My 6-years-old son likes the drawing classes at Art Corner Academy. I took him there in late April…read morethis year when I saw him not knowing what to do with his drawing project at school. The instructor Susan is excellent. She is well-knowledged and talented in illustrations, picture books, and wall paintings. She is very patient and knows how to teach. As a beginner, Susan asks my son to do one drawing project including coloring in each class which lasts about one hour. He likes the achievement when he finishes. He has gained great confidence in drawing after several classes. He now loves drawing!

My daughter has been to KC Summer Day Camp many times over the past few years and she absolutely…read moreLOVES it. The counselors are truly wonderful: fun, caring, and creative and each week the camp has a different theme lead by local experts or artisans (from carpentry and engineering to jewelry and gymnastics) so the kids are never bored. My daughter also looked forward to their weekly field trips which took them on various adventures throughout the Bay Area.The cost is extremely reasonable for a camp of this caliber and the location is picturesque - nestled in the Kensington Hills near Berkeley. Also, a huge plus for this busy working parent is their early drop off and late pick up on those days when I need it. We'll be there again this summer!

How refreshing. If you, like me, have a whole spreadsheet full of summer camps lined up for your…read morekids, you, like me, might get cranky about how many of them have short hours, high prices, longish drives, complicated drop offs and pickups. KCC Camp is so simple. So easy. It's all day, so great for working parents. Each week there's a different theme and specialized classes with a teacher--carpentry, say, or gymnastics. There's a field trip every Wednesday (on an actual bus--no parent driving required! Yay!). There's always tennis and structured play, but also plenty of downtime if that's what your kid wants. It's not the most coddling camp ever, but the kids have fun and come home happy.

Incredible professional staff, our children have really loved going there and we have seen their…read moreChinese skills blossom. They look forward to it and have built meaningful relationships and friendships here too. The enrichment classes have even helped our kids, love math! The staff treat our kids like their own, and we have even done the summer camps there because our children love it so much. 10 stars!

Transitioning away from 2.5 hour/day hybrid school, Su Yun was so great for my two kids (and their…read moreadults) this summer. Having a solid block from 8am - 6pm at summer camp for 3 weeks was a nice throwback the the old, pre-pandemic normal days. My kids (ages 5 and 8) loved the hands-on STEM projects and outdoor time at the nearby playgrounds. We loved that they were able to make new friends, play and have some Mandarin language exposure. Weekly photos of what the kids did at camp were also shared which was nice because often times they forget details of their day and it helped to facilitate more conversation about their days. Su Yun was also really great about ensuring (as best they could) a safe environment with all the COVID prevention protocols in place. The summer adventure was completed without any issues or outbreaks. The staff was also so thoughtful! My younger son's birthday happened while at camp. We didn't say anything and then he came home with a small little goody bag of snacks and small little treats like pencils/erasers. It was a nice little surprise gift. With all of that said, we will definitely look into returning again next year!

Absolutely amazing school with very creative and child friendly activities. We were lucky enough to…read morevisit during Messy Art day and were blown away. Our toddler was absolutely in love with all the activities and did not want to leave. The staff was so friendly and helpful despite the craziness. It was really a wonderful experience and we can't wait to come back.

