Preschools in and Around Boulder Creek

Somewhere between the second birthday and TK, most Boulder Creek families go looking for a preschool, and this is the band the town covers best: a licensed full-day preschool, a play-based home program, and partial-day options, plus a deeper bench down the valley. Ground rules: inclusion isn't endorsement, and home-based programs get a community and contact path only, never a home address.

In town

Seeds of Knowledge Preschool (16900 Highway 9, 831-251-5711) is Boulder Creek's licensed preschool, open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., the town's one full-workday option for this age. The program is hands-on and play-based, with a flexible, individualized curriculum and low teacher-to-student ratios; tours can be scheduled by phone or email.

Busy Bees Playschool, a licensed family child care home founded by Michelle Hamblin Mathews, is the town's newest option: a play-based, child-led program for ages 2 through kindergarten that spends most of its day outdoors. It runs Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and prices by the number of days you take, from one day a week up to four. Reach Michelle at 831-251-0921 or busybeesmichelle@gmail.com; tours are welcome.

Its second location, Busy Bees Playschool Two, is a licensed child care center at 7985 Highway 9 in Ben Lomond for ages 2 to 6, and it runs the longer day, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. That one is reachable at 831-289-3012 or busybeeskimberly@gmail.com. Between them the two sites cover both shapes of the problem: a school-morning program up here, and a full working day down the valley.

For partial-day routine rather than full-day care, Little Explorers Play & Grow, the rec district's preschool-prep program for toddlers and preschoolers, runs Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., on a school-year calendar; confirm the starting age and rates with the district (831-338-4144). It's license-exempt recreation, not licensed daycare; the full lineup lives in our kids' activities guide.

Down the valley

The Highlands Park Early Education Center (8500 Highway 9, Ben Lomond, 831-400-1170), a Community Bridges program open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., offers licensed preschool care and runs the California State Preschool Program for income-eligible families, the first call if cost is the constraint. Osito's Day Care in Ben Lomond also serves this band; since it starts around 12 months, it's covered in our infant care guide.

The county's Kreative Kids Preschool, a license-exempt recreation program, meets Monday through Thursday mornings at Wilder Hall in Ben Lomond Park for ages 3 to 6.

Felton adds two more. Quail Hollow Montessori (187 Laurel Drive) runs Montessori classes from 18 months through kindergarten, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with half-day and extended options, enrolling by application and waitlist; its infant class is covered in our infant care guide. The Santa Cruz Forest School runs an outdoor program for ages 3 to 6, Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., year-round; its childcare license status isn't posted, so ask if you need licensed care.

Federal school records list Ludlow Preschool, an SLVUSD-operated preschool at 7101 Highway 9 in Felton; call the district (831-336-5194) about eligibility and enrollment.

Preschool or TK?

If your child turns four before September 1, free transitional kindergarten through the school district enters the picture; enrollment is covered in our SLV schools guide, and the valley-wide childcare explainer lays out how the license types differ.

The county's Child Development Resource Center (831-466-5820, weekdays 8 to 5) gives free referrals to licensed programs with openings, including subsidized options, and the state's Community Care Licensing search confirms any provider's license. For other ages, the childcare overview maps the whole landscape.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a full-day preschool in Boulder Creek?

Yes. Seeds of Knowledge Preschool at 16900 Highway 9 runs Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; call 831-251-5711 for openings and tours.

Is there state-subsidized preschool nearby?

Yes. Highlands Park Early Education Center in Ben Lomond runs the California State Preschool Program for income-eligible families, and the county referral line at 831-466-5820 covers subsidy options countywide.

What's the difference between a preschool and a rec program?

A licensed preschool or family child care home can provide full-day care under state childcare licensing. Recreation programs like Little Explorers and Kreative Kids are license-exempt, partial-day enrichment: good routine, not full-day care.

Related reading

• Childcare in Boulder Creek: Start Here
• Infant Care in and Around Boulder Creek: Who Takes Babies
• After-School Care in Boulder Creek: Covering the Edges of the School Day
• Kids' Activities in and Around Boulder Creek, Season by Season

Last reviewed August 7, 2026. Details come from our verified business directory and each provider's own site; schedules and openings change, so confirm by phone.

Every provider above is in the business directory. Running a preschool program we missed, or spot something out of date? Tell us.