We've been part of this school for two years, and from the very beginning, we knew we had found…read moresomething special. We've been with our teacher for two years and feel incredibly lucky. The teachers here are experienced, dedicated, and deeply committed The director is always present, kind, and attentive. Nothing goes unnoticed, and the children are always cared for. As parents in the LGBTQ community, we didn't expect to be embraced so openly, but this school and its families welcomed us with warmth, respect, and authenticity. That has meant more to us than words can express. What makes this place even more meaningful is how much they invite families to be part of it. Whether it's story time or the incredible Cultural Fair, pride, you're not just a spectator--you belong. We feel incredibly lucky to be part of this community.

We paid a $135 waitlist fee and were told we'd be contacted when enrollment opened. We never…read morereceived any updates or an enrollment packet, and months were wasted waiting to enroll our son in a Montessori program. Meanwhile, the school began openly enrolling students while we were left on the waitlist with no communication. The only time we heard anything was when we reached out ourselves, and even then the responses were vague and provided no real information. After multiple calls and emails requesting an explanation and a refund, we've received no response. This lack of transparency and follow-through is unacceptable. The experience left our family feeling uncomfortable with how we were treated and questioning how families are selected from the waitlist. We are still requesting a refund for a process that was never honored. Unethical and a scam business. Reported to the CA Dept of Social Services.

We had high hopes for North Creek Academy, but the TK assessment process was incredibly…read morefrustrating. Expecting 4-year-olds to already be writing and recognizing letters feels academically misplaced for a Transitional Kindergarten level. What's worse is the inconsistency--it's clear the "rules" don't apply to everyone, as kids who can't yet write their names are accepted while the process remains a "black box" for everyone else. It feels more like a biased "who you know" system than a transparent evaluation of a child's readiness. We also noticed during our tour that the school's diversity is very low. In today's world, we want our children to learn in an environment that reflects the broader community, and we didn't see that here. Definitely something to consider if transparency and inclusion are priorities for your family.

I would like to add a star and acknowledge all the wonderful members of the NorthCreek community…read morefor contacting me to let me know that Esther McClellan's appalling behavior does not reflect the community as a whole. Their kindness means a great deal as we had just moved to the area and Esther's gang really affected us negatively. Also, many have come forward with their own stories of their children being treated poorly by Esther. I'm collecting these stories anonymously and plan to file a complaint. If you have a story about Esther that you'd like to share anonymously, please contact me privately. Many thanks, Christine Patellaro

There's not enough I can say about this amazing preschool. Both of my kids went to Northgate…read morepreschool when they were younger and it was an incredible experience. I always knew that my kids are well fed, well cared for, and receiving a well rounded education. This preschool is always clean and safe. So creative with activities for kids that stimulate their growth. Kids feel special every day they are there. The teachers are the best and really care for each child that goes there and joins the Northgate Preschool family. We made lifelong friends and our kids still talk about how much they miss their preschool and teachers. Thank you Northgate, you dont even know how much you are appreciated!

So thrilled to see Northgate preschool finally on Yelp! A couple years back, both of my children…read moreattended and graduated from there, and our experience was nothing but amazing. The teachers are truly wonderful and caring, thoughtful and always ready to accommodate. The daily routine they had in place ensured my kids were more than ready for kindergarten. Would recommend it to any parent in a heartbeat.

My 4 year old and my 1 year old loved it here! The admin…read moreteam and the teachers are all so wonderful and caring. They really care for the children and the classes are very engaging. I highly recommend this daycare!

