A Children's Garden has operated as a women-owned, family-run preschool in Encinitas since 1979, with its Olivenhain campus at 2241 Whisper Wind Lane holding California Community Care License #376700273 and a maximum capacity of 42 children ages two through five. The progressive, play-based curriculum draws on the educational philosophy of John Dewey, structuring each morning so children choose their own activities for half the session — art, dramatic play, music, dance, large-motor outdoor play — and then participate in guided group activities for the other half, a self-directed model that prepares children for the structured academic settings found at nearby Encinitas Community & Senior Center youth programs. All teaching staff hold early childhood education credentials and maintain current CPR and first-aid certifications. The Olivenhain campus emphasizes outdoor exploration with minimal screen time, allowing children to play barefoot on natural surfaces and interact with open-ended materials designed to stimulate reasoning, questioning, and hands-on experimentation. Enrollment coordination between the Olivenhain and Leucadia campuses lets families select location and schedule configurations that fit their work geography, a flexibility that dovetails with the speech-and-language developmental screening available at pediatric providers like Talky Tots in Encinitas. The curriculum's annual art show culminates each school year, exhibiting student work across painting, collage, sculpture, and mixed-media projects produced during the year-long studio rotation embedded in the daily program.