The 5 Best Preschools/Child Care Centers Around Summit County

The first five years of life are a period of remarkable development, when children build foundations for language, relationships, problem-solving and emotional regulation through everyday experiences. Quality early childhood programs turn play, exploration, routines and interaction into opportunities for that growth while giving working families dependable care. Across Summit County, early learning centers draw from approaches including Montessori, Reggio Emilia and play-based education while adapting their classrooms to children at different developmental stages. The Best of Summit recognizes programs that help young children learn, build confidence and form meaningful relationships during these formative years.

Little Red Schoolhouse

Little Red Schoolhouse is a nonprofit, Montessori-based preschool and early learning center that serves children from infancy through their final year before kindergarten. Six classrooms carry mountain-inspired names, beginning with Chickadees for babies and progressing through Chipmunks, Pikas, Snowbunnies, Brown Bears and Black Bears. Rather than moving children between rooms based solely on age, teachers observe physical, language, social-emotional and cognitive development to help determine when each child is ready for the next environment. Classrooms encourage independence and are designed with a comfortable, home-like atmosphere where children can explore materials and activities. The center also gives children opportunities to care for living things, including classroom animals and seasonal gardens. Little Red views families as part of the educational process and describes its broader mission as both providing high-quality child care and serving as a resource and support system for families.

Lake Dillon Preschool

Lake Dillon Preschool serves Summit County families with early childhood care and education in Dillon. Its program creates a setting where young children can spend their days learning through interaction, routines, creative experiences and play while building the social and developmental skills that prepare them for later schooling. Teachers support children as they become more independent, learn to communicate with peers and adults and develop confidence within a classroom community. The center also gives working parents a consistent local child care option in a county where dependable early childhood care plays an important role for families balancing employment and home life.

Open Arms Childcare & Preschool

Open Arms Childcare & Preschool combines developmentally appropriate early education with a Christian-centered philosophy. Its program emphasizes low staff-to-child ratios and recognizes each child’s individual strengths and interests while incorporating Christian character and values into the school day. Children encounter a mix of small- and large-group activities, art, stories, singing, dancing and outdoor play, with teachers also encouraging growth in language, math, cognition, social skills and physical development. The preschool classroom, serving children from age 3 through kindergarten entry, maintains an 8-to-1 child-to-teacher ratio. Open Arms also serves younger children through its toddler classrooms. Rather than treating academics as separate from the rest of early childhood development, the program blends learning with exploration, creativity, movement and play, creating multiple ways for children to develop skills and relationships throughout the day.

Timberline Learning Center

Timberline Learning Center is a nonprofit early learning center serving children from 6 weeks through age 6 with a Reggio Emilia-inspired approach. That philosophy views children as active participants in their own learning and teachers as guides who observe, question, document and build on children’s interests rather than simply delivering lessons. Long-term projects grow from those interests, allowing children and teachers to investigate ideas together over time. Timberline also treats the classroom environment itself as part of the educational process and places strong emphasis on relationships among children, teachers and families. Its classrooms accommodate different developmental stages, while mixed-age preschoolers work on communication, critical thinking, problem-solving and independence through collaborative projects. Parent participation fits naturally into the model, with families regarded as partners in education. Enrichment programs supplement the daily classroom experience for children at the Breckenridge center.

Summit County Preschool

Summit County Preschool has served local families since 1974 and provides care from infancy through the preschool years. Its play-based approach uses Creative Curriculum and GOLD assessments, with classroom goals spanning social-emotional, cognitive, physical and language development. Conscious Discipline practices help children learn about emotions and relationships, while classrooms change with each developmental stage. Infants receive sensory-rich experiences and individualized attention, toddlers work on language, independence and social skills and preschoolers develop problem-solving, early literacy and foundational math skills as they prepare for kindergarten. Enrichment extends outside the core curriculum. Children help plant and tend a school garden, participate in weekly food tastings and take part in music and movement through the Funsical program. Preschoolers also attend sessions at Woodward Copper during the year. Summit County Preschool has maintained a Level 4 Colorado Shines quality rating since 2014.

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