Preschool & Kindergarten Mornings
Art, Nature, & Play-Based Experiences for Children Ages 3-6
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Hello, Iām Dominique Fruscella, and Iām honored to welcome your child to The Play Forest where they can experience simplicity, connection with nature, creativity, joy, and imagination. The Play Forest is located in La Crosse, Florida (15 minutes north of Gainesville, 5 minutes east of Alachua), and is a cozy place where children have fun and feel at home. Please contact me with any questions! 352-647-7517
Testimonials...
āDominique came to care for my family when my youngest daughter was 3 months old. I observed the patience with which she cared for my three daughters and I feel that she is an exceptional caregiver to children of all ages. Dominique has an incredible imagination, sense of humor, and provides care that is creative and in tune with each child as an individual. I highly recommend Dominique because of the wholesome environment and creative play she provides and that every child deserves in their lives. My children and I have greatly benefited by having Dominique in our lives and I highly recommend her services.ā
– Sandra M.
āDominique is patient, thoughtful, loving, playful, flexible, imaginativeā¦ we canāt imagine our childrenās lives without her. We love & trust her as if she were part of our family.ā
– John & Carrie W.
āDominique cared for our 2 boys for 2+ years in afterschool care. More than anything, she loved and cared for our children in a way that respected their individuality and honored their needs. She is always looking for ways to creatively engage them, help them have fun, learn, and resolve conflict peacefully.ā
– Darren B.
About The Play Forestā¦
āØ Childhood is a magical time. From birth to age 7, young children learn through play, imitation, and repetition. Life is the curriculum! They are taking everything in through their senses and repeating what they learn through different types of play. As adults, our job is to provide nurturing safe spaces, empathy, a simple daily rhythm, and to model behavior worthy of imitation.
Children thrive in relationship to the natural world. Thus, Play Forest Preschool provides a large fenced-in area for kids to play and explore outdoors. Outdoor play takes place in our foresty front yard, with trees, bushes, grass, and garden boxes. We also have an open-air barn and a small courtyard in the backyard. We provide balance beams, monkey bars, a big sandbox, and a mud kitchen. Expect their outer layers to be dirty or wet depending on the season. Through this play, children are building social skills, problem-solving, counting, sharing, building small and gross motor skills, and more. Year-round the children will spend much of their preschool time outdoors, regardless of the weather.
Indoor spaces include the living, dining, and kitchen areas in the Fruscella home. Indoor play includes open-ended toys made of natural materials, i.e. dolls, trains, dress-up clothes, baskets of raw materials (cotton, silk, wool, nuts, shells), wood blocks, books, and more. All play items are free-form so that imagination can blossom.Ā
We offer stories, songs, and creative experiences. We tell animal stories, nature stories, and simple fairy tales from around the world. These stories convey messages on morality, goodness, and the deep truths of life. Story meets the children in the dream-like state they naturally reside and confirms that this is a good safe world to live in.
Song is a part of our daily rhythm. Each day starts with songs and movement related to the season, and also just for fun. We often use song or music to transition activities. Song gently reminds children of what happens next in our daily rhythm.
Shared mealtime is a favorite part of our home-away-from-home preschool. We will all sit together and share the same morning snacks. At lunchtime, children bring their food from home to comfort them. It is a beautiful time of the day in which the children rest and are nourished physically together.Ā
I prepare organic vegetarian snacks and include the children in age-appropriate slicing of fruit, setting the table, and cleaning up. I will happily accommodate childrenās dietary restrictions or preferences. Menu schedule below.
Our artistic explorations include watercolor painting, molding beeswax or clay, and drawing. These creations are made with high-quality paints, papers, waxes, and crayons. Additionally, we make nature crafts, garden, and bake bread weekly.
The Family & The Property
The Fruscella Family consists of Gaetano (47), Dominique (44), Lieto (14), and Cyprian (12). We call our foresty 3.5-acre property āKrishnaās Cottage.ā
Located in downtown La Crosse, we have a wood-frame house, a large open-air barn, 50 acres of preserve behind us even with natural clay deposits, 5 outdoor pet cats (Mama Cat, Torpedo, Coo Coo, Scratchy Paddy, and Strong Muscles), and a vegan uromastyx lizard (Kiwi)ā¦Ā
Gaetano is an artist, nature enthusiast, and a handyman. He often works at home and is officially and legally Play Forest Preschoolās āsubstituteā. He will sometimes help at the preschool. We understand fully that parents would want to meet him and ask questions – we would do the same.
Lieto and Cyprian are gentle and kind and are in school except for during the summer.
