Morris Plains Cooperative Play School is a nonprofit cooperative preschool located in Morris Plains, New Jersey. Since 1939, the school has provided an exceptional educational environment where children, parents, and teachers learn and grow together while families actively participate in their child’s preschool education.
We are conveniently located at 8 Cleveland Avenue in Morris Plains, situated within the comforts of a quiet neighborhood setting. Students come from Morris Plains and many surrounding communities including Denville, Hanover, Mendham, Morristown, Parsippany, Randolph, Rockaway, and Whippany. Our spacious playground provides the perfect setting for children to socialize while developing their gross motor skills. With several large climbers, an oversized sandbox, a winding bike path, and riding toys aplenty, there is something for everyone!
The Morris Plains Cooperative Play School is committed to developing the social, emotional, intellectual, and physical growth of each child through developmentally appropriate education. Our school’s child-centered philosophy is based on a flexible approach to early education, a positive approach to discipline, a commitment to parent education, and the belief that children learn best through play.
Our programs are based on the belief that children learn best through play. Research has shown that play-based education enhances foundational brain capacities necessary for all future learning. This is strengthened through play, i.e. creativity, sensory experience, movement, imagination, full body action, etc. Also, play allows for child initiated learning, rather than adult-driven directives. This builds brain capacity and instills a value of curiosity and interest in exploration and learning.
The Co-op is run by a dedicated staff and a Board of Trustees comprised of volunteers. Our staff is composed of qualified teachers with a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and highly trained classroom aides. The teachers are aided by one or more co-oping adults each day. Our child to adult ratio is 4:1 in the 2 1/2 year-old program, 5:1 in the 3-year-old program and 6:1 in the 4-year-old program. The average tenure of our teachers and classroom aides is 10 years.