On the first visit to the Cottage with my son, we both fell in love-- with the setting, the warm environment, the friendly "staff" of parents and teachers. As I toured the school, my son immediately ran to play outside, and didn't want to leave. This was huge to me, as my son can be reserved. As a first time parent and as a parent of an only child, I wanted to ensure we were embarking on an educational experience that not only felt right, but one that would prepare our son for a lifetime of learning (social, emotional, creative, educational, etc.). What fortune that we found this school, I must say. The teachers are warm. This is essential in my book. You want your kid(s) to have a positive first time schooling experience, and it starts with the teachers. Pammi, Heidi, and Roxanne are loving, warm, intuitive, patient, and firm. They are flexible, current, intelligent, and people I trust with my son. This to me is priceless. My son is *in love* with Teacher Pammi! The school is much more than just a preschool. It's a group of parents who come together, love their children, and support one another. It's a place that children do not want to leave; and after they have graduated (years and years, even), come back to visit and say hello to Teacher Pammi. Love this school. I highly, highly recommend it. read more

My daughter absolutely adores teacher Heidi and teacher Shannon. They set out a number of different enrichment activities every day, and I know that my child is in a safe and positive environment when I drop her off. Her growth and confidence in the past few months she's been there is very noticeable. read more

Children's Cottage Cooperative - Pajama day. They have plenty of toys for our little dino lover - Preschools Near Me - Larkspur, California

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The Cottage is a very special place that our son loves. He is excited to go to school each day to see what adventures await him. The teachers curate an amazing, warm environment where the children learn, have fun, and feel safe and loved. On any given day, the kids can create art, make music, build cities, play in the playground, farm in the garden, etc. Teacher Heidi and Teacher Shannon are both amazing, patient, and very quick to adapt to a child's needs whether it's playing on the playground or sitting quietly with a book. The icing on the cake is that there are benefits for the parents as well. You get to learn valuable, in-the-moment parenting skills, join an awesome community, and be active in your kid's school day. The school encourages social events amongst the families, and we've done some fun activities with great people who are now friends. read more

This is the second year my daughter Lilah is coming to the cottage. We absolutely love it!! She found the school when we were walking around the neighborhood and instantly decided that was going to be her school. We called, set up a meeting and I have to say we have never felt so comfortable and happy in any other preschool. We are like one big family here, you get to know everyone and the friendship pretty much creates itself. I love it that everyone is there for you even if it's not for things that are school related. Miss Pammy is amazing, specially when it comes to dealing with meltdowns and hyper kids. There is always one activity after another. I highly recommend this school, you will never find anything better than this. If you're new to the area and don't know anyone you will have a support system for life, read more

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We joined the Cottage this year, and it's a wonderful place. Coming out of our Covid bubble into a school setting has been a unique change. The school is staying very safe with keeping the kids outside and masked right now. It's a shame we can't play inside the super cute building, but that hasn't stopped any of the fun and learning. I was worried that as a co-op and play-based school that it would feel more like a bunch of parents on a playdate, but I couldn't be more wrong. The teachers are so great at creating purposeful learning opportunities from multi-day art projects to group bike rides. There is learning taking place everywhere. We are so happy to be a part of this sweet school with two amazing teachers. read more

I love this place and so does our son. The hands on method is just what my wife and I were looking for. Childhood should be about positive and open experiences, shared with teachers, parents and classmates. The Cottage offers this by engaging the parents into the day to day experience of education with your child. While this is not for everyone, the results are super for the children. The Cottage is like a family, it takes effort to make it work, but the results can and are amazing. read more

Children's Cottage Cooperative - The Children's Cottage of Marin on a sunny day. - Preschools Near Me - Larkspur, California

My daughter thrives here. She used to be afraid to speak up in group settings but the teachers and parent volunteers have really brought her out of her shell. Now she's as vibrant at school as she is at home. I love the adult-to-child ratio here, and I also love the community feeling. It's a true cooperative where everyone takes part in keeping the school running and everyone gets to know each other during volunteering throughout the year. The cost is super affordable compared to non-coop preschools in Marin. I considered sending my daughter to school elsewhere but this school was a good fit for our family. My daughter attends for 6 hours a day, 4 days a week, has academic prep and enrichment activities scattered throughout the week, goes on field trips to farms, fire station, science museum, etc, and plays her little heart out. I love this place and I know my kid will thrive in kindergarten because of her experiences here. read more

We are about to experience our third Cottage Graduate and I can't believe we won't be part of this amazing school and community anymore. Teachers Pammi and Heidi are people you are only lucky enough to meet once in a lifetime. They guide the kids and the parents through this exciting and challenging time of toddlerhood through a play based curriculum. It is truly an exceptional school. read more

