Our own musical maestro, Teacher Lauren, will lead a boisterous music session. Then the team from Wild Child will help get the wiggles out. Come to Lindberg Park for the fun, this Friday from 1pm-2pm!

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Bring family and friends for a boisterous music time with our teachers from La Playa. Then get the wiggles out with our friends from Wild Child!

Friday, February 16th, 1pm, at Lindberg Park!

A free event!

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Happy New Year! We’re happy to head back to La Playa, where play is our focus – every day!

Come visit us this year.

We currently hold tours on the second Wednesday of the month at 10:00am. You’ll meet our teachers, tour our 8,000 sq. ft. facility, and even meet some of the other parents who participate in our school! You can sign up ahead of time for a visit – or just arrive at 5041 Rhoda Way in Culver City.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Upcoming tour dates:

January 10, 2024
February 14, 2024
March 13, 2024
April 10, 2024
May 8, 2024
June 12, 2024

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Come join us for a FREE virtual event on Wednesday, August 23rd at 6:30pm pacific.

Teacher Teri will share some helpful tips with parents sending their kids to preschool this year. Teri has over 30 years experience working with this age group and is the director of Culver City’s historic preschool, La Playa Cooperative.

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Happy 75th anniversary to La Playa Cooperative!

In 1948, a handful of parents gathered to begin a cooperative preschool, working together – with a teacher – to take care of their children and teach them through a play-based curriculum. The families began using backyards and eventually, an empty lot on Keystone Avenue in Culver City.
Eventually, the school ran into licensing issues and needed a more permanent space. That’s when La Playa’s then-board president, Phoebe Kalionzes reached out to Syd Kronenthal, Culver City’s then-new director of the Parks and Recreation Department. The year was 1953 – Mr. Kronenthal’s very first year serving as Culver City’s Director of Parks and Recreation – a position he would hold for over 50 years. He found a home for La Playa – and his deal would turn out to be a decision that would not only last through his career but would extend beyond his own life. That location was the Stone House in Lindberg Park, where La Playa still holds its morning cooperative preschool classes today!

The late 1940s and 1950s were a time when preschools were just beginning to take stronger ground in the United States’ educational system. Only a few dozen cooperative preschools launched in the country, with many in California. The schools leaned into their desire for community service and soon established themselves as non-profits that created greater opportunities for community service and parent education.
They even teamed up.
The California Council for Parent Participation Nursery Schools was established, with a few chapters in northern and southern California. La Playa was one of the first members in the Los Angeles Chapter of CCPPNS and remains a committed member of the group.

Over the last 75 years, La Playa Cooperative has been the training ground for parents and grownups who love their children and community service. Those who have volunteered their time at La Playa have also served their community in other ways: at schools, businesses, and city government.
La Playa remains one of the nation’s few original cooperative preschools that were established in the 1940s. It is Culver City’s oldest preschool and remains its only cooperative school community.
We hope the next 75 years will contribute just as much to children and the community as we have done so already!

Our 75th anniversary celebration was held on Saturday, April 29th. We had a huge turnout of visitors to our free community event, including currently-attending La Playa families, friends and relatives, neighbors, community leaders, and even alumni. Our most veteran alum was Darryl Cherness, who attended La Playa in 1953! His mother, Trudy, was one of the early leaders of La Playa, and she eventually went on to contribute further to the politics and community of Culver City.
We were honored to have the presence of Culver City Mayor, Albert Vera. Mayor Vera presented La Playa with an official declaration from the city. Its words are below:

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The awards program hosted by Westside Today garnered more than 27,000 votes from around the community. La Playa was listed among some wonderful schools in the Los Angeles area and we’re so grateful to be nominated along with them – and honored to have won so much support!

La Playa has a long history in Culver City – and with our 75 years of our community participation, we’re happy to feel the love in return! Thank you to those of you who voted for us and who helped name our preschool the best in Culver City and West Los Angeles!

If you haven’t already – come check out what makes La Playa and its community so unique and special to so many. La Playa is more than a preschool – we’re a community that helps teach our children and the grown ups who love them!

Here’s a link to the full list of winners from Westside Today!

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