Journeys›Photograph

Afternoon at the Kids' Playgroup in the Presidio

·San Francisco, California·#bay area#spring#kids#indoor-play#playgroup
A young child in pigtails wears a green and colorful striped cardigan, looking left and holding a pigtail, in a classroom.

The reason for coming down to San Francisco today was an afternoon at the kids' playgroup, held at a Montessori-inspired school on Wedemeyer Street in the Presidio. Full-time program for two-to-six-year-olds, and the classrooms show it — a Dragon Room with a nap-time photo board, puzzle tables sized for people under three feet tall, and a dress-up corner that produced at least one red polka-dot dress with a doll stroller to match.

Our girl spent most of the visit in her striped sweater with her pigtails coming loose, working her way from the block shelves to the window overlooking the school buses outside. The main event for her was a custom-built yellow slide painted to look like a hillside, part of a whole fairy-tale mural setup with a stone cave underneath. She went down it more than once, tights and all, while a boy at the bottom kept his bulldozer clear of the landing zone.

The afternoon ended with parents on the rug while one of the teachers ran through songs and hand motions with the whole group. Getting our daughter back out of the polka-dot dress took some negotiating.

A young child with brown pigtails in a striped cardigan looks right while holding their ponytail in a classroom.A smiling woman holds two children in an indoor setting with a window in the background.A child in a green cardigan and striped pants looks through a clear barrier, hands raised, next to a window and a decorated wall.A child slides down a yellow play structure, and another child plays with a toy truck on the floor.A smiling child with pigtails slides down a yellow slide while another child plays with a toy truck nearby in a colorful indoor play area.A child plays on the floor while a girl in a red dress stands near a stroller and a woman holds a child.A room with yellow walls and light blue cabinets contains two women and several children, some playing with toys.Several adults and children sit on a gray carpet in a brightly lit room with kitchen cabinets and shelves.

More Entries