Our family has had the incredible fortune of having both our kids attend Falls Church Preschool &…read morePre-k (Falls Church Location) over the past 5-6 years, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Both my children have attended for the past 5-6 years, and every single year has reinforced why we chose this school in the first place. From the moment you walk in, you can feel that this is a place built around genuine care for children -- not just a place that watches them, but one that truly loves and nurtures them. The teachers are, without exaggeration, incredible. They are patient, warm, endlessly encouraging, and clearly love what they do. Our kids have always come home excited to talk about their day, which says a lot about how engaged and happy they feel in the classroom. Every teacher we've encountered over the years has treated our children as individuals, celebrating their personalities and helping them grow at their own pace. Academically and developmentally, the program is exceptionally well-rounded. The kids are exposed to a wonderful mix of cultural activities, practical life skills, and physical education, all woven into a curriculum that keeps them engaged and constantly learning. They even take French lessons, which has been such a lovely bonus and has sparked genuine curiosity in our kids about language and other cultures. The school also puts on the most adorable productions -- dance recitals, music performances -- and you can tell real time and heart goes into preparing the kids for these events. It's clear the staff wants every child to feel proud and included, regardless of skill level. It has been fun to see my children during the first one to the last one and see how they come out of their shell more too. Physical activity and outdoor time are also a big priority. The kids get to play outside frequently, including daily time outside to the nearby park, which gives them plenty of fresh air, movement, and unstructured play time -- something we really value. One thing that stands out most to us also is how seriously the school takes safety and security. Every policy and procedure feels thoughtfully designed with the children's well-being in mind, from secure drop-off and pick-up protocols to how the classrooms and outdoor spaces are supervised. As a parent, it's reassuring to know that safety isn't an afterthought here -- it's built into everything they do. This has been especially meaningful for us because our son has a food allergy. The school has been outstanding in how they manage it -- from clear communication with staff, to careful attention during snack and lunch times, to making sure substitute teachers and staff are all aware and prepared. We've never once felt anxious dropping him off, which is not something we can say about every environment he's been in. On top of all of this, communication from Mrs. Elena has been excellent throughout our entire experience. Whether it's daily updates, event reminders, or larger updates about policies or schedules, we've always felt informed and included as parents. Overall, this school has played such a meaningful role in our children's early years. I felt compelled to write this review, which I don't do often, given how awesome this school and teachers are! We are endlessly grateful for the teachers and Mrs. Elena (and Ken) for an incredible school they've built, and we would recommend this school without hesitation to any family looking for a nurturing, safe, and enriching environment for their children. My son graduates to Kindergarten at the end of August and I very sad to leave as we have grown so close!

My son has loved his time in daycare here. It's a warm and welcoming environment with attention to…read moreroutine, playtime, and enrichment through daily activities as well as imaginative play. I've never seen him adapt so quickly to a childcare center - or be so proud of his budding skills (putting shoes on, packing his book bag). We especially love the great use of the local park for their outdoor time. All the teachers are professionals and form great bonds with their students.

Our son has been going to Falls Church Merrifield Preschool for over a year now. He has had a great…read moreexperience learning and playing. My wife and I work full time, therefore, knowing that the preschool's teachers are taking good care of our child gives us a peace of mind. The facility provides very safe and secure environment for children. We very much appreciate the director's proactive and personal approach, as she keeps us informed about all school events and updates us in the methodology and learning routines. It has been a great experience for our child and our family, overall. Definitely recommend this preschool to anyone who wants their children to have a meaningful and stress free environment on the daily basis.

Absolutely the #1 preschool in NOVA. We've been very lucky to be part of this beautiful, clean and…read moreabsolutely loving and caring school for our children. miss Elena is the owner/ director and is incredibly involved, which shows each and every day. I am dressing the day of when my kids will leave.

My first just graduated from FCM and it is unbelievable all that he has learned while being in the…read moreloving care of these fantastic teachers. The teachers love our children as their own and you can feel it. FCM strikes a wonderful balance between learning and playing. Your child learns key life skills all while having so much fun. Lastly, it's great that the school has their own private playground vs other centers in this area that have to take kids on long unsafe walks on main roads to get to an outdoor play area.

I consider myself so lucky to have stumbled upon this wonderful Montessori school! We enrolled my…read moreson in the school about a year ago and he quickly felt at home there. At first we were nervous because he had a nanny before (who he loved), but they made the transition so easy for us. He comes home with new knowledge each day and I can tell that the teacher truly care about him. My son is the type of child who really likes when everything is in order, and the classroom is always calm and under control. He also loves the outside playground! I am so happy we made the decision to go with Falls Church Montessori!

