YouTuber mom opens preschool for children to develop variety of skills in ‘great learning environment’
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RIGBY – Kaleigh Carnahan is a parent-advice YouTuber, former kindergarten teacher, mother of four and now founder of Purposeful Play School in Rigby.
Carnahan hosts a family YouTube channel called CarnahanFam with tips for raising children, but that’s not all she does to help kids flourish.
When she taught kindergarten, Carnahan noticed many students starting school without certain life skills. She noticed they lacked critical thinking skills, social skills and most importantly, the confidence to own themselves as learners. Since kindergarteners do not naturally develop these skills on their own, Carnahan wants to fill the gap.
“Everything in the Purposeful Play School is set up to help children develop holistically and develop skills across all of the developmental domains, socially, emotionally, academically,” Carnahan said.
To make the preschool a reality, Carnahan remodeled her basement to hold the class.
“I know I could do it with the basics of my home,” Carnahan said. “But with the right structure, I knew I could really facilitate a great learning environment for my own children, and then to be able to welcome in other children in our community to be able to build on that experience.”
Carnahan has a bachelor’s degree in early childhood and special education. She wanted to find a curriculum that aligned with her understanding of best practices in early childhood education. When she couldn’t find one, she decided to make it herself.
Carnahan will craft her curriculum throughout the first year of Purposeful Play School. As she completes each unit, she will make it available digitally for parents around the world.
“I want to make holistic, well-rounded, quality early childhood education experiences accessible to all families,” Carnahan said.
She aims to foster growth through play-based learning. She says kids will leave her preschool well prepared for kindergarten, but that’s a byproduct, not the focus.
“Children are entirely unique, and therefore so should their learning experience be,” Carnahan said.
Throughout the school year, children will go through units focusing on answering a big question. For example, the first unit is about families. One of the big questions will be, “What makes a family special?” Carnahan then guides children through big questions with playful activities, like discussing a family home while playing with blocks.
The Purposeful Play School year starts Monday. Its hours are Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon, with part-time options for two days a week. Every other Friday, kids can go on an optional field trip or showcase for parents.
For more information about the Purposeful Play School, visit its website.