About Building Blocks

Built on a dream.
Sustained by trust.

For nearly three decades, Building Blocks has been more than a preschool. It has been a community built around the belief that children deserve to learn in a place that feels thoughtful, joyful, and deeply caring.

Our History

A dream that opened its
doors in 1997

Building Blocks was founded in 1997, but the vision began much earlier. As a young student, founder Kristi already knew exactly what she wanted to build: a child care center where children could learn and be happy.

When the time came to bring that vision to life, she did not just open a preschool. She created a place designed to support children, families, and staff in ways that would last.

Opening Day
August 4, 1997
Building Blocks Preschool building in Lenexa, KS
28
Years of Loving,
Learning, & Growing
The Founder Story

Started with a crayon drawing

"Own a Child Care Center where children can learn and be happy."
Nearly 30 years of Loving, Learning, & Growing.

One of the most memorable parts of the Building Blocks story is how tangible the dream was from the beginning. An architect came to Kristi's house, and she pulled out a piece of paper and a crayon to sketch the floor plan she had been carrying in her mind.

Two weeks later, that drawing became the blueprint for the little white brick building families still know today.

This is more than a charming origin story. It says something true about Building Blocks: the center was imagined with intention from the start.

The Space

A place built with purpose

Building Blocks still operates in the building created at the very beginning of the school's story. The environment itself reflects a belief that space shapes experience, and that children flourish in places designed with care.

Building Blocks Preschool community of teachers and children
Continuing the Legacy

The legacy continues

Kristi's vision does not belong to one moment or one person. It belongs to the community that has grown around Building Blocks over the years. Under the current ownership of Amanda Day and a team that has grown into a family, the original values of Building Blocks continue forward with the same pride and intentionality that shaped them from the beginning.

The names on the door may evolve. The commitment to children and families does not.

What Guides Us

What guides the way we care for children

Everything at Building Blocks flows from a set of convictions about childhood, learning, and family partnership.

01

Play is the work of childhood

We believe play is not a reward for learning. It is how children learn. Through block towers, dramatic stories, messy experiments, movement, and collaborative games, children build language, problem-solving, math skills, and social awareness.

02

Every child is already a capable person

We do not see young children as future learners in training. They are thinkers, creators, and meaning-makers right now. We honor their questions, follow their curiosity, and resist rushing toward outcomes before a child is ready.

03

Parents are essential partners

Parents are a child's first and most important teacher. We communicate openly, listen carefully, and work hard to earn and keep family trust.

04

Independence matters

Confidence is built in small moments: pouring water, zipping a coat, solving a problem, trying again, and learning to work through frustration with support nearby.

05

Readiness is bigger than academics alone

Letters and numbers matter, and we teach them. But true kindergarten readiness also includes curiosity, resilience, confidence, and the belief that learning is a place where good things happen.

06

Belonging changes everything

Children thrive when they feel known. We work to build classrooms where kindness is modeled, differences are welcomed, and friendship becomes part of the foundation of learning.

Our Hope

What we hope every child carries forward

We want children to leave Building Blocks with lasting friendships, strong self-esteem, joyful memories of learning, and the readiness to step confidently into kindergarten.

Why Families Stay

Why families stay and
refer others

Families choose Building Blocks because they are looking for a preschool. They stay because of the people, the trust, and the way the center feels. The combination of long-tenured staff, open communication, thoughtful programming, and genuine care is what makes the experience last.

See what Building Blocks feels like in person

Reading about a school helps. Visiting makes it real.