Welcome to Apple Blossom Academy Preschool. 

Hello. If you are looking for a quality preschool run by qualified teachers, you have come to the right place. We are a play-based learning preschool located in Riverton, Utah.

We are proud to offer a hands-on learning approach, tailored to meet the needs of the young children we serve.  Our classes are small, allowing our teachers to instruct and guide children on an individual basis. We play everyday because thatʼs how children learn. We have fun with language and print in ways that are meaningful to our students.

Activities and curriculum are planned to give our preschoolers experience in a variety of subjects. It is designed to help them practice problem-solving skills, use their creativity, prepare them to be responsible and happy adults, boost their pre-literacy skills, and prepare them for a successful educational career.

Please feel free to explore the links at the top of the page and discover why ours is a place where children bloom.

Why We are Different?

Apple Blossom Academy prepares your child for future educational success through social, academic and interactive learning. With our professional background in Early Childhood Education we have properly designed an age-appropriate learning curriculum, based on research done by the N.A.E.Y.C. (National Association for the Education of Young Children)  Studies, like the one discussed here, show that exploration and play during preschool turns us into adults who are flexible and sophisticated thinkers.

An old Chinese Proverb says “I Hear And I Forget; I See And I Remember; I Do And I Understand.” Our unique approach to teaching allows children to construct learning through hands-on activities and interactions. This allows children to enjoy their learning experience with teachers that are patient, kind and consistant.  Our students problem solve, investigate, question and discover.  Meaningful learning happens every day.

We do not watch TV in our preschool unless it is a short learning activity that compliments the weekly theme. We believe strongly in outdoor recreation as a part of learning. Outdoor activities help promote a happier child, and allows children to learn and discover in ways they can’t indoors. As long as the weather cooperates, outdoor activities are a choice every day.

Parents enjoy our "Members Only" section of the website where they have access to home work projects, class calendars and weekly newsletters showing exactly what your child did that week, with pictures of the actual activities.  We believe that parents and teachers work as a team for the overall well-being of a child.

What is Play Based Learning?

Here at Apple Blossom Academy we are all about doing. Learning through doing is a natural and developmentally appropriate way that children learn.  Play Based Learning is the term used for this type of hands on learning approach. The environment is carefully structured to meet intended learning outcomes, as teachers interact and assist children to learn on higher cognitive levels than what can be accomplished independently. 

Play-based learning is meaningful and engaging, which aids in future retention.  Our learning is enjoyable through many activities including:  open-ended art, sensory play, small manipulative activities, dramatic play, writing activities, large-motor play, building activities and out-door exploration.

My good friend Amanda Morgan (Not Just Cute) says it best:

“A quality play-based learning environment is not just a glorified birthday party.  Each activity, each nook and cranny, and every loose part is arranged and made available with specific developmental objectives in mind. 

“It’s those foundational experiences that allow children to learn advanced concepts more easily and more thoroughly.  I worry that in our effort to get ahead in education, we’re simply skipping these foundational pieces so often learned through play.  It’s like being in a rush to construct a tall building, so we decide to forget about the foundation (nobody really sees that anyway) and jump right to the first floor.  It might look OK at first, but eventually we get to the second or third floor and suddenly we realize that things aren't solid, and we find ourselves slipping.”

“I guess what bothers me most is that setting play and academics at odds with each other often implies that one is for feel-good fun and the other is for real learning.  That one is just daycare and the other is school.  In reality, a play-based education is not only more responsive and developmentally appropriate for young children, but it also teaches them not only how to answer, but how to think.  Not just to recite, but to inquire.  Not simply to complete worksheets, but to build connections.  Academic content isn’t just taught, it’s meaningfully constructed.” (read her full post here)

Check out the research on why play is the best way!
The Wisdome of Play
The Truth About Play
How play leads to school success