Montessori Preschool & Kindergarten · Davis, California

Six and a half acres of childhood.

You'll hear it before you see it — roosters on the neighboring farms, birds out in the fields, children busy under the mulberries and pines.

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Ages 2½–6 · Open 7:30–6:00 · 5 days a week · 7 teachers, 36 children

a parent cooperative

A school built by its families.

Redbud is a nonprofit parent cooperative, rooted in Davis since 1984. That means you're not just signing up for a program — you're joining a community. You'll pitch in. You'll get to know the other families. And you and your child will be known by name.

A backyard scene featuring a wooden fence on the left, various green trees and bushes, and a small house or shed in the background. The ground is partly shaded with dry grass and dirt, and the sky is clear and blue.
A backyard scene featuring a wooden fence on the left, various green trees and bushes, and a small house or shed in the background. The ground is partly shaded with dry grass and dirt, and the sky is clear and blue. 
our approach

We follow the child, and trust the pace of childhood.

It's the oldest Montessori promise there is, and we mean it. Children here get the time to finish what they start — a puzzle, a conversation, a long look at a ladybug — without being hurried along to the next thing. The pace is slower than many preschools, which isn't by accident. It's by design.

See a day at Redbud →

Two cartoon snowmen, one larger and one smaller, both with orange carrot noses and black eyes, standing on snow against a black background.
A woman and a young boy playing with colorful toy balls at a table in a bright room.
Two young girls playing outdoors with a toy dump truck among trees and shaded ground.
A woman and a young girl sit on the floor in a classroom, engaging with a book or folder together. The woman is wearing glasses and a pink shirt, and the girl has brown hair tied in a ponytail with a purple hair tie, dressed in a pink long-sleeve shi
A young girl with braided hair is lying on the carpeted floor, writing on a white-lined notepad with a black marker. She appears focused on her writing.
Colorful wooden stacking toy with numbered pieces and rounded wooden pegs.
Children walking with backpacks and lunch boxes in an outdoor setting, possibly at a school or park, with trees and fencing in the background.
Children and an adult playing with a colorful parachute outdoors on grass, surrounded by trees.
Children sitting on a swing and bench in a backyard or park, with two girls on the swing in the foreground, and four girls sitting on a bench in the background, near a gray house.
A young boy wearing a blue shirt, light blue shorts, and blue shoes rides a tricycle on a pathway outdoors, with a wooden fence and trees in the background.
Two young girls playing on a colorful playground structure outdoors in a backyard, with trees and a fence in the background.
Child's hand placing a yellow wedge into a shape sorter toy with various colorful geometric shapes. 
our approach

Montessori, in a word: respect.

Respect for your child — their pace, their choices, their ability to do real things for themselves. Respect for others, in mixed-age classrooms where older children help lead the younger ones. And respect for the environment, practiced daily on six and a half acres of it.

That's the method Maria Montessori gave the world a century ago, and it's what we live by here.

See how Montessori works →

Three stylized green pine trees on a black background.
Three stylized green pine trees on a black background.
Three women standing outdoors in front of trees on a sunny day, smiling gently at the camera. 
our teachers

Our teachers have been here longer than most schools have been open.

One has taught at Redbud since 1985. Others since 1989, 2001, 2006. They've watched thousands of children grow up on this property. Some of those children are now Redbud parents themselves, dropping their own kids off with the same teachers who once taught them.

Your child won't be handed off to someone new each fall. They'll be known, for years, by people who choose to stay.

Meet our teachers →

the years ahead

Three years by design.

A woman sitting on the floor and smiling as she interacts with young children seated around her, in a bright room with large windows.
A young girl is playing on the floor with various colorful foam cutouts and pictures in a classroom setting.

Some children leave Montessori just as it starts to pay off. The three-year cycle is designed to build toward the last two years, when a child becomes one of the oldest in the room — leading, teaching the younger ones, and pulling together everything they've learned before first grade.

They're also the years when families weigh transitional kindergarten, and then kindergarten. Both are real decisions, and we'd like to help you make them with a vision of the whole picture.

About the last two years →

kind words from our parents

  • “The greatest gift Redbud gave our children was the opportunity to be themselves. We watched each of them grow along their own unique path, experiencing their "aha!" moments when understanding came through discovery rather than pressure. They developed a genuine love of learning, a strong sense of curiosity, and an internal motivation to work hard, create, and help others.”

    Irene

  • “We knew this was just where we wanted our daughter to be. The setting is serene and peaceful with so many trees and natural feel, like a little safe world just for the kids. The teachers so clearly love and care about the kids, we felt immediately that this was the place where our child would be loved, supported, and able to grow with other kids during this critical age period. Knowing she would attend Redbud made our move and the transition to a new state, city, and home so much easier.”

    The Murray Family

  • “Soon after the death of a beloved family member, we had to drop our child off early at Redbud. The teachers knew that this was a hard time for our child and met us out front. They welcomed us with smiles and Miss Karen said, “Would you look at that? It’s a rainbow. I just know it’s going to be a good day and I’m so happy to share it with you.” The teachers made our whole family feel seen, safe, and cared for. Our daughter went with her teachers to start a good day and we left knowing that she felt safe and cared for.”

    Mandy Dawn K.

  • “I recommend Redbud to anyone who asks. I tell parents that Redbud takes a whole child approach. Their kids will feel seen, supported and confident in taking risks in an educational setting. Their kids will be presented with the opportunity to learn at a speed that is right for them, with an approach that takes their strengths and learning styles into consideration and with permission to focus on areas that engage them most. They and their kids will develop life-long friendships through parent-led, community-building events like school clean-up, camping trips, picnics and potlucks, and the famous annual auction. Working together on these events cements the bonds.”

    Emily K.

come visit

Your child will be known, loved, and free to grow here.

Photos only go so far. Come walk the property, meet the director, and watch what a morning here actually looks like. We'd love to show you around.

Book a tour