Our Mission
Our mission is to cultivate a caring community where parents and teachers collaborate to respect and honor childhood by offering a play-based, developmentally appropriate program that nurtures the whole child.
Our Philosophy
For over 70 years, Happy Time Cooperative preschool has been a cherished cornerstone for families along the Central Coast. Rooted in a steadfast commitment to learning through play, we foster the complete growth of every child.
At Happy Time, children are free to explore, create, get messy, play, learn, make mistakes, and grow at their own pace in a safe, loving environment built just for them. Each child is considered both as a unique individual and part of a group. Essential guidance is provided by parents and teachers as children gain confidence, empathy, trust, and respect for self and others.
Our Team
Welcome to Happy Time Cooperative Preschool, where PLAY is the curriculum. With a combined fifty plus years working in the early childhood field, we are delighted you have stopped by.
From summer camp counselor, baby sitter, nanny, and tutor; to art teacher, classroom educator, home educator and more, we feel abundantly lucky to now be a part of your Cooperative Preschool adventure. Working with parents has been a dream of ours for several years, we are amazed we get to do what we do, and we couldn’t do it without you!
Our Director, Teacher Amy has worn several Happy Time hats, beginning with being a parent volunteer when her children were young, acting as both Board Secretary, and then as Board President, working as a classroom teacher, and now Director! Teacher Jessica has worn several crafty educator hats beginning as a children’s event coordinator for a bookstore to authoring crafty articles for several online sites.
They bonded over their Valley Girl roots, love of Neko Case, and play-based philosophies when they worked together several years back as early childhood educators. More often than not, they can now be found plotting new play adventures for the Happy Time children, enjoying a latte from a local coffeehouse, or dishing about their respective gardens where Amy has the greenest of thumbs, and Jessica tosses all the flower seeds together just to see what might come up.