ARK About Us

The Ark was founded in 1978,and operates as a ministry of the Los Alamos First United Methodist Church.

Thank you for your interest in your child exploring, playing and learning at the Ark. For information about registration please click here any questions feel free to contact the Ark Office at 505-662-6277. 

The Ark Child Development Center provides child care and preschool services for children from the ages of 6 weeks to 12 years.  The Ark is open to all children who may benefit from our programs, regardless of race, nationality, or creed. Our governing body is the Ark Board.  The Ark is non-profit, non-political, and non-denominational.

The purpose of the Ark is to provide Christian service to the whole family and to foster the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual growth of each child, helping each child to become an independent and unique person.

Children are expected to come to school and be themselves!

Free and guided play are central to the Ark’s learning environment.  The children choose from a variety of hands-on experiences that contribute to growth in the physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and spiritual ways appropriate to their development.  They learn while experimenting and exploring their world through fine- and large- motor, sensory, and creative activities.  Dramatic play, music and story time are ingredients of each day.

We share the facilities of Los Alamos First United Methodist Church and have many small classrooms with low child-to-adult ratios to ensure that children feel loved and are able to learn.  Our large play yard with play structures and the large indoor space of Fellowship Hall offer children a place for large-scale play, no matter what the weather.

Each week we sing and hear Bible stories at chapel.  Celebrations of Christmas and Easter as Christian holidays, as well as special events from other cultures, help children connect with a variety of religious and cultural traditions.