The panda bears are hard at it. Up to their elbows in flour, they vigorously work their wooden rolling pins, then use cookie cutters to stamp out heart shapes from the flattened dough. Soon, a sugary aroma drifts down the halls.

This is no ordinary day at the cookie factory. It's Valentine's Day at Tokyo Union Church Preschool in Harajuku, where some 50 children, mostly with international backgrounds, are eased into education through play in a warm, supportive atmosphere.

" 'Gentle hands, a kind heart.' We use this expression a lot at this preschool," said Dina LaRose, a Canadian who has taught at Tokyo Union for the last four years.

"We're a play-based school. Some of our children aren't yet 3 when they start the 'panda' [first level] class. I want them to build self-confidence, express themselves and become comfortable in this environment."

LaRose's ideals are representative of Tokyo Union's early childhood learning program. Founded in 1985 by a group of church members, the preschool is guided by the philosophy that "the school should be ready for the child, rather than the child being ready for us."

This reaching out goes beyond even regular school hours: The church's pastoral staff are available to meet with parents or children anytime there is a need for services, friendship or support.

And though it is one of the program ministries of Tokyo Union Church and oriented to English speakers, the school from the start has been open to the wider Tokyo community.

Christian holidays are introduced in both religious and secular contexts. Each Christmas, for example, the nativity program is followed by a visit from Santa. Activities related to Japan are also incorporated. Teachers work with Japanese parents to plan a variety of cultural events, including a sakura (cherry blossom) festival in the spring.

Occasionally children without English ability are enrolled in the school, but they seem to thrive without pressure. A northern European boy who started in September is still using English sparingly but seemed perfectly at home in a corner of a newly painted purple classroom, examining a patient with his plastic stethoscope.

Yuki, a 5-year-old born of Korean parents, was similarly shy about using English when she first joined.

"We put our daughter into this school because she was speaking only Japanese two years ago," explained Yuki's mother, Risa Kim. "It's wonderful now to see how she's reading books, singing and chatting away to her friends in English."

The high teacher-student ratio -- two teachers for 10 children -- makes it easy for the adults to keep track of their charges, and allows the children to enjoy much freedom of movement. Opportunities to mix freely are regular. Friday is "Big Bear, Little Bear" day, when the two classrooms are opened up and the children can choose how to spend the first part of each morning. On a recent Friday, one child was busy painting, while a small cluster of boys gathered by a giant plastic basin brimming with beads and coins, sifting, counting and trading. Still other children, with wooden boards in hand, were busy stringing heavy thread around pins into elaborate patterns.

There's enough to do to keep these children busy from the 8:30 a.m. starting time until the day's end, which ranges from 11:30 a.m. for the youngest to 2:30 p.m. for the eldest.

As well as a wealth of opportunities and resources for free play, including a room full of children's books covering the classics to Bible stories, the school also offers structured programs. One of the hallmarks of the school is Kindermusik, an American-based curriculum that uses musical instruments, song and movement to teach children a variety of skills. It is the only preschool in Japan to offer this innovative program weekly to the children.

"The kids are having so much fun they don't realize how much they're learning," says Karla Watauchi, one of two certified Kindermusik teachers at the school. "At the start of each term, each child received their own music kit, a CD, activity book and instruments that they can play at home."

While still cozy, the preschool -- once simply two fourth-floor rooms -- has grown to include a small rooftop play area and has the use of a basement church meeting room for indoor activities on rainy days. The new director, Pat Haines, has plans to double the play area's size.

While Haines may be keenly aware of the space constrictions, the children don't seem to be bothered. Also, regular outings -- including a recent trip to the American Embassy to meet the U.S. astronaut team -- help keep things from feeling cramped.

"The children are taught with great warmth. My 5-year-old is blossoming, absolutely blossoming," said Sharon Hunt, an expat mother who drives to Tokyo Union Church to give the second of her three children, Andrew, the same opportunity as his older sister. "They're taught creatively, and that impressed me from the beginning."