At Cave Creek Montessori, we’re proud to serve families throughout Carefree, Arizona, as well as nearby communities, offering an authentic Montessori experience close to home. Our Montessori programs support children ages 18 months to 6 years, providing a warm, nurturing environment for families searching for a Montessori school near Carefree that values independence, curiosity, and hands-on learning.

For more than 25 years, our family-owned school has been a trusted choice for families in and around Carefree, offering Toddler, Preschool, Kindergarten, and Summer Enrichment programs. Each classroom is a carefully prepared Montessori environment designed to foster confidence, focus, and a lifelong love of learning.

Rooted deeply in Montessori philosophy and committed to serving Carefree families, we continue to provide the high-quality early childhood education parents trust—year after year.

Cave Creek Montessori | Montessori School in Carefree
Cave Creek Montessori | Montessori School in Carefree

Our youngest learners begin in the Montessori toddler program, where the focus is on social development, language growth, and emerging independence. Every classroom is thoughtfully prepared to meet toddlers where they are — helping them build confidence, concentration, movement, and early social skills. 

Key Features of the Toddler Program:

  • Language – stories read aloud, pre-reading and pre-writing exercises.
  • Math – counting activities, concept of time.
  • Science – plant and animal care (we have goats, horses and a bird at school), nature walks, science experiments, nature walks.
  • Spanish – speaking and song.
  • Visual Arts – drawing, painting, collage-making, sculpture.
  • Music – singing and listening skills.
  • Yoga – promoting health, positive body image, energy, concentration.
  • Life Skills – courtesy and respect, independence, community service, care for environmental.

In our Montessori Preschool Program for children ages 3 to 5, children work in a specially prepared Montessori environment where hands-on, sensory-rich materials guide their exploration. As the website describes:

Key Features of the Preschool Program:

  • Practical life activities — building independence, self-discipline, focus. 
  • Sensorial material — enabling children to refine their perception of color, shape, texture, volume, etc.
  • Language development through stories, poems, games, and Montessori language materials.
  • Math introduced via concrete manipulatives and gradually into abstract concepts. 
  • Children choose their own work, develop concentration, self-regulation, and confidence.

By working in this environment, children age 3–5 lay strong foundations academically, socially, and emotionally — ready to move into the kindergarten level when they’re ready.

Cave Creek Montessori | Montessori School in Carefree
Cave Creek Montessori | Montessori School in Carefree

Our Montessori Kindergarten Program, for ages 5 to 6, builds upon the preschool years and provides deeper academic reasoning, leadership opportunities, and community-building in the classroom. 

Highlights of the Kindergarten Year at Cave Creek Montessori:

  • Leadership roles: children mentor younger classmates, develop patience, empathy, and communication skills. 
  • Academic reasoning: working with Montessori materials in more depth, transitioning into abstract concepts (e.g., essays) and deeper study. 
  • Strong foundation for group work and elementary-school readiness: 
  • Reinforcement of critical learning habits acquired in preschool: concentration, self-reliance, sense of order, love of learning. 

When your child completes kindergarten at Cave Creek Montessori, they are not only academically prepared but socially and emotionally ready for the next step.

At Cave Creek Montessori, summer doesn’t mean learning stops — it means it transforms into an engaging, joyful, exploratory experience. From the website:

Key features:

  • Designed for toddlers (18 months–3 yrs), preschool/kindergarten children (3–6 yrs), and  Elementary (1st – 3rd grade, when offered). 
  • Siblings are welcome, and families with more than one child can take advantage of our multi-child discount.. 
  • Weekly themes, special visitors (animal encounters, bubble parties, science experiments), Water Play Fridays and outdoor fun. 
  • A full Montessori-academic component to keep skills sharp and curiosity growing all summer. 
  • Safe, caring and fun environment so children don’t lose momentum but instead continue to develop joy in learning even during summer months.
Cave Creek Montessori | Montessori School in Carefree
Cave Creek Montessori | Montessori School in Carefree
Cave Creek Montessori | Montessori School in Carefree

Families throughout Cave Creek choose us because we provide:

  • Locally owned and family-run for over 25 years
  • Conveniently located right here in Cave Creek
  • Authentic Montessori education guided by trained Montessori teachers. 
  • Multi-aged classrooms structured to support children’s individual pace and development.
  • A nurturing, community-oriented environment where children feel safe, respected, and excited to learn.
  • Programs for children ages 18 months through Kindergarten, ensuring continuity in early education and smoother transitions between levels.
Cave Creek Montessori | Montessori School in Carefree

Cave Creek Montessori proudly welcomes students from throughout Carefree and the surrounding areas including:

  • Terravita
  • The Boulders
  • Desert Mountain
  • Carefree Hills
  • Carefree Rolling Hills
  • Carefree Foothills
  • Carefree Grand View Estates
  • Sentinel Rock Estates
  • North Carefree
  • and surrounding areas.

Our convenient location and strong reputation make it easy for Carefree families to access high-quality Montessori early education within reach

We Look Forward
to Seeing You

Cave Creek Montessori School Location