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Two Generations, One Heart for Teaching - Our Team Is Growing!

We are thrilled to share that Ms. Sonja's daughter, Vanja, is officially joining the Early Arts Preschool team! With this wonderful additon, we are now able to offer extended hours before and after our core preschool day 8 am-4 pm.
Families can now let us know their scheduling needs anywhere between 6 am and 6 pm, or use available time slots after 4 pm for enriching, creative afterschool afternoons.

Send us a message through our contact form to share your schedule needs or reserve your spot for the 2026–2027 school year.

Early Arts

PRESCHOOL

Safe space. Steady teachers. Confident learners. A consistent, small‑group preschool experience where families feel supported and children thrive. Early Arts nurtures confidence, curiosity, and a strong foundation for school in a warm, home‑based setting.

Time/Attendance Options

Early Arts Preschool is open September through June, with a summer break in July and August. Our core school day runs Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with optional extended hours available in flexible half‑hour blocks between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., based on availability. Families may enroll 1–4 days per week or choose the full 5‑day schedule.

Ratio/Group Size

Our child‑to‑adult ratio ranges from 5:1 to 5:2, with a regular group size of just five children. Your child will be with the same two teachers all year, creating the consistency that supports strong, trusting relationships. Our assistant teacher provides additional support whenever needed, offering a familiar and comforting presence the children know and love.

Sharing Documentation

We use photo and video documentation to reflect on and revisit children’s experiences, feelings, ideas, and learning processes. These moments are shared with the children and with their families on a semi‑regular basis to help everyone stay connected to the learning journey. All social media sharing is strictly optional and will only occur with parental consent on file.

Involvement

We respect every child and the individual strengths, interests, and learning styles they bring. We also value parents as their child’s first and most important teacher, and we welcome and value family involvement. Let us know how you’d like to participate during our day, and we’ll coordinate together to make it meaningful and comfortable for everyone.

Environment

Inside Early Arts Child Care Home, we offer an engaging, developmentally appropriate environment intentionally designed to spark curiosity, encourage exploration, and nurture a positive social‑emotional climate. Children enjoy rich opportunities to interact, discover, create, learn, and grow at their own pace.

Goals/Philosophy

Our primary goal is to uphold the highest standards of early childhood care and education by offering meaningful learning experiences that help children build toward more complex understanding. We nurture children’s natural curiosity through an art‑centered, play‑based approach that inspires exploration, creativity, and joyful learning. This strong, hands‑on foundation supports confident, well‑rounded kindergarten readiness.

Curriculum

Our curriculum is closely aligned with the NJ Early Learning Standards. Through a hands‑on, creative, art‑based approach, children engage in experiences that spark curiosity and encourage them to pursue their own interests. As we investigate, collaborate, and learn together as a community, children develop early literacy, math, problem‑solving, and critical‑thinking skills in a playful, creative, and often messy way - preparing them with confidence for kindergarten and beyond.

Daily Schedule

Our program maintains a relaxed, informal atmosphere while offering a consistent daily routine. Children move through activities, play, rest, and meals in a predictable order, giving them a strong sense of security. Transitions are smooth and never rushed. Each day, we prepare and serve nutritious breakfast, lunch, and snack. A quiet rest period follows lunch to help children reset for the afternoon.

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ART-BASED EDUCATION

The arts are a powerful tool for teaching young children; they offer a natural means of communication, helping children express their thoughts, feelings, and creativity. 
 
With the added perspective of a teacher educated in the visual arts, new dimensions of expression and learning become possible, enriching each child’s experience.
Children learn science, math, and literacy skills through creative artistic explorations; they paint, draw, sculpt, dance, sing, talk, and write to reach new understanding and give form to complex concepts. 
 
These experiences build higher‑order problem‑solving and critical‑thinking skills that become fundamental for later learning throughout the elementary years and beyond.
 CREATIVE  MOVEMENT  CLASSES

Enriched dance lessons and creative movement classes may be scheduled through DDA Dance Academy in Paramus, NJ. These fun 45‑minute classes blend dance, coordination skills, and rhythm. Skills introduced in creative movement are reinforced, while new skills are added to keep children engaged, confident, and joyfully learning through movement.

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Both of my children have been with Sonja for two years, and honestly, if it were up to me, I'd keep them learning with her through Kindergarten! They play, dance, read, build, paint, draw, create...LOVE school! The amount of learning and creating that goes on is amazing. Sonja is caring, guiding, and direct in her approach with the kids. They experience structure without stricture. 
Thank you Sonja!

 

Marlene 

WEEKLY  SCHEDULE​

2  DAYS PER WEEK

TUESDAY / THURSDAY

MONDAY / THURSDAY

TUESDAY / FRIDAY

Core Hours: 8 AM - 4  PM

Extended care 6 AM - 6 PM

3  DAYS PER WEEK

MONDAY / WEDNESDAY / FRIDAY

MONDAY / WEDNESDAY / THURSDAY

TUESDAY / THURSDAY / FRIDAY

TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY / THURSDAY

Core Hours: 8 AM - 4 PM

Extended care 6 AM - 6 PM

5  DAYS PER WEEK

 

MONDAY - FRIDAY

 

Core Hours: 8 AM - 4 PM

Extended care 6 AM - 6 PM

We now offer extended care options between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. 

Families may choose the extended‑hour blocks that best fit their needs, based on availability.

TUITION

Tuition averages $7.50–$8.00 per hour and is determined by both your child’s age and the weekly schedule selected.

Payments may be made weekly, bi‑weekly, or monthly by cash, check, mobile payment, or CCAP subsidy. Tuition is charged during our 42‑week school year (July and August excluded), and a year‑end tax statement is provided.

Three freshly prepared, nutritious daily meals are included in tuition when the USDA food program form is signed.

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ENROLLMENT

Enrollment is ongoing during the school year as space becomes available. To inquire about current or future openings, please use the contact form at the bottom of this page.

Your child’s enrollment begins once the Registration Packet is completed and submitted. Placement is confirmed with payment of the Advance Notice Fee (last two weeks of care) and the $50 Yearly Enrollment Fee. Our Contract, which outlines all Policies, will be provided during your initial interview.

Click on the links to download and print REGISTRATION PAC​KET forms:

EARLY ARTS PRESCHOOL 

ENROLLMENT FORMS

Basic parent and child information, Emergency contacts, Social media policy with picture release form, State forms.

Child's ​health form completed and signed by a physician, with the examination dated within 12 months prior the first day of school, and every 12 months from the date of the examination thereafter.

FOOD PROGRAM ENROLLMENT FORMS

Child Care Food Program ensures that all children receive nutritious, well-balanced meals while in school. Three meals are included in tuition price if child's Food Program Enrollment Form is signed.

Keep these documents for your own reference:


EARLY ARTS​

PRESCHOOL CALENDAR

2026-27

Beginning and end of the school year, closings.

List of our daily activities with approximate times of the day.

 

EARLY ARTS

SAMPLE MENU

Our sample menu, approved by Child Care Food Program. 

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CONTACT

207 Elm Street, Elmwood Park, NJ 07407

201-300-6009

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Since 2008, Early Arts has had the joy of learning, creating, and growing with little humans from Elmwood Park and nearby Bergen and Passaic County communities, including Clifton, East Rutherford, Fair Lawn, Garfield, Hackensack, Hawthorne, Little Falls, Little Ferry, Lodi, Paramus, Paterson, Ridgewood, Saddle Brook, and Wallington.

© Early Arts 

207 Elm Street, Elmwood Park, NJ 07407

Call 201-300-6009

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