Our Mixed-Age PreK and Kindergarten program offers a rich experience that builds a solid and healthy foundation for a child’s development.
Our 55-acre Grace Farm campus, with its farm and forest, apple orchards, fields, sheep and goats, gardens, and the Kingsbury Branch of the Winooski River serves as the "classroom" for the Mixed-Age Kindergarten, regardless of the weather.
Our beautiful indoor spaces support creative play and creativity for small groups of PreK and Kindergarten age children.
We are a pre-qualified program accepting Act 166 funding for 3, 4 and 5 year olds.
Mixed-Age PreK & Kindergarten
3-6 year olds
Located at Grace Farm in East Montpelier
8:30 am – noon (with afternoon care available until 3pm; 2;15pm on Thursdays)
5-day option: Monday through Friday
4-day option: Monday through Thursday
*Children in their last year of our Kindergarten program are required to attend 5-days/week in preparation for first grade the following year.
Interested in our Mixed-age PreK & Kindergarten program? We encourage you to start with a visit:
Early Childhood Admissions Information
Accessibility is a core value at Orchard Valley Waldorf School and each program has its own distinct financial aid opportunties, including Act 166 PreK funding for 3, 4, and 5 year olds, and an income-based Tiered Tuition for Kindergarten students:
Tuition and Financial Aid Information
We look forward to hearing your questions and sharing more about our program. Please use the Inquiry button below and a member of our Admissions team will be in touch!
About Our Program
In our nature-based, largely outdoor program, each day follows a predictable, gentle, seasonal rhythm. Activities include animal care, nature crafts, story, circle, running, tree-climbing, hiking, engaging in imaginative play, observation and nature exploration.
Also woven into the day are enriching activities such as painting, coloring, chopping vegetables, and handwork such as sewing, finger knitting and felting, all of which help to promote creativity, artistry, and fine motor skills. Practical tasks include bread-baking, snack preparation, cleaning, and gardening.
The teachers lead the children through the seasons and festivals with daily circle times full of song, rhyme, movement and gestures. Children learn through cooperative games how to respect boundaries and follow directions. Rich storytelling and puppet shows nurture a child’s imagination and language development.
The children also engage in imaginative free play, taking on different roles, dressing in costumes, or creating their own puppet play. Regardless of the weather, time is spent outside every day — running, climbing, digging in the sandbox, hiking, and engaging in vigorous play.
A nourishing mid-morning snack is provided daily. Children staying for our afternoon program bring lunch from home and support their growing minds and bodies through rest and/or sleep.
Knowing that children of this age learn best through imitation, our teachers strive with every purpose, word, and deed to be worthy of imitation.
