Our family has been involved with Tessera for six years now, and during that time it has been a…read morecornerstone for our life in so many ways. We tried five different preschools before discovering the magic of this place. I'll always be grateful for the memories and foundation Tessera has given our children and for the connections we've made with other families through this preschool. When you enter Tessera, you might just see a typical preschool--DON'T BE FOOLED! ;-) Tessera is anything but typical! If you look more carefully, you'll notice the culture of the school is present in every nook and cranny of the place. The owner, Linda, provides an enriching environment with specially curated art projects, decor, sensory materials, books, costumes, puzzles, and toys that usually follow a theme. The kids have freedom to explore. She allows ample activity time during the day as well, so more active children can run around, climb, and play more physical games to their liking. I am in love with the process-oriented focus of the art projects she makes available to the kids. You won't find the kids producing uniform preschool art. The art that comes out of this place is meant to strengthen and develop a child's confidence and enjoyment in the process of creation. What does that look like? It completely varies according to the child! The enrichment programs Linda offers have varied over the years including music, dance, sewing, ceramics, ASL, and nature programs. They are run by visitors who are professionals in their fields. My kids have enjoyed all of them immensely. Linda's background is in early childhood development and education, but she's also a parent, so she understands the realities of family life and has a great perspective. She is flexible to the needs of a family. I believe her greatest strengths are her intuitive ability to tune in with the kids, her kind and gentleness in her interactions with them, and her belief in their natural abilities. She is not an adult who gets in the way of a child. She is, however, a great coach to the kids when conflict arises. I knew Tessera was the right place for us when I saw how she addressed conflict. She does not punish (no time-outs, no withdrawal of privileges, no unkind voices or words), but rather has the kids talk to each other. She usually focuses on the child who is upset or hurt, asking them to tell the other child how they feel or helping them stand up for her/himself. She never forces "sorry" out of the other child, but instead focuses on cultivating their empathy. When that fails, because at a certain age and for certain kids it is unrealistic to expect certain behavior, she is particularly adept in anticipating situations before they arise. I could go on and on about how enriching Tessera has been for our lives. I look forward to many more years of my kids' involvement with Tessera. (I'm so happy she offers programs serving kids up to age 10!)

I've had three kids at Tessera and all of them are treated and loves as individuals, with their…read moreparticular artistic interests and needs being thoughtfully addressed. I've learned a lot from about patience and communication with kids from the owner and head teacher, Linda. She is one of the most level headed, calm people I have ever met. The community is great too.

I would like to commend Jolyn,Rachel,Shino and Latha. Jolyn…read moreis always upbeat,organized and proactive. She is very good at listening and makes parents feel that we have been heard and she is an excellent communicators. Shino ,Latha and Rachel go above and beyond taking care of our children. They get down on the floor and play with children and hugged them and caressed them for comfort when children are out of sorts or crying. It sure warms our hearts when we see teachers being compassionated. We learn a lot by watching the camera and thank you kiddie academy for being transparent. Keep up the good work and thank you and appreciate your hard loving work From June's grand parents from CA

we are so happy that kiddy Academy chose our girl. we visited many daycare facilities but KA stood…read moreout with cleanliness, student teacher ratio, spacious class room , transparency and quality of teacher such as Mrs.Latha. She is kind,loving and caring. when our girl was sacred and missing her mom Mrs. Latha held her on her lap and was stroking her to comfort her. when our girl got in to KA we felt like she got accepted in Harvard. Mrs. Lin and Jollyn are outstanding and very responsive and on top of everything. Love that they have a live camera feed we can look at anytime. KA of Kenmore goes above and beyond and We feel very blessed that knowing our girl is in good hands and our girl is thriving. Thank you and KA exceeds expectations. Bin P

My kids joined the 9am to 3pm summer camp for a week. The coaches didn't teach them anything: no…read moredemonstrations on how to shoot, dribbling, passing, nor correction on proper forms, none of that. I was there watching the camp several times during the day. Most of what I saw was coaches sitting on the bleachers on the phone, or standing there watching the campers but not engaging nor teaching them anything. My kids came back home and said that they didn't learn anything. The single week camp cost $500 per kid for a week for 6 hours a day. That's a really expensive kid-sitter in an open gym.

I signed up my son in this camp reading all the positive reviews. Moreover, this year's camp in…read moreBellevue, WA was advertised as "Summer 2023 special appearances. Some of the ABC top instructors from around the country are scheduled for this year." The reality was quite different... First, you usually expect some communication prior to camp start, like reminder, etc. But that's okay. The camp itself was described by my son as 'super low energy'. He felt like coaches didn't really want to be there, and didn't really do much besides giving drills, and free time shooting around or playing 1:1s and 3:3s. Coaches didn't attempt to fix any mistakes, etc. Looks like they were more into supercars, advertised at the desk. Not sure what happened with ABC top instructors and special appearances, but this was like night and day difference from a couple of other camps we did this summer.

Buzybeez was recommended to us by another parent when we moved to the area and we have loved our…read moreexperience so far. Our three year old went in shy, quiet and somewhat unsure but has blossomed into a confident little guy who is quite the chatterbox. As he was born during Covid lockdown, Buzybeez was his first exposure to a school/childcare setting. The teacher, Ms. Kimberly is fantastic with kids and made the transition easy for us as parents as well. We would definitely recommend the preschool based on the experience we've had!

From the owner: “Where Nature Meets Nurture – Growing Skills for Life!”…read more“Where Nature Meets Nurture – Growing Skills for Life!” At Buzybeez Preschool, we create a nurturing, nature-based Christian environment where children are motivated to learn and grow. Our mission is to cultivate confident, compassionate, and curious learners through meaningful educational experiences and practical life skills. Our program blends Montessori principles with a Christian perspective in a warm and supportive atmosphere that encourages exploration and community building. We focus on broad skill development, teaching constructive early life skills, and fostering positive social interactions. Each curriculum unit features natural elements, practical household items, and diverse materials designed to ignite curiosity and build confidence in every child. We envision a community where every child develops confidence, empathy, and curiosity through purposeful learning. We don't just prepare children for the next step, we prepare them for a lifetime of learning, growing, and thriving-essential skills for school and life!

This is everything we hoped for in a floating expedition. We wanted an introductory whitewater…read moreexperience with our 9-year-old boys, and they accommodated our request to navigate Level 2 rapids. Andrea was our guide, and she gave us a perfect stretch of sizable time on the Skykomish. In the middle of the trip, we shored the raft, and Andrea set up a delicious lunch spread. The spread even accommodated my wife's dietary restrictions. We also had the opportunity to swim around in a crystal-clear pool of water that was behind the rock bar. You could go with the mega-sized outfit that probably gets more hits on Google, but I've dealt with those companies. They tend to rush people in and out, and see their operation as more of an amusement park. With Chinook, Shane and Andrea love what they do, and have decades of experience on the river. They will give you the firsthand experience that you are looking for.

Shane and Andrea are so river and nature wise. Their passion and excitement about sharing this…read moreexperience with you is contagious!! We felt safe, educated and so happy during our 2 different floats!!