Casa Lala offers year-round programs that feel like home whenever schools are not in session. This includes aftercare, holidays, summer camps, professional development days, spring break and special events. We also have a wonderful Montessori daycare,
Programs are bilingual and inspired in the Montessori and Reggio Emilia methodologies.
How it started.
Marcela Tampe, or simply “Lala” as the children call her, opened Casa Lala over 13 years ago in her own home. At the time already an AMI Montessori teacher, Casa Lala was born out of the strong demand by parents to have after-school and holiday programs where children would feel ‘at home’.
Philosophy
Activities are based on the Montessori and Reggio Emilia philosophies, and are culturally minded with a focus on community connection: cooking, dancing, creating, exploring nature… we are outdoors as much as possible, and use nature as well as the city we live in as our greatest classroom.
“DC IS OUR CLASSROOM” is our signature program of discovering the wonderful city we live in, and learning to love it as well as the people who inhabit it. We hop on our Juanchas (Casa Lala’s music filled, colorful vans) and set to explore with our amigos: farms, museums, parks, splash pads, monuments…
From the Reggio Emilia methodology we also implement varied workshops, from capoeira to pottery.
Culture
Every Casa Lala team member is fully bilingual (Spanish/English).
We are joyful, loud, and friendly.
We mix our ‘latin flavor’ with a strong Montessori background. This translates into a deep respect for the child, a team that knows how to observe and follow the child, how to link the right activities and materials for their stages of development, igniting curiosity and learning, and do so using a lot of joy, music, and color.
At Casa Lala we let children be children. We give them space and opportunities to run, jump, climb, get their feet wet and hands dirty.
Casa Lala is a community, and we strive to support our families as much as they support us. We like to create community events to bring families together, and support local talents.