Our daughter arrived at CEC around one year old from another school. She was in infant care at CEC…read moreand we immediately felt at ease. All the teachers were very caring (Luz, Louise, Angelica, Cameron, Aster). Two teachers tag teamed and once our daughter gravitated towards one teacher, that teacher became the primary teacher. There's also a procare app showing when our daughter ate, was changed, and it photos. The app easily allowed for communication between the teacher and parent. When our daughter moved up to the next level (2-3), it took about a week for her to adjust. She bonded with her primary teachers (Huiqui, Maria) and her cohort of friends whom she moved up with. She is thriving and happy to go to school everyday. What our daughter liked best about CEC were her teachers, friends, and fun things (walks, music class, painting). What we liked best was how CEC handled COVID, the generous care hours w/ few holidays, the ease of communication, the child- centric approach, and the kids night out giving parents a break every month. We can't recommend this place highly enough. It's a hidden gem with flexibility and little bureaucracy. Finding good care was such a sigh of relief!

We've had at least one of our children at CEC since 2015 and can't recommend it highly enough! Our…read moreoldest started when he was 1, our middle kid started when he was only six weeks old, and our youngest will be starting soon at four months. Ever since we started, CEC has been a wonderful second home and community for our entire family. Even in the classrooms with the youngest children (0-2), the teachers are attentive, creative, and engaged. Even the smallest kids spend time outside, and even go on "field trips" to the nearby park. There's painting and dress-up and dancing and stories -- all of those fun things you aspire to do with your small children but can't always summon the energy for are a regular part of the day at CEC. Starting in the 2-year-old room, the children take longer field trips, using the bus and BART, or walking. This year my kids have checked out the marina, gone to the library, gone to a play, gone to various parks, as well as the Habitot children's museum, Oakland Museum of California, and the Lawrence Hall of Science! I love how familiar and comfortable they are with using the bus and BART, thanks in part to their field trips. They also start doing cooking activities in the two's room, which has been a great experience for my kids. In the 2-year-old room, the teachers work with parents to tackle potty training, and they have the patience of saints. The program is Reggio-inspired (similar to Montessori, but with a less structured, play-based approach), and it's not uncommon to see kids joyfully running around in their underwear, or proudly covering themselves in mud or paint. It's the closest you can get to experiencing the liberated and liberating school environments of western Europe, as enviously portrayed on NPR and the like -- and also one of the most affordable center-based daycares in Berkeley. The teachers will even occasionally host all-night sleepovers at the school, for kids as young as 2 or 3; my two oldest kids have loved the sleepovers, and come back feeling very grown-up. For a more lightweight experience, most months there's a "parents' night out", where for an extra fee you can pick up your kids up at 9:30 PM, after they've had dinner, done activities, and/or watched a movie with their friends and teachers. Many teachers are open to babysitting outside of school hours, and it's been great having a potential pool of babysitters who the kids already know. Even though the kids are in age-based classrooms, they have a chance to get to know teachers and kids in other rooms. (My 4-year-old went through a period of checking with his 2-year-old brother's teachers every day to make sure his brother was behaving.) The "parent participation hours" requirement (4 hrs/month) are a way to get families involved, doing everything from chaperoning field trips, to doing laundry, to bringing fruit for snacks. (I've done mine by sewing dress-up clothes.) If you really can't make it work, there's a fee you can pay instead. We (and our kids) have made so many friends through CEC; three of our kids' teachers came to visit at the hospital when our youngest was born. We're sad to see our oldest (and his friends, and their families) moving on, but grateful that many of his friends still have younger siblings who will be around for a while yet. We're looking forward to four more years here with our youngest, starting soon!

My third grade granddaughter has been there since preschool. The outdoor/gardening/cooking…read morecomponent is a great balance to the strong academics. Peaceful atmosphere, lots of beauty.

As someone who moved to the Bay Area about a decade ago, I've often missed the sense of Persian…read morecommunity I grew up with, attending "mehmoonis" (parties), hearing Iranian music fill our home, and being surrounded by our rich, beautiful culture. When it came time to find a preschool for my son, I dreamed of a place that could offer him that same warmth and connection, and Golestan has given us exactly that and more. The first time I stepped into Golestan's "hayaat" (yard), I was instantly transported to my grandpa's garden in Iran. The laughter, the trees, the care woven into every detail. It's such a lively, loving, and vibrant space where my son learns, plays, makes friends, and creates lasting memories. The teachers are absolute angels, deeply nurturing, creative, and so attuned to each child. From the thoughtfully designed classrooms to the fresh, nourishing food (with ingredients straight from their learning garden!), every aspect of Golestan reflects an intentional, heartful approach to education and community. I feel truly honored for my son to spend his days in such a magical and enriching environment, surrounded by love, culture, and curiosity, and I'm already dreaming of the day my daughter can join. Regardless of your background or heritage, Golestan is a place worth experiencing. I'm sure they'll woo you at "Salaam" :)