We've been very happy with Communikids Falls Church. Imagine! A preschool with immersion classes…read morewith three language options.The program is wonderful as are the teachers. All teachers are native speakers of the target language. There are many options to choose from as far as pickups and drop-off times, so it can work with your budget/ schedule. They will take children who are not potty trained yet and actually assist you in that process! Snack is provided by the school. Lunch is provided by the families, or there is an option to purchase a got lunch from a 3rd party who will deliver it. Around $5-6 depending on the options you've chosen. The summer program is also great! They go up to age 6 or 7 depending on the language. I would say the program is a bit more expensive than others in the area, but you are getting language exposure (and possibly potty training help) so I think it's fair. The school also has several accreditations that have minimums standards that must be adhered to and that provides structure that you might not see elsewhere. That costs money, and it's money well spent. The teachers wear gloves when handing out food, there are always dates on lunches Ave water bottles. It's a tighter organization than some. Additionally, the non refundable deposits are higher than other area schools, but again, the school has to secure native language speakers in all three languages for each class level and they need firm numbers. So read the fine print (it's there for you) and don't sign up if you plan on canceling if something you like better opens up. This is not the program to do that with. The learning is play based and my only wish is that it was a little *less* structured. However, I'm unusual in that I prefer a Waldorf type atmosphere, and that's not the usual vibe in this area were people are dreaming of Harvard while baby is still in utero . All in all we've been so happy with Communikids and I hope they start extending their summer program to older kids.

If I could give less than one star I would. Teachers are wonderful but administration is terrible…read moreregarding handing of the pandemic and all of the issues as a result. They refused to give me any refund for summer camp deposit of $1400 that was made 7 months ago (in January). Now they may or may not be willing to give a partial refund sometime between now and October of this year. I'm sorry but remote learning for a 2-4 year old is not helpful, so unless your ok with paying money to let your child sit front of a computer at home then don't bother sending your child here.

My daughter has been attending On the Right Track for almost a year. The leader Sue, is phenomenal…read moreat attending to each chid's needs and personal development, as are the other teachers part of the program. The children do a combo of music, play time, arts and crafts, reading, etc. For a 2 year old who is not in daycare, it's really the best of both worlds - they are exposed to many activities before the typical start of preschool. My daughter brings home the sweetest projects - a cat in the hat hat for Dr. Seuss' birthday, springtime projects she made. The classes are small and the children are extremely well cared for. I'd highly recommend it to any families near the Falls Church area.

I sent my son here for 2 years, from when he was 1.5-3.5 years old. We had an au pair but I wanted…read moreto start to acclimate him to a classroom environment, so the 2 mornings a week was perfect for us. The school is in a quaint log cabin-style house in a residential neighborhood in downtown Falls Church. It is spacious and well lit and made of very nice old wood. Huge contrast to many of the dingy old church basements you usually see preschools/day cares. Every day my son came home with arts and crafts projects he did in school. They also did music, circle time, outdoor activities, etc. I know he was mentally and physically engaged because he came home totally exhausted and never had trouble napping (in contrast with other days when it was sometimes a battle!). I was and still am impressed with how much attention they pay to each of the kids (or maybe it was just mine?) When I was curious how things were going, I would often get a detailed writeup from Mrs. John about what my son did and how he felt and reacted - it was clear that she figured his personality out very quickly. She was also very accommodating of our food preferences (e.g. we're health nuts, so she stocked foods that she knew we would be comfortable with). Once he was 3.5, we transferred him to a 5 morning/week Montessori school and he acclimated perfectly and he loves that too, but I don't feel he gets quite the level of individualized attention that he got at OTRT, which is really a hidden gem.

It's been over 2yrs since this school was reviewed and I had to write an updated review about this…read moreamazing little school. St. Joseph's is the quintessential old-time play-based preschool. You won't find slick, shiny high tech learning tools. Instead, you'll find children's artwork on the walls, teachers that know the names of every kid in the school and a school handbook that tells you to send your kids dressed to PLAY! Make no mistake though, there is a lot of learning and development taking place every single day. The director has now been there for about 3yrs and has really turned the school around from earlier years. St. Joseph's has adopted the High Scope curriculum, which is a teacher-guided, child-led approach to learning across all the major components including gross and fine motor, social, creative, language and artistic development. They are also currently pursuing NAEYC accreditation which will only highlight further the commitment of the adminstration and staff on the growth of the children. Lesson plans are posted in the classrooms, in addition to daily individual reports, weekly school-wide emails and monthly school-wide newsletters. The classes may be large, but the teacher-student ratio is low with anywhere from 3-5 teachers per class. Each classroom has 1 or 2 head teachers with degrees in child development or early childhood education in addition to assistant teachers with significant experience working with small children. It is a Catholic preschool, with a simple grace before lunch and 20min chapel once a week, but the focus is really on the broader goodness and kindness values which cross all religious and secular traditions. In addition, there are wonderful extracurricular options available including soccer, Spanish, computer and creative movement for additional fees if you want to provide an additional activity for your child. Clearly I could go on and on about all the things we love about this school. Our daughter is thriving, and having toured and interviewed multiple schools in the area (Montessori, immersion, play-based, church-based, etc...) we absolutely made the right decision in sending her to St. Joseph's.

