We loved our time at Creative Gardens and so did our daughter. She attended their preschool. The…read morelessons were fun and creative and the kids always seemed engaged when we'd look in on the classes. More importantly for us, she was happy and enjoyed the friends she made. When we dropped her off she was happy to arrive and only protested twice when my wife or I would leave. The place was super clean and the toys and projects were exhilarating for our daughter. We often had to convince her to leave at the end of the day when we picked her up because she wanted to keep playing. She often talked about creative gardens long after we left and she'd get sad about not being able to go back. We miss it and look back on it fondly. We now have a second kid and we've moved out of the area or else we'd send him to Creative Gardens without fail.

Our daughter went to Creative Gardens for the Toddler class and then Preschool 1 (P1) for a few…read moremonths. The only reason we left is because we moved out of state. We really loved our time with Creative Gardens - predominantly because the teachers were so wonderful. Our daughter spent most of her time in the Toddler program with Teacher Nina and Teacher Jian - who are truly exceptional, warm, wonderful humans. We also enjoyed working with Agnes - the program director. She was very direct and helpful, and I think our daughter also enjoyed interactions with her whenever she moonlighted as a teacher in the Toddler class. They have a lovely outdoor space which is in the interior of the school (so it's protected from the outside world) and do lots of fun activities (art, music, reading, etc.) throughout the day. We also appreciated that they took pictures of the kids so we could see the kinds of things our daughter appeared to engage in. Lastly, we really liked the parents of the other children. Many of us would meet on weekends at a playground. It's generally a great group of people.

Our daughter is thriving at Little Wonders. When she turned three we decided to enroll her in a…read moreschool that would foster more comprehensive education and development. We choose Little Wonders because we loved the Montesorri curriculum and Ms Galyna was such a warm and wonderful teacher. Since starting at Little Wonders our daughter has gone through extraordinary development , she can write her name, count to 60, her drawing skills are amazing and her vocabulary and imagination are blossoming. I cannot recommend Little Wonders enough - it is a great school.

We are so grateful for our four years at Little Wonders Montessori. Our son started in the "little…read moreschool" with Mr. Michael and is now finishing in Ms. Galyna's "big school". He's loved every year and it's been amazing to watch him grow in confidence and develop a genuine excitement for learning. The teachers take the time to understand each child's unique personality. We've been impressed with how they truly foster kindness, independence, and a love of learning. We also really like the balance of Montessori learning and traditional academics. Thanks to their guidance, our son is more than ready for kindergarten and was accepted into our private school of choice. He's also made wonderful friends and so many great memories. Some of his favorite moments include the class pumpkin patch trips, dressing up for Ms. Galyna's annual tea party, and fun pajama days. We've loved seeing photos of his projects, Montessori activities, baking days, gardening, music time, and so much more. We can't thank Little Wonders enough for giving our son such a strong, nurturing foundation.

All three of our kids attended Wind in the Willows, and we couldn't have asked for a better…read morepreschool experience. The teachers create such a warm, loving environment where children feel safe, supported, and excited to learn. Our kids grew tremendously during their time there, and we really appreciated being part of such a welcoming and supportive community. We're incredibly grateful for everything Wind in the Willows has given our family.

Bravo to the group of teachers at WITW! Like a lot of kids, my little one had to adjust being away…read morefrom home. The teachers at wind in the willows stayed diligent and strategized how my little one would be able to handle being away from their mom and dad. But over these years, my child would finally grow into their own and if it weren't for the staff at WITW, I don't know how well they'd be prepared for kindergarten. As for the teaching goes, this school educates through play and it goes for show that my kid did learn better this way and was able to find a passion in arts and crafts. So when learning is part of their play, it feels like everyone naturally enjoys what they are doing. The projects the kids come out with at the end of their day are so creative and the conversations I have with my child on what happens during the day are amazing! Just like the staff here!

We had to switch our two children to Little Urbanites unexpectedly in the middle of the year when…read moreour previous preschool wasn't working out. We were worried about how it would go because in the past our kids had both had a challenging time adjusting to new environments. But wow, we needn't have worried, by the end of the first day our older child didn't want to leave, and by the end of the first week our younger child was happy at drop off and hugging his teachers. We've been in a few different preschools at this point, and LUP is for sure our favorite. The communication and quality of teachers is excellent, our kids are clearly thriving, I've befriended the other families, and I just really appreciate the sense of warmth, caring, and connection in the LUP community.

