Extremely disappointed. If you are a parent looking for reliable care for your children, who communicates with you and who understands the stress that comes with searching for child care, then I DO NOT recommend this place. They will take your money to add you to an imaginary waitlist, which they will then "pause" without notice and without a refund of your deposit. I paid the waitlist fee of $150 on April 6, 2022 with a projected opening spot of December 2022 for my infant. I inquired numerous times regarding my place on the waitlist, only to be given vague responses such as: 1. "We are still working our way through the waitlist" 2. "We have paused all Poway enrollment at this time, we are hoping to enroll new children very shortly into our center. I will be in touch with you soon once we start to move down the waitlist", and 3. "Once we come across your name on the waitlist and a spot becomes available I will be in touch with you immediately." It's the end of January 2023 and I have yet to hear from them. My family and I waited and waited to hear from them, and were not able asses our childcare options properly due to their lack of communication. At this point, I don't believe there is even a waitlist anymore, and i just lost $150 at no fault of our own. If I had removed myself from the waitlist I would understand not getting a refund, but that is not the case. I'm still here waiting for them to "come across my name." I would not recommend taking the chance. Good luck, parents! read more

I inquired about adding my daughter into this school on may 7, 2021. It is currently September 16, 2021 and my daughter hasn't started with them. They took $150 deposit from us which I am now finding out is nonrefundable. Don't waste your time and money on this school. UPDATE: they refunded us the money. read more

My family has been a part of the Little Sprouts/Learning Jungle family since it opened. Our first child started there at 18 months in 2018 and our second child in 2022 at 8 months. We absolutely love this place and have been so happy with all the teachers that they have had along with the past director and current amazing director Ms. Nichelle. Everyone is passionate about their job and treat the parents more like family. Our children have gotten great care and great learning opportunities here. I love the play based learning offered and how hands on the kids get to be with activities inside and outside the classroom. They have a veggie garden they learn to take care of and fun water based activities as well during the summer! I truly recommend this center as a great safe, clean, fun and enriched environment for your child! read more

We're two weeks in and I'm so glad I didn't pick any of the other places we toured! This place is a HUGE step above. The children AND the staff seem GENUINELY happy! It's always scary to leave your LO in the hands of others but the energy in this place makes you feel like they'll be ok :) read more

It's our 2nd week here and I can't reiterate enough how amazing this place is. I have personally been in the field as a Director of a preschool for about 10 years in Orange County before relocating and switching careers to be back in San Diego closer to family after my daughter was born, so I would like to state I know a great program when I see one! The Director Nichelle and Assistant Director Audrey clearly run the school with so much love and appreciation for their families and their teachers. You can feel the love when you walk in the door I swear. The teachers are all so sweet and my daughters teachers Ms. Rachel, Ms. Denise, and Ms. Ariana are fantastic infant teachers. They always have a story to tell me about her at pick up, and I can feel that they truly show her love all day when I'm not with her. They keep those babies busy too with tons of Reggio based activities within the classroom and the app allows them to help document their learning. The school is truly Reggio based and I personally adore that philosophy! The meals are also included in tuition and very healthy, and the school is gorgeous and extremely clean. The playground is adorable and although my daughter doesn't go outside as much since she is an infant, I look forward to her spending time out there (they even have little gardens) in the future. On my daughters first day I didn't feel how I had felt before-the massive anxiety about leaving her, because I felt so confident that they would take the best care of her. I have also seen her demeanor change as well-she is so much happier and even more social that she was before The waist list is worth putting yourself on-we waited for a couple months before getting a call and it was a no brainer to switch centers. I can't recommend this school enough! read more

Love love love it here! And so do my kiddos! They always come home happy, clean, fed, etc. They love all the sensory learning/play, and my 4 year old has learned so many letters in his class this last year. This was my first experience sending my child to preschool/early learning. But the staff made me feel comfortable and did a great job at distracting my little during drop off and integrating them into the classroom activity. My kids are 2 and 4 and have been attending Learning Jungle for over 2 years now. Thank you for all you do! read more