About Dominiqueā¦
I have spent the past 24+ years in service to children and parents – as a nanny, volunteer, home daycare provider, summer camp facilitator, mom, home educator, author, and parenting coach.Ā
When I was 20 years old, I quit my restaurant job in search of something more meaningful. I found an ad inviting someone to āplay in creeks and find caterpillarsā. I was very intrigued, went for the interview, and found myself taking care of 2 boys ages 4 and 8. That experience lit a flame in my heart – my love for kids. They are authentic, curious, and fun – many things that adults lose along the way. I was in heaven being a nanny/babysitter.
From there I added more babysitting jobs, developed a distaste for my college pursuits, dropped out, let go of the scholarship, sold everything, fundraised, and sent myself to Tanzania to volunteer with street children for a year. That was beautiful, but also heartbreaking once I learned Swahili and listened to all the kidsā life storiesā¦Ā
I returned to the States and to my service with children. Eventually, I started combining care for kids and opened a home daycare as I started my own family.
By the time I had my 2nd child, I felt full with a newborn and a toddler at home, so I decided to ājustā be a stay-at-home mom. This eventually grew into homeschooling. As a mother I started blogging, hosting summer camps, and coaching parents. I wrote a book about surrender in parentingā¦ I still offer life coaching for parents and Iām currently in a Playful Parenting Leader Certification training.
Lately, my kids decided to try out school-school, and my part-time work online felt misaligned. My husband asked me a few weeks ago – hey, do you want to start working with children again? And I was like, āYES!ā Within 24 hours, I started prepping to open Play Forest Preschool. Iām looking forward to being myself and being of service in a simple, yet meaningful and beautiful way. Thank you for the opportunity š
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The Daily Rhythmā¦
Our rhythm is not a strict schedule. Thereās room for spontaneity and flexibility. I will gently guide us through the day balancing inward/rest/reflection times with outward/energetic/expressive times. Hereās an example of a typical day:
Arrive & Play Outside
Morning Circle & Snack (~10am)
Play Inside
Art/Activity
Play Outside
Lunch (~12:30pm)
Clean Up
Story Time or Craftmaking
Snacks & Activitiesā¦
Please see our snack and activity plans below! (subject to change)
Additional projects/activities include: gardening, seasonal/nature crafts, building things in the garden, etc!
Days + Hoursā¦
Play Forest Preschool invites children ages 3-6 to a half-day morning program, 8:30am – 1:30pm.
Aug 2024 – May 2025: Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday
Tuitionā¦
The tuition prices below are for 5-hour days and include freshly made organic vegetarian snacks.
2-days/week: $360/month
- One-time 2024-2025 school-year materials fee: $100 (Aug-May)
3-days/week: $510/month
- One-time 2024-2025 school-year materials fee: $150 (Aug-May)
4-days/week: $600/month
- One-time 2024-2025 school-year materials fee: $200 (Aug-May)
Deposit: The $50 non-refundable deposit received with your childās application is applied to their first monthās tuition.
Sibling Discount: 15% off tuition for each additional child
Datesā¦
FALL 2024
The 2024-2025 Play Forest Preschool School Year begins Tuesday August 13th and ends Friday May 30th.Ā
We will follow the Alachua County School Board Calendar for most holidays.Ā
Play Forest Preschool Calendar here.
Is Play Forest Preschool a match for your family?
Play Forest Preschool might be a match for your family if youāre looking for:
- A part-time place for your child to have fun and grow in community
- A holistic nature and play-based environment
- An experienced caregiver who can balance empathy, a playful spirit, and a warm kind strength in guiding children in morals and goodness
Letās Chat!
NEXT STEPS:
āļø Let’s chat on the phoneā¦ 352-647-7517
š Then meet in personā¦
š If it’s a fit: register + pay your deposit!
Please call or text Dominique at 352-647-7517or email dominiquefruscella@gmail.com to discuss more.
FAQā¦
Does my child need to be potty-trained to attend Play Forest Preschool?
Yes, please. Of course, I can help children with accidents (kindly and with care), but they should be potty trained before joining us.
Do you have CPR/First Aid training?
Yes! I, Dominique, am CPR and First-Aid certified with the National CPR Foundation.
Is this preschool legally operated?
Yes! Dominique is registered with the Department of Children and Families to operate a home preschool. Additionally, all household members in our home have been appropriately screened and Gaetano went through the substitute training required by DCF. DCF Registered Home Daycare ID# R08AL0036
What are the philosophy and principles behind your approach to caring for children?
