Preschool Serving Waltham, MA | Auburndale Community Nursery School
Looking for a trusted preschool near Waltham, MA? Just across the Charles River in Newton’s Auburndale neighborhood, Auburndale Community Nursery School offers play-based early childhood education, certified teachers, flexible schedules, and a nurturing environment for children ages 2.9 through Pre-K.
Why Waltham Families Choose ACNS
Waltham families have been part of the ACNS community for decades. Our Auburndale school is only minutes from Waltham’s South Side, Moody Street, and the neighborhoods around Prospect Hill, making us one of the most convenient play-based preschools for Waltham parents.
Families tell us they appreciate the balance we strike: a small, warm community school with experienced teachers, paired with hourly childcare that works for parents employed at Waltham’s many companies along Route 128 and Totten Pond Road.
- A play-based curriculum with real learning outcomes
- Five classrooms, each with Massachusetts EEC-certified teachers
- 2, 3, or 5 morning options for younger preschoolers; 5 mornings for Pre-K
- Flexible daycare billed by the hour — ideal for Waltham commuters
- More than 45 years of experience caring for young children in Newton
A Play-Based Preschool Close to Waltham
Young children learn by doing. At Auburndale Community Nursery School, play is not a break from learning — it is how learning happens. When children build with blocks, paint at the easel, act out stories in the dramatic-play corner, or dig in the sandbox, they are practicing communication, cooperation, problem-solving, and persistence.
Our teachers carefully plan each classroom so that every area invites exploration, and they join children’s play to extend their thinking with questions and new materials. The result is a preschool experience that feels joyful to children and gives Waltham parents confidence that real growth is happening every day. Read more about our philosophy on the Our Philosophy page and our approach to early childhood education.
Daily routines help children feel secure, open-ended play invites creativity, group activities build cooperation, and outdoor time connects children with nature. This balance of structure and freedom lets each child develop academically, socially, and emotionally at their own pace.
Classrooms for Every Stage
Pony Class
2.9 to young 3s
2, 3, or 5 mornings (9am–12pm)
Teddy Bear Class
Older 3s
2, 3, or 5 mornings (9am–12pm)
Bunny Class
Young 4s
Preschool mornings (9am–12pm)
Dinosaur Class
Pre-K
5 mornings (9am–12pm)
Penguin Class
Pre-K
5 mornings (9am–12pm)
What Children Learn at ACNS
Parents in Waltham often ask what a typical morning looks like and what their child will gain. Across our classrooms, children develop:
- Social skills — making friends, sharing, taking turns, and resolving conflicts with words
- Emotional skills — naming feelings, building resilience, and growing independence
- Language and early literacy — stories, songs, rhymes, and letter-sound awareness
- Math thinking — counting, sorting, patterns, and measuring through play
- Creativity — art, music, movement, and imaginative play
- Physical development — outdoor play for big muscles and art and puzzles for small ones
Social-Emotional Growth for Waltham Preschoolers
Before children can focus on letters and numbers, they need to feel safe, connected, and capable. That’s why social-emotional learning is woven through every part of the ACNS day. Teachers help children name their feelings, calm their bodies, ask for help, and see a friend’s point of view. At snack, children practice conversation and patience; in the block corner, they negotiate and share; on the playground, they include others in their games. Waltham parents often tell us these are the changes they notice first at home — a child who uses words instead of tears, offers to help a sibling, or proudly puts on their own jacket.
Kindergarten Readiness for Waltham Children
Our Pre-K classrooms meet five mornings a week and focus on the skills kindergarten teachers value most: following multi-step directions, recognizing letters and sounds, early number sense, fine motor control for writing, and the self-regulation to participate in group learning. We help children build the independence and early academic foundations that support a confident start in Waltham Public Schools kindergarten.
Because our approach remains play-based, children build these skills with excitement rather than pressure. Graduates head to kindergarten confident, curious, and ready. Learn more on our Preschool Program page.
A Typical Morning at ACNS
Our mornings have a warm, familiar rhythm, with plenty of room to play, explore, create, and connect. While every day is a little different, here's a peek at what a morning at ACNS might include.
Flexible Daycare for Waltham Families
Many Waltham parents juggle commutes, hybrid work, and busy family calendars. That’s why ACNS offers flexible daycare before preschool from 8:00–9:00am and after preschool from 12:00–5:30pm. You are billed only for the hours you use at $20 per hour, so you can plan around your real week instead of paying for time you don’t need. Afternoons include lunch, rest, projects, outdoor play, and themed activities like Yoga Monday and Friday Dance Party. See current rates on our Tuition Schedule.
Getting to ACNS from Waltham
From downtown Waltham, it’s roughly a 10-minute drive via Newton Street or Crescent Street and across the river into Auburndale. Parents working near Route 128 or Winter Street can hop down to Central Street easily, and the Mass Pike is nearby for those commuting into Boston.
Waltham parents looking for a traditional nursery school experience may also like our page on our nursery school serving Waltham, MA.
A True Community Nursery School
ACNS is a community nursery school, and families are an essential part of it. Parents are welcome to volunteer, share family traditions, and join us for events throughout the year — from the Halloween Parade and Thanksgiving Feast to Literacy Month, when parents and grandparents visit to read aloud, and our Spring Art Show and performance. Families from Waltham quickly find a warm, welcoming network of other parents.
Enrollment & Next Steps
Enrollment typically begins in early winter for the following school year, and spaces fill quickly. To get started:
- Request a tour to see classrooms in action
- Review our Tuition Schedule and ACNS School Calendar
- Meet our educators
- Explore our Summer Preschool Program
Other Communities We Serve
Browse all the areas we serve around Newton.
Visit Our Preschool Near Waltham
We’d love to show you around. Request a tour to meet our teachers and see why families from Waltham and across the area choose ACNS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is your preschool close to Waltham, MA?
Yes — ACNS is in Auburndale, just across the Charles River from Waltham, about 10 minutes from downtown.
What makes your preschool different?
Two EEC-certified teachers in every classroom, a play-based curriculum refined over 45+ years, and hourly flexible daycare.
What ages do you accept?
We welcome children from approximately 2 years 9 months through Pre-K.
What curriculum do you use?
We use a play-based curriculum with intentional learning goals in literacy, math, social-emotional growth, and physical development. See Our Program.
Do you offer flexible schedules?
Yes. Younger classes offer 2, 3, or 5 mornings, and hourly flexible daycare is available 8:00am–9:00am and 12:00pm–5:30pm.
How do I request a tour?
Call (617) 527-0723, email info@acnsnewton.org, or use our contact page.
Contact Us
We would love to meet your family. Call, email, or send us a note to request a tour of our Auburndale classrooms, ask about openings, or learn more about preschool, Pre-K, and flexible daycare in Newton, MA.
- 230 Central Street, Newton, MA 02466
- (617) 527-0723
- info@acnsnewton.org
- Preschool 9:00am–12:00pm, Mon–Fri · Flex childcare 8:00am–9:00am and 12:00pm–5:30pm