There are no words to describe how thankful we are to have found Little Sprouts Academy in Poway. As first-time parents, it's difficult to entrust the care of your kids to complete strangers. However, Little Sprouts Poway stood out way above a few other places we toured in terms of safety, cleanliness, play-based educational style (Reggio Emilia), happy kids, teacher:student ratio, schedule options, and pricing. Everyone from the Director to the teachers and staff take the time to get to know your child. It's apparent this place is well run and you won't ever feel like your child is just a number. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the owners and Director of the Poway location, Mrs. Michaela, have done a wonderful job of communicating just the right amount of info to parents. They have upped their procedures to try to maintain a safe environment with daily temperature monitoring, limited entries, and health intake forms. The individual age/level-based rooms help act as a natural isolation/quarantine barrier so not all classrooms are closed if there's a positive case. NOTE to prospective students/parents: Little Sprouts has been acquired, including the Poway location. It remains to be seen what changes will take place. I truly hope the new owners adopt a "do no harm" principle and take notes from the Little Sprouts way. read more

Don't do it. Don't give them the deposit. I paid the non refundable $150 deposit on April 15, 2021 and was told by the director that she expected openings by early September. I've checked back several times since only to be given a short response that my daughter is still on the waitlist and they will reach out to me as soon as a spot is available. Well, it is now January 19, 2022 (9 months later) and I have not heard a thing. Ridiculous. read more

5 stars does not give enough credit to the Little Sprouts team--our son's home away from home. Our son started at Little Sprouts when he was 6 months old and he is now approaching 2 and a half. He is so happy to go to see ''Miss Kiko'' in the toddler room whom he loves so much. It really is priceless to see your little one thriving and enjoying his playtime with his little friends in a safe environment. We have continuously been impressed and satisfied with the love and care they have provided to him. As a first time mom who was also pregnant during COVID, dropping off our infant for the first time was very challenging. However, if I had any concerns, I just reached out and was sent back pictures of our happy little guy smiling and having the time of his life. Any time there were any concerns, they were promptly communicated with us. We have also been so happy with the cleanliness of the facility. He has never come home with a diaper rash and will be dry and changed at the end of the day. Now we are expecting baby #2 later this year, and we are already planning on enrolling her to be with big brother. Communication was easy with this. Ms. Nichelle has done a phenomenal job with transparency and open communication. Little Sprouts is a very valuable part of our village that we will forever hold in our hearts. read more

There are a million things every preschool does differently from every other preschool, and it almost feels impossible to choose between them (let alone manage waiting lists, tours, etc.). However, all those little things mean nothing compared to seeing your child come home happy each and every day. Little Sprouts is that for us. We had our 1 year old enrolled at a different daycare before this location opened in Poway, and while the other daycare seemed fine at the time, it was a DRAMATIC difference when we switched her over. She went from fussy/unhappy to happy in one visit and has been so ever since. Our one year old has now moved up to the Infant 2 room and things are still going great for her. She's been there since the second month Little Sprouts opened and I'm so, so glad we found it. I only wish we were there the very first week! It is so clear how much everyone there cares for all of the children, and although all the other little things are really nice (it feels great inside, the menu is something I would eat, they encourage free play, etc.), the only thing that really matters at the end of the day is the part that they do best - take great care of the children. Thank you Little Sprouts!! read more

We love This place! All staff, management and teachers are awesome. We are so happy we found this little gem of a place for our son to attend pre-school. He loves it! read more

