4 Alternatives to Private Preschool

As a mom, I want my preschool-age daughter to have the best education she can possibly get. I want her to have an education that fosters her emotional, social and intellectual development. However, when I looked into the costs of preschools in my area, all the best choices cost thousands of dollars per year -- enough to take a significant bite out of my relatively modest income. Although I can justify the expense when my daughter is a bit older, I don't think it's reasonable to foot the expense at this point in her development.

However, life without an expensive private preschool doesn't have to mean that your child's early education is compromised. There are several affordable, beneficial alternatives to conventional schooling. Here are a few budget-friendly alternatives to a year of private preschool tuition.

1. Museum Membership

The cost of a year-long membership to a museum might look overwhelming at first, but it is extremely affordable when compared with annual tuition at a private preschool. In my own town, I found that a museum membership cost only $85 annually, while a year of tuition at the best preschool in my area weighed in at over $5,000. Many children's museums have daily or weekly story-times, playgroups, craft fairs and other educational opportunities. Your child can get all the benefits of private preschool at only a tiny fraction of the cost.

2. Local Library

Almost all libraries offer free membership to local children, which includes storytime at least once per week. In most towns, preschool story days include crafts, games, social opportunities and other educational adventures. This is an extremely affordable alternative to preschool -- in fact, it is ultimately free. Library storytimes are also an excellent transitional step for preschool-age kids who are not emotionally prepared for the independence of parent-less preschool.

3. Private Lessons

The goal of preschool isn't just to teach colors, shapes, letters, and numbers -- it's also to teach kids how to follow directions and interact with other children. Private lessons in a specific area, such as martial arts, visual art, dance, or music can give kids the social and emotional benefits of preschool while honing a specific set of skills. Private lessons may seem dauntingly expensive, but they are usually only a few hundred dollars per year; again, a tiny fraction of the fees associated with a year of private preschool tuition.

4. Play Group

Preschoolers need social interaction with same-age peers, and they can get this through parent-organized playgroups just as easily as they can get it from formal preschooling. If you know parents in your area who have a child in the same age group as yours, simply arrange to get the kids together at the park, playground, library or museum on a weekly or biweekly basis. This can allow your child to reap the social opportunities associated with preschooling -- even if it leaves reading, writing, and 'rithmatic up to you.

5. Public Options

Depending on your income, your child may qualify for a government-funded preschool program such as Head Start. Preschoolers with special needs often qualify for high-quality, individualized preschool through state or federal programs, while other areas have public preschool for children of all levels of ability. For parents pressed for time and money, these can be excellent, free alternatives to private preschool programs, and often grant a similar quality of care and attention for individual students.