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Preschool Co-op 

aka. the Glorified Play Group

Moms ask me how I built a successful Preschool Co-op. I tell them that it is nothing more than setting a play date with a theme (for instance, Fire Safety, Dinosaurs, Garden, Transportation).

Just like with a playgroup, I send out a blank schedule to the participating moms, asking them to choose a week and a topic to host. I also include a list of ideas for topics -- but some of our best weeks have come from moms who chose to ignore my recommendations and use their own interests! Once the moms have signed up and have chosen their theme, they choose a letter of the week, a number that fits, a color of the week, and a shape of the week. Then the mom chooses a few books or songs and activities or crafts. 

We don't use a specific curriculum, just a lot of websites and a few books for ideas.

This has been working really well for us. The costs get distributed evenly between the parents (whoever hosts purchases supplies for that week) and the children get exposed to different teaching methods and styles each week.

Sample Preschool Day -- About Babies

One week, we chose to do "Baby Week" because one of the Moms in our group was due to have her baby any day. So, our preschool was centered around babies.  Letter of the Week: B is for Baby Number of the Week was 10 (for 10 fingers and toes). Color of the Week: Pink (Baby Girl) Circle Time: We then talked about how you hold a baby (with dolls), what babies can and can't do "Can a baby drive a car?" "Can a baby play with a marble?" etc. and we read books about babies. The children also walked around with toilet paper rolls and had to bring us three toys that did NOT fit through the tube (so we knew they could differentiate between what is and is not a choking hazard). Activity Time: The kids guessed what different baby foods were by taste and smell. (we try to incorporate all 5 senses).  Crafts: We did simple coloring crafts this week.

The children look forward to it so much. Plus, it is a great way to get a 2 or 3 year old who isn't quite ready for preschool exposed to the concepts of preschool (circle time, opening and closing song, cutting with scissors) in a safe setting with Mommy!  

Consider turning YOUR playgroup into a preschool coop. 

About the Author: Nicole Dean is a mom whose life centers around exposing her children to all the wonders of the world. She is owner of Show Mom the Money -- a new and exciting site for Work from Home Moms. 

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