My son went to this school for two years and I can't recommend it enough. We searched and toured…read morepreschools while I was pregnant and after discovering the first school we knew we had found the perfect place for him. The teachers and staff are all so wonder and caring. (Especially Teacher Lucy) This school is a loving, safe community for parents and children. They even helped guide us into the right elementary school.

So, it's been almost two decades since I was a student here, but I still have such fond memories of…read morethe First School. Everyday was a different activity (from gardening to learning about dinosaurs) and the teachers were incredible. Every afternoon we were sent home with a piece of masking tape on our shirts stating what we'd done that day so our folks would know. --- Take Big Blue Bus #8.

Mt. Olive Preschool is absolutely amazing! I have sent both of my daughters here and they have…read moreloved their time at Mt. Olive. Each day is always filled with fun and learning with caring and dedicated teachers, and has created great foundations of friendships and community they will keep with them to begin their journey in elementary school. When my oldest daughter went off to TK at a local public school, the teacher at her new school mentioned that she can always tell when a kiddo went to Mt. Olive because they already know how to write their name. Our girls have learned independence, social skills, and have been instilled such a love of learning. We have been blessed to attend and are forever grateful for all the love, memories, and support throughout the years and highly recommend them!

I have inquired and visited many pre-schools in the general West Side area for the same reasons…read moremost people send their children to pre-school. We work, have distant relatives or unable relatives to babysit, want our children to be socialized and start to build relationships with friends, learn basics about life while having the support of the guardians we trust to look after them. This is hard as my wife and I would rather look after our children ourselves, but the world can seem cruel and unsupportive of our choice to raise children; so we must work. We imagined we would have had children in a community that felt more like a tribe with a set of core values and a support network to help raise and look after our kids and their friends. I have found that more often than not my expectations are not met because I have not looked in the right area and the answers are not always in focus. I wanted an extended family, a tribe and educators to help raise my family; Kris Ladish, Anel, Corlene, Nelida, Esperanza, Jeremy and really the entire staff have been pivotal in helping me find what we needed. What is hard to describe is how ethereal our experience at Mt. Olive is. We have had help and guidance from teachers to correct, teach and raise our children. Have had guided parent gatherings that the school helped facilitate. We have access to "kids night out" on a regular basis that is a party and play time in the evenings that is a nice change for parents and children. The staff look after and take interest in the lives of their students as well as their family. In a world that can feel cold Kris and her staff have brought warmth. We have been fostered by Mt. Olive and are better for it because we now have a tribe and extended groups of friends that our family as a whole has to hang out with. As for teaching and environment, I think it is hard to beat and they certainly stand out from the rest. I DO NOT SEE anyone on their cell phones... ever... there's never been a tv on, a tablet playing or other electronic media to distract and entertain the children. I always see kids running around, playing, arts and crafts, building and digging in sand, being guided how to describe their feelings, speak for themselves and be a personal advocate, story time, playing with water, to singing and music classes, they even help with the potty training plan consistency (this was a especially defeating for us as a family as previous child cares simply DID NOT HELP in keeping a consistent potty train plan and in one case simply did not help at all). I have regular reports on how my son is doing in class, where he needs help, how to correct and resources if we need them. I walk through the grounds to drop off my son almost every day and I see, feel and notice the details and difference from other child cares and pre-schools. Side note, Mt. Olive has a high rate of retension, the newest staff member has been there for 8 years; everyone is happy, students and staff alike. Mt. Olive was a god send when we needed it most, Kris Ladish was very kind to me and my family. I had made a snap decision to relocate my son to another school when I found out there was bullying about and was gas lit into believing it was me and my son's separation anxiety, but this didn't add up, to find out that there was a kid who would punch and kick while laughing and was never notified and that the parents were "finding it hard to stop and correct his behavior." Kris let my son join in right away, thank you Kris. I'm going to get off my soap box now, I don't ever review on the internet. However; when I asked if there was anyway I could volunteer and help the school, one request was to leave a yelp review. -Zach

I truly love this school for my toddler. The teachers are all so welcoming and engaging. They have…read moreso many activities with the kids. I felt safe immediately sending my daughter there and recommend for anyone looking to send their toddlers to a preschool where they will grow and be loved and cared for.