I have been so grateful to LUP for how much they've enriched our children's lives, contributed to…read moretheir development, and provided a reliable anchor of safety, friendship, and fun during one of the most crucial stages in our children's lives, and especially during the pandemic. LUP Teachers are loving, kind, supportive and unified. They put the safety and well being of the children as absolute top priority. I've appreciated the high standard of professionalism that the teachers hold, while also maintaining a relaxed, fun environment where the children are free to be themselves. My 5 year old attended LUP for 6 months until the pandemic hit, and I have been so thankful in how LUP has handled the challenges of the pandemic. They are proactive, thoughtful, considerate and do everything they can to balance the children's safety and social emotional health. My kids have loved LUP! For my 3 year old, his entrance into the Early Learners at 2.5 yrs was his first social opportunity due to the pandemic, and it has meant everything for him to have such a fun, nurturing community with a diverse teacher team to help raise him in the presence of other children his age. I can see that the teachers all come with professional, gentle approaches to handling the big emotions of toddlers, and are in tune to each child's needs and personality. I've seen improvements in both my children in the areas of emotional regulation, verbal communication, confidence, fine motor control, and a feeling of belonging. And the artwork and stories they come home with are awesome! Additional perks we have enjoyed include date night support for parents and seasonal teacher-parent check-ins, and the visual and verbal communication through Brightwheel. Every day there's a tagged picture of my children with a captioned highlight of the day..it's been wonderful to have these updates regularly in this format. The recent outdoor program addition has also been fabulous for my 5 year old who really blossoms through physical, adventurous play, and has helped his confidence in climbing, teamwork, and nurtured his interest in mud and insects! I love that the outdoor days are very child led, it's a great balance to the indoor days where there are more structured art/sensory activities, free play, circle time, etc. The school is also beautifully designed with bright colors, children's artwork thoughtfully displayed, and toys lean toward Montessori style with lots of wooden and natural materials. The backyard is also so nice, an oasis of sun and fun in the Inner Sunset. Facility is always clean and orderly. I highly recommend Little Urbanites Preschool!

We had a great two years at Petite Explorer. Andy and Vickie have built an exceptional program…read morewith a caring staff of teachers.

Our daughter has attended PE for two years now (from age 2.5 and she is 4.5 now). We've had a…read morephenomenal experience. The entire staff is attentive and the teachers genuinely care about the kids while providing a stimulating environment. Our daughter has learned to read and write her name, all her letters, can count to 100+ but more importantly has learned social skills like being a caring friend, patience, and listening. Vicky who runs the school also knows all the children which shows how tight knit of an environment it is. Good student/teacher ratio (12 - 15 kids to 3 teachers in the two years we were there). Can't recommend enough!