I'm the mother of a 2 year old, and I'd like to start by sharing our expectation from a pre-SCHOOL…read more "A safe and loving environment, that allows our child to grow at his pace, while instilling values, that become the building blocks of our child's character." BACKGROUND: We are new parents who had to start our child in a home-based care at 9 months. We continued to explore schools with structure and curriculum in our area looking for educators, not mere minders. This brought us to his first "school". A 30-45 minutes drive each way. After enrollment however, we struggled with continuity of care, teacher accountability and overall responsible follow-through of promises made during admission at this school. After 10 months saddled with accumulating deficits of a rather inexperienced young school, discrepant communication and extremely long commute we withdrew our child to be enrolled at another nearby school with good reviews, camera access and good current-parent's positive feedbacks. This enrollment turned out to be 6 weeks of trauma and torture for our child and consequently us. Unreported scrapes, teachers bellowing across rooms at toddlers, not reporting the child having stayed hungry for the entire day, no engagement with toddlers wandering aimlessly through the classroom, no handwashing habits, no education of good or bad behavior, no changing of dirty clothes/use of bibs/sunblock, and inconsistent reporting of day's activities. To add insult to this injury, it took us 2 full weeks to schedule a sit down with the principal while the teacher failed address A SINGLE of our concerns. We served notice and withdrew our son. We mustered courage to fight our past failures with our child's school and worked out a plan, charted all our requirements. We started an open dialogue about our weariness for changing environments for such a young child and the abject need to do it with PRIMROSE SCHOOL OF WALNUT CREEK EAST and they heard us and delivered in the following ways. MANAGEMENT: Met with us as many times as we needed. Included class teachers to understand and address how they would work with our child. Continued to keep us appraised of all developments as well us accommodated our requests within the school policy. CONTINUITY OF CARE: In less than a week my child started running up to his teachers Ms. Kareena and Ms. Erica showering them with warm hugs each morning. At pickup the teachers share reliable, consistent feedback of my son's day and always greet and see him off with love. ETHOS: Primrose fosters different moral qualities embodied through its characters, which are being visibly inculcated in our child too. Teachers' planned effort to foster independence in daily chores/activities and how to grow in their community (of peers, teacher, parents) is particularly impressive to us. FOOD: The meals are appropriately planned throughout the day and the menu is balanced and pre-published. The team also respectfully offers to accommodate dietary restrictions should a child need it. PLAY: The pedagogy includes planned play for children, that we find particularly rewarding for our child, since it invokes his curiosity in a deliberated environment, while still allowing room for explorations and development. The curriculum plans for learning in diverse aspects ENVIRONEMNT: The classrooms are naturally and artificially lit, so none of the classes look like florescent shoeboxes. The facility is new construction and nestled in a safe neighborhood. The premises remain clean and free of ANY odor at all times (a really rare find) with most setups. DROP-OFF and PICK-UP: The neighborhood is rather active, and the surrounding businesses and its visitors give a safe feeling. That said, parking is not-easy during rush hours or when events are hosted, however, this, for us isn't a deal-breaker by a long shot. IN ESSENCE: I would like to underscore the efforts of my son's class teachers in painting our family's experience so positively. Their work makes us feel safe and worry free for our child. The management acts like the cherry on top that makes the school oh-so-desirable! I've written a lengthy review for the first time in my life, because it is essential to laud an institution for its remarkable effort. We have struggled with several bad experiences despite our best efforts, and had hoped our child could be spared these early challenges as we slowly discovered a suitable path. I hope this is helpful for some parents looking for answers about an experience at this school.

A safe and welcoming place you can take your kids when you go to work…read more My son started here at the age of three after a less than ideal experience at an at-home daycare. From day one, Karla welcomed my son and family with open arms. Even with my son's speech delay, Karla along with all the staff instantly made me feel comfortable, and reassured. Things I love about Kidz Planet: The meals and snacks that come with the tuition. Summer Camp is a must. My son looked forward to water day when it was on the calendar. They are thoughtful with applying sunscreen on your kiddos when it gets hot. The school throws festive events and they have a ton of preschool spirit. The buffer to drop off and pick up is helpful with unpredictable work hours. The brightwheel app is my daily dose of dopamine. I love looking forward to photos and videos of the kiddos. Sadly, my son will be graduating in May. We are sad to leave but grateful we invested this stage of his development with Kidz Planet.

We absolutely LOVE Kidz Planet, and feel so incredibly lucky to have our daughter attend full-time…read morefor two years! It's truly been the most wonderful experience. She's formed such strong bonds with so many of the teachers and staff--too many amazing people to name without leaving someone out! The entire Kidz Planet community is nurturing, welcoming, kind, and full of joy and learning. Our daughter absolutely loves going to school and seeing all of her friends. Most importantly, we've seen her grow in countless way, including in confidence, curiosity, and happiness. I could go on and on because we are literally so happy with Kidz Planet and our daughters' development and experience there. A perfect 10/10! She'll be transitioning to TK in August, and while we're excited for what's next, we're genuinely sad to say goodbye to such a wonderful place. Thank you, Kidz Planet, for everything!

This is such a lovely little preschool! The teachers are all awesome. We loved the curriculum, play…read morebased learning. And having mixed ages was great, I think it helped with my kiddos social & physical development. My kiddo usually started the day by visiting one of the learning stations, i.e. the Science table. I loved that my kiddo was so interested in what each station taught and was always excited to tell (or show) me what she learned that day. The annual Art Show that Teacher Thea puts on is absolutely wonderful! The children's artwork that is made during the year is displayed in the Community Center in the same style like when visiting a museum. We loved seeing each child's takes on different artists styles. This school definitely gets an A+ for having a great learning environment and awesome Teachers.

