Childrens Garden Preschool

What Childrens Garden Preschool does

The Children's Garden Preschool is a privately held, single-location Waldorf-inspired nature preschool operating at 486 Park Ave SE in Grant Park, Atlanta, Georgia. The school serves children aged 2-5 through two core class programs: the Starlings Class for two-year-olds (Tuesday-Thursday schedule) and the Robins & Owls mixed-age class for three to five-year-olds (five-morning-per-week schedule, spanning a two-year journey through age 5 graduation). The core technology is pedagogical — a Waldorf-inspired, primarily outdoor, nature-based teaching methodology combined with a "living arts" curriculum encompassing music, movement, handwork, storytelling, and seasonal activities, delivered through rhythm-based daily and weekly schedules.

The business operates on a tuition-based subscription model with two revenue streams: preschool tuition (including program supply fees and separately billed Extended Day aftercare from 1pm-4pm) and a multi-session Summer Camp program offered during school breaks. Revenue mechanics are recurring and stable, anchored by the two-year Robins & Owls commitment that supports retention. The go-to-market is purely direct-to-consumer: families must attend an in-person Open House Day or individual family visit before enrollment, with rolling admissions continuing through January after the open enrollment period (February 28 - March 9, 2026 for the 2026-2027 year). Marketing relies on Instagram, Facebook, the school website, and community events such as the Holiday Faire, May Day Festival, and Spring Fling auction.

The school is led by Executive Director Sally Hansen with CFO Lori van Rossem supporting remotely and Administrative Assistant Erin Chang handling office operations. It is founder-owned with no disclosed parent company, venture backing, or institutional investment. The customer base is families with young children in the Grant Park and greater Atlanta area seeking a holistic, nature-based alternative to conventional preschool. The firm has 18 employees and is privately held with no public listing.

Name

Childrens Garden Preschool

Legal name

The Children's Garden Preschool

Website

https://thechildrensgardenpreschool.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Children's Garden Preschool is a privately held, single-location Waldorf-inspired nature preschool in Grant Park, Atlanta, serving children aged 2-5 through mixed-age outdoor classrooms, living arts curriculum, and recurring Extended Day and Summer Camp programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Waldorf/Steiner Preschools (EDACABAE)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Waldorf-inspired preschool
• Nature-based learning
• Outdoor preschool program
• Mixed-age classroom

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Preschool Tuition: Tuition-based revenue from preschool programs for children aged 2-5, including mixed-age classes (Starlings for two-year-olds, Robins & Owls for three to five-year-olds), with program supply fees and extended day (aftercare) options available for additional fees.
2. Summer Camp Programs: Multi-session summer camp programs offered during school breaks, including Session I (May 26-June 12), Session II (June 15-26 and July 6-10), and Session III (July 13-30).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Children's Garden Preschool operates a single-location, Waldorf-inspired, primarily outdoor nature-based preschool program for children aged 2-5 in Grant Park, Atlanta. The core program includes two mixed-age classes (Starlings for two-year-olds on a Tu-Th schedule and Robins & Owls for three to five-year-olds on a 5-morning per week schedule), supplemented by Extended Day aftercare, multi-session Summer Camp programming, and a Living Arts curriculum spanning music, movement, handwork, storytelling, and seasonal outdoor activities.

Product overview

The Children's Garden Preschool is a single-location Waldorf-inspired nature preschool offering a unified program for children aged 2–5 in Grant Park, Atlanta. The core offering consists of two main class programs (Starlings for two-year-olds and Robins & Owls for multi-age three to five-year-olds), supplemented by Extended Day aftercare services and seasonal Summer Camp programming. All programs are grounded in a living arts curriculum and emphasize outdoor, nature-based learning with holistic child development at the center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Waldorf-Inspired Nature Preschool Program A heart-centered, primarily outdoor Waldorf-inspired preschool program for children aged 2-5, combining nature-based learning, a Living Arts curriculum, and rhythm-based daily and weekly schedules to support holistic child development.
• Starlings Class (Two-Year-Olds) A Waldorf-inspired preschool class for two-year-olds and young three-year-olds, meeting two or three days per week (Tu-Th), focused on age-appropriate outdoor activities and early socialization. Children must have turned two before October 15 to be eligible.
• Robins & Owls Class (Multi-Age Three to Five-Year-Olds) A mixed-age Waldorf-inspired preschool class for children aged 3-5, structured as a two-year journey from enrollment at age 3 through age 5 graduation, with a 5-morning per week schedule and extensive outdoor time including daily hikes in all seasons. Children must have turned three before July 1.
• Extended Day (Aftercare) An aftercare program run by a trained TCG teacher from 1pm to 4pm daily, available to enrolled families on 3-day, 4-day, or 5-day options, including lunch, rest time, and quiet activities. Billed separately by the caregiver/teacher.
• Summer Camp A multi-session summer camp program for young children, offered in Session I (May 26-June 12), Session II (June 15-26 and July 6-10), and Session III (July 13-30), with breaks for holidays, continuing the school's nature-based, Waldorf-inspired approach.
• Living Arts Curriculum A holistic arts-based curriculum component featuring music, movement, handwork, storytelling, and seasonal activities, designed to support balance and wholeness in early childhood development across the school's classes.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Guidepost Montessori: Large Montessori-focused preschool and elementary operator with national footprint. Comparable as a specialized-pedagogy preschool chain; competes for parents seeking alternative early childhood approaches.
• Primrose Schools: Large national franchise operator of early childhood education centers. Comparable on the preschool/childcare service model but offers a balanced-learning curriculum rather than Waldorf or nature-based specialization.
• The Goddard School: Franchised private preschool system emphasizing play-based learning. Comparable on the tuition-based preschool model and parent demographic, though uses a proprietary rather than Waldorf curriculum.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: National provider of early education and child care, including employer-sponsored centers. Comparable as a broad preschool incumbent but operates at much larger scale with corporate and employer clientele.
• Cadence Education: Large operator of private early childhood education centers across multiple U.S. states. Comparable on the tuition-based preschool model and parent demographic at scale, with broader curricula.

Emerging players

• Tinkergarten: Outdoor, play-based early childhood program offered via local leaders in parks nationwide. Comparable on the outdoor, nature-led early childhood philosophy but operates as a group class format rather than a full preschool.
• Wildflower Schools: Network of small, teacher-led, nature- and place-based Montessori-inspired early learning programs. Comparable on the small-scale, philosophy-driven, nature-adjacent model, though uses Montessori rather than Waldorf pedagogy.

Regional players

• Crème de la Crème: Atlanta-headquartered private preschool and early learning operator. Comparable on the metro Atlanta market and tuition-based private preschool model, though oriented toward enrichment programs rather than Waldorf.
• Atlanta International School (Early Childhood): Independent Atlanta private school with an early childhood division. Comparable as a private Atlanta early childhood program serving the same affluent Grant Park-adjacent demographic.

Direct peers

• Waldorf School of Atlanta: An Atlanta-area Waldorf school serving early childhood through upper grades. Directly comparable on Waldorf pedagogy, philosophy, and geographic market, though broader in grade span.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/outdoorearlychildhoodcare
• Instagraminstagram.com/thechildrensgardenpreschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/childrens-garden-preschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Childrens Garden Preschool