. Children engage in hands-on activities to help them grow physically, socially, and cognitively. Bright Minds Preschool won a Main Line Parent LOVE Award multiple years in a row.

Discover Early Childhood Education in the Main Line

Early childhood education, the ages from preschool to 8 years old, serves as the foundation for a lifetime of learning. The best Main Line preschools and Kindergarten classes fit a large range of needs. From outdoor play to literature-based to language immersion preschools, Main Line families have unique options.