Celebrating Childhood
Art, Music, Movement

about us

Hopscotch was started in 2007 to expose young children to art, music, and movement activities. Initially working with the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Council in North Clairemont to re-establish the Tiny Tots program there in 2007, we started offering classes at the Carmel Valley Community Center in September 2011. In addition to our City of San Diego Tiny Tots, we offer free 30-minute sessions at several public libraries, but are currently on "pause" with these activities due to pandemic restricitons.

With more than twenty years of experience working with children, I am very excited to work with you and your child on creative art, music, movement, simple science, and more!

- Kimberly Mann Bruch

Kim and Her Youngest Tiny TotKimberly Mann Bruch. Kim was a nanny and babysitter for many years in Kentucky and Wyoming prior to moving to San Diego. She has a BA (1994) from Western Kentucky University and an MA (2002) from San Diego State University. She is CPR and First-Aid certified, holds a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate, and regularly attends local community college childhood development classes to continue her education on best practices in early childhood education programs.

She has worked with young children in an array of educational settings - ranging from Tiny Tots classes at City of San Diego Recreation Centers and Public Libraries to science/history outreach sessions at local Native American Learning Centers and National Park Service sites. In addition to running Hopscotch San Diego, she works with several National Science Foundation research projects at UC San Diego; a few years ago, she worked on the NASA-funded California Space Grant Consortium and loves sharing space studies with the Tiny Tots!

In conjunction with earning her TEFL certificate, Kim worked with a British organization called Frontier and taught English to young children in Fiji, where the native language is Fijian, and was named Volunteer of the Week for her efforts there (December 2015). Her next overseas teaching adventure took place in Summer 2016 in a small Costa Rican village and she was happy to implement lessons learned upon returning to San Diego!

Born in Tennessee and raised in Kentucky, Kim has lived in San Diego since 1998. For fun, she enjoys spending time with family/friends, hosting international students, playing the piano, exploring the tidepools, baking banana bread, crocheting/sewing/handcrafts, trail/beach running, and listening to an array of music ranging from Americana to the blues. And, she really likes chocolate. :)

Contact. Email kimbruch@yahoo.com or call 858-336-0053.

Video. Check out the Hopscotch San Diego slideshow to learn more about us!

Parent Feedback. We asked parents to give us some comments on the class. Here's what they had to say:

"My two girls attended to Hopscotch until pre-K since they were 2.5 years old. They are still singing, humming and whistling songs that they learn at Hopscotch. Hopscotch helps to develop children's social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth in safety and natural environment. Most of all, all staffs love children and make them feeling happy and fun just like at home. I love the Hopscotch and strongly recommend!" -Parent, May 2021

I am a Chinese mom with a 4.5 years old girl, my daughter went to Ms. Kim's preschool since she was 3, I can't say how much I appreciate Ms. Kim and thankful for her of her caring and patient and loving for kids, my daughter came with 0 English but now she can talk almost daily communication sentence with classmates and friends, that's all taught by teacher, the school is a small one so that every student can be taken care of and paid enough attention, it also has sufficient teaching materials and toys and also study documents for student from age 2-5, it is indeed a good transit for variety of small kids, and you don't need to worry about the cultural and value because there has a very balanced diversity. It locates in a very convenient place and easy to find and has so many facilities with the recreation center around, my daughter love the fun there and as a parent I love the study environment, they can learn all kinds of knowledge by studying one topic one week, I am really amazed by Ms. Kim's knowledge and kind hearted and I truly agree with her teaching idea and I would definitely recommend this preschool to all moms. -Parent, May 2021

"We have nothing but great things to say about Hopscotch San Diego! Ms. Kim is an amazing teacher. She is so warm and caring. Our daughter was a little nervous to start preschool for the first time, but Ms. Kim made the transition easy for her. She makes all the activities so much fun. The curriculum is fantastic. I work in education and can tell you that the curriculum is perfect for language development and Kindergarten readiness. Your child would be lucky to have Ms. Kim. We also really love her classroom assistant, Ms. Erin! We moved out of state, but I wish we still lived close by so that our son could go to Ms. Kim's class. Sign up, you won't regret it! -Parent, September 2019

"My daughter attended Miss Kim's Tiny Tots from 3 years old to 5. Miss Kim is kind and nurturing, but also provides excellent learning opportunities for the kids you don't usually find in preschool. Highly recommend! -Parent, September 2019

"There simply are not enough positive adjectives to describe how I feel about Ms. Kim and her Hopscotch Tiny Tots program. One of my core beliefs about preschool is that it's the people that make all the difference. You know when you meet someone in life that is just truly humble, genuine, brilliant and has an infectious love for people- that's Kim Bruch. Kim's qualifications as an educator are far superior than most preschool directors I've encountered. However, it's her obvious love of teaching children, her joy, curiosity, intellect and music that she's uses to inspire the kids (and parents). Tiny Tots provides all of this plus a supportive, inclusive environment for kids to learn, grow and have fun! Did I mention she's an excellent pianist as well... Enjoy and best wishes to your next Tiny Tot!" -Parent, September 2019

