Play Grove
One Cool Earth central garden on Laureate Lane, 875 Laureate Lane, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
About
Play Grove is a garden-based, nature-focused enrichment program where children play, grow, create art, and garden. Children take part in free play and prescribed games, as well as projects that include gardening, harvesting, preserving, seed saving, preparing fruits and veggies, drying flowers, making mud pies, saving seeds, watching birds, and creating art out of fallen leaves. The program includes artistic, imaginative, risky, musical play with handmade instruments, along with both collaborative and individual play, and time learning outside through play in activities like going on morning walks, identifying wildlife, playing in the creek and in the mud, identifying local birds and plants, recognizing animal tracks and scat, and trying new foods like beets and summer squash.
• Ages: 3–5 years old
• Schedule: Options for 2, 3, or 5 days a week from 8:30am–1:00pm
• Price: Pricing options vary: see our pricing page for details.
Play Grove is an outdoor enrichment program for children 3–5 that uses an intentional, emergent curriculum guided by children’s curiosity and exploration. The program has a low student to playguide ratio of 1:5 and is part of One Cool Earth’s learning model that uses school gardens and community spaces as living classrooms. It introduces children to gardening, harvesting, preserving, seed saving, preparing fruits and veggies, drying flowers, and related activities.
Lead Playguide Marly Miller graduated with a degree in Liberal Studies, has a minor in Child Development, and earned a multiple subject teaching credential. Director of Education and Co-lead Playguide Leila Daniel has a Master’s degree and was a bilingual elementary teacher for six years at two bilingual schools. Playguide Addie Mae Nielsen earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Plant Science.
One Cool Earth is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization rooted in the belief that every child deserves a place to grow and supports lifelong wellness and environmental stewardship for families and youth from birth through young adulthood, cultivating a thriving, resilient community one garden at a time. One Cool Earth builds, creates, and sustains outdoor learning environments across San Luis Obispo County, using school gardens and community spaces as living classrooms, and serves elementary, middle, and select high schools across the county. Programs and projects supported by the City of San Luis Obispo funds are open and accessible to all otherwise qualified members of the public without regard to race, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, or disability.
One parent shared that Play Grove has been beneficial for their son by giving him chances to connect to nature, go on morning walks, identify wildlife, and play in the creek and mud, and that they value the gardening aspect of planting a seed, harvesting what has been grown, and learning how to cut and make it into a snack to enjoy and eat. Another parent said their son is thriving at Play Grove, comes home each day with calm confidence and stories about playing with friends in an outdoor environment, is greeted each morning with hugs from friends, is learning to identify local birds and plants and recognize animal tracks and scat, and is trying new foods like beets and summer squash.
Last updated May 24, 2026.
• Ages: 3–5 years old
• Schedule: Options for 2, 3, or 5 days a week from 8:30am–1:00pm
• Price: Pricing options vary: see our pricing page for details.
Play Grove is an outdoor enrichment program for children 3–5 that uses an intentional, emergent curriculum guided by children’s curiosity and exploration. The program has a low student to playguide ratio of 1:5 and is part of One Cool Earth’s learning model that uses school gardens and community spaces as living classrooms. It introduces children to gardening, harvesting, preserving, seed saving, preparing fruits and veggies, drying flowers, and related activities.
Lead Playguide Marly Miller graduated with a degree in Liberal Studies, has a minor in Child Development, and earned a multiple subject teaching credential. Director of Education and Co-lead Playguide Leila Daniel has a Master’s degree and was a bilingual elementary teacher for six years at two bilingual schools. Playguide Addie Mae Nielsen earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Plant Science.
One Cool Earth is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization rooted in the belief that every child deserves a place to grow and supports lifelong wellness and environmental stewardship for families and youth from birth through young adulthood, cultivating a thriving, resilient community one garden at a time. One Cool Earth builds, creates, and sustains outdoor learning environments across San Luis Obispo County, using school gardens and community spaces as living classrooms, and serves elementary, middle, and select high schools across the county. Programs and projects supported by the City of San Luis Obispo funds are open and accessible to all otherwise qualified members of the public without regard to race, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, or disability.
One parent shared that Play Grove has been beneficial for their son by giving him chances to connect to nature, go on morning walks, identify wildlife, and play in the creek and mud, and that they value the gardening aspect of planting a seed, harvesting what has been grown, and learning how to cut and make it into a snack to enjoy and eat. Another parent said their son is thriving at Play Grove, comes home each day with calm confidence and stories about playing with friends in an outdoor environment, is greeted each morning with hugs from friends, is learning to identify local birds and plants and recognize animal tracks and scat, and is trying new foods like beets and summer squash.
Last updated May 24, 2026.
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