My daughter has thrived since starting here. Nurturing teachers with a play based curriculum makes…read morethis an A+ choice. Covid precautions definitely in place (smaller class size, masks, hand washing, and social distancing as much as you can w toddlers). Just an absolute gem.

KLA was part of our family for over a decade. From the moment our oldest entered into the baby…read moreclassroom in 2014 until my third and youngest child graduated from TK in 2025, KLA was so much more than a daycare or school. KLA was the place where all my kids learned to crawl, then walk and run. Its walls were privy to the earliest conversations and first friendships. Its yards were the source of a few scrapes, endless make-believe games, and new discoveries. The staff truly loved my children for so many hours they were away from home. Every year there were new rituals of playing in the hallway before heading to class and waving goodbye through the big glass windows. It was such a joy to watch all three of my kids thrive and learn new things daily. When I think of KLA, I think of finger painting and puddle splashing, cultural activities and the annual Halloween parade, Friendsgiving and field trips to the blue park. I think of Spanish classes, theater performances, and ASL. I treasure the amazing portfolios that our teachers put together for every child, every year. We left with friendships (for both the kids and the parents) that will hopefully last a lifetime. For all of this and more, I will always be grateful.

We have been at KLA for the last 4 years between our two sons and we have had a wonderful…read moreexperience. The space it's bright, inviting and intentional. The teachers and staff are incredible and both of my kiddos truly thrived here!!

Our son attended KidTime and we are so happy we found this school! I have chatted with so many…read moreparents and left so many rave reviews for the school online when parents shared they are looking for a preschool or a better fit for their child. We left a previous school and were looking for an environment where our son could thrive, and after touring with the director, Sydney, we knew we had found just the right fit. Our old preschool, a Montessori-style school, didn't do any TK curriculum, so we were worried he wouldn't be as prepared for Kindergarten. Our son missed the cutoff for public TK, so we knew we needed to find a better fit for him. Plus, our previous school wasn't accommodating for our active little dude. KidTime wasn't concerned at all when I mentioned our son wouldn't sit for circle time or stay focused during 'work time'. Instead of concern, we were met with open arms! The school meets the children where they're at! There's no need to hide any problems your child may be having. The school will not only work with you, but they will take the time and care to help your child and your family with any issues. There are no expectations for a child to meet a cookie-cutter mold. Your child will be embraced! The school is very inclusive! I was told, he sounds perfectly at his age level. This is truly refreshing to hear when you're leaving a school that isn't welcoming. The school has a massive backyard with a garden, chickens, and the biggest sandbox you've ever seen, with a water play area as well. There's plenty of shade and trees as well. The school will also apply sunscreen (they supply it, or you are welcome to bring your own). The school prepares fresh meals for the children, which after sending our son to school that didn't; this is such an amazing aspect! It saved our family so much time and hassle. Our son is a great eater, but for children who arent; it's so helpful to have the children all eating the same meal together. A lot of parents have said this helped their picky eaters embrace new foods. Plus, there's onsite water fountains, so we didn't even need to bring a water bottle. Again, you really appreciate this when you realize you don't need to wash a water bottle daily. The staff are so kind and warm! They do really fun activities with the children. Each week they cover a new theme and do activities related to the theme including STEM, art, math, etc. Our son learned about the earth's rotation and how time worked, learned his phonics, etc. Their teaching style is all play-based; at first, I didn't really know what that meant. I thought it was just open play, but it's not. They play a lot of games and do a lot of hands on learning, so they learn through play. It's truly wonderful! They also have a lot of community events, like a Thanksgiving meal where the children prepare all of the dishes, and families are welcome to come and eat together. Plus, they host Trick or Treating, a very lively Cinco de Mayo party, a family camping trip, and many more! Families are also welcome to come at pick up and play with their kids in the backyard! This is so different from a lot of other schools. This is so fun because you can see your child at play! You can join in and meet other families. We're happy our baby will go here as well, and this time for the full experience, as our son joined only joined for one year. They even welcome back alumni for their fun Cinco de Mayo party! Only downside, that they will openly tell you during your tour, children are allowed to be children...meaning they are allowed to get very messy! When I first toured with my baby, I didn't think this would be a good fit for him because he didn't like to be messy; but when he joined later, it wasn't a problem. Some kids do get wildly messy, but our child never did. Just know, that they use all washable materials, so any stain, I was easily able to get out. However, it's very possible, your child might be covered head to toe blue when you go to pick them up! I've seen a mini Smurf there at pickup!