Amazing! We have our three year old enrolled in preschool and our 10 month old in the infant class. As a working parent, you cannot underestimate the comfort of knowing that your children are in the very best hands. At Little Sprouts, there are no doubts. The hiring is top notch and thoughtful. From the directors to the chef and all the talented teachers, the passion for children is present. Each employee takes a personal interest in my kids, regardless of whether or not they are assigned to their class. It's a welcoming community! Miss Bre and Mr. Ian always provide a priceless daily report of my preschooler's day whether it's taking a picture of him napping while clutching our family photo or conveying the 20 (!!!) minute attempt at potty training. The creativity in this classroom is off the charts and engaging for all of the children. The teachers are dedicated, patient, and intuitive. Miss Jordan, Miss Tiffani, and Miss Audrey have let our baby's independence and curiosity flourish in the infant room. There is a sense of calm and peaceful command in the room, which I have never seen in the other daycares we have attended. The teachers have an authentic bond and connection with our baby. Every morning, she wiggles out of our arms in excited anticipation to explore around her class! I could not be happier with our choice in Little Sprouts and am so grateful to have found them! read more

Entrusting your child to somebody else is extremely difficult. But let me say, Little Sprouts makes that as easy as it can possibly be. The cleanliness, the professionalism, the upscale feel, the variety of activities, the outdoor play area, the staff, the owners, and nearly everything you see and hear makes you feel so much better about enrolling your child here. As a first-time father, putting my son in daycare, I thought, was going to be scary and nerve racking. Let me tell you, if you're going to enroll in a daycare, let it be Little Sprouts. Specifically here in Poway, my wife and I feel so secure and grateful to have our son looked after while we both work. Thank you, Little Sprouts team! read more

There are no words to describe how grateful I am with Little Sprouts - Poway. Being part of this Academy has been a true blessing to my family. As a first time mom, it was very hard for me to trust anyone with my child, especially at such a young age. However, after extensive research and meeting the Staff and Little Sprouts, we decided to give the Academy a shot. If I had to choose the one thing I love the most about this academy is how both of my sons do not want to come home when I pick them up at the end of the day. They are so content and can't simply get enough! My second favorite thing is the wonderful staff at this Academy. I cannot tell you the wonderful conversations and all the smiles we have been lucky to receive throughout the years. I am beyond satisfied and admire their strategies throughout the pandemic to keep the children and their families safe. Well done Ms. Michaela and Ms. Nichelle! As my first born is now getting ready to graduate this year, I can't help but to feel sad that he will be moving on to Kindergarten and not stay indefinitely at Little Sprouts - Poway. I find comfort in knowing that my second child has a long way to go before graduating from the Academy, and that I will continue to feed off the staff's amazing energy, share laughs during pick up time and witness smiles from every single one of them. Thank you Little Sprouts - Poway. We absolutely love you! read more

We could not be happier with this preschool. The environment is modern, sparkling clean, and relaxed. When touring other preschools in the area teachers often seemed on-edge or stressed out! The staff is welcoming and calm at Little Sprouts and the Reggio Emilia approach is great as well. My 2.5 year old loves her teacher Ms. Bre. Every day she comes home having done something fun and educational. She played in the mud, painted a pirate ship, made a rain stick, etc. Not to mention they are priced very competitively. Would recommend! read more

We love Little Sprouts! My coworker recommended to me and we enrolled our daughter in the infant 2 class for her first daycare experience. Everything is so clean and organized and the outdoor play area is so cute! Our daughter had no issues adjusting (to my knowledge) and has never cried when we leave her in the mornings. She always seems like she had a great time and is super happy when we pick her up. We love the let's play with anything and everything philosophy and of course so do the kids! They also serve healthy, organic when possible and vegetarian foods. We aren't vegetarian but we liked the healthy part :). Her teachers are so sweet too and appear very engaged with the little ones. We are really happy with everything. read more

I could not have asked for a better preschool for my son!! He LOVES his teacher Ms Bre; hugs her every morning when he sees her! From his very first day, (Aug 22nd the first day of their soft opening) up until now he jumps for joy upon arrival; he even runs to the door! He's always smiling ear to ear upon pick up and that let's me know that he absolutely loves it there, which puts my mind at ease and makes any kind of worry that I have disappear. What's really awesome is that they have a private instagram so parents get to see the children's adventures of the day! I love seeing him grow everyday. After the first couple of days he was already doing some sign language! The art projects are so fun and cute, he has so much fun everyday. The outside area is beautiful and has a lot of canopies, the whole place is so clean and everything is brand new. I love the furniture and the organic vegetarian food that's served. My son can't eat what they're eating because he has allergies but I try and send food that's close to what they're eating as the menus are provided ahead of time. They really take good care of the children; they put sunscreen before going outside and administer medicine when needed. It's very comforting to know my son is in good hands! read more

