For more than three decades, the Building for Kids has helped children build confidence, curiosity, and resilience through play-based learning experiences. Along the way, we’ve often heard the question from families and community members: “Have you ever thought about starting a preschool?”
After years of exploring the idea and learning alongside families and childcare experts in our community, we’re excited to bring this vision to life with Launchpad Playful Preschool—a new preschool experience for children ages 3–5 opening this fall!
Launchpad is a unique care program focused on the power of open-ended, child-directed play. Our innovative approach embeds play into every part of a child’s day and into the culture of our care team. Through playful exploration, Launchpad helps kids build critical cognitive, emotional, social, physical, and creative skills in their early years.
This preschool is coming to downtown Appleton this fall, and enrollment is now open for the 2026-27 school year! Help us pave the way for child-directed play in preschool by enrolling your child in our very first group of Launchpad learners! Secure your spot at the link below:
Click Here to Enroll in Launchpad!
Who does Launchpad serve?
Launchpad serves children ages 3 – 5 years-old.
Where is Launchpad located?
The preschool is located on the third floor of First 5 Fox Valley’s Family Resource Center (111 W College Ave), which is right across the street from the Building for Kids!
What does the Launchpad schedule look like?
The anticipated dates for this school year are October 5 – June 4. You can choose between morning or afternoon, as well as 5, 3, or 2 days per week. Schedule options include:
- Monday – Friday: 8:30 – 11am
- Monday – Friday: 12:30 – 3pm
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 8:30 – 11am
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 12:30 – 3pm
- Tuesday & Thursday: 8:30 – 11am
- Tuesday & Thursday: 12:30 – 3pm
We will accept enrollment on a rolling basis.
How much does it cost to enroll?
Tuition for Launchpad is billed monthly at:
- $600 per month for 5 days per week (enroll for 5 days per week by July 31 to get $200 off your FIRST MONTH)
- $360 per month for 3 days per week
- $240 per month for 2 days per week
Your Launchpad enrollment also includes a 2-person membership to the Building for Kids!
What can I expect if I enroll my child?
Launchpad’s care and learning philosophy is inspired and informed by years of building playful experiences for children and their grown-ups at Building for Kids.
- We believe in play for all by fostering a playful culture that starts with our care team. Our children learn and develop critical skills through play. Our care team provides their best level of care when they can be playful with the children and each other.
- We believe in laughter as a form of connection and communication. Our care team is trained in improv, so they are ready to embrace uncertainty with joy and confidence.
- We believe that the skills children build through play prepare them to experience life. Instead of emphasizing academic learning goals, our care team observes children for the development of holistic skills like creative, social, and emotional. These skills prepare children for navigating every stage of their lives.
- We believe that when our care team is well, our children are well. Our space is designed to meet the unique sensory needs of our care team and children and allows for the freedom to move from higher sensory input activities to lower sensory input activities as needed.
- We believe in the power of immersive themes that allow for deeper, more engaged play. Instead of daily lesson plans, our care team cycles through immersive themes in which children get to explore, create, and learn. These themes are intentionally designed to lead children to develop cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and creative skills.
Looking to learn a little more about what this will look like? Click here to listen to a WHBY interview with our Beth Vanderloop, our VP of Learning and Engagement, for more details.
