Had a great experience with Teacher Melissa S. in Phoenixville, PA. She easily accommodated us and…read morea couple other kids late to the session. She was enthusiastic and engaging. Our group had several kids under 2, a handful of 2-4yos, and a couple 5yos. Tinkergarten is 100% outdoors; they use public parks as classrooms. Lessons focus on songs, stories, and visuals about animals and nature. They often incorporate the elements (fire, wind, earth, water) into lessons, as well as a featured animal or plant each time. Sign language (ASL) is taught for each lesson feature. Learning-play is the main activity, such as a treasure hunt, making lanterns, or creating "soup" from nature in the park and spices brought by the teacher. I'd signed up for a spring session just before COVID hit the US, and as with everything, Tinkergarten had to cancel. They offered online sessions, but my toddler was too young to really grasp that Zoom type interaction. Fast forward a year and a half, and I signed up late into this past fall session. Tinkergarten pro-rated it for us, which was great. I think this is best suited for ages 3-5, though it is offered for 6mos-8 years. If you want to get neat ideas about outdoor play, and meet like-minded parents/kids, I would definitely recommend this to the younger end of the age range. If you already are really creative and play outdoors often, this class will not be as exciting to your child, but it is a great opportunity to socialize with other kids. For older kids, classes are normally during school hours on weekdays, so I could see homeschooled kids attending, but everyone else will be in school. For me, it was a great motivator to spend more time outside, and it was fun taking a class with my child. We would normally spend much of the day outside, but we wouldn't be seated and focused on a lesson the same way, and Teacher Melissa's energy really helped us get enthusiastic about our lesson. My toddler LOVES the Tinkergarten song, too! Great bonding time with your kids! Great toddler socialization! Great at intriguing kids to lean into nature! My rating if only 4 stars was for a couple of cons. One, the cost is higher than similar programs at the YMCA, etc., and communication was difficult via email with Tinkergarten and our teacher. Also, I thought I'd be getting all my sessions live and in person, but the last two were online only. Otherwise it was a quality experience.

Our experience was with the Lexington, MA location while my daughter was 22 months old. My…read moreobservation is that this type of outdoor guided learning is effective if your child is over three and doesn't get a chance to spend much time outdoors. My daughter does well in playgroups indoors, but here kids are not confined to a small space (which is great) but - as such, your child's participation in activities is dependent on his/her obedience to the Leader and topic interest. In my personal case, my daughter and I spend time outdoors everyday and she is well versed in mud pies, foraging and very familiar with that particular park. Perhaps at her age she just didn't understand why she wasn't able to freely do these things at her own pace or our group was the most disciplined bunch of 20-22 month olds I had ever seen. I was also very hurt when I told the group leader that I was having a hard time keeping my daughter with the group and her response was to tell me that the other kids were her same age. As a teacher of children, she should know that all kids learn differently and comparing 20-22 month olds in an effort to shame me isn't helpful. I emailed the company to cancel and got a partial refund. I think age 4-5 is about when we'd get the most educational value and bang for our buck. My toddler was just too young and too into her own self-guided learning to follow the Leader - she'd get a similar experience when I take her to parks and nature trails myself. Sadly because of our experience with that teacher, we will not sign up in the future.

My baby has been going to this for over a year. The director is phenomenal and how she treats her…read morestaff and her students. My baby has thrive and the little time that she has been there. You don't have to worry how your child's day went because they get progress notes with detail so you don't have to worry if your child is being I recommend this to anyone because it's grade A quality..

An amazing school for preschool level children. The teachers and true community of parents create…read moresuch a wonderful experience and as your child grows here you understand how special this place is.

We've had our daughter at Nonotuck for 3 years and could not be happier. All of the teachers and…read moreadministrators are stellar--very knowledgable, well trained, caring and attentive. The open, emergent curriculum fosters imagination, creativity and confidence, and gets the kids outside and moving their bodies frequently throughout the day. The school's focus on social and emotional skills has been a great benefit as well. We often comment that children from Nonotuck seem to have an easier time sharing and navigating conflict with other children. Nonotuck also offers a cooperative community of families and teachers working together to not only raise strong, intelligent, confident children, but also to support parents and families as they work through the challenges of raising children. Many friendships are made between children and parents alike.

