Laurel Hill Nursery School

Laurel Hill Nursery School offers a play-based, parent-participation program where children take part in activities such as art, music, books, building, dance, gardening, outdoor exploration, puzzles, imaginative play, and “hot glue, hammers & horseplay.” Children use open-ended materials like sand, clay, water, paint, and blocks, and move between indoor classrooms and a safe, supervised outdoor yard on a hillside preschool campus.

• Ages: 2.9–5 years old
• Schedule: School-year options Monday–Friday with Half Day (Morning or Afternoon), Full Day, Extended Care (Before, Lunch, and After School), plus a 6–8 week Summer Camp program

Founded in 1947, Laurel Hill Nursery School is a community-powered, parent-led cooperative nursery school with nearly 80 years of seasonal rituals and community gatherings. The program is a play-based, parent-participation model where family involvement is at the heart of the program and parents join the classroom one day a week, participate in classroom workdays, parent education nights, committee roles, and community gatherings. Laurel Hill Nursery School describes itself as the original San Francisco co-op founded on the idea that parents and educators should grow alongside children and notes that it is one of the only full-day cooperative preschool programs in the city.

The mission of Laurel Hill Nursery School states that it is a parent cooperative nursery school where member families and staff team together to provide young children with an affordable, safe, caring environment in which they learn through play and connection. The mission also states that members gain support for their parenting by working side by side with early childhood educators while having the opportunity to build a strong community for their families. The school’s curriculum is described as fostering creativity, independence, and social-emotional growth, with play at the heart of everything they do and a focus on nurturing the whole child in an environment that builds self-esteem, creativity, and independence.

The staff at Laurel Hill Nursery School are described as expert early childhood educators, and the dedicated staff are described as passionate educators who believe in the magic of play and the power of community. The program maintains a low 5:1 child-to-adult ratio, and the Pre-K program, which is for children heading to kindergarten the following year, has a 1:5 adult-to-child ratio and a dedicated Pre-K classroom. The Pre-K Morning Session runs from 9:00am to 12:30pm, the Pre-K Full Day (Pre-K + Afternoon Preschool) runs from 9:00am to 3:50pm, and Pre-K Extended Care is available before and after school.

Laurel Hill Nursery School offers a Summer Camp for children ages 2.9 to 5, described as a gentle introduction for new students and a continuation for returning ones, with smaller group sizes and plenty of outdoor fun. The school emphasizes teaching children to navigate risk, not avoid it, and describes itself as a warm, inclusive environment where children are free to explore, play, and thrive. Laurel Hill Nursery School states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, special needs, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

Laurel Hill Nursery School participated in Michigan State University’s 60/50 Project, a national initiative focused on building inclusive dialogue across communities. The school publishes an Outdoor Voice Newsletter with updates, play ideas, and event invites. It describes itself as a hillside co-op preschool and a community-powered, parent-led nursery school that has proudly served San Francisco in the Laurel Heights and Inner Richmond District since 1947.

Testimonials from parents describe Laurel Hill Nursery School as “the best decision we have made as parents” (Joshua Reiman) and a place where a child “loves spending their days exploring, creating, and learning through play” (Julie Collins). Other parents describe it as a place that “feels like a home and a place kids can experience wonder and excitement and enthusiasm for their discoveries” (Christine Cantwell), a school where “our whole family has gained so much from being at Laurel Hill” (Sahara O'Hanlon), and “a warm, caring, stimulating environment in which expert early childhood educators work side-by-side with a great community of parents” (Daniel Stokes).

Last updated March 7, 2026.