About Playgarden Prep

Our Mission

Playgarden Prep is dedicated to creating a nurturing and inclusive environment where every child is celebrated for their unique strengths and abilities. We focus on whole-child development, fostering social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth, while building a strong academic foundation through engaging, innovative learning experiences. By embracing diversity and cultivating a strong sense of community, we inspire a lifelong love of learning, encouraging each child to explore, create, and grow with confidence and curiosity.

Our Story

Since our founding, Playgarden has focused on creating educational and developmental programs for the earliest learners. Our schools and education centers use a combination of Montessori-inspired curriculum, tailored songs and language curriculum, and other popular learning methods such as Reggio-Emilia, Waldorf, High Scope, and Play-Based learning.
Playgarden was founded in 2007 in Tribeca. The founders—Amanda, Valeska, and Carlos—were looking for a large indoor space to create clean, safe space for young children to learn and play in New York City. Tribeca, with its old warehouses, provided a great opportunity to convert an 8,000 square foot space with 11 ft ceilings, skylights, and oversized windows into a space where children could grow though unstructured play in the largest indoor playground in the city! Over the years we have expanded our offerings; in addition to being home to NYC’s largest indoor playground, our Tribeca location also offers programs for children ages 1 to 5 years old which include Preschool and Pre-k, Learning Pods, Enrichment Classes, and Afterschool Programs.
We opened our Upper East Side Preschool on 96th and Madison Ave. in 2017 to focus exclusively on formal early learning, tailoring the space to create a nurturing, enriching Preschool/Pre-K environment. In 2019, we began working on providing access to our early education programs online, starting with our in-person students in the spring of 2020, and made available to the world that fall. In 2023, we opened the doors for our third in-person learning center, located at Park Ave. and 86th Street; in 2026, we opened our fourth in-person school at Amsterdam Ave. and 89th Street.

For over 15 years, Playgarden has focused on creating educational and developmental programs for the youngest children. Through the expertise of certified teachers, physical and cognitive therapists, special needs educators, and visual/musical artists, we have continued to develop award-winning educational programs for children ages 18 months to 6 years.

From one Tribeca warehouse to a city full of classrooms

Founded in 2007 by Amanda, Valeska, and Carlos, Playgarden began as a search for a clean, safe indoor space for young children to learn and play in New York City.

2007

Tribeca founded

8,000 sq ft, NYC's largest indoor playground

2017

UES — Madison Ave

Preschool & Pre-K opens on 96th Street

2019

Playgarden Online

Early-education programs go digital

2023

Park Avenue Lab

Third in-person learning center opens

2026

Upper West Side

Fourth location, Amsterdam & 89th

Our Team

All NYC

Elizabeth Gilliard

Head of Schools

Miss Beth is an early childhood educator who is dedicated to creating meaningful educational experiences for her Playgarden Prep students. She is the Head of Schools for Playgarden Prep’s in-person locations in New York City, and has worked as a lead teacher for both Pre-K and preschool classes at Playgarden since 2016. Once described by a parent as a modern-day Mr. Rogers, she is also a fan favorite of our Playgarden Online students! When not teaching, filming video lessons, speaking at Webinars, or creating curriculum, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family. She holds a BA in Psychology with focus on Child Development and a Minor in Anthropology, a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education (Birth to 2nd Grade), a NYS Teaching Certification (Birth through 2nd Grade), and is currently studying

Miss Beth loves teaching, and is so grateful for all of the little humans who have made an impact on her.

Tribeca

Megan Sanchez

Education Director — Tribeca

Miss Mae has a deep passion for children’s growth, safety, and learning. She thrives in supporting children and their families during their first educational experiences. Formerly a Kindergarten Teacher for six years, Miss Mae is now excited to be a part of the Playgarden Prep Team as Education Director! Miss Mae holds a Double Bachelor's in Psychology and Women's & Gender Studies. She is Special Education Certified and holds a NYS Teaching Certification (Grades 1-6), and an Associate's in Early Children Education (Birth through 2nd grade).

Outside of school, Miss Mae enjoys creating new and fun experiences with her toddler, reading books, and spending time with friends and family.

Upper West Side

Claire Aziz

Education Director — UWS

Miss Claire brings over a decade of early childhood expertise to Playgarden's newest location on the Upper West Side. A graduate of Bank Street College of Education with a Master's in Early Childhood Education, she has led curriculum development and teacher training across several of New York City's most respected early learning programs.

Since joining Playgarden in 2025, Miss Claire has been instrumental in building the UWS community from the ground up — shaping the classroom environment, mentoring the teaching team, and ensuring that every family feels the Playgarden difference from day one.

