As a parent of a now five year-old daughter, I can appreciate your situation. I also wanted/needed to find a great place as a preschool experience for my daughter when she was younger. And, I love the pre-school so much that she will continuing there for her kindergarten experience as well. They understand the importance of a balanced experience is best -- structure with times for exploration, creativity, and fun within. Little ones need to know that there is consistency to their day.
I realize my response is very late -- I only joined this group recently. But, in case you didn't find the place you hoped for last year or in case others have a similar situation now, I thought I'd offer my response.
I highly recommend you consider ECHO PARK. It is a private, non-profit preschool located on 12 Mile Road just east of Middlebelt in Farmington Hills. It is very close to the Southfield Area. It has a fabulous reputation in Oakland County and has existed for over 45 years! Families from many surrounding communities take their small ones there. Their building is designed specifically for little ones. They focus on providing an amazing school experience for children from Tot through Kindergarten -- with enrichment opportunities that include music, drama, science, Spanish, and more. They have a wonderful staff and understand the importance of social and emotional development as well as academic. Many scheduling options are offered from 2-3 half days through 5 full days. They also offer summer camp which is a fun way to start a child prior to the school year to get them comfortable with being there. You can learn more about them at www.echopark.org or ###-###-####. I'd especially encourage you to visit the school. If your child attends Echo Park, he will have a great start for sure! Hope this is helpful.
