The Applebee Preschool and TK
The Applebee Preschool, 3628 Park Drive, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
About
The Applebee Preschool and TK offers a guided play curriculum that includes dramatic play, block building, science and math exploration, counting, sorting, building, creative writing, literature, drawing, writing, and process-oriented art projects. Children take part in sensory exploration, outdoor play, gardening activities such as planting, watering, digging, and tasting from the garden, as well as cooking for the daily snack. The program also includes reading in a book nook, stories and music during circle time, and free play both inside and outside.
• Ages: 2½–6 years old
• Schedule: Part-day or full-day options on T/Th, M/W/F, or M–F, with morning sessions generally starting between 8:15–8:30 am and ending at 11:30 am, afternoon sessions generally running from 12:00 pm to around 3:00–3:15 pm, and full-day options from about 8:15–8:30 am to 3:00–3:15 pm; each day includes a welcoming circle, free play inside and out, snack, stories/music, and a goodbye circle
• Price: Children ages 2½–6: T/Th $350, M/W/F $475, M–F $785; Full Day options: T/Th $600, M/W/F $850, M–F $1350.
The Applebee Preschool and TK uses a mixed-age indoor and outdoor classroom with an outdoor play space that includes an easel, sandbox, playhouse, sensory table, and more, along with a garden area for planting, watering, digging, and tasting. The classroom includes a book nook with preschool-age literature, an extensive block building area, and a creative dramatic play area. The program follows a developmentally appropriate, play-based, guided play preschool model with a focus on the whole child: social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development, and uses theme-based materials with open-ended engagement. Art projects follow a process-oriented, child-directed art philosophy, and the environment is described as rich with hands-on, developmentally based, creative play spaces. The program is described as child-led, with a schedule based on the needs of the children that day, and children do not need to be potty trained before they are ready, as the school will help with the process. A daily healthy, creative snack is provided, and children help create the weekly menu. The guided play approach is supported by play-based child psychologists such as Piaget, Vygotsky, Bruner, and Erikson, and the mixed-age group preschool program is described as allowing children to practice being leaders and motivating younger children. Stated mottos and slogans include “Imagine, Create, Participate.”, “Enriching the mind one child at a time.”, “Learn to Play, Converse with Confidence.”, “Knowledge is power.”, “Where we preserve the magic, wonder and innocence of early childhood!”, “CREATING A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS”, “ENHANCING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WHOLE CHILD”, “CONVERSATION, CONFIDENCE, CREATIVITY AND COMMUNITY”, “DEVELOP AND LEARN THROUGH FUN AND CREATIVITY”, and “EVERYONE IS A LEARNER EVERYDAY.”
The Applebee Preschool and TK states that it offers a developmentally appropriate play-based preschool program for children ages 2½–6 years of age, values each stage of a child's development, and considers each child to be unique in their own way. The program is licensed under License # 093625156.
Owner Joanie Giraudo has owned The Applebee Preschool since 1996 and describes the program as having “been around for 29 years.” The Applebee Preschool relocated from Menlo Park to Folsom in June 2020 and then to El Dorado Hills in 2023. Joanie Giraudo has over 37 years of experience working with preschoolers and over 38 years of experience teaching young children. She holds an AA Degree in Child Development from De Anza College and a BA Degree in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College, and she is a certified parent coach. She is described as loving to create a community of learners within their larger community and is excited to be part of the childcare community in Folsom and El Dorado Hills, which she describes as fitting their needs to find a place to live that encompasses their core values and morals.
Last updated April 27, 2026.
• Ages: 2½–6 years old
• Schedule: Part-day or full-day options on T/Th, M/W/F, or M–F, with morning sessions generally starting between 8:15–8:30 am and ending at 11:30 am, afternoon sessions generally running from 12:00 pm to around 3:00–3:15 pm, and full-day options from about 8:15–8:30 am to 3:00–3:15 pm; each day includes a welcoming circle, free play inside and out, snack, stories/music, and a goodbye circle
• Price: Children ages 2½–6: T/Th $350, M/W/F $475, M–F $785; Full Day options: T/Th $600, M/W/F $850, M–F $1350.
The Applebee Preschool and TK uses a mixed-age indoor and outdoor classroom with an outdoor play space that includes an easel, sandbox, playhouse, sensory table, and more, along with a garden area for planting, watering, digging, and tasting. The classroom includes a book nook with preschool-age literature, an extensive block building area, and a creative dramatic play area. The program follows a developmentally appropriate, play-based, guided play preschool model with a focus on the whole child: social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development, and uses theme-based materials with open-ended engagement. Art projects follow a process-oriented, child-directed art philosophy, and the environment is described as rich with hands-on, developmentally based, creative play spaces. The program is described as child-led, with a schedule based on the needs of the children that day, and children do not need to be potty trained before they are ready, as the school will help with the process. A daily healthy, creative snack is provided, and children help create the weekly menu. The guided play approach is supported by play-based child psychologists such as Piaget, Vygotsky, Bruner, and Erikson, and the mixed-age group preschool program is described as allowing children to practice being leaders and motivating younger children. Stated mottos and slogans include “Imagine, Create, Participate.”, “Enriching the mind one child at a time.”, “Learn to Play, Converse with Confidence.”, “Knowledge is power.”, “Where we preserve the magic, wonder and innocence of early childhood!”, “CREATING A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS”, “ENHANCING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WHOLE CHILD”, “CONVERSATION, CONFIDENCE, CREATIVITY AND COMMUNITY”, “DEVELOP AND LEARN THROUGH FUN AND CREATIVITY”, and “EVERYONE IS A LEARNER EVERYDAY.”
The Applebee Preschool and TK states that it offers a developmentally appropriate play-based preschool program for children ages 2½–6 years of age, values each stage of a child's development, and considers each child to be unique in their own way. The program is licensed under License # 093625156.
Owner Joanie Giraudo has owned The Applebee Preschool since 1996 and describes the program as having “been around for 29 years.” The Applebee Preschool relocated from Menlo Park to Folsom in June 2020 and then to El Dorado Hills in 2023. Joanie Giraudo has over 37 years of experience working with preschoolers and over 38 years of experience teaching young children. She holds an AA Degree in Child Development from De Anza College and a BA Degree in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College, and she is a certified parent coach. She is described as loving to create a community of learners within their larger community and is excited to be part of the childcare community in Folsom and El Dorado Hills, which she describes as fitting their needs to find a place to live that encompasses their core values and morals.
Last updated April 27, 2026.
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