Learning Jungle - Preschools Near Me - Poway, California

I just attended the Grand Opening Ceremony that had the Poway mayor, a firetruck, and sheriff's deputies. It was a really cool event and I was able to tour the school. The classrooms are inviting, clean, and not over cluttered. I also loved the separate outdoor yards with plenty of space for a variety of activities. The enclosed spaces also looked very safe. I am very impressed with everything Little Sprouts has to offer. This is a great addition to the Poway community. read more

I feel so lucky that Little Sprouts Poway opened right near our house right around the time I was started looking into enrolling my daughter in a daycare program. I specifically wanted a play based curriculum that would allow her to learn while also let her be a kid. Little Sprouts fit the bill exactly and when I toured the school I knew immediately this was the place for her. From the nutritious food, to the activities, the ambiance, the amazing teachers.. there is really nothing more I could ask for. Until my daughter started attending Little Sprouts, she had only ever been taken care of by family members so I was a little nervous about how she would do. Well she is currently only going part time, and even so she got used to drop offs by the end of her second week and has already learned so much since attending. She loves her teacher Ms. Nichelle (as do we!) and talks about her all the time at home the entire staff works so hard and truly cares for the children and it really shows. I feel really great about having my daughter at Little Sprouts and would not hesitate to recommend anyone to take a tour and consider enrolling their child. read more

Our 19 month old twins have been going to little sprouts since it opened, and they absolutely love it! Every day when we drop them off they are excited to run in to their classroom and some days I can barely get one of them to leave! Their teachers are so loving and you can tell that they genuinely care about the kids. The classrooms are clean, open, and the toys are imaginative. Their food is nutritious and our kids love it (and they can be picky). I never worry about them being safe or not getting TLC and attention. I toured other facilities before choosing little sprouts and I can't imagine going anywhere else now! read more

My 2 year old daughter loves Little Sprouts Poway and her teacher Ms. Nichelle (and Ms. Jackie)! They take such great care of her and helped with a difficult 1-2 month transition period where my daughter went from a home-based nanny to starting school for the first time. As a first time parent, I was nervous and worried that the transition wouldn't go well, but Ms. Nichelle and Ms. Jackie are so patient and took the time to work with my daughter (reminding her that mom will come back after nap time!). I feel that my daughter even has a better sense of time because of their verbal support and attention, not to mention the huge social development she's made interacting with her classmates. You can clearly tell that Little Sprouts is run like a family where the teachers/staff support one another and care for all the kids no matter what class they're in. It's a very calm and welcoming environment that my daughter has responded well to. Thank you Little Sprouts!! read more

My son has been going to Little Sprouts for about a month now. He is almost two and has always been at home with me up until this point, so I was so nervous putting him in a daycare setting. We are a military family and all our family is on the east coast so it is so hard entrusting someone with your child. However, when we first walked in to do the tour with Michaela, we felt a sense of calm and we were so comfortable with our decision. Our son LOVES going every day, and Ms. Nichelle is amazing. Our son is very active and loves hands on activities, so she does such a great job focusing his attention. I'm so glad we made the decision for this daycare! read more

Wonderful school with incredible teachers and staff. Child based learning where the teachers listen to the children's interest and craft their lesson plans around their interests. For instance, the other week the kids were intrigued by airplanes flying above their playground so the teachers read books about planes and did several art projects. They are always doing fun activities with the class. I love how they provide healthy vegetarian meals and the classrooms are always clean with fun activities. Little Sprouts is a one of a kind school! read more

We are SO GLAD our infant is at Little Sprouts. They take great care in understanding his schedule and needs. As first time parents, choosing a care team was a nerve wracking process. There is no doubt in my mind that we made the right choice. Little Sprouts and the team there is the best of the best! read more