Choosing the right preschool or pre-kindergarten program is crucial for your child’s early development. In hopes of making the process a little bit easier, we compiled a list of some options in Central New York:
Bright Visions Early Learning Center
Where: 7333 O’Brien Road, Baldwinsville.
More information: brightvisionselc.wixsite.com.
Cazenovia Children’s House
Where: 2757 US-20, Cazenovia.
More information: cazkids.org.
Children’s Beginnings
Where: 100 S. Clinton St., Suite 169, Syracuse.
More information: kindercare.com.
Childtime Learning Centers
Where: 5112 W. Taft Road, Liverpool (Childtime on W. Taft); 4645 Nixon Park Drive, Syracuse (Childtime of Syracuse); 7453 1/2 Morgan Road, Liverpool (Childtime on 1/2 Morgan Road); and 8439 Loop Road, Baldwinsville (Childtime of Baldwinsville).
More information: childtime.com.
Creative Environment Day School
Where: 531 E. Genesee St., Fayetteville.
More information: creativeenvironmentdayschool.com.
Gingerbread House Preschool and Childcare Center
Where: 3020 Court St., Syracuse.
More information: thegingerbreadhouseofsyracuse.com.
Jowonio School
Where: 3049 E Genesee St., Syracuse.
More information: jowonio.org.
Kid Central CNY
Where: 7463 Buckley Road, North Syracuse.
More information: kidcentralcny.org.
Koala Kare Childcare Center & Preschool Program
Where: 3476 Route 31, Baldwinsville.
More information: koalakareccc.com.
Learn As You Grow Childcare Centers
Where: 3711 Milton Ave., Camillus (Camillus center); 8381 Elta Drive, Cicero (Cicero center); 158 Highland Ave., Syracuse (Highland center); 5684 South Bay Road, Cicero (North Syracuse center); 120 N. Orchard Road, Solvay (Solvay center).
More information: learnasyougrowccc.com.
Little Lukes Preschool
Where: 5820 Heritage Landing Drive, East Syracuse (DeWitt location); 8282 Willett Parkway, Baldwinsville (Radisson location); 10 Burkle St., Oswego (Oswego location); 706 S. 4th St., Fulton (Fulton location).
More information: littlelukes.com.
Liverpool KinderCare
Where: 3787 Canvasback Drive, Liverpool.
More information: kindercare.com.
Manlius Pebble Hill School
Where: 5300 Jamesville Road, Syracuse.
More information: mphschool.org.
Montessori School of Syracuse
Where: 155 Waldorf Parkway, Syracuse.
More information: mssyr.org.
North Syracuse Early Education Program
Where: 205 S. Main St., North Syracuse.
More information: nscsd.org/earlyEducation.
Northminster Early Childhood Center
Where: 7444 Buckley Road, North Syracuse.
More information: northminsterecc.com.
Our Community Preschool
Where: Christ Community Church, 3644 Warners Road, Syracuse.
More information: ourcommunitypreschool.com.
PEACE, Inc.
Where: 110 Oswego St., Baldwinsville (Baldwinsville Head Start); 1125 W. Genesee St., Syracuse (Genesee Head Start); 1507 James St., Syracuse (James Street Head Start); 25 North Main St., Jordan (Jordan Elbridge Head Start); 2779 Route 11 N., LaFayette (LaFayette Head Start); 911 Old Liverpool Road, Liverpool (Liverpool Head Start); 175 Hudson St., Syracuse (Merrick Street Head Start); 215 Bassett St., Syracuse (Sumner Head Start).
More information: peace-caa.org.
Peanut Butter Nursery School
Where: 126 S. Terry Road, Syracuse.
More information: peanutbutternurseryschool.com.
Playschool Preschool
Where: 408 Pleasant St., Manlius.
More information: firstbaptist-manlius.org/playschool.
Rothschild Early Childhood Center
Where: 450 Kimber Road, Syracuse.
More information: rothschildearlychildhoodcenter.org.
Sacred Heart Preschool
Where: 8229 Brewerton Road, Cicero.
More information: sacredheartofcicero.com/preschool.
Skaneateles Early Childhood Center
Where: 1574 Cherry Valley Turnpike, Skaneateles.
More information: skaneatelesearlychildhood.org.
Small Wonders Daycare Center
Where: 960 Salt Springs Road, Syracuse.
More information: elmcrest.org/early-education.
The Village Nursery School
Where: 310 E. Genesee St., Fayetteville.
More information: thevillagenurseryschool.com.
Together We Grow
Where: 7020 Manlius Center Road, East Syracuse.
More information: togetherwegrowdaycare.com.
YMCA of Central New York
Where: 4775 Wetzel Road, Liverpool (North Area Family YMCA); 8040 River Road, Baldwinsville (Northwest Family YMCA).
More information: ymcacny.org/programs.
WHOLE ME Adds Preschool Program
WHOLE ME saw the need for a preschool for deaf and hard-of-hearing children in Central New York.
So, the non-profit organization created one.
“There’s a small program for toddlers and a program to go into kindergarten and on, but nothing for 3-to 5-year-olds,” said Director Cecelia Clark. “We felt like we needed to fill in that gap and provide a natural classroom for deaf students to interact with their peers and deaf role models.”
And Clark said that is really the main mission of the new preschool. “The program itself will be bilingual,” she added. “We’ll be improving their language and helping their families build their language, too.”
Applications are still being accepted. To learn more, visit wholemeinc.com/aboutpreschool.
Finding the Right Fit
We asked a few local programs what parents should consider when choosing a preschool or pre-kindergarten. This is what they said:
Manlius Pebble Hill School
- Class size
- Overall approach to education
- Pre-literacy skills development
- Amount of outdoor play time
Montessori School of Syracuse
- Focus on each child’s individual academic and social development
- High quality Montessori and manipulative materials
- Multi-age classrooms with an emphasis on interpersonal skill building
- Trained Montessori teachers
Peace Inc.
A parent should consider a program that:
- Builds strong social/emotional skills as the foundation for
successful relationships - Encourages learning through play
- Engages families in their child’s learning as parents are their child’s
first teacher - Creates welcoming and safe learning environments, both indoors and outdoors
- Welcomes children with disabilities and builds on the child’s strengths
