About Our Preschool
As California’s only museum-based preschool, The Discovery School (TDS) is a unique environment for children to learn and grow. TDS leverages all of the unique aspects of the museum and its national park setting to foster children’s natural curiosity. Our talented teachers follow an emergent curriculum that is rooted in research on children’s development and learning. Inspired by the preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, TDS’s approach to learning honors and respects children and their capabilities.
Discover more this summer with our camp for 3-year-olds led by TDS teachers. Our camp offers a Reggio-inspired adventure over two exciting weeks. Sessions run from June 17 - Aug. 2.
Program Details
We are licensed as a childcare center by the State of California and feature fully qualified teachers and a low staff-to-child ratio.
Children must be 3 years old by September 1 of the school year they are enrolling for.
Children must be toilet independent. We are not licensed for diapering.
School Schedule:
September – May
5 days, Monday – Friday, from 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Extended Care: Monday – Thursday, from 1 – 4 p.m.
Limited Extended Care spots are available.
Daily Schedule:
We value time for pursuing interests, developing relationships, and engaging in imaginative play and exploration with open-ended materials. We regularly spend time having group meetings (circle time), exploring outside, sharing stories, singing songs, engaging in small group work, and eating a snack and lunch.
Our Daily Flow
- Arrival
- Classroom Self-Directed Exploration and Small Groups
- Community Meeting
- Outdoor Play & Exploration
- Lunch
- Pick up
While the order of events in our day may change, based on the needs of the children, we consistently prioritize time for exploration, indoors and out.
Contact Us
Email us at tds@badm.org or fill out an inquiry for more information.
Have questions? Check out our FAQ or email us at tds@badm.org.