The children's place pre school is by far one of the best and nicest places to have your kids start…read moreschool. The teachers there are so educated and have so much experience. They stick to a nice strict schedule that incorporates play time, and learning at the same time. My kid loves this place and all his little friends he's made. I will definitely bring my next kid here.

We absolutely loved Ms Bana and the entire staff at Westside Montessori. My daughter still to this…read moredays thinks about her years here saying they were her favorite teachers. Everything about this school was just perfect for us.

We have been sending our soon-to-be 5-yr-old son to Westside Montessouri School for three years…read more Ms. Bana and her staff are the exact people you want spending most of the waking hours with your child. She treats all the children like her own. She is warm and loving. She gives children space to grow and explore within a healthy framework with gentle guidance. She imbues her entire team with this mindset, and they follow her lead. We did exhaustive research and sent our daughter to BrightHorizons for three years because it was closer to work. We seriously regret not sending her to Ms. Bana, because our son is more advanced socially and academically, and as a result scored in the top .001% on a cognitive exam and was accepted into a very elite private elementary school. We attribute most of this achievement to Ms. Bana's approach and style. We have no connection to Ms. Bana or Westside Montessouri other than professionally (there is no underlying bias here). We just know how frustrating it is to look and look for the right place for your child. Well, look no further, you've found the right place.

We have sent both of our children to Piper and cannot speak more highly of it! From the…read moreadministrators to all of the teachers, everyone there is incredible - caring, professional, and absolutely wonderful with all of the children. Our kids have loved their time there and we wouldn't send them anywhere else!

Piper (SM) is an extraordinary school, where respect, independence and individuality is instilled…read morein children at such an early age. We confidently say that there is a big difference between a Piper and Non-Piper child wherever we go - a high level of kindness and intellect is practiced at the school thanks to the high quality of teachers and staff. The team at Piper care deeply and personally, really making us all feel like we're one big family.

I cannot say enough good things about Maple Tree Santa Monica. Our oldest was with MTA from 4…read moremonths to 3 years old, and our youngest was there for a few months in the infant classroom before we moved away. We always felt safe leaving our kids at MTA, which is so invaluable for two working parents. The teachers are warm and caring, and were always flexible to work with us on things like naps, feeding, and potty training. Our oldest made so many friends and grew into a wonderfully inquisitive child, no doubt thanks to the curriculum of child-led exploration and learning. We will miss MTA dearly and will be forever grateful to have spent some time there!

Our family feels very fortunate to have had 3.5 wonderful years at Maple Tree Santa Monica. Our…read moredaughter started in the infant room when she was 5 months old during the height of COVID and our son started when he was 6 months old. Some of the things we love about Maple Tree include the convenience of having an infant room and preschool at the same location. We're also grateful for the infant room director Yoli and the School Director Tina. They are very kind, helpful, and easy to work with. As our daughter got older she got to experience the preschool environment at Maple Tree. The teachers are all very sweet and caring. They make sure to provide updates throughout the day via an App that includes updates on meal times / nap times / potty times / and a summary of what they did that day. Both of our kids really enjoyed their time at Maple Tree, they loved their teachers and have made so many friends (as have we!). They create a nice community among the families with a Spring and Fall picnic throughout the year and the hours are also very accommodating for two full time working parents. We feel very lucky to have had both of our kids at Maple Tree and would recommend to anyone looking for a clean, safe, professional, kind & loving daycare and/or preschool.

Our daughter started in the Seedling room at MyFirstPlace on 22nd St. when she was just 4 months…read moreold, and we've had a wonderful experience ever since. It's a full Spanish immersion program and they have very flexible options. We opted for full time M-F 8-5:30pm. Maria and her entire team are amazing: communication is clear and prompt, teachers are engaged and caring, and the school is clean, safe, and offers wonderful enrichment activities like soccer, capoeira, and music. We always feel listened to, and the teachers send updates throughout the day. One of my favorite parts of the workday is getting the cutest photos and videos of her and her friends engaged in all sorts of activities like outdoor play or reading books. The biggest testament to the program is our daughter herself. Now 18 months old, she's excited to go to school every morning, happily jumping from my lap into her teachers' arms, and she's calm and happy when we pick her up. Teacher Gabby V. has been incredibly caring and thoughtful. We feel so lucky to have had her help care for our daughter over the past 14 months. She consistently goes out of her way to provide thoughtful, individualized care, whether that means adjusting nap schedules or giving a little extra attention when needed. We couldn't recommend MFP more highly!

