Welcome to our nest
Birdsong Play Garden
A year-round outdoor play-based preschool for 18mo – 4yo
located in west Davis.
Mondays – Fridays 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM.
Part-time and full-time openings for Fall 2022!
Email us at info@birdsongplaygarden.com for more information and to schedule a tour.
Greet the Morning
Circle time with formed movement and songs
Arts and Culture
Storytelling, puppetry, and music
Outdoor Adventure
Nature exploration and observation
Afternoon Rest
Fallow time for body and soul
Imaginative Play
Free and unstructured creativity
Living in Rhythm
Celebrating the seasons and festivals
Bird's Eye View
Our shared study of Waldorf education is the foundation of Birdsong Play Garden. We impart the children’s days with rhythm, beauty, and wonder in order to cultivate these qualities within each of them. Additionally, Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) largely informs our work, as we patiently support the young child’s developing emotional life. We are eager to explore other approaches as we tend to the blossoming of those in our care. We also cultivate a culture of learning with the parents we work with, as ultimately, you are your child’s first teacher. Through shared efforts at home and school, we can weave a supportive nest in which the young child can thrive.
As our name suggests, we are a play-based program. This includes ample time outdoors, both in our backyard and in the adjacent wild spaces and greenbelt. This immersion in the elements contributes to the child’s social and sensory development through play. These efforts help to lay a foundation for the healthy embodiment of the young child.
Our Song
Between us we have over thirty years of experience working with children and in education. We have both worked with a wide age range, including individuals with special needs. We initially met in 2013 on a diversified biodynamic farm in upstate New York when Steve brought his 4th grade class on an educational overnight program which Johanna was facilitating. For years we worked separately in education and childcare while providing consultation and support to one another. Since opening Birdsong Play Garden in July 2021, we have been thrilled to work together, marrying our strengths to develop a loving nest in which your little songbirds can thrive.

Prior to founding Birdsong Play Garden, Johanna nannied young children using Waldorf wisdom for five years and before that led experiential education on farms in Arkansas, South Dakota, and New York. She earned an associate’s degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Sacramento City College and is training to become an anthroposophic nurse. She believes that abundant time in nature is fundamental to young children’s development into healthy adults. In her free time Johanna loves birding, climbing trees, and embroidering.

Steve is a preschool, elementary, and middle school teacher who has been working in AWSNA accredited Waldorf schools since 2003. He earned his undergraduate degree from Goddard College and is a graduate of the West Coast Institute’s Waldorf teacher training in Vancouver, B.C. Steve is also a graduate of the year-long visual arts intensive at Free Columbia painting school in the Hudson Valley. Most recently he graduated the Davis Waldorf School 8th grade class of 2019, having been their lead teacher since 5th grade
Our Nest
Warm and Cozy inside



Backyard Fun

Sandbox

Water Play

Gardening
Cheerful Chirps