We just joined the Children's Cottage this month and it already feels like our second home. My son keeps talking about the teachers and all his buddies there! He's so happy and excited. And so am I. Joining a community of like-minded parents, especially with my own family living far away in Germany, is a dream come true. In my experience it really takes a village to raise a child and the Children Cottage is that: A wonderful, kind, wise, and loving village! read more

My daughter loves this school and so do we! She asks to go to school everyday! Teacher Pammi and Teacher Heidi are great with all the kids and make each child feel special and it shows. I was hesitant at first about co-oping, but I have learned so much working there and it is actually a really great experience and my daughter and I look forward to the day we go to school together! We really enjoy the play based method and have recognized how much our daughter is learning and growing all while having fun! We are so grateful to have found such a wonderful school and community of parents! read more

Children's Cottage Cooperative - Story Time - Preschools Near Me - Larkspur, California

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This place is perfect for our daughter. She is thriving here and loves coming to school every day. Having had two older children (now 13 and 15) I can say that at the age of 4 there is no doubt that play is much more important than rigor or anything academic. Kids learn through play at this age, and perhaps most importantly, learn to navigate socially and develop their sense of person. You feel confident every day that your child is in good hands because .. well .. they *are* in our hands. There is a collective sense of identity here which is immediately evident, and is to me, the hallmark of a cooperative. You simply can not get that in a regular Preschool. Your children are taken care of by other parents, who really care about the school experience and everyone else there (by default). Everyone here also leaves any hang-ups at home, people will do anything to lend a hand (which happens quite often), and there is no attitude - noone cares about that here, which is truly refreshing! This school also has one of the best individuals (who happens to be the Director) I have ever met. After 30+ years of doing this, there is nothing Teacher Pammi has not seen, but yet, when talking with her, she never talks AT you, she listens. I have been around some very smart and extraordinary people in my lifetime, in some very diverse settings, but I have never met someone with so much depth of experience and expertise willing to LISTEN as she does - simply amazing. She also connects with children (and adults ha ha) effortlessly. And that is why she is so great at what she does - she loves doing it. To me, The Cottage is near a perfect experience our family has had with Preschools, and my other two have had some very good school experiences. Thank you, Teacher Pammi, Teacher Heidi, and fellow families! You are so very appreciated and truly make this place AWESOME! read more

I love this preschool. My son thrives here, he is so happy to go to school here. He connects with the teachers and the other moms and dads who coop here are great. The best thing here are the teachers, they are wonderful, they have taught me so much, they are so smart and the kids adore them. read more

My daughter started her first day at the Childrens Cottage Cooperative a shy 2 1/2 year old complete with a screaming meltdown. Now a year and a half later she helps and comforts those same kids having their first day. We love this school and are so happy to be part of such a welcoming environment where kids want to stay as long as they can. read more

My son has come to the end of a magical 3 years at the Cottage and is ready to move onto Kindergarten a confident, fun loving and respectful soul, thanks to the time he had with Teachers Pammi & Heidi and the loving cottage community. I wanted a loving environment for my child, a place where he could feel safe and reassured when I left him. Not only did I find that place at the Cottage, but I found a place where he would get to act like a preschooler with no unrealistic expectations or pressure. A place where he could play, feel empowered and be himself. Each day is full of new adventures and kids are always so happy. It's what I noticed when I first toured. Kids are given the tools they need to be respectful, friendly and strong confident people. I also learned so much from the teachers and from the parents. Being far away from family, a community was important for my family and a co-op preschool is a great way to meet people. I made close friends, friends who also helped me out during tricky times. It really has felt like a second family to me. This is a safe place for children. No question. The teachers and parents here are well trained in handling emergencies and make it a priority to identify any potentailly harmful situations. My son has a severe bee sting allergy and was recently stung at school. Teacher Pammi's swift and confident response saved his life. She was well trained and it really showed. I am forever grateful to her and all the parents working that day. I look at the kids graduating this year and I am so proud of them all. They all get along so well. They are truly a great group of friends who love one another. I'm proud my child is part of this kind and creative class. It's all thanks to the amazing work Pammi and Heidi do. The Cottage kids are lucky to have had them. read more

Becoming a member of the Cottage Co-op is one of the best decisions we've made as parents. Our 4 year old daughter has thrived in this loving, play-based, child-driven, positive school. She has learned to value her own thoughts and creative ideas, to take risks, to solve problems, to have empathy and to enjoy herself. She often comes home covered in paint, shaving cream, glitter and always has happy thoughts and memories to share with us each day. Teacher Pammi's experience and understanding of child development is a huge part of what makes the Cottage so special. Our child has received an excellent early childhood experience and the whole family has been lucky to be part of this amazing community of parents and children. read more