"Miss Kim is the greatest, my granddaughter loved her classes when we went. I brought her from point Loma to Carmel Mountain Road area just for this class. All the kids in it were so happy and loved coming. My granddaughter misses the class so much and still talks about Miss Kim she's nine years old now. This is a very creative class they learn songs, sharing, working with crafts and so much more. This is the perfect class to start your child off for excellent learning." -Grandparent, September 2019

"Kim was great! Our daughter loved her class full of fun and creativity." -Parent, September 2019

"My daughter loves Ms Kim. She is very loving, patient and sweet with all kids." -Parent, September 2019

"Miss Kim is the BEST!!! If you are looking for an amazing preschool for your little one look no further! My little girl Grace had sooooo much fun going Hopscotch with Miss Kim!! And she learned so much and it really prepared her for kindergarten! I highly recommend Miss Kim and Hopscotch!! #preschool #carmelvalley #lovetolearn #danceandhavefun #safeandsecure" -Parent, September 2019

"I had both of my kiddos at Hopscotch. It was a great intro for them into structured activities. Ms Kim is so creative and loves the kids. I highly recommend her class!" -Parent, September 2019

"Both my kids attended Hopscotch Tiny Tots. We couldn't have had a better introduction as their first school experience. Ms. Kim is energetic and nurturing with all her students, and has left a lasting impression on our family." -Parent, September 2019

"Absolutely love Ms. Kim! She's a great educator who takes pride in making sure that each child gets the right attention they need. Both my daughter and son had her, and always felt excited to go to class. She is loving, and she is great with children. She also makes sure she hires assistants that love children too. I can't recommend her enough and this is the perfect place to send the little ones for preschool in Carmel Valley." -Parent, September 2019

"Our daughter has loved this preschool and has thrived there. She feels secure, safe, and learns a lot. The socializing is the most important part, and she has several good friends there. The teachers are loving, kind, and very capable." -Parent, September 2019

"My kids all attended Hopscotch with Ms Kim. Ms Kim is amazing with the kids, she sings, plays the piano, does arts and crafts, gardening, dances etc. If you are looking for a wholesome environment for your kiddos you have to get them to Hopscotch." -Parent, September 2019

"My granddaughter began her school experience with Hopscotch Tiny Tots. She is just beginning 2nd grade now and thanks to Miss Kim, enjoys an ongoing happy relationship with school and friendships that began in Tiny Tots. The various nationalities enrolled with Miss Kim are a wonderful cultural bonus!" -Grandparent, September 2019

"After interviewing 11 other preschools in the area for my then 2.5 year old daughter, I enrolled her in another program that had met my rigorous criteria (which is extensive, as a former educator)...but...pulled her out just three days later. There are a lot of schools in the area that are seemingly impressive with their facilities...at the end of the day, as a parent, the most important thing is to find teachers who will do right by your child. While you'd think that's standard practice, it's rarer than you'd think, but it's right there at Hopscotch. Ms. Kim and her staff are endearing, attentive, and respectful to every one of their students. From day one, my typically attached-at-the-hip and somewhat shy daughter felt welcomed and included. Ms. Kim greets every student at the door every morning, and gets down to their level to either ask how they're doing, what they did over the weekend, tells them jokes or stories to make them laugh, or perhaps notices that they're wearing new shoes that day. To make a child feel special is a gift on its own, and yet she has the ability to make every student in her classroom feel appreciated, understood, and important. She then tells them about what to expect for the day (i.e. letter of the day book, theme of the month, projects they'll do, songs they'll sing, books they'll read), which helps students transition from saying bye to mom or dad to all the exciting activities they can look forward to. Ms. Kim is always prepared and never exasperated. She is inviting, calm, and has a sense of humor that's contagious. In communication with parents, she is easily approachable, honest, and open to suggestions. She works with each family closely to ensure their child is getting everything they need out of their preschool experience. My daughter has been attending Hopscotch Tiny Tots for over a year and a half. In that time, I have seen her blossom into a polite, responsible, and articulate little girl who believes in herself. She has an "I can do it!" spirit in large part because of the sense of capability and independence she's learned at school. At the same time, Ms. Kim encourages students to strengthen their social skills by collaborating over solutions so they can resolve problems with their peers, partnering up to accomplish a task, and creating an environment where teamwork is deemed significant. Hopscotch Tiny Tots has been a blessing to my family, and I recommend it 100%." -Parent, February 2016

"My three-year-old daughter enjoys Miss Kim's class every week - she looks forward to the time with the kids, stories, and songs. It is a wonderful introduction to school and I also enjoy the time alone as she does with her friends. We love the program!" -Parent, November 2012

"I like Tiny Tots because of the fun and caring environment. My daughter loves the teacher and the kids!" -Parent, September 2010

"Tiny Tots is a great program! Miss Kim gives all of the kids so much love and fun!! My daughter loves this program and it has helped her so much." -Parent, May 2009

"I love Tiny Tots because it provides a great environment for my children to learn and grow before entering school." -January 2007

And, there are several Yelp reviews about our preschool program for you to see, too!


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