Our core principle is respect. Respect for who each individual is, respectful kind behavior, respect for Mother Earth, respect for all living creatures. From that foundation of sacred space ~ we can explore, learn, and play
Children at Play Forest Preschool will experience simple living principles, such as gardening, cooking, and cleaning. We are influenced by Waldorf education – which means bringing rhythm, the arts, natural materials, and developmentally appropriate activities + stories. We invite childrenās emotions when they come and listen with empathy.
The essence is to create a safe place for children to be where theyāre at physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually ~ so they feel received and encouraged as they grow.
Aligned with Life Ways Principles. Learn more about LifeWays here.
Is there a spiritual element to Play Forest Preschool?
This is a non-sectarian preschool that does give simple thanks to God at lunch time. No spiritual philosophy is discussed with the children, though I will support each childās feelings/approach to spirituality by listening to them. All spiritual references (stories/songs/festivals/books) can be experienced as multi-cultural, no indoctrination here!
Can I bring food for my child that they like to eat?
Yes! At the same time, I am happy to accommodate dietary restrictions or preferences for our morning snacks. Food from home is welcome, though! Please do not bring desserts.
Can I send meat in my childās lunch?
Our home is strictly vegetarian. Please do not bring meat, fish, or eggs. Thank you so much.
How will my young child feel comfortable using the bathroom there?
Please be assured that we will have options to accommodate your child. We have a flip-down toilet seat for small kids, stools, and a kiddie potty on the ground. Let us know what your child needs. I can assist them with the utmost respect and dignity.
Can I stay with my child until they are comfortable being at Play Forest Preschool without a parent?
Yes, you are welcome to stay. A transition period makes sense for many families. I suggest we not have adult conversations during preschool time, but please feel welcome to stay, observe, and create a comfortable transition for your child. If we sense there is a lot of fear for your child, I can help with ideas and coaching parent and child to overcome fear of separation. I like Hand in Hand Parenting playful approach to overcoming separation anxiety. And, if we determine your child is not happy or ready to be dropped off, we can reevaluate if the program is right for you.
Do I need to commit to the whole school year?
Ideally, yes. But if for some reason you need to discontinue, I request 1 monthās notice.
Can you accommodate my child with a special need?
My vision is to take care of 6 children – 3, 4, or 5 days a week. To do this service well, I will need the cooperation of the children, and to balance the ages, abilities, and personalities of the group. If your child needs extra care and attention, I might not be able to help them. Letās discuss what youāre looking for.
How does it work with your husband Gaetano being around and helping?
Gaetano often works at home and will help with cooking, cleaning, and supervision if I need a moment away from the group. For example, if I am helping a child in the bathroom or I need to use the bathroom, he will be there to briefly step in and keep all the kids safe. He could also get involved in a gardening or art project.Ā
We understand completely that there could be hesitancy to trust a man in childcare and we fully support you to meet Gaetano, ask questions, and speak to community members. Here are a few testimonials about our services together with children.
āDominique and Gaetano are two of very few people I entirely trust, and feel completely comfortable with the environment they provide for my child. I am constantly impressed with their ability to meet children at their level, to provide for their physical, mental and emotional needs. They are immensely loving and patient and practice positive discipline (healthy, mindful communication and guidance) and wholesome ways of interacting with the world and the children they care for. I couldnāt recommend any better (or equal) facility/space, or providers for a childās care.ā
–Ā Zoma D.
āDom and Guy are wonderful with kids. They put the children first in every situation. When my son became the oldest child in their care, they made every effort to provide him with as much fun and opportunities to enjoy himself as the younger ones. They really try to tailor their care to each childās needs and desires. They make you feel very relaxed and comfortable about leaving your precious ones with them!ā
–Ā Amy R.
āI have been so grateful to have Dominique as a presence in my sonās life. She has provided childcare for him off and on for several years (when he was 4-9 years old), and, no matter his age or the age of the other children I have seen in her care, Dominique has always brought the highest caliber of attention, love, presence, and understanding to her interactions with children. She is able to connect with them at their level while maintaining the integrity of her role as responsible caregiver. Her and Guyās philosophies about food, healthy environment, play, and conflict resolution give me absolute confidence in placing my child in their care, and recommending their services to other parents.ā
– Samara P.
What are Play Forest Preschoolās policies regarding illness, absences, discipline, late pickup, etc?
Here are all my policies. š And the PFP discipline policy.
Letās Chat!
NEXT STEPS:
āļø Let’s chat on the phoneā¦
š Then meet in personā¦
š If it’s a fit: register + pay your deposit!
Please call or text Dominique at 352-647-7517 or email dominiquefruscella@gmail.com to discuss more.
https://www.facebook.com/playforestschoolĀ