My daughter started attending BHNS this August, and she absolutely loves it! We -- parents and…read moregrandparents alike -- couldn't be happier. The facilities are wonderful and offer so many engaging activities for the kids. The teachers are warm, dedicated, and truly caring; so far, we have nothing but amazing things to say about them. We're also very pleased with the parent community that's beginning to take shape. BHNS has been a fantastic experience for our family.

The teachers here are great - very attentive and supportive yet able to foster independence and…read moreimagination. Our son's language and social confidence has absolutely thrived here!! The staff to kiddo ratio is great, no concerns at all about 1-2 teachers watching 20-30 kids which was one of our big anxieties trying to find the right fit. Also the community events are great like garden planting/harvest with coffee and pastries for all, kids and parents alike. Not to mention the parents group chat that is always active with outside park play dates and birthdays and such. So lucky to have found this community!

Both my children attended Mustard Seed preschool. It's a…read morereally wonderful place run by people who truly care about children. Candace, the director, treats everyone like family. She's also a very insightful and creative educator. The administrative side of the school runs very smoothly and they are very accommodating of different schedules and constraints. My kids, now 10 and 12, still remember Mustard Seed fondly as a place where they were surrounded by loving teachers and great friends.

We're in love with Mustard Seed! We can't overstate how grateful we are for this incredible team…read moreand community. It really feels like there's a village helping to raise our family. Our eldest transferred to MSP from another daycare / preschool center during the summer term when she was 2 1/2. It was a difficult decision because there were things we loved about her first school (where she'd spent almost a year), but the switch felt right. We liked that MSP's physical space, level of enrollment, and staffing strategy provided more structure: with same-age classrooms, age-sensitive schedules, age-sensitive teaching approaches, and opportunities for mixed age play outdoors several times a day. We liked that our daughter would always have a primary teacher team focused on her, as well as opportunities throughout the day and week to build relationships with other teachers. We liked that she'd have a dozen peers close to her age, for a nice variety of personalities to befriend and grow with. And we liked that the outdoor space supports a variety of play types under a beautiful leafy canopy. It's all turned out beautifully. Judging by our daughter's energy at drop off and pick up, her transition to MSP was immediately easier than her previous transitions. Even in her first weeks there, it was clear that the structure made it easier for her to get through the day than at her previous school. In the past year and a half it's only gotten better. The vibe is relaxed and confident; they really know what they're doing and everything about the program feels intentional. The teachers are very thoughtful about helping our daughter navigate socio-emotional development and challenging social dynamics, and are happy to discuss strategies with us when we ask how we can support at home. Although her classroom teachers are primary, she has great relationships with all of the teachers in the play yard and they all know her well. She is developing strong social skills and has made wonderful friends. The community of families has been warm and fun for all of us: we regularly meet classmates at King School Park after school, the staff organizes incredibly fun family parties for holidays and more throughout the year--usually featuring Music Man Chano and his band, total celebrities for all ages!--and there's a meal train organized every time a new baby arrives. Lunches by Chef Miguel are expanding our daughter's palette and simplifying our mornings at home. We can't wait to start it all again with our newborn when she turns 18 months old!

