Here’s the surprising fact that made me spit out my latte: Wolfson Court is in Cambridge, UK, a city famous for brainy professors and ancient pubs. So naturally, the preschool has a “STEM lab” for three-year-olds. Yes, your jam-handed tot could be learning the basics of physics while trying to eat a Lego.
But don’t panic—they still play. The outdoor area has a mud kitchen that looks like a prehistoric cooking show. Kids stir “soup” made of grass and rain, which is probably more nutritious than my actual dinner.
The “I Can’t Believe They Do That” Moments
One parent told me her child came home and casually mentioned “talking about dopamine.” I thought she meant a new Pokémon. Nope—the preschool actually teaches emotion regulation using science words that sound made-up. “Our amygdala feels big,” a four-year-old explained to me, straight-faced. I’ve been in therapy for years and still can’t say that.
Also, they have a forest school program. That’s right—urban kids waddle into a nearby woodland to hug trees and identify bugs. One dad said his son now calls dandelions “nature’s confetti.” I call them “lawn terrorists,” so clearly the preschool is winning.
