Early Morning
Circle TimeEach day begins with a warm welcome as children gather to build a strong sense of community and belonging.
The Leader in Early Education and Care®
Hours & Location
M-F 7:00 am-6:00 pmAccreditation
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Early Education and Care in Philadelphia, PA
Our school is more than a daycare. Through purposeful play and nurturing guidance, we help lay the foundation for a lifelong love of learning. Right down the road from JFK Plaza and Philadelphia City Hall, we are conveniently located on Market Street. Come by and see Balanced Learning® in action.
Every Moment Matters
- The components of our Balanced Learning® approach are intentionally aligned to create developmentally appropriate learning experiences.
- Your child will stay engaged all day with the right balance of child-initiated and teacher-guided learning experiences.
- Our students learn the foundational skills to develop Active Minds, Healthy Bodies, and Happy Hearts® that will forge a path to a brighter future.
A Day in The Life at Primrose
Mid-Morning
Noggin Joggin’Through thought-provoking discussions, children are encouraged to wonder, predict and think critically.
Late Morning
Harmony & HeartChildren discover the joy of music, melody and self-expression as they sing, dance and play instruments.
Early Afternoon
Small GroupTeachers build meaningful relationships while offering individualized support, encouragement and challenges.
Early Afternoon
Wonder TimesWonder students explore concepts through hands-on investigations, thoughtful conversations, songs and more.
Mid-Afternoon
Small Group LiteracyVenture students find their voice and express their ideas through drawing, writing, storytelling and bookmaking.
Late-Afternoon
Thumbs Up!Children build coordination, balance and body awareness while practicing teamwork and healthy habits.
Late-Afternoon
Reflections of the DayChildren come together to celebrate their learning, share discoveries and reflect on the day’s experiences.
Franchise Owners
Allison P. Wilson-Maher and John F. Maher
Education has been a lifelong passion for Allison, as a first-generation college graduate, and John, who comes from a family of educators. In a dual-career household, we struggled to find a good match for our family that would address both our son’s educational and social-emotional development needs as well as our own need for convenience and the high-quality it takes to feel good about entrusting our child to someone else’s care. We live near Graduate Hospital (Penn Medicine at Rittenhouse), and we know that many of our friends and neighbors have faced the same challenges.
Allison is originally from Georgia, which is the birthplace of Primrose more than 30 years ago, and she knew that Primrose is everything we want for our son and his friends—an inquiry-based learning environment, true character development, and support for our other passion, health and wellness. At Primrose, we call that Active Minds, Healthy Bodies and Happy Hearts. We waited for five long years to find the perfect place to bring the Primrose Experience, which is everything we’d been looking for, to families in Center City Philadelphia, and it finally arrived in the summer of 2016. Now 9+ years in the making, Primrose School of Center City Philadelphia has become the preschool of choice for many in our area.
We invite you to join us on this incredible journey as we open our school at 1635 Market Street, First Floor Plaza Entrance, Philadelphia, PA 19103. We are glad to meet with you personally, or feel free to join one of our parent information meetings in the coming months. Contact us by pressing the “Schedule a Tour” button on our home page today, or email us directly at:
jmaher@primrosecentercity.com.
All the best,
Allison Wilson-Maher and John Maher
Gallery
Front Entrance
NOW ENROLLING!
Front Entrance
Front Lobby
Infant Classroom
Toddler Classroom
Indoor Play Space With Firetruck!
Firetruck
Preschool Classroom
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all staff members background-checked and CPR/first-aid certified?
Yes. Every Primrose staff member undergoes a thorough background check before joining our school. All staff are also CPR and first–aid certified, so you can feel confident your child is in safe, prepared hands every day.
What curriculum or educational philosophy do you follow?
Our school uses the proprietary Primrose Schools Balanced Learning® curriculum, which is research-informed and designed to nurture the whole child — intellectually, socially, emotionally and physically. We believe in balancing teacher-guided learning with purposeful play to build a strong foundation for the future.
How do you support school readiness and the transition to kindergarten?
All of our programs are designed in age-appropriate ways to prepare children for kindergarten and beyond. We focus on early literacy and numeracy as well as social-emotional skill development — so children arrive at kindergarten confident and ready to thrive. 96% of Primrose Schools Pre-K students met ASQ benchmarks for problem solving.*
What are your hours of operation?
We are open Monday through Friday from 7:00 am-6:00 pm.
How do you keep parents informed about their child's day?
Connecting school to home is one of the ways we help children thrive. We use the Procare app to share daily updates and photos so you stay connected to your child’s joy, learning and special moments