Truly a child led program with amazing teachers and staff. The school has a huge play area for the…read morekids to explore and just be kids.

I CAN NOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT CRAWLERS 2 SCHOLARS…read more story time. when yelp first came about, i was redefining myself from a san francisco raised troubler maker to an "adult" with adult money and a desire to do some good while having some fun. back in 2005-2015ish, this new online community we built in sf, we had a whole bunch of fun and really did a lot for our local community and local small businesses. we raised a ton of money for the SF Food Bank and put hundreds, if not thousands of small businesses on the literally digital online map. fast forward another decade or so, most of these founder members are now old(er) farts with kids and use yelp in a very different way..... including finding day care hidden gems! we moved to walnut creek during the pandemic when we wanted to have a bit more room with our second child coming. Sky was borna week after we moved into a new place in WC. having experienced the difficulties finding the right daycare/preschool the first time around with our oldest, i hopped immediately into finding the right place for Sky. C2S was on top of a short list of centers in the area i picked out. after visiting, the list got shorter and after speaking with staff, the list only had C2S on it. C2S has an amazing lifer heading the program/center. Katy has literally spent her adult life at this center. Its her passion and it shows. Each and every staff member i have encountered has been amazing. our 3 year old loves his time at C2S. This center is modern, accepting and celebrates each and every child without making it a huge deal (like most of us). I've been to a few of the celebrations and you can not help but smile ear to ear. The center is clean, roomy, secured, and they have a great playground (super important). The team regularly sends photos and you can see how engaged the staff is with the kids and vice versa. Katy and the admin team are SUPER on point and timely with the back office side of things. I have more difficulties getting responses from my own team and employees than resolving items and gettings responses from the C2S team, something you do not see too often from daycare/preschools. i can not say enough good things! happy to share with the yelp community this amazing hidden gem. i did the footwork, found the best day care in the area.

Crawlers to Scholars Daycare is fantastic! The staff is caring and playful, creating a warm and…read morewelcoming environment for the kids. They communicate well with parents and always keep us informed. Each week, they send out meal plans and lesson plans, so we know exactly what our children will be eating and learning. I trust them completely and was so impressed with their care for my first child that I enrolled my 6 month old child there as well when I returned to work. Highly recommend!

Now that we've been at Little Flowers for a fair amount of time, I feel comfortable sharing an…read morehonest review. I come to this as someone who has spent years running licensed care programs under the California Department of Social Services, so I understand both the standards required and how challenging it is to operate a care program well. Because of that, I have a high bar, but also a realistic one. From that perspective, Little Flowers Montessori has exceeded my expectations. What stands out most is the consistency and longevity of the staff, which is incredibly important in a care environment. My daughter is in the Daisy class and has had the same sweet teacher all year long. Ms. Fatima, who has been leading that class for years and is such a gem. She is loving, calm, patient and so nurturing. The children are clearly bonded to her, and that sense of stability has been so reassuring as a parent. The early morning staff are equally warm and welcoming. They always seem so genuinely excited to see the kids arrive each day. Anna, the assistant director who has been there for years and years, is also exceptional. She is friendly, approachable, and extremely responsive. Her communication skills are top-notch, which is enormously important when your child is in the care of others. She provides real peace of mind that everything is being overseen with care and attention. The front desk team is also kind and helpful, making daily interactions smooth and positive. And may I add they provide nutritious snacks and hot lunch at no extra charge! That is a priceless gift to any busy working parent. This alone makes their rates extremely reasonable for the area. While there are certainly newer fancier centers popping up what matters most to me is the heart of a program. At Little Flowers Montessori, that heart is clearly in the people. My daughter is happy, comfortable, and enjoys going to school, and our experience has been consistent and positive. For families looking for a nurturing, dependable environment run by people who genuinely care, I highly recommend Little Flowers Montessori.

Our family has had a fantastic 5+ years sending both of our children to Little Flowers Montessori…read morein Walnut Creek. The care and education this school has provided has been exemplary. Our kids have always felt safe, happy, and challenged, and they've made great friends with some fantastic other LFM WC families. Teachers we have had along the way (including Ms. Farzana, Ms. Yuliana, and Ms. Ana) have given our children an interest in learning that they have carried with them to kindergarten and grade school. We were amazed at how much they were able to learn in the LFM classrooms. We will miss this special school!