Very organized, sweet staff. Upbeat and professional. I can expect an update about my kid's day…read morelike clockwork and I'm amazed by the detail they provide, which tells me that they pay close attention to each child they take care of. Regular outside time, regular arts n crafts, sensory activities, learning and friendships. He always has fun. They are flexible and understanding. A great classroom setting and I trust them 100! Started attending here as a toddler and will graduate as a preschooler before starting kindergarten this fall.

Great place! Staff is wonderful. Very caring and family oriented. My kids love it here!read more

My son started at People's Institute when he was 15 months old (he is now 3.5 years.) We had been…read moreat another daycare before that and I switched him because of the cost. I've never made a better decision. P.I. is fantastic. The staff is caring, kind, and approachable. I love that my son has 2 main teachers, but feels comfortable going to any member of the staff. I also love that P.I. brings in special actives for the kiddos- pony rides, zoo on the go, bounce houses and more! During the day the kiddos get a well balanced amount of free play, structured activities/learning and outdoor time. The playground is safe, well supervised and fun! The staff is very accommodating to each child's individual needs (for potty training, eating, etc. etc.)

My daughter went to PI for their Kindergarten and then continued to go there for after school care…read moreand their summer camps (2004-2007). She enjoyed it so much that she asked if she could work there almost a year ago. She's just 17 and still in high school so she is employed only part-time during the school year, but is looking forward to being there full time in the summer again. She absolutely LOVES the children.

10/10 highly recommend brighter beginnings! My daughter…read morestarted here at 3 months old and I couldn't be happier with the experience we have had room 3 (the infant room) MS VIRGEN is amazing! Our daughter has such a strong bond with her and is always happy and smiling when I pick her up at the end of the day, Ms Virgen truly treats those babies as if they were her own and I couldn't have asked for anything better! Her and Nicole (who is also amazing!) read books to the babies, do arts and crafts, and make sure all babies get equal love and attention. The room is cleaned daily and their sick policies protect our little ones from spreading illnesses. They have a huge fenced in backyard with play structures and activities for the older kids. They frequently take the babies on walks with strollers. They also post the cutest pictures on their daycare app, which is nice to see while you are away from your child. Lily is awesome and runs a great facility. She is easy to work with and has always accommodated our needs without issue. My boyfriend and I both cried on our daughter's last day here (due to relocation). It was truly heartbreaking leaving this place behind as we knew how loved and well taken care of our daughter was in their care. I have nothing but great things to say and if you get lucky enough to send your child here, I promise you and your kiddo will be more than pleased with your experience

Cannot say enough nice things about Brighter Beginnings! Lilly, the Director, is amazing and really…read moreadds a personal touch to the center. They were very flexible with our needs, during a difficult transition through relocation/new jobs. Our son was enthusiastic about going to daycare each day and loved the teachers and friends he made. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

The Hitchcock Center is a place that offers education on here, the place we live. It's really nice…read moreand important to take a look around and learn about what you are looking at. The plants and animals in the area. Public schools should really do something like this. My son and I are taking a class and it's one of my favorite things he does after school.

Wonderful facility and staff! We had such a positive experience with their summer camp this year --…read moreour 8 year old joined them for two sessions and came home full of stories and excited for the next day. We loved how supportive the counselors all were and are could tell how much everyone cared about the kids and their program. Outdoor classrooms, variety of activities, animals and environmental education, combination of facilitated and open play, great communication, gender neutral facilities and all gender supportive community, easy drop off and pick up, sliding scale enrollment fees based on ability and scholarships available. It's tough to register, though, as spaces are swooped up VERY quickly, and this year they capped families at two weeks for the summer.