My older child attended this preschool from age 2.5 to 4.5, and my youngest is currently enrolled…read moreas well. That alone says a lot -- when you find something that works, you stick with it. The teacher-to-student ratio is genuinely impressive, and the staff are some of the warmest, most nurturing and patient people I've encountered in childcare. You can tell they truly love what they do. The curriculum is strong and varied, with walking field trips to the library, the post office, and nearby parks -- my child was always engaged and learning -- The food is a highlight in itself. Breakfast and lunch are both included in the cost, which is unusual and a significant value add. Kids are served plenty of beautiful fruits and vegetables, and my child looks forward to the morning smoothie every single day. Roxy, the owner, is warm and lovresponsive, flexible, and accommodating whenever possible. When we first started, she helped us ease in gradually and offered support and reassurance along the way. She has always been willing to work with us on scheduling, which made a real difference for our family. One of Roxy's strongest emphases is celebrating diversity, inclusion, and community, and that is felt every day. As an LGBTQ family, we have felt safe, included, and celebrated from the start. The families come from a wide mix of ethnicities and backgrounds, and that was deeply important to us when choosing a school. There are so many more positive elements to highlight but this review is already long, so. A couple of honest caveats: communication could occasionally feel out of sync -- for example around potty training for our older child, where we weren't always on the same page -- though it worked out in the end. And fair warning: the location is an older house that hasn't been updated, so the physical appearance can be a bit of a deterrent on first impression for some. Don't let it put you off. What happens inside is what matters, and inside it's a warm, safe, loving environment where kids genuinely thrive. Both of my kids say they love and miss Wawasi -- and that kind of loyalty from a child is the most honest review of all.

My family has been a part of Wawasi for the last 2 years and we have been very happy with our…read moreexperience. My child is excited to go to school each day and learn. When we go on vacation, my child asks when they can go back! The teachers are attentive and caring. There is structured learning appropriate for their age and plenty of time to play and grow socially. Breakfast and lunch are offered and my child reports that they enjoy it! They also spek to the children in Spanish (though it is not immersion), so my child has picked up some language recognition. The caregivers/parents are also able to connect through different celebrations which has been a wonderful experience as well. My child will be exiting soon to enter TK and we will miss Wawasi greatly. Highly recommend!

My husband and I are educators, and when we went looking for a preschool, we were hoping to find a…read moreplace with staff who truly cared about nurturing the growth of little people. We found just that at Happy Day, and feel very lucky to have been part of the school community for three years now. We have two energetic little boys, and both have grown and thrived in the care of Fahi, Nadia, Anahita, and the other teachers. The teachers know each child very well (benefits of a small school) - their likes, dislikes, allergies, and routines. I also really appreciate the emphasis on teaching the kids independence, love of learning, and care for their environment and friends. Our kids learned great habits like cleaning up their space, sharing with others, and focusing on activities they choose themselves. When our older son began TK, it was clear that Happy Day had prepared him very well, both educationally and socially, for that experience. We also had to get a little broom so he could sweep up at home, something he definitely learned from the teachers and not from us! And finally, I just want to appreciate the warmth and compassion the teachers always show, which sets the tone for the whole community. We've enjoyed getting to know the other Happy Day families at school events, and it's so fun to see the kids running around like a bunch of ducklings at birthday parties. Happy Day has been a great first school experience for our kids, and we'd recommend it highly to anyone looking for a cozy preschool run by caring and experienced educators.

We've had such a wonderful experience at Happy Day Montessori Preschool! Our son attends here, and…read morewe couldn't be happier with the care and education he receives. Teacher Fahi and Anahita do an amazing job making sure each child is well taken care of. They are warm, attentive, and genuinely invested in the children's growth and happiness. It gives us so much peace of mind knowing our son is in such nurturing and capable hands every day.

We love this preschool! My son is there and excited to go to school every day to see Ms Jeanne -…read moreshe's the best.

We absolutely love Hummingbird Montessori. Ms. Jeanne is such a caring and nurturing educator. My…read moreLO has exhibited so much emotional and intellectual development while attending. I would highly recommend Hummingbird to anyone looking for a place to send your LO.