When looking for a preschool for my then 3-year-old I needed a space where I knew he would feel…read moresafe away from home for the first time, where there was a community of grown ups looking out for him, and he was able to learn and grow socially. ECPC checked all of my preschool wishlist items. Even before school started, teachers and current families hosted new family playdates so the kids could get accustomed to the space, and we had a one-on-one teacher meeting; I always felt welcomed and included. The teachers take great care to curate open-ended experiences for the kids. There are outdoor and indoor play spaces to include sand and climbing play, art, games and imaginative play, building, reading, and more. Each space is set up to encourage discovery and self-expression. The kids are free to roam each space during play times, they are invited for snack mid-program, and gather for two group times. There is a deep sense of community not just for the kids, but for the grown ups, too. Every enrolled family has a family job and commits to 5-35 hours a month (depending on the role) to ensure the school runs smoothly for the current year and for future kids to enjoy. Families also commit to at least one participation shift a week to support the teachers in the different play spaces. The grown ups learn, too, as the teachers and members of the community share on early childhood development topics. The school has been around since 1940 and serves families in El Cerrito and nearby cities. There is an AM and a PM program (you can enroll in one or both) with a minimum of three days enrollment, plus an optional lunch program. Teachers can assist your littles with toileting as needed and will work with you if your kid is transitioning to potty use. I highly recommend ECPC for any family looking for a play-based parent cooperative for their 3-5 year olds!

We have so many good things to say about Skytown and its staff. Our daughter attended from age 18…read moremonths, in the Toddler Room. We were initially drawn to Skytown for the ratios (3:1 in Toddler Room), the transparency that comes from parent participation in the classroom, the respect for children that's at the core of their philosophy. We also appreciated the level of involvement that parents get in the preschool's day-to-day, without being a pure parent cooperative (the teachers/director are employees of the school with formal training in the education space). As we spent more time there, we really came to admire the staff, Allison, Nancy, and Bex who really embody the values of the school and do an incredible job at sharing their expertise with the parent community. Our toddler is highly verbal, intense, and energetic. We were reluctant to have her in school so early, but she thrived at Sktytown and learned social skills there that we/nanny wouldn't have been able to provide on our own. We were impressed with Skytown's commitment to using positive language to guide children's behavior, respecting children's autonomy, making each child feel heard and understood, and treating even the youngest toddlers as highly capable individuals with as much autonomy as they could safely have. The 3:1 ratio and small class size allowed even the youngest toddlers to be given with a high degree of autonomy in a way that wouldn't be as feasible in typical classroom. It is a great school for families who are happy to have their child come home with paint on their clothes or food from their snack still on their face because the child was given the opportunity to clean up after themselves. Skytown's commitment to making it a truly child-centric space shows in everything from the way the classrooms are structured and equipped to the way staff talk to the children. It was a joy to see the children be able to play with water, paint, wash hands on their own, visit sensory or pretend play areas, and transition from indoor/outdoor playspaces on their own accord. We have not seen anything else like it. The staff does an exceptional job at helping children learn how to problem solve on their own, and address interpersonal conflict while respecting all the children involved. Even in the toddler room, teachers and parents help the youngest children use age-appropriate methods of communicating through conflict, and use positive language to address unsafe behavior (running indoors, hitting, throwing things, etc) in a way that allows children to learn while still feeling respected and able to express themselves safely. As parents of a daughter, we are aware of when adults might be unintentionally interacting with girls differently than their boy counterparts, but this was never a problem at Skytown with staff or parents. We also noticed the staff and parent community were attuned to racial and gender inclusivity, didn't sweep things under the rug, and were proactive about diversity and inclusivity in all aspects of the school from the materials chosen to the way they communicated with one another.

Take a tour! Our family loves being at Skytown. This was our first experience having our son away…read morefrom us (no sitter, daycare, school) and this gave me the option to finally gain some freedom, but also still be a part of his learning experience through the co-op. It's been comforting to know he is safe and supported at Skytown by child development experts with a strong philosophy, and a community of parents and families with strong values. The care and concern for his food allergies by everyone has also contributed to our sense of safety having him away from us. Beyond all this, my son genuinely looks forward to school and his favorite people now are his teacher, the parents, and his friends! Skytown has become our village - we participate in the classroom together, we play outside of school together, we work on school initiatives together. It's really a unique and special experience and I'm so glad we had this option available to us. Skytown offers the only co-op toddler program (starts at 18mo) in Contra Costa County and is 1 of 2 in the entire East Bay. Like I said there's nothing like it around!

