Welcome to Creative Sprouts Preschool!

We want to tell you a little about ourselves and our mission. We are two moms who love our kids but also love being teachers! After working in childcare and a more traditional part time preschool setting over the last 11 years, we saw a need for a mix of both. Three years ago, the job market was failing and our kids were entering preschool. Our households needed two working parents, so we decided to take our education and experience as teachers and moms and create a program that we felt was the best for our children and the community. There were a few main things that we saw as problems in many schools. Cost, nutrition, teacher to student ratios and curriculum.

Cost- We looked into many different schools and childcares in Kirkland for our own children before starting Creative Sprouts. Unfortunately, many of these programs were extremely expensive. We wanted the amazing program, but couldn't afford it. No one should have to pay that kind of money for top-notch early childhood education. It is important to us to keep our prices reasonable. We're not in this for the money. We're in this to provide the same quality education for your kids that we want for our own without breaking the bank.

Nutrition- Education is important. So is food. We believe that our focus should be on the child as a whole. Proper food and nutrition really makes a difference in not only their every day lives, but it teaches them healthy eating habits that they will keep with them forever. We serve very little processed food, refined sugar and white flour. Most of what we serve the children is homemade by us and the kids. Check out our nutrition page for more details.

Ratios- This is simple. We think the state standard 1 to 10 ratio is too high for 3-5 year olds. We hold a 1 to 6 ratio for this age group.  In addition, the state standard for toddlers is a 1 to 8 ratio.  For this age group, we hold a 1 to 5 ratio.

Curriculum- Kindergarten standards seem to be getting more stringent by the year. It seems that kids need to know much more to be ready for Kindergarten now-a-days then when we were kids. We want to prepare kids for this. NOT by turning preschool into Kindergarten with hours of sitting at tables drilling the ABC's. We have age appropriate activities that are educational and fun. We get messy. We have a good balance of child directed activities and teacher directed activities. It is a priority to us to help the children learn decision making skills and independence and take pride in what they do.  All of these things are integral pieces of their early childhood education.  They cannot properly learn these skills if a teacher is telling them what to do all day. 

We have created a program that we are proud of and are confident that you will be, too. 

Sincerely,

AnneMarie Charlot and Andrea Hirata, Owners

Cre-a-tive [kree-ey-tiv] -adjective

1. having the power of creating

2. resulting from the originality of thought, expression, etc.