This school is fantastic!! Our little one started a year ago and is thriving. The staff are…read morecaring, loving, and really care deeply about our child. They go out of their way to make sure that she is included and feels safe and secure. They also emphasize learning through play with lots of tactile and sensory play that's appropriate for 2 to 4-year-olds. Ms Amrita and Ms Diana do a great job leading. Miss Epiphany is especially caring and loving toward our child and all of the children. She and Miss Marie and Miss Michelle go out of their way to come up with incredible enrichment activities and holiday festivities and artistic endeavors for the children to explore. In addition to all of that they also have a wonderful backyard garden in their play yard and the kids get to experience a structured physical education program every week and they also learn their letters and numbers and read lots of books and are building the foundations of good learning. We had been a little bit worried coming from a at-home daycare to curious explorers academy but we shouldn't have because it has just been fantastic the whole time, we highly recommend this school!

My first experience with CEA was extremely positive! When I first spoke to Ms. Amrita she gave me…read morelots of info about the school and also offered us a tour (old campus). Out of all the preschool tours we took in the area, this one just felt right. The first day I dropped my son off for his first day of preschool there were no tears, no push back, and he walked right into the building. Over the time we have been at CEA we've seen our son grow so much. He's always been very shy, reserved, and pretty cautious. Since the time he's been at CEA I've seen him grow so much! He's become more confident, made new friends, and speaking up for himself. He's also become so much more independent. The staff at CEA is extremely professional, kind, and caring. There is no doubt in my mind that we made the right choice for our child. Thank you CEA!

We are huge fans of Hearts Leap Kensington. We've had kids in their care since before they moved…read morewhen they were Hearts Leap North. They moved further away and we kept our kids there, if that tells you something. We have a huge amount of trust and respect for what they do with early childhood education + care. If their location works for you I strongly recommend them.

We absolutely adore Hearts Leap Kensington and feel so grateful to be part of the community. Our…read moreson (8 months) recently started in the new Magnolia Room, and from day one we knew we made the right choice. When we first visited, every single teacher we met was warm, welcoming, and clearly passionate about what they do. It was such an easy decision for us, and the enrollment process was smooth and supportive (thank you, Nell!). Since starting, we've been blown away by how thoughtful, interactive, and engaging the days are for the kids. The teachers are constantly creating opportunities for art, outdoor play, and exploration. Mateo is thriving, and we can see how much care and intention goes into helping every child grow. The communication with teachers is outstanding--we always feel in the loop and confident that our son is in the best hands. As parents, this is everything we hoped for: a nurturing, safe, and stimulating environment with teachers who truly care. Sarah, the Director, sets such a welcoming tone for the whole school, and you can feel the strong sense of community everywhere at HLK. We are so excited to watch Mateo continue to grow here. For any parent looking for a daycare that feels like family and prioritizes both the well-being and joy of the children, we couldn't recommend Hearts Leap Kensington more highly

My now 11yr old son attended Pinole Montessori from ages 2-5. I currently have a 2yr old enjoying…read moregoing to class every single day! She dashes to get into the car to go to school. Ms. Sidhu is phenomenal and potty trained both of my children when they barely turned 2! All of the teachers are kind, professional and very hard working. They make sure the children are happy and well taken care of. Holiday activities are awesome, and the kids have tons of fun during the Halloween parade and Xmas concert. Also, since lunch is provided, it's less stress the mornings for me! The staff treat you like family, and really get to know your child individually. The Director, Ms. Angela is wonderful and very prompt in her responses to any concerns. We love Pinole Montessori!

My son has been here for two years and he's loved it from the start. Everyone is extremely patient…read morewith my child's development as he grows, and I definitely saw that as my son progressed with this school. I'm very thankful for the staff as well that they always inform me on a day-to-day on things that I needed to be aware of. Their hours are very accommodating to my work schedule which is also a huge plus for me.

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.

Why, you might ask yourself, is a 65 year old woman writing a review about her preschool? Doesn't…read moreshe have a life? I graduated from the Albany Preschool in about 1950 as did many of my young Albany neighbors. Can't think of one of us who hasn't used those early years as a foundation for a colorful *educated* lifetime. Miss Curran was our teacher. We learned to share, to pour milk from a pitcher, to make clay vases for Mother's Day. And (of course) to give the obligatory plaster of paris handprint to our father on his "special" day. Although we came from a wide variety of religions, cultures and family groups, the kids at Albany Preschool circa 1950 all learned how to get along, and to contribute to society. Albany Preschool still exists. It is still training today's children for the future. Kids who go to the school *do* learn to share, to work and to value all living creatures. Kudos to a great place, which has done so much for so many people through the years! If you haven't been by it, check it out. Its still on the same site, half a block from Solano. And tell 'em Dorothy sent you.

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!