We loved MFP for our daughter and it truly was our daughter's first place. They were incredibly…read moreflexible, attentive, and caring for our little one. Being a first time mom, I was nervous to let go and have someone else take care of my daughter. But as I watched her start to get accustomed to the schedule there, I noticed how the staff is educated and friendly. It was emotional for me to watch her learn to be independent at MFP and Maria and Cinthia were very accommodating to helping my daughter transition from homecare to daycare. There's plenty of extracurricular activities dancing, music, soccer, including all the planned crafts to keep her engaged. I always found that they updated ProCare with plenty of updates and pictures to keep me informed of her daily activities. Cinthia, Teacher Karen, Teacher Veronica, Zohra are just some of the friendliest faces who helped take care of her. I also witnessed a very smooth transition between classrooms from the Cherry Room to Olive Room. Cinthia was always available to chat through any of my questions and provided input to best support her. We were so sad to have to leave MFP but primarily did so because of moving (needing to reduce the daycare pickup commute). What was also so sweet was how thoughtful they were to provide her a wonderful experience for both her first birthday at school and her last day. I would recommend MFP!

The Early Years School is truly a special place. We have had the absolute best experience with them…read moreand couldn't recommend it more highly. One of our sons has already graduated, and our younger son is still happily attending, which really says everything about how much we trust and love this place. TEYS' approach sticks out in how much they listen to and respect the children. It has never felt like a place where the kids are dropped off and left to figure things out. Rather, the students are encouraged to make informed choices and ask questions about why and what's next. Their individuality and independence are front and center, but they're also learning to coexist with their friends in a productive way. Conflict is always resolved from a place of respect and understanding. The teachers and staff are incredibly caring, attentive, and truly invested in each child. I could write a paragraph about each teacher individually and the bonds they've created with our kids. In addition, they are extremely thorough in their approach and go to great lengths to deep dive into anything related to early childhood development. It feels like they have researched everything on the topic to the benefit of our children. Our older son thrived here both socially and emotionally, and we saw such beautiful growth in his confidence, independence, and love of learning during his time at the school. When he first started, he was timid and insecure, because we unfortunately had tried attending two other schools that were nothing like Early Years. Watching him graduate felt like watching another person from who he was walking in. Now seeing our younger son walk in excited every day reassures us all over again that this is a truly exceptional environment. At the time of writing this, we are traveling, but our son still asks to go to "yellow group" every day. Now that our daughter has made her way into the world, there's no question about where she'll be spending her early years *wink* The communication with parents has always been supportive and the classrooms are warm, clean, nurturing, and thoughtfully structured. It's worth noting that one of the teachers is an art teacher, so their art room alone makes me as an adult want to go back to preschool. I heard another alum mom say "maybe they don't have a ton of jungle gyms, but they helped shape my child into a good person" and that's what we all want, right? Early Years feels like a community, not just a school. We are so grateful for the foundation it has given our children and for the love and care they receive every single day.

Both of my children attended The Early Years School and are now 31 and 28. Looking back, I can see…read morejust how profound the school's influence has been. Beyond providing an outstanding education, The Early Years helped them develop self-awareness, confidence, empathy, and resilience. They learned to navigate conflict with respect, communicate thoughtfully, and build strong, lasting personal and professional relationships. Those skills have served them well throughout college, their careers, and adulthood. They also left with a strong sense of curiosity, integrity, and trust in themselves that has given them the confidence to pursue meaningful work and fulfilling lives. The teachers and community created an extraordinary environment where children were truly known, valued, and encouraged to become their best selves. I remain deeply grateful for the lifelong foundation The Early Years gave our family.