Takoma Park Cooperative Nursery School can be found on Flower Avenue. We are an all-outdoor school inspired by play and guided by our place in the neighborhood, “between the creeks".”
The children’s growing minds and bodies are nourished with a rich variety of multi-sensory experiences.
Sunshine, rain, dirt, mud, wind, and fresh air are necessities.
On a typical cold winter morning, you will see the children, wrapped in crochet blankets as an extra layer, listening to stories and singing songs under a clear blue sky. On a rainy afternoon, the children are dressed in waterproof gear and will collect the rainwater for soups and stews.
We are grounded in play, connected with place, all weather, with floating clouds and tree branches above us, grass, paths, and sidewalks beneath our feet, surrounded by friends and neighbors with birds calling out their hello, hello, hello!
Parent Involvement
For over 75 years, the Cooperative School has carried forth its mission of building a community based on common goals. Here, generations of children, parents, and teachers have taken their first steps in learning together.
In exchange for their involvement, families become stakeholders in the school, receive parent education, and experience career enhancement. Board and committee service supports the administration of the school, maintains a low operating budget, lower tuition rates for families, and pays our professional staff. Classroom participation (not required) supports the children’s educational experience.
Through this partnership, over decades, families and educators have built a legacy to protect children’s access to nature, play, and art.
Summer Camp Program (Tink)
Tinkering at the Cooperative School, known as Tink. Announcements related to Summer 2024 will be released mid-February. It does not require co-oping. Tink is designed for elementary school-age children, rising first graders through 5th grade.