We have been very pleased with our daughter's experience at St. Joseph's over the last two years…read more She loves her teachers, has made great friends, and enjoys going to school. We have also found the teachers to be very communicative and the school to be well run. It's a nice community, and we feel lucky to have the school close by.

Register NOW for the waitlist if you are having kids. Enrollment starts at 2 years and the 2 year…read moreold class waitlist is long...so the earlier you enroll the better. Enrollment fee apply, but are fair to keep out those who are not serious. FCMCC Is diligent about teaching strong principles and habits. Washing hands, sharing, helping set the lunch table, helping to cleanup, and more. They engage in redirecting behavior that can be distracting to other children. As a parent, this is a technique I was not aware of and I'm glad to have learned. I now use redirecting instead of timeout. The classrooms are designed for each age group. There are plenty of learning activities as well as fun toys, such as Legos. Every day my son participates in circle time, where his teachers provide instruction on the topics that they are reviewing. There is also plenty of outdoor playtime and one nap a day. Naptime/Quiet time is around 130 and is for two hours. The teachers are fantastic! They are not daycare workers they are certified teachers. Each classroom has a headteacher with two or more assistants. They are very organized and have activities planned for each day. I'm surprise my son doesn't come home with homework at 3years old :) Every day I am happy to take my son to Falls Church McLean Children Center because I know he's going to have excellent care and education. There are other programs parents can take advantage of through Fairfax County, I don't participate in those however they are available if I need them. Speech therapy is one of them. The office staff is very helpful! Miss Kathy, the director has a lot of experience in her field and it reflects in her management of the center. If you're looking for a place to take your son or daughter highly recommend FCMCC is your go to!

Our daughter went here and it was one of the best places. As a teacher myself I'm picky about where…read moreto send my child. This place not only taught her important skills but exposed her to many experiences. I would highly recommend!

We sent our son to Camp Columbia for summer camp for multiple weeks and had a wonderful experience…read more The staff is friendly, helpful, and their pricing is awesome (much cheaper than the other camp we sent our son to). Our friends also send their kids here and had recommended it to us. Ivonne was very communicative and my son really liked the counselors here. The class sizes were not overly big and their programming kept him entertained/happy. We look forward to returning next year and will be enrolling our younger son here when he's old enough. Their policies are fair and you won't get a better value. We plan to sign up for all the weeks we can next year! Would absolutely recommend Camp Columbia for summer camp needs.

Great program with emphasis on outdoor time, and emotional development and learning through play…read more Extremely caring & creative staff!

This preschool is one of the best under-discovered gems of Falls Church City. Small class sizes,…read moreenthusiastic, loving teachers and staff, very affordable and has an involved, invested parent community. This is the 3rd preschool attended by our children over the years, and an easy favorite.

From the owner: The Falls Church Episcopal Day School has educated preschool age children in the Falls Church area…read moresince 1963.

Our daughter attended Kidstretch during the last school year, and we can't say enough good things…read moreabout our experience! The staff put her at ease right away, and she was always excited to go to school and share with us all the things she was doing there. The teachers do a fantastic job of finding creative activities to help the kids learn. We love that our daughter was able to explore outside, learn through imaginative play, help plant a garden, try science experiments, create art projects, and more. While doing all this, the teachers help the kids learn other skills like how to be a good friend, do simple jobs in the classroom, clean up after themselves, be a good listener, etc. They are also intentional about identifying enrichment opportunities and ways for the kids to be involved in the community. For example, there were regular engagements with the local library and field trips in Falls Church and nearby areas. Our daughter learned a lot and loved her time at Kidstretch - we'd highly recommend it to anyone!

Let me first off by saying that KidStretch was absolutely amazing at helping my child during a time…read morewhere I was not happy with another child care service that worked with my child previously. Once I started taking my child to KidStretch I noticed a huge difference in my child and also in the people he was with. My son was one of the very first children that was in that program and honestly helped him so much. It made such a difference having compassionate staff members helping him develop good habits and manners. Every time I would take my child to KidStretch I knew that he was in good hands and never had a single complaint. The various activities that they had my child doing went from going outside and playing to doing simple chores such as cleaning up after themselves and much more! I would definitely recommend KidStretch to anyone that is looking for a good child care service around the Falls Church area!