Our family had been a part of the Cottage co-op for 4.5 years. During my son's years there, and the first year my daughter attended, it was a wonderful, dynamic little school that I would have highly recommended to anyone. We were a very involved, dedicated family, in good standing, who loved being a part of our children's first education experience. We adored the director, had served on the board in years past and in other leadership positions, always volunteering to help out where needed. However, as of this past school year (2012-13), the former co-president embezzled $14,000, the director has taken 2 extended leaves of absence, and the school lost 6 families by March, 2 of them due to wrongful termination. One of those families was mine. After almost 5 dedicated years, our family was asked to leave the school with no warning, and without following the bylaws process of termination. All attempts for resolution were denied, as the director and teachers were not willing to talk or engage in mediation, leaving my family very confused and hurt. Even more confusing is that the director had asked my husband, and another co-op dad (who was later wrongly terminated as well) to serve as co-presidents for the following 2013-14 school year. She expressed her gratitude and excitement that they were willing to take a leadership role in the school, in the hopes that they could 'help get the school back on track and get rid of the drama'. Four days later, she asked our families to leave the school. Our daughter, who has known the school since birth and had become very attached to the director, didn't get the opportunity to say good-bye nor any time to transition. She cried herself to sleep for weeks. She, and the daughter of the other family asked to leave, were the ultimate victims in it all. Nothing child-centered about that, and I wish this experience on no one. I share this, because as a parent, I would want to know this kind of information in making decisions about my children's education, and the people I entrust with their care. We met many lovely families during our years at the school, but it is no longer the amazing place that it once was. The cooperative beliefs and values are a wonderful philosophy that is practiced internationally. Unfortunately, it is my opinion that the Children's Cottage Coop does not abide by the philosophy. read more

We cannot recommend this school to others after almost five years of membership. Challenged value base, questionable leadership and little concern for the best interests of the child. So many better options available. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you'd like to lean more. 415-786-5796 read more

As parents, we couldn't be happier. Our son has made so many gains and he hasn't even been at the school for a year. He wakes up asking if it is a school day and list everyone that is going to be there. The parents and teachers of The Cottage are like family. Everyone helps out and lends a hand whenever needed. The teachers have taught us all so much and we are so grateful. We hoped our son would love school, but his love for the school has exceeded our expectations. What else could we ask for. read more

Best of the Best! Our 2 kids attended CCC and basically so did we. We learned more about parenting there than in any other place. Our kids thrived, learned independence, learned how to resolve conflicts, and I think most importantly, learned how to learn from their own curiosity. As adults, we learned how to help children make good decisions by making them feel important and helping them think about how their decisions affect people around them. Our kids made some life long friends and so did we. Years later we are still in touch with a number of other families we met at CCC. Get ready to be a very active partner in the early childhood development of your children and others who attend the CCC. Sure there's a lot of work, but most of it is fun, it always gives you the opportunity to engage with other parents and other children. In this world that is so "me" focused, the CCC helps us remember that we're all in this life together. If you're liking the idea of a hands on Co-Op run by the people for the people this is the very best. I could go on, but I think you get it... read more

We have been at the Cottage for 2.5 years now and have so many wonderful things to say about it! The students, the teachers, and the families have created such a fun, loving environment for our son's (and ours as parents) first school experience. The children lead the way using their thoughts and ideas to create the play environment...the teachers and parents are their to facilitate and encourage social skills, motor and language development, while ensuring all students are safe and having fun!! Whether it's making a dinosaur land with active volcanoes on the playground or creating a stage for singing and dancing in the big room, there is always an opportunity for creativity. There's playdough and gak, there's legos and blocks, there's watercolors and chalk, there's obstacle courses and zip lining...whatever your child wants to do, they get that opportunity while at the Cottage! A co-op is not for everyone, as there is a greater time commitment than some other pre-school models, but if it works for you, I highly recommend you look into the Cottage! read more

Our children loved the cottage! Teacher Pammi & Teacher Heidi are amazing with the kids and I learned a lot about how children learn through creative play. read more

We highly recommend the Children's Cottage Cooperative to anyone looking for a safe and fun learning environment for their children. The teachers and parents at this play-based school teach vital social skills such as compassion and caring while also a pre-kindergarten curriculum that allows our daughter to explore and learn at her own pace. The community of this school - children and parents alike - is also a huge plus for our family read more