My 3 kids have been with GMIS for the past 6 school years. If I had a 4th, i'd choose them again!…read more We love the Montessori-style of learning! The classroom is full of different trays on shelves - very neatly organized - that the children get to choose as their activity. Everything is play-based, but all contribute to their future learning of math, language, and independence. When my kids were 2 years-old, GMIS helped to potty-train them. They are very flexible and work with you to get this done. The Young Children's House teacher is a god-send!! A huge draw for us was the Mandarin immersion. We do not speak Mandarin at home (I come from a Cantonese and Teo Chew speaking household, my husband is English only), but I wanted my kids to have a Chinese language and have more exposure to the culture. There is a Spanish after-school class if families are interested in that as well. My daughter takes that and loves it! Each class has a Chinese teacher and an English teacher. They learn all their letters, sounds and also learn them in cursive. The older classrooms are combined ages of 3-5 years-old. For enrichment activities, they are grouped by age. What I love most is that I feel absolutely no pressure to enroll my kids in any other enrichment because GMIS has it all! Consider it the "One stop shop" of preschools! The regular school day is 8:30am - 3pm (but you can have your kids there as long as 8am - 6pm) My kids have all learned: dance, music, performing arts, gardening, cooking, animal care, soccer, various art projects, caring for their environment (folding clothes, wiping windows, watering plants, feeding pets, etc...). Only thing they don't have is swim ;P There's a lot of opportunity for family engagement: Chinese new year is biggest performance. A theatre is rented out and the kids perform multiple songs and dances. They recite lines and wear costumes that are shipped in from Taiwan. There is lion dancing and food. Is a huge event that is so special to watch come together! How they get all those kids to do this is still incredible to me!! One of my favorite events is the Grandparents luncheon where the kids make stone soup for Thanksgiving. Each kid contributes an ingredient, prepares it at school, and it all goes into a pot. Grandparents come and the kids sit with them to have lunch. It's such a special way they incorporate the elders into their school lives. You may not even need to do your own trick-or-treating because GMIS throws a Halloween parade with trick-or-treating around the block afterwards! Another thing I absolutely adore is the birthday circle. The birthday kid will sit with the teacher and show the class a photo of each year of the kid's life. The teacher explains what are normal developmental milestones for that year, then the kid holds an earth and walks around the image of the sun on the floor. Then they go on to the next year of life. It's so super special! There are weekly newsletters with reminders, signups, photos, and Montessori education. When the kids graduate, they are well prepared for Kindergarten. There are some GMIS alumni who return for some of the special events too! I had the option of putting my kids into TK but opted to stay at GMIS because of the robust program they have. I wouldn't be able to do half days (many TKs end at 12noon) and wouldn't want to just have babysitting for the remainder of the day if the schools offered extended care. I've always said that GMIS feels like home. It's not a huge school and things don't feel fancy inside. But everything is well-kept, the teachers are understanding and the kids are loved!

Our kiddo has been here a year and loves Holly laoshi! It's amazing to see how much he's grown, and…read morehow much he has to tell us about all the things he does at school He likes being around the older kids at playground time - they've been helpful peer encouragement for potty-training, which was pretty difficult for us beforehand, and the teachers here made it look easy. He really enjoys the dance, music, and soccer as well.

TBS provides a nurturing environment with comprehensive educational support that will not only…read moreshape your child's academic growth but also instill a sense of confidence and curiosity that will benefit them throughout their life. TBS takes an empathetic approach, and kids have gone to top bay area high schools with success because of the solid educational foundation. Parent of TBS alum

This school works to actively take down negative reviews. They kicked my 4 year out w 3 months to…read morego. The staff is highly proud of themselves, they are understaffed for active little boys. The school allows the children to play in the sandbox for majority of the day. My kids came home with wet sandy feet every day. Major construction projects on the edge of the school with particulate overflow. The principal is very ill mannered and not fit to oversee little boys. Step 2 is better in the Berkeley Hills.

We had a great experience at Keystone in our 3.5 years there and miss a lot of the engagement,…read moreeducation, and support. It felt like a real community. Our child was there from ~18mos old to 5 years old; from the thick of Covid in 2021 to August of 2025. She loved it and continues to talk about the teachers and staff. As she transitioned into Kindergarten, it's clear she and her keystone classmates are much further ahead academically and socially. We love the Montessori approach and Keystone seems to have a great facility and application of it.

Our family has been part of the Keystone community for nearly seven years, with both of our…read moredaughters attending from the time they were toddlers until moving on to Kindergarten. It's been such a positive experience for us. The teachers and staff are warm, supportive, and very thoughtful about meeting kids where they are. Both of our girls went through phases where drop-off was tough, and the staff worked closely with us to find approaches that made the transition smoother. Over time, they built such strong bonds with their teachers that school became a place they genuinely looked forward to. What we've especially appreciated is the calm, well-organized environment and the wide range of learning opportunities. Keystone offers a nice balance of Montessori learning, hands-on activities, and enrichment classes (Spanish, Mandarin, music, soccer, martial arts). Our daughters were able to try different things and discover what they enjoyed most. We've also seen them grow a lot socially, making friends, learning responsibility, and gaining confidence. Overall, Keystone has been a nurturing and engaging preschool that gave both of our children a strong foundation and a love for learning. We're grateful for the years we've spent there and highly recommend it to other families.

I can't say enough about this wonderful gem of a preschool. Just before my daughters third birthday…read morewe decided we better get this social butterfly into school! We came across Arbor, toured the Oakland campus, and instantly knew this is where we had to send our kids. Arbor is a safe, warm, creative, accepting environment, where the kids are free to explore, play, and learn. We are so happy here and can't say enough positive things about it!