2026 Twin Cities Guide to Great Preschool & Early Education Options

This guide is sponsored by the businesses listed below.

Preschool, Nursery School, Childcare Center, In-Home Daycare? What’s best for your family?

We’re pleased to offer the Twin Cities Guide to Early Education to help you in making your decision.  Picking a private school, preschool, nursery school, or childcare center that fits your child’s and your family’s needs can be an overwhelming task.  As parents, we are clearly aware of the importance of our decision.  The businesses below are eager to chat with you about how their program just might be the best fit for your child.

Below you will find a curated list of Twin Cities preschools and early education centers, as well as an expanded list of early education and preschool listings sorted by Twin Cities Metro locations.

If you are a local school interested in being featured, please reach out to info@twincitiesfamily.com or fill out this form. If you have a favorite school, be sure to comment below!

At the Y, every child’s journey begins with care, curiosity, and joy. Our infant, toddler, preschool, and pre-K programs are designed to nurture potential from the very start. In welcoming, playful spaces, kids explore, express themselves, and learn through discovery. Guided by caring teachers, each day is a blend of fun, learning, and growth. Membership is not required, and financial assistance is available.

Ages: 6 weeks – 5 years

Locations: Eagan, Lakeville, New Hope, St. Paul – Eastside, St. Paul – Midway, Shoreview, University of Minnesota (Minneapolis), and Woodbury

Schedules: Full Time, Part Time (Part-time availability at Lakeville, University of Minnesota, and Woodbury)

Choosing the right place for your child is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make, and at New Horizon Academy, everything we do begins with one guiding question: What’s best for children? Family-owned and Minnesota-based, with more than 70 locations across the Twin Cities, we offer a research-based curriculum, developmentally appropriate learning experiences, and highly trained educators in state-of-the-art, purpose-built facilities that meet the highest national standards. Our award-winning programs nurture children academically, socially, and emotionally so effectively that more than 9 out of 10 of our pre-kindergarten students demonstrate outstanding kindergarten readiness across all learning domains. Trusted by families and recognized as a Top Workplace and Minnesota Parent Best Preschool and Childcare winner, New Horizon Academy is a place where children are nurtured, challenged, and celebrated.

Learn more at newhorizonacademy.net!

Ages: Infant – 4th Grade (school age offered in select locations)

Schedules: Full-Time, Part-Time

Other Programming Available: Summer camp, before-school, and after-school care

For more than 30 years, Kinderberry Hill Child Development Centers has been a trusted leader in early childhood education across the Twin Cities, offering far more than traditional daycare through innovative, research-based programs for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and pre-kindergarten students. Rooted in the Reggio Emilia approach, we view children as capable, creative learners and inspire discovery through emergent curriculum, hands-on exploration, and thoughtfully designed, state-of-the-art classrooms, including Nature Explore Certified Outdoor Classrooms. With schools located in Edina, Eden Prairie, Minneapolis, Plymouth, Roseville, St. Paul, and Woodbury, Kinderberry Hill creates dynamic learning environments that foster curiosity, confidence, critical thinking, and social development. Each center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and holds Parent Aware’s highest 4-star rating, ensuring the highest standards of quality and care for Minnesota’s youngest learners.

Learn more at kinderberryhill.com!

Ages: Infant – Pre-K

Schedules: Full-Time, Part-Time

Ages: 6 weeks – 5 years

Schedules: Full Time; Part Time

Other Programming Available: Summer Camp; Before and After School Care

Locations in: Apple Valley, Eagan, Forest Lake, Golden Valley, Mahtomedi, Maplewood, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Savage, Shoreview, Stillwater, White Bear Lake, and Wyoming

A School Your Child Will Love! Step By Step Montessori Schools have been serving Minneapolis families since 1991. We offer authentic Montessori programs for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners. Give your child an education that prepares them for a successful academic journey!

Ages: Infant to 5 years

Other Programming Available: Before School Care, After School Care

Schedules: Full Time, Full Days

Watch Your Child Reach Milestones – Enroll Today! Reaching critical milestones during your child’s early years can significantly impact their future. At Woodpark Montessori, our authentic Montessori program ensures proper and healthful development throughout the infant, toddler, and preschool years.

Ages: Infant-5 years
Location: Burnsville, MN

Watch Your Child Reach Milestones – Enroll Today! Reaching critical milestones during your child’s early years can significantly impact their future. At Woodpark Montessori, our authentic Montessori program ensures proper and healthful development throughout the infant, toddler, and preschool years.

Ages: Infant-5 years
Location: Golden Valley and Eden Prairie, MN

At Minnehaha Academy your child will be set on a path of discovery, guided by passionate, early-childhood licensed teachers who cultivate a joy of learning.

Preschool classes for three and four-year-olds incorporate hands-on, interactive activities to develop and grow reading and mathematical thinking skills using the latest research in brain-based learning.

Ages: 2-5+ years
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Phone: (612) 728-7722

Experience the Visitation difference, where learning begins with love. Our Montessori Pre-K full-day program inspires a lifelong love of learning, fostering inner discipline and self-confidence through the respected Montessori Method.

At Visitation Lower School, each student is known, loved, and challenged, receiving a superb education while growing in spirit and embracing virtues that last a lifetime. Discover how your child can thrive, schedule a tour today!

Ages: 2-5+ years
Location: Mendota Heights, MN
Phone: (651) 683-1799

At Tierra Encantada, your child will be immersed in the Spanish language as they learn through play, conversation, and everyday experiences. Beyond language learning, our play-based curriculum and scratch-made, globally inspired meals support children’s cognitive, social-emotional, and physical development. Visit one of our 4-Star Parent Aware–rated centers to see the Tierra Encantada difference.

Ages: 6 Weeks – Pre-K
Location: Bloomington, Eagan, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, and St. Louis Park. Coming soon to Highland Park in St. Paul and Oakdale

Looking for private school education for your child? We’re pleased to offer the Twin Cities Guide to Private Schools to help you in making your decision.  Picking a private school that fits your child’s and your family’s needs can be an overwhelming task.  As parents, we are clearly aware of the importance of our decision.  The schools in the guide linked below are eager to chat with you about how their program just might be the best fit for your child.

Ages: K-12
Location: Twin Cities Metro

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