Summer Session 2024

Preschool & Kindergarten - Summer Session 2024

The 2023-24 regular school year for Morning Song and Day Song preschool & kindergarten ends on May 29. From June 3-August 30, Prairie Flower will offer a summer session of preschool & kindergarten programming. We are excited to be able to offer this programming for the first time in many years, now that we have year-round space at our location at Bethesda Lutheran.

Programming will be the same as the current Morning Song and Day Song preschool & kindergarten program, which emphasizes spending as much of the day as possible outdoors (in all weather, including rain!), unhurried daily rhythms and unstructured, child-led play time. During the summer, we will also make time for typical summer fun like running through sprinklers and splashing in the creek, occasional trips to Furman Aquatic Center, and occasional field trips to parks across town via CyRide.

Summer Preschool Details

Ages: For children age 3 through entering kindergarten (must be toilet-trained)
Location for drop-off & pick-up: Prairie Flower Children's Center, 1517 Northwestern Ave, Ames IA 50010
Hours: 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Tuition: $235 per week (full days M-F), or $115 per week (half days M-F) *childcare assistance accepted
What's Included: supplies for activities; lunch (vegetarian cooked lunch, for full-day children); afternoon snack (for full-day children); entrance fee for occasional pool trips to Furman Aquatic Center; and fare for occasional CyRide trips.

*Childcare assistance funding is available through Iowa DHS for families meeting DHS requirements (the current income requirement is an annual household income of $49,920 or less, for a family of four). This requires a separate application through DHS. Please reach out to [email protected] to sign up, if you receive assistance.

Daily Schedule

8-9 a.m.: Drop-off. Handcrafts, group-building. Kids in summer preschool & kindergarten program will be together with school-age summer camp kids during this time.
9 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Activities outdoors; morning snack. Goodbye song for Morning Song children leaving at 11:30.
11:30 a.m.-Noon: Day Song children help with lunch prep.
Noon-12:45 p.m.: Lunch & cleanup (vegetarian lunch is provided)
12:45 p.m.-3:30 p.m.: Nap or rest time; quiet indoor activities
3:30-5:30 p.m.: Pick-up. Child-directed activities in the Bethesda garden and Prairie Flower's in-progress nature playscape, or indoors in Prairie Flower classrooms if needed. Kids in summer preschool & kindergarten program will be together with school-age summer camp kids during this time.

Note: The main outdoor spaces used will include Brookside Park, Ames High Prairie, and Prairie Flower's in-progress nature playscape, as well as occasional field trips to parks along CyRide routes.

Weeks Offered:
Sign up is on a week-by-week basis, for the weeks listed below. Sign up is for Monday-Friday of that week; if you wish for your child to attend only part of a week, the full weekly tuition is still due. Sign up for either full days, or half days (8-11:30 a.m.) each week.

June 3-7
June 10-14
June 17-21
June 24-28
July 1-5 *No camp July 4. Special prorated tuition rate.
July 8-12
(No camp week of July 15-19)
July 22-26
July 29-August 2
August 5-9
August 12-16
August 19-23
August 26-30

Behavior policy and payment/refund policy
Click here to read.

What to Bring

Snack for morning
Water bottle (with a handle or bag for easy carrying)
Rain jacket or poncho (rain pants recommended but optional)
Sunscreen & bug repellant (please apply each morning before you arrive)
Sturdy close-toed shoes or sandals (no flip-flops)
Lightweight clothing; long pants for going in woods
Hat
Change of clothes, including extra socks
Small pillow and blanket, for rest time

Sign Up Today!

Prairie Flower uses Brightwheel for forms and for communication with families. You will be prompted to create a Brightwheel account if you do not have one already.

Note: Enrollment is capped at 12 students per week. Once you apply, a member of Prairie Flower's enrollment team will contact you if space is available for your desired week(s). Families currently enrolled in preschool receive priority, and families requesting to enroll in full days will have priority.

Registration will be open for each week until the Wednesday of the week prior, or until the enrollment cap is reached.