The Children's Workshop Oakland
The Children's Workshop Oakland, 1937 8th Avenue, Oakland, CA 94606
About
The Children's Workshop Oakland offers arts explorations, maker explorations, math explorations, science explorations, and sensory focused explorations. Children take part in child-centered project work, immersive self guided play, collaborative project-based activities, and both indoor and outdoor project work. Daily routines include free-play, choice times, quiet rest or nap time, small and large group interaction, meal times and snacks, as well as music, movement, and read-aloud story times.
• Ages: 18 months–5 years old
• Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00am–5:30pm; full day toddler and preschool programs run year round
The Children's Workshop Oakland is a Reggio Emilia preschool offering a Reggio-inspired, inquiry-driven and play-based toddler and preschool program with a full day play- and project-based curriculum. The program enrolls toddlers ages 18–23 months and serves approximately fifty students with about twelve teachers, with small class sizes and low child-teacher ratios. Indoor and outdoor classrooms, indoor art studios, cozy reading corners, writing centers, math and science materials, dramatic play nooks, and project design, planning and building areas are part of the campus environment, along with natural classroom areas that allow a significant portion of the school day outdoors. Historic interior spaces are flooded with natural light and covered in student art and project work.
The program describes itself as a small, highly creative and intensely collaborative program with a diverse and inclusive school community. Its mission is to create a joyful, equitable and language rich learning environment where toddler and preschool age children from diverse backgrounds and of mixed ages and abilities can freely explore their emerging interests and blossoming capabilities through participation in immersive, self guided play and collaborative project-based activities. The curriculum is described as culturally attuned, anti-bias and anti-racist, Reggio-inspired, emergent, generative, and hands-on, with teachers using responsive language and inclusive play-based, Reggio, anti-bias and antiracist pedagogies. Teachers function as hands-on co-learning partners and create detailed documentation of children’s learning.
Music, movement, and read-aloud story times are central to the daily routine. Well balanced, protein-rich lunch and wholesome morning and afternoon snacks are served family style, with an effort to serve fresh fruits and vegetables grown without pesticides and meat and dairy free from growth hormones, antibiotics and other additives. Children are required to remain seated while eating for safety. Children do not need to be toilet trained, and teacher-facilitated potty tries are provided regularly.
The Children's Workshop Oakland is a Certified California Early Childhood Mentor Program teacher mentoring campus, focusing on credentialing, apprenticeship and training for seasoned toddler and preschool teachers and aspiring early childhood educators. It holds License No: 013423786 and License No: 013423058. Volunteer members of the larger community provide input into ongoing project work. The director is Jessica Spenchian.
Last updated March 23, 2026.
• Ages: 18 months–5 years old
• Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00am–5:30pm; full day toddler and preschool programs run year round
The Children's Workshop Oakland is a Reggio Emilia preschool offering a Reggio-inspired, inquiry-driven and play-based toddler and preschool program with a full day play- and project-based curriculum. The program enrolls toddlers ages 18–23 months and serves approximately fifty students with about twelve teachers, with small class sizes and low child-teacher ratios. Indoor and outdoor classrooms, indoor art studios, cozy reading corners, writing centers, math and science materials, dramatic play nooks, and project design, planning and building areas are part of the campus environment, along with natural classroom areas that allow a significant portion of the school day outdoors. Historic interior spaces are flooded with natural light and covered in student art and project work.
The program describes itself as a small, highly creative and intensely collaborative program with a diverse and inclusive school community. Its mission is to create a joyful, equitable and language rich learning environment where toddler and preschool age children from diverse backgrounds and of mixed ages and abilities can freely explore their emerging interests and blossoming capabilities through participation in immersive, self guided play and collaborative project-based activities. The curriculum is described as culturally attuned, anti-bias and anti-racist, Reggio-inspired, emergent, generative, and hands-on, with teachers using responsive language and inclusive play-based, Reggio, anti-bias and antiracist pedagogies. Teachers function as hands-on co-learning partners and create detailed documentation of children’s learning.
Music, movement, and read-aloud story times are central to the daily routine. Well balanced, protein-rich lunch and wholesome morning and afternoon snacks are served family style, with an effort to serve fresh fruits and vegetables grown without pesticides and meat and dairy free from growth hormones, antibiotics and other additives. Children are required to remain seated while eating for safety. Children do not need to be toilet trained, and teacher-facilitated potty tries are provided regularly.
The Children's Workshop Oakland is a Certified California Early Childhood Mentor Program teacher mentoring campus, focusing on credentialing, apprenticeship and training for seasoned toddler and preschool teachers and aspiring early childhood educators. It holds License No: 013423786 and License No: 013423058. Volunteer members of the larger community provide input into ongoing project work. The director is Jessica Spenchian.
Last updated March 23, 2026.
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