Earthstar Play School is an early childhood program in Truro for kids aged 2-4 years old.  At Earthstar, we aim to support Outer Cape families by providing a safe and supportive daily community for young children.  Our small learning setting gives children the opportunity to develop their creativity and imaginations in a nurturing, creative, and homelike environment.

We believe that young children learn best through play.  The role of the adults is to introduce new materials to the children based on their interests as well as modeling everyday actions and welcoming children to join in.  In addition, the adults bring daily circle times to the children; singing songs, playing music, engaging their bodies, solving puzzles, listening to stories, and more.  Each of these circle times is planned based on the interests and range of development of all children.

Each day at Earthstar Play School ebbs and flows, with periods of uninterrupted, meaningful indoor and outdoor play, full group snacks and meals, circle times with song and movement, and daily rest time.  Routine and ritual create a supportive structure that helps children to feel safe and secure. We make time to celebrate and show gratitude for the changing seasons, weather, and natural phenomena that we experience, as well as birthdays and special days in the lives of each child.  Each day is full of wonder, possibility, thoughtfulness, and gratitude!

Our daily rhythm provides opportunities for children to develop their individuality, body awareness, and social skills while playing, creating art, and helping out with everyday activities.  Children have ample time to experiment with materials, develop connections with other children and adults, and delve into interests and curiosities. 

Woven into all of this is the deep-seated belief that young children are powerful makers of meaning in their own lives.  Through play, they learn how the world works and what role they may have within their communities and on this earth.  As written by Richard Cohen, “Early Childhood is more than a developmental stage or profession, it is living life in a way that embodies joy, playfulness, communication, relationship, respect, service, community, nature, creativity, wonder, learning, love, and possibility; modeling that best of what it means to be alive, for those who are new to it.”