Montclair Community Play Center
Montclair Community Play Center (MCPC), 5815 Thornhill Drive, Oakland, CA 94611
About
Montclair Community Play Center offers a Preschool Summer Camp with three 2-week sessions that meet Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 12:30 pm, with optional extended days from 12:30 to 3 pm sold as a package for each 2-week session. The program also offers a Turtle Summer Camp that runs as one 6-week session meeting on Fridays only from 9 to 11:45 am, with a maximum of 14 children enrolled. Each Preschool Summer Camp session enrolls a maximum of 30 children, and parents may serve as working parents, snack parents, or front-yard parents during the summer.
• Ages: 2–5 years old
• Schedule: Preschool Summer Camp in three 2-week sessions and Turtle Summer Camp in one 6-week Friday-only session
Montclair Community Play Center is a parents’ cooperative preschool established in 1933 and operates as a non-profit organization. MCPC operates as a parent cooperative during the school year and opens its doors to children from the broader community for its annual Summer Camp. For Preschool Summer Camp, priority is given to current preschoolers, and previous outside care experience is required. One parent per family is asked to spend one day during the summer session assisting summer program teachers as a working parent for Preschool Summer Camp, and most often this shift is as a snack parent providing snacks for the 25 enrolled campers or as a front-yard parent. For Turtle Summer Camp, one parent per family volunteers to work and bring snack one day during the summer session to help keep a very low student-to-teacher ratio.
Turtle Summer Camp is geared for children aged 2¾ to 3¾ years, and each child must turn three by September 1 of the current year to be eligible. Turtle Camp enrollment is primarily for incoming MCPC preschoolers, and registration opens to the public in April when space becomes available to non-MCPC children. The campus includes a nature area with chickens, two large outdoor play spaces, an all-weather outdoor art space, a large playroom, a stand-alone learning annex, and a snack area.
The mission of Montclair Community Play Center is to function as a play-based parents’ co-operative preschool that, working in community, creates a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment in which children can learn to resolve conflict, build self-esteem and value diversity. MCPC admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on these bases in its policies or programs. MCPC welcomes all families regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, or national origin and acknowledges that it is located on the unceded land of the Ohlone People, formerly known as Huchiun, and pays respect to Ohlone leaders past and present.
The leadership team includes Director/Teacher Jolie McRae; Preschool Teacher Jamie Barret Riley; Preschool, Extended Day and Toddler Playtime Teacher Nick Ventresco; Spanish Enrichment Teacher Isabel Rodriguez; and Extended Day Teacher Simone Greenberg. Jolie has an undergraduate degree in dance and social science from UC Berkeley, a graduate degree from Holy Names University, and completed Early Childhood Education and Preschool Administration coursework at Merritt College and Saddleback College. Jamie has an undergraduate degree in the social sciences from Bard College and completed Early Childhood Education coursework at Merritt College. Nick has attended classes at Merritt College and continues his Early Childhood Education. Simone has a BA in International Development from UC Berkeley and is completing Early Childhood coursework at Merritt College.
Parent and alumni comments describe experiences such as a shy child becoming a happy, confident child at MCPC, parents learning to live in the moment with their children, and families attending for multiple consecutive years. Testimonials also mention play-based education, long-term friendships among adults, and families continuing to benefit from the MCPC community and its focus on play-based early childhood development after more than 80 years of operation.
Last updated March 22, 2026.
• Ages: 2–5 years old
• Schedule: Preschool Summer Camp in three 2-week sessions and Turtle Summer Camp in one 6-week Friday-only session
Montclair Community Play Center is a parents’ cooperative preschool established in 1933 and operates as a non-profit organization. MCPC operates as a parent cooperative during the school year and opens its doors to children from the broader community for its annual Summer Camp. For Preschool Summer Camp, priority is given to current preschoolers, and previous outside care experience is required. One parent per family is asked to spend one day during the summer session assisting summer program teachers as a working parent for Preschool Summer Camp, and most often this shift is as a snack parent providing snacks for the 25 enrolled campers or as a front-yard parent. For Turtle Summer Camp, one parent per family volunteers to work and bring snack one day during the summer session to help keep a very low student-to-teacher ratio.
Turtle Summer Camp is geared for children aged 2¾ to 3¾ years, and each child must turn three by September 1 of the current year to be eligible. Turtle Camp enrollment is primarily for incoming MCPC preschoolers, and registration opens to the public in April when space becomes available to non-MCPC children. The campus includes a nature area with chickens, two large outdoor play spaces, an all-weather outdoor art space, a large playroom, a stand-alone learning annex, and a snack area.
The mission of Montclair Community Play Center is to function as a play-based parents’ co-operative preschool that, working in community, creates a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment in which children can learn to resolve conflict, build self-esteem and value diversity. MCPC admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on these bases in its policies or programs. MCPC welcomes all families regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, or national origin and acknowledges that it is located on the unceded land of the Ohlone People, formerly known as Huchiun, and pays respect to Ohlone leaders past and present.
The leadership team includes Director/Teacher Jolie McRae; Preschool Teacher Jamie Barret Riley; Preschool, Extended Day and Toddler Playtime Teacher Nick Ventresco; Spanish Enrichment Teacher Isabel Rodriguez; and Extended Day Teacher Simone Greenberg. Jolie has an undergraduate degree in dance and social science from UC Berkeley, a graduate degree from Holy Names University, and completed Early Childhood Education and Preschool Administration coursework at Merritt College and Saddleback College. Jamie has an undergraduate degree in the social sciences from Bard College and completed Early Childhood Education coursework at Merritt College. Nick has attended classes at Merritt College and continues his Early Childhood Education. Simone has a BA in International Development from UC Berkeley and is completing Early Childhood coursework at Merritt College.
Parent and alumni comments describe experiences such as a shy child becoming a happy, confident child at MCPC, parents learning to live in the moment with their children, and families attending for multiple consecutive years. Testimonials also mention play-based education, long-term friendships among adults, and families continuing to benefit from the MCPC community and its focus on play-based early childhood development after more than 80 years of operation.
Last updated March 22, 2026.
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