About
The Oak Tree Playhouse offers a nature- and play-based Parent and Me class where children take part in process art, free and collaborative art, dramatic and creative play, and theater and pretend play. Children engage in story and movement time, story time, reading books, fingerplay songs, singing songs, dancing, role playing, and guided activities. The program includes nature-based and open-ended materials, sensory and manipulative play, pretend play, puzzles, building blocks, lining up and sorting materials, and group activities such as working together. Outdoor play includes a mud kitchen, gardening, sliding, digging in the dirt, swinging, climbing, and a mini hike in the woods during the Winter and Spring session.
• Ages: 1.5–7 years old for the Parent and Me Class; 1.5–5 years old for the Play Based Class
• Schedule: Class is 2 hours
The Oak Tree Playhouse is led by Yuka Nakanishi, a Certified Early Childhood Educator and certified teacher of play-based Early Childhood Education, who is also a mother of two children. Yuka holds an Early Childhood Education Teacher's certificate from Diablo Valley College, has prior experience as an elite artistic swimming coach, and was born and raised in Japan and is fluent in Japanese. The class is based on a stated passion for play-based education, with an emphasis on children leading their own exploration through free play rather than teacher-led activities, and on a respectful, nurturing, and inclusive environment with a focus on diversity and welcoming all families. The class uses open-ended materials such as blocks, leaves, dried floral, dirt, and acorns in a nature-enriched environment that is described as a “third teacher,” and includes literature, art activities, and a wide range of rich play materials. The program holds license number Lic# 073409385 and notes that it shows children how to engage with the community and share gratitude. The backyard sanctuary where the class takes place was created during the pandemic for families with young children to play and learn, and it is described as a nature-enriched class environment carefully designed to be a “third teacher” on a property around a home on a beautiful hill in the East Bay. Spring session online booking starts March 14, 2023, and the 2023/24 preschool application deadline is April 1.
Last updated April 6, 2026.
• Ages: 1.5–7 years old for the Parent and Me Class; 1.5–5 years old for the Play Based Class
• Schedule: Class is 2 hours
The Oak Tree Playhouse is led by Yuka Nakanishi, a Certified Early Childhood Educator and certified teacher of play-based Early Childhood Education, who is also a mother of two children. Yuka holds an Early Childhood Education Teacher's certificate from Diablo Valley College, has prior experience as an elite artistic swimming coach, and was born and raised in Japan and is fluent in Japanese. The class is based on a stated passion for play-based education, with an emphasis on children leading their own exploration through free play rather than teacher-led activities, and on a respectful, nurturing, and inclusive environment with a focus on diversity and welcoming all families. The class uses open-ended materials such as blocks, leaves, dried floral, dirt, and acorns in a nature-enriched environment that is described as a “third teacher,” and includes literature, art activities, and a wide range of rich play materials. The program holds license number Lic# 073409385 and notes that it shows children how to engage with the community and share gratitude. The backyard sanctuary where the class takes place was created during the pandemic for families with young children to play and learn, and it is described as a nature-enriched class environment carefully designed to be a “third teacher” on a property around a home on a beautiful hill in the East Bay. Spring session online booking starts March 14, 2023, and the 2023/24 preschool application deadline is April 1.
Last updated April 6, 2026.
Is this your business? There is no cost, but you will be asked to sign up or log in.