We have had 2 kids attend KNS and have loved it! Everyone…read morewho works at KNS is experienced, kind and welcoming. The preschool years are setting a foundation for social as well as academic interactions and we are thankful that both of our children were able to attend KNS. The classroom environment is kind, encouraging and fun. Thank you KNS!!!

My 3-year-old is so happy and learning so much at Kensington Nursery School. The staff is…read moreincredible, and there's a great balance of structure and free play, with plenty of both indoor and outdoor time. She especially loves the trampolines in the Music & Movement (M&M) room! All of their systems feel really well thought out and dialed in. I especially appreciate that they offer both napping and non-napping options, since my daughter recently dropped her nap. I also love the co-op model and enjoy parent teaching one morning a week, while appreciating that it's not a requirement for all families. They offer care from 7:30am-6pm if needed, or partial days. Highly recommend KNS!!

We had 2 kids go through the program. They really take great care of the preschoolers- physically…read moreand emotionally! The play based model and layout of the school really allows for growth, learning and creativity.

We love this preschool! My son is in his second year here, in the PM program (1-4:30) and…read moreabsolutely LOVES it! I can't believe how much he's developed in one short year. They really are a play based school and the benefits of that are quickly rewarded with a confident young 3-4 year old that can sing the morning song in 6-10 languages, has an affinity for the flags of the world, can write his name before the age of 4, enjoys music, dancing, playing with friends, cleans up after himself, and the amount of art that comes home is mind blowing! Teacher Susy just celebrated 25 years as the PM director and was awarded the Habitot Preschool Teacher of the year award in 2016. She's a natural with the children and their fondness towards her is evident. I highly recommend this preschool. Love love LOVE APS!

I can't say enough amazing things about Prospect Sierra. Our family feels incredibly grateful to…read morehave found this school and be a part of this wonderful community. Prospect Sierra is a truly exceptional elementary school (K-4 at lower and 5-8 at upper) that fosters a welcoming and vibrant community where diversity is celebrated both among students and faculty. There is a strong emphasis on emotional intelligence woven throughout their curriculum which feels balanced with their focus on academics. The school provides a warm and nurturing environment for holistic development and has the support of learning specialists, a wonderful school psychologist, etc. The faculty is beyond exceptional and in my opinion what sets Prospect Sierra apart. The teachers and administration are all dedicated educators that embody PS's commitment to leading with respect and joy and creating an environment that fosters a love for learning. My daughter is genuinely excited and happy to go to school every day! Prospect Sierra has a very well-rounded enrichment curriculum that creates a rich and engaging learning experience. Specialty classes include drama, music, art, Co-Lab, and Spanish to name a few. With two teachers in each classroom we certainly feel the personalized attention and extra support. The afterschool program is also wonderful and my daughter has enjoyed participating in the afterschool program classes such as cooking, legos, chess, judo, etc.! The campus and the physical spaces including the classrooms and enrichment rooms are beautiful. The school does an exceptional job with communicating with the parents (via emails, a fabulous newsletter, etc) and there are plenty of opportunities for families to get involved (as much or as little as they want to!) including volunteering in the specialty classes, driving for field trips or leading a school committee. The school is also extremely committed to diversity which is woven throughout the curriculum. As part of the professional development, they recently sent a large number of the faculty to a POCC conference, there are family cohorts and racial cohorts for students including a Black, AAPI, LatinX, Pride and Swana cohort and lots of cultural celebrations throughout the year. Beyond 5 stars! We have had the best experience and pinch ourselves everyday that PS is a part of our family and our child's development.

My children love this school, and at the end of each day, they do not want to leave!…read more This is a well-resourced, beautiful school perched at the top of the El Cerrito Hills. The school culture, which has become our home culture, is one of overt and active kindness. My children learn in an environment of safety and celebration of difference, and from my perspective, the school's administrators actively seek to build community wherever possible, and the faculty actively work to remove all barriers to learning.