Our History

Christopher Robin has always been a family run school. In 1960, Vera Sandler, mother and grandmother to current co-directors Susan Huber and Elizabeth de Roo, purchased a small preschool and named it after the beloved A.A. Milne character Christopher Robin. With just a set of blocks and a few children’s books, she set out to create a nurturing and caring place where children could spend their day engaged in playful learning experiences. Vera spent her time cultivating the perfect environment, building shelves, painting cubbies, and making new toys for the children.

In 1977, Christopher Robin relocated to its current location with Vera’s daughter, Susan Huber, at the helm. In 2003, Susan’s daughter, Elizabeth de Roo, joined the team at Christopher Robin. Elizabeth spent her childhood at Christopher Robin as a student and summer helper. After living and teaching in the Bay Area for many years, she returned to CR, bringing with her many innovative educational ideas.

Most recently, in 2012, the school opened a brand new campus for its oldest and youngest children across the street. Together, Susan and Elizabeth honor Vera’s original vision to allow for meaningful learning experiences through play.

CRPS

Christopher Robin is a licensed childcare facility located in a quiet residential neighborhood in the heart of Los Angeles, just north of Melrose Avenue. Our campus is shared between two separate buildings on the same block at 815 and 848 North Alta Vista Blvd. Our toddler classes and Transitional Kindergarten are held in our newest building at 848. Our classes for three and four-year-olds are held in our original campus at 815.

Both buildings provide ample shaded outdoor space, thoughtfully designed to encourage creative play. In addition, both buildings have dedicated art studios and full kitchens where healthy snacks are prepared daily. We have a flourishing edible garden at 815 and children participate in weekly gardening classes where they plant new seeds, harvest fruits and vegetables, and make observations about the natural environment.

CRPS Cole Campus

In November of 2023 a new Christopher Robin Preschool campus was inaugurated when the former Sunshine Shack school at 1027 Cole Street officially became Christopher Robin East –the happy result of a great amount of planning and infusion of resources. The Sunshine Shack, established in 2005, had been on a path similar to ours, informed by a philosophy which prized collaboration, connection, playful social-contructivist learning, an meaningful investigations. Eventually the paths met, and our two schools formed a pedagogical partnership. Now the two have become one with the Cole Street and Alta Vista campuses just a little over a mile apart from each other, and with teachers and staff of both sites learning and growing together along the way.