Previous parents are available to chat if you would like to find out more!

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"We are so grateful for Little Stompers! Kelsey is truly the best teacher for our daughter, she encourages her curiosity and helps her feel free to be herself each and everyday. As parents, we have seen continued positive growth during our daughters time at Little Stompers. She has learned how to articulate her emotions, make and maintain friendships, set boundaries for herself, and explore nature to the fullest. The space Kelsey has created is ideal for emotional and physical development, our daughter loves both the indoor and outdoor areas. Little Stompers has been a true gift to our family, Kelsey is an incredible teacher and we are so thrilled to have found this preschool."

- Shannon 

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"Kelsey is an absolute gift to childhood education and we are so incredibly grateful to have found her and Little Stompers. We talk about best/worst parts of our day at dinner and our son oftentimes says the worst part of his day is “not seeing Miss Kelsey” on the days he doesn’t go to school. Kelsey is patient, supportive, nurturing, warm and her love for childhood education through play and exploration is apparent. We dread the day our son will have to move on to Kindergarten! Anyone would be blessed to be a part of the Little Stompers community ❤️."

- Erica 

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"My daughter attended this preschool when it was in Portland 5 years ago. She is in 3rd grade and just hung out with a child we met through Little Stompers where they were reminiscing about how much they loved preschool, loved the food, loved playing with all the different activities especially outside. Years later, they both would be happy to go back to preschool. As a mom, I see daily the verbal skills in group play my child learned, her love of real play which is very different than just running around, the confidence she gained. Kelsey is a child education genius. Just go already."

- Alison 

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"We love Little Stompers! As a former preschool teacher, I really appreciate Kelsey’s program and my son loves going to school. Wonderful indoor space and expansive, amazing outdoor play space!"

- Macy

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"Our daughter is thriving at Little Stompers! Kelsey is phenomenal! - attentive and caring with loads of creative and engaging opportunities for the kids. The space is beautiful both inside and out and it is a wonderful community we are so glad to be a part of!"

- Molly

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"Little Stompers has been an amazing experience for our son. His social skills, ability to play independently & etiquette have grown leaps & bounds since enrolling him with Kelsey. The value she puts on outdoor play, nutrition, rest & communication with us has been a dream. We highly recommend this special program."

- Matt & Gretchen

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"A unique joy is found in the experience of something created with great love, whether food or music or—in this case—preschool. It is clear that Kelsey has poured her heart into every aspect of Little Stompers, and we have seen our daughter thrive under her care these past two years. Kelsey has cultivated a rich and nurturing space for her kids, providing thoughtful ways for them to engage their world and follow their curiosities. A steady rotation of yoga and music classes, outdoor stations, art projects, and countless other activities encourage learning through play… it seems like there’s something new for the kids to explore every week! Little Stompers truly embodies their philosophy of “Create. Explore. Get Messy." What Kelsey has created feels more like a close community than anything, and it's been a gift to our family. We wholeheartedly recommend Little Stompers to anyone wanting to be a part of the absolute best childhood education program around!"

- Ryan & Shelley

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"Kelsey McMurdie's Little Stompers Preschool has been a tremendous gift for our family. Our son has flourished and grown so much in the year he has spent at Little Stompers. 

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Our son is an introverted child who can take quite a while to warm to new situations and people. Kelsey's warm, calm and reassuring nature was just what our sensitive boy needed to open up and become an integral part of her amazing community. 

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Kelsey is incredibly nurturing, patient and creative. She is a fantastic communicator, is extremely professional and has a very good sense of humor. We consistently felt that she sincerely enjoyed the children in her preschool, recognized their individuality, strengths and challenges, and provided constant developmentally appropriate opportunities for growth in so many capacities. 

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The physical space Kelsey created for Little Stompers was so thoughtful, safe, clean, inspiring and inviting. Her approach to play-based education enables children to explore all kinds of interests at their own pace and in a very organic and personally relevant manner. Our son routinely came home with wonderful insights, observations, questions and discussion topics, the seeds of which had been planted at preschool. 

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We are sad to see Kelsey leave Portland, but are excited for all of her future preschoolers. As school teachers ourselves, and parents of two children, we highly recommend Kelsey without any reservations. Little Stompers Preschool  a fabulous opportunity for a child and it is an incredible experience for the whole family."

-Hillary & Bumper

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“From the very first time we met Kelsey at Little Stompers we knew it was exactly the right preschool for our son and our family overall. Kelsey has encouraged our shy and reserved son not only in his learning but in his social interactions too and has done it so naturally, thoughtfully and individually that none of us can believe the growth in him. He loves going to preschool and has learnt so much through simply playing, being outside and communicating with everyone there. We can’t recommend this preschool highly enough.”

-Laura & Nick 

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"We were so happy to find Kelsey and her sweet school in the Maplewood neighborhood.  She has created a beautiful space for children to grow, explore and play in an exceptionally comfortable atmosphere.  Our son can be a bit more reserved and unsure about new situations, but practically from day one at Little Stompers he was confident, excited and proud of his new school.  Kelsey creates a very meaningful space for the kids, is an excellent communicator and makes me feel so GOOD about having my child in all day care.  I appreciate that he spends so much time outside, meaningfully celebrates holidays and other children's birthdays.  He even comes home smelling amazing (like the eco-friendly cleaning products and essential oils that are delicately present in the space).  Thank you, Kelsey!"

- Karen

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"Couldn't recommend this school enough- not only did my child grow his social skills & emotional reasoning, he was encouraged to develop at his own pace and became an avid reader by age 4. Kelsey is sensitive & conscious, and makes sure to include diverse curriculum and conversations (age appropriate of course) about cultural, physical, and socio-economical differences. She trusts the natural intuition of kids, and embraces their curiosity- even when getting into the "tough" territory. I always had complete faith in her to answer my precocious kid's surprise questions, that at times have caught me off guard, and we as a family learned many lessons from Kelsey's cool, calm, and kind way of approaching the world. My younger child isn't yet ready for preschool, but we are counting down the days until he can start at Little Stompers..."

- Liz

 

"This home based preschool is a beautiful blend of Montessori and Waldorf curriculum. Teacher Kelsey's approach is gentle, holistic, and supportive, and she is well-organized with parent communication and calendars/administrative pieces. The environment she has created fosters curiosity, creativity, imagination, problem-solving, engineering, and overall confidence building. Additionally, she connects with other educators for supplemental opportunities such as yoga and music. Teacher Kelsey invests in continued education and training, as well as a variety of certifications for the school. Our family is in our second year with Little Stompers and feel deeply grateful to have found such a wonderful school and teacher!"

 -Amanda

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“Little Stompers has been an amazing environment for our daughter to learn and grow this year. With outdoor play, creative projects and social skill building, we feel lucky to have found Kelsey!”

- Bryn

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