Reggio Emilia-Inspired Preschool & Child Care in Springfield, MO at Chestnut Expy
Little Sunshine’s Playhouse & Preschool® of Springfield at Chestnut opened in 2002 and was the first of the four schools in the greater Springfield area. The school is located in the west part of Springfield with close proximity to downtown Springfield.
Our all-inclusive, private preschool program provides educational child care to children ages 6 weeks through pre-kindergarten in the Springfield, Willard, and Republic communities.
In order to cater to your family’s unique child care needs, we offer a variety of schedule options, which are M-F, MWF and Tues./Thurs. Our monthly tuition rates include: formula, wipes, baby food, breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack.
What Makes Little Sunshine’s Playhouse & Preschool® so Special?
It’s all About our Springfield, MO Families.
At Little Sunshine’s Playhouse, we are committed to providing you the highest quality of communication, security, and innovative conveniences through our Distinctive Services so you can take comfort in knowing your child is in the very best care.
Our Proprietary Reggio Emilia-Inspired Curriculum
Creatively Shine®
Our Reggio Emilia-inspired curriculum, Creatively Shine®, is based on the latest research and trends to prepare your children for their educational careers equipping them with cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and language skills.
At Little Sunshine’s Playhouse and Preschool® we believe that a child’s work is play. We teach children age-appropriate lessons, manners, and social skills all through creative and purposeful play. We believe that if children enjoy learning at a young age it will carry with them throughout their lives.
Each month we have original projects, provide each classroom with new materials that reflect the monthly theme and provide related activities to support the individual concepts of the “whole child.”
Our Springfield, MO (Chestnut) Leadership Team
Ms. Stephanie
Program Director
Hello! My name is Stephanie, and I am thrilled to be part of your family’s preschool journey as Program Director at Little Sunshine’s Playhouse and Preschool of Springfield at Chestnut.
My journey with Little Sunshine’s Playhouse began in 2012 when I was hired on as a preschool floater. Shortly after, I was promoted to lead teacher in our infant and toddler classroom. After some time with our infants and toddlers, I was then promoted to head teacher and then became assistant director. In October 2020, I was offered the position as program director.
I have an Associates’s in Early Childhood Education as well as a Bachelor’s in Child and Family Development.
In my spare time, you can find me at the lake, in antique markets, reading a book, or catching up on Netflix shows.
As a parent myself, I understand what a big decision it is to leave your little one in the care of others. I want to assure you that it is my personal mission to provide your family with the best preschool experience that they could have. I look forward to meeting you and welcoming you to our LSP family!
Ms. Kelli
Assistant Director
Hello families! My name is Kelli, and I am super excited to serve as the Assistant Director at Little Sunshine’s Playhouse and Preschool of Springfield at Chestnut.
I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Drury University in 2018. I spent the following three years teaching in Republic, MO, and am thrilled to be on the leadership team at LSP. One of my favorite things about working with children is watching them explore the world around them and seeing their imaginations take off.
In my free time, I love spending time with friends, traveling to St. Louis to visit my family, baking, and shopping. I am looking forward to building relationships with the children, families, and staff at Little Sunshine’s Playhouse and Preschool!
Educational Child Care Programs in Springfield, MO
Infant Program (6 weeks – 1 year)
Our highly trained infant teachers partner with you to ensure your baby’s developmental needs are met every step along the way. Our nursery staff create predictable routines and nurturing classroom environments that foster social and emotional development in your baby.
Our toddler classrooms are designed to encourage purposeful play where our teachers guide your child through age-appropriate learning experiences that prepare them with the knowledge they need to be confident as they grow.
Early Preschool Program (2-3 years)
Your child’s preschool teacher and our classroom create a nurturing, home-like classroom environment where your toddler is treated as a capable individual, whose opinions, actions and thoughts are respected and valued.
We design our preschool classrooms with developmental milestones in mind and equip each classroom with age-appropriate, educational toys to help continue inspiring your preschoolers curiosity and desire to learn and engage with their classmates and their environment.
It is our mission to prepare your child for a successful year in the wonderful world of kindergarten. Our skilled pre-K teachers help build essential skills by carefully crafting engaging activities that balance instructed learning and purposeful play.
Our Springfield, MO (Chestnut) Preschool
What Our Chestnut Families Are Saying
Rebecca
I can’t recommend Little Sunshine’s enough! The peace of mind with their focus on safety, learning, play, and exploration is wonderful. Communication and updates are frequent, and projects are creative. My daughter’s teachers are so involved in my daughter’s growth and development, and I’m comfortable dropping her off with them each morning, with their consistent care and communication. She’s learned so much with them, and I’m thankful she’s in an environment every day like this.
Abby
Wow! We can’t say enough good things about LSP. Our 18-month-old daughter loves her teachers so much. Through their writings in our daily LuvNotes, I can tell they really love working with her and that makes my heart feel very grateful. She’s also learning a tremendous amount. Lots of sign language and the desire to be more and more independent, so proud of all that she learns in her class. Keep up the fantastic work!
Aleecia
We absolutely love LSP for both our girls. Every single staff member cares so much about our girls. I have 200% trust that they are taking excellent care of my kiddos. Highly recommend.