UES — Madison

Leslie Nuez

Education Director — Madison Ave (UES)

Miss Leslie is the Lead Teacher and Educational Director at Playgarden Prep Madison Avenue. She holds a New York State Teaching Certification for Birth through 2nd Grade and earned her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education. Miss Leslie is currently pursuing her master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), further deepening her expertise in supporting diverse learners.

Since joining Playgarden Prep in September 2023 as a Lead Teacher, Miss Leslie has grown into her role as Educational Director, where she brings both leadership and creativity to the school community. With two years of experience in a Montessori setting, she has thoughtfully integrated Montessori-inspired practices into the classroom and developed a customized alphabet curriculum for Playgarden.

Outside of school, Miss Leslie enjoys reading, crafting, and spending quality time with her friends and family.

UES — Park Ave

Imalay Aguilar

Education Director — Park Ave (UES)

With more than 10 years of experience working with children, Miss Ima began her journey in education at just 18 years old and has since dedicated her career to creating nurturing, engaging, and developmentally rich learning environments for young learners.

Since joining Playgarden Prep in 2021 as a Lead Teacher, Miss Ima has worked with children across all age groups, from 2-year-olds through Pre-K. Her passion for early childhood education and curriculum development also led her to serve as a Curriculum Specialist, teaching across all Playgarden Prep locations. She also helped launch the Spanish Immersion Program, supporting bilingual learning and cultural enrichment within the Playgarden community.nnIn 2026, Miss Ima began serving as the Educational Director for the Park Avenue location while continuing her work as a lead teacher. She is passionate about fostering meaningful connections with children, families, and educators, and is committed to creating joyful, inclusive learning experiences for every student. Miss Ima holds an Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Spanish Literature, and is excited to continue her educational journey as she pursues her Master’s degree.

Outside of the classroom, Miss Ima enjoys spending quality time with her son, fiancée, and family. She loves arts and crafts, and exploring new places.

Company-wide

Lucy Myrtue

Managing Director

Miss Lucy grew up in the education world; having been raised by two teachers, she always found herself at ease in a school environment, and was happy to find a community with Playgarden after moving to New York City from Nebraska eight years ago. Since joining the company in 2015 as a part-time employee, Lucy is now a vital part of the management team. She is responsible for overseeing in-location and online staffing, class schedules, and general curriculum guidance for lessons, activities, zooms, and other content creation. Lucy wears many hats and works closely with each team across the technology, marketing, and customer engagement departments—as well as directly with PG’s founders—to ensure that needs are being met for students and teachers alike.

When the pandemic began in March 2020, she played an integral role in the launch of Playgarden Online, and continues to oversee and guide the team to ensure the platform runs smoothly for students across the country. She loves working with the Playgarden team, and finds daily inspiration from their teachers and educators! Miss Lucy holds a BS in K-12 Art Education and a BFA in Theatre and Performing Arts with a Minor in Art.

Lucy is passionate about bringing in and evolving the curriculum, and looks forward to sharing Playgarden’s early education philosophies even beyond New York City—to small towns and communities like the one she grew up in.

Tribeca + UWS

Brittany Lucas

Facilities Manager & Site Director

Miss Brittany has worked closely with children ranging in age from newborn to seven years old. She has taken on various roles, from children’s events to their first introduction to a classroom setting. She is the Site Director for Playgarden Prep at our Tribeca and Upper West Side locations, and has worked in similar positions for over ten years! Prior to working at Playgarden, Miss Brittany was the Director of Member Services and Parties & Events Coordinator at Kidville Inc., and Administrator at Scholastic Corporation. She holds a BS in Speech Language Pathology & Audiology. Outside of PG, she enjoys creating fun-filled at-home parties for her niece and nephew.

Miss Brittany values a strong sense of community, and strives to bring warmth, care, and compassion to work every day; she hopes to encourage such traits in the kiddos as well!

All locations

Skylar Gamble

Enrichment Director

Mr. Skylar has been with Playgarden Prep since 2018, starting out as a front desk attendant and growing into the roles of Teacher, Enrichment Director, and Training/Curriculum Specialist—he truly does it all! Mr. Skylar studied Musical Theatre at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, and his training as a performer has carried into the classroom where he has helped to incorporate music throughout Playgarden’s curriculum.

With over 10 years of classroom and child care experience, Mr. Skylar found a deep passion for education while teaching at Playgarden Prep through watching all of his students grow and develop throughout the years. Mr. Skylar’s favorite subjects are music, reading and social studies.

Outside of school, he works in the performing and creative arts as an actor, singer and songwriter.

Find a Location