Welcome to

Mrs. Durgin's Playcare

Where your children happily run inside
and never want to leave!

Located in Petaluma, CA

Close to Meadow Elementary School

Our Playcare Philosophy

At Mr.s Durgin's playcare, I provide your child with loving care, understanding, patience and guidance in a happy family setting. We offer age appropriate activities and a flexible schedule catered to our children's' unique needs. Children literally run in each day and when their parents come to pick them up they don't want to leave.

With advice from professional educators and Occupational Therapists, we offer preschool curriculum to help facilitate development of social skills as well as large and small motor skills. When doing arts and crafts our focus is always on the process and having fun, rather than the final product. Activities are tailored to your child's age, interest, and ability. We value imagination and read a lot of books to the kids. We also do arts and crafts, bubbles, sand play, water play, dancing, story telling, riding big wheels, and more!

It is here that children begin developing important skills they will use for the rest of their lives. We believe that free play is also an important part of a child's early years and make sure that is a part of every day.

We serve family style dining and fresh healthy food. We have cots for nap time (assigned to each child and cleaned weekly) and for children who don't nap we have restful quiet time.

We are currently welcoming new families.

Take a Glimpse at
Our Curriculum

Mother Goose Time: Early Learning

Mother Goose Time is a professionally designed preschool curriculum for use in schools, home playcares, and chilldcare centers. Our nationally recognized curriculum nurtures the whole child and supports the child's social, emotional, physical and intellectual growth. Inspire a joy for learning as you and your children explore our monthly themes.

Mat Man: Learning Without Tears

Mat Man is a friendly and fun friend who teaches kids through music, building, playing, and story. Before children start writing, there are important concepts that need to be mastered to make writing easier for the children to learn. These early concepts, or readiness skills, include size recognition, placement, and sequence skills. Made from wood, Mat Man is part of Handwriting Without Tears® and the Pre-k program Get Set for School™ curriculum that teaches skills, promotes body awareness, socializing, and sharing.

Example Schedule

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8:00am
8:30am
9:30am
10:30am
10:45am
12:30pm
1:00pm

3:30pm

4:30pm

Breakfast and clean up. Toilet time.
Circle time, question of the day
Crafts. Toilet Time.
Outside play/Snack time
Lunch and clean up. Toilet Time.
Slow down and Quiet Time.
Rest Time.

Afternoon Snack. Toilet Time. Study Time for older children. Story
Time, puzzles, coloring, games.
Clean up time and get ready to go home.

Meet Mrs. Durgin & Tom

Hello, I'm Debra and my husband is Tom. Our greatest joy has been our four grandchildren, which we have had the honor to be a great part of our lives. We got to walk my oldest to school everyday from Kindergarten through 6th grade and volunteered when ever needed. We have been blessed to be within walking distance and see them almost everyday, and got to take them on Friday Adventures every summer vacation, and all the other time off throughout the year.

Now that they are leaving the state my husband and I thought how can we still be a part of little people's lives? That's when we decided to open a daycare. When all is said and done the best thing I can leave behind is the love and caring of little people.

This past year really took a toll on all of us. It wasn't easy with so much change, but I channeled my energy into helping others so the most vulnerable in our community could have enough food, transportation, shelter, and love during this hard time. Click here to read about my story on Petaluma 360. Tom has been a contractor in the area since 1992 and continues to work on small projects when he isn't working with me at the playcare. We are both certified in first aid and CPR.

*Photos of us and our grandchildren

What Parents are Saying

“Mrs. Durgin's daycare is great! She quickly got my daughter in and has treated her like family. She is overly accommodating when it comes to food (makes my picky eater breakfast) and Audrey is always excited to go back for the next project! Finding her was a blessing and I highly recommend her!"

Jessica, Audrey's Mom