I had two children attend GPM over the past two years, and while I am grateful for the education…read moreLisa and Minyi were able to provide, working with the administration of this school was a singularly frustrating experience, which ultimately led us to withdraw our daughter from the school after having put down a deposit for the upcoming school year. The school administration, led by Rosemary, consistently under-communicated and miscommunicated with parents in the downstairs classroom, leading to frequent confusion, surprise, and frustration, to the point where the parents of the downstairs classroom felt like second class citizens at this school. The final incident that prompted our withdrawal occurred when it was discovered by a parent in late May 2025 (less than two months before the end of the school year) that Lisa would be removed as the teacher of our children's classroom, to be replaced by Rosemary herself. I say "discovered" because this plan had apparently been in the works for some time, and based on Rosemary's subsequent reaction to the leak of this information, it was clear she would have preferred to not to tell the affected families until much later. The firestorm this caused prompted Rosemary to schedule a meeting with the parents whose children this change directly impacted, ostensibly in order to hear our concerns. To call what we experienced at that meeting disrespectful would be an understatement. We felt gaslighted, our concerns were belittled, and we were subjected to meandering, confusing, and deceptive answers to our questions. When we specifically asked why Lisa was being removed as the teacher, we were given a long circuitous explanation that started with budget cuts, and ultimately ended with philosophical differences in Rosemary and Lisa's teaching styles. Specifically, Rosemary felt that Lisa was over-emphasizing math and reading, while Rosemary herself wanted to emphasize "meditation" and "exploring spirituality". I believe the phrase Rosemary used was, "All [Lisa] wants to teach is math and reading". I responded to this answer by telling Rosemary that this was precisely the reason why my wife and I chose this school over others: I distinctly recall Lisa explaining at the open house we attended two years ago about how much the kids she taught were instilled with a love for math and reading. Of course, not every parent has to agree that math and reading is a better emphasis than meditation and spirituality. That's for every parent to decide for their children. But the key point I wanted to emphasize was that it was *our* choice as parents to decide what was right for our kids, not Rosemary's. When Rosemary began the parent meeting, she expressed no empathy towards what we as parents were worried about; the only thing she was upset about was the fact that this information was leaked at all. She would have preferred that we did not find out at all until it was too late. Preschools fill up quickly. This incident kicked off a mad scramble for many families, including ours, to find alternate preschools for our children. The parent meeting soon devolved into Rosemary questioning one parent's qualifications to judge their child's education, and then ultimately asking why it even mattered who the teacher was. Ultimately, the problem was not even that Lisa was removed as teacher (though we obviously wanted her to stay); it was the fact that there was zero transparency in any of this. Rosemary seemed intent on letting the clock run out and not announcing this until right before the start of the new school year. Nearly all of the parents who attended that meeting ended up withdrawing their children as a result. While this was the most egregious incident we experienced at this school, this was just the last in a series of other things, some big, some small, that we experienced during just this past school year, including: * The abrupt announcement of a nearly $400 per month school lunch program exactly one week before the school year began that was presented as mandatory. This amounted to an over 15% increase in tuition. This was reduced in price and made optional only after parent feedback. * Similarly, the other team in the downstairs classroom was transferred to an administrative role right before the start of the school year. This was announced 4 days before the start of the school year. * The school misaligned their spring break with that of SFUSD, which resulted in significant scheduling conflicts for several families. * Emails from the administration frequently went out with mistaken dates and locations. * Emails to the administration frequently went unanswered. If you've made it this far, my warning for any parents considering this school for their children is that Rosemary, in my experience, was a person we could not trust to give us timely, accurate, and ultimately truthful information.

If you are looking for a school that is inclusive, look elsewhere. Don't waste your time. We did an…read moreinterview and I mentioned there is some neurodiversity in our family. We were not called back. I don't think it's a coincidence. I'm so glad I mentioned it even though my child is not neurodivergent. Whew!

This school is a hidden gem in SF!!!…read more Enrichment, individualization, and love are the best adjectives to describe New Journey's education to our child. Growing up in a trilingual family, our kid showed signs of early speech delay. The school director, Michelle, not only individualized a lesson plan for our child, but also created an encouraging environment for other kids to interact with ours. We witnessed drastic improvement in our child's verbal communication, social skills, and intellectual curiosity in a few months. He went from speaking no more than three words to speaking full sentences fluently in just a few months. New Journey was very communicative, and we got frequent updates and pictures of our kid everyday (critical if you are in back-to-back meetings all day). Now on food, Michelle designed a balanced and nutritious meal and snack everyday. We were proud to see our picky eater jumping on the weight and height curves in every doctor visit. Potty training was not easy, but New Journey patiently worked with us to ensure that our kid received the individualized attention to encourage self-sufficiency. Parents like us second-guess our decisions for our child almost constantly (white hairs were inevitable), but I have no reservation to recommend any friends and families to New Journey. Thank you Michelle and her team! They are a group of loving educators who truly wants the best for the children.

New Journey has been like extended family for us - our kids LOVE going every day. Both of our kids…read morestarted there as the youngest in the class (at ~15 months) and our older one is now one of the older kids in the class. We've really valued the mixed age group as it's given our kids the chance to learn from older kids, as well as learn "leadership skills" when they become the older kids. The teachers are energetic, caring, and thoughtful. They have taught our kids so much - mandarin, basic life skills, and discipline. Michelle is professional, a great communicator, and genuinely cares about the kids - she's also taught us a lot about how to raise toddlers!

Our kids have been in the care of Berta, Luis, and their family since they were six months old…read more During that time they've learned English, lots of Spanish, counting, letters, about shapes, and animals, their manners, to use the potty, and to be a good friend. Above anything else, they have been surrounded by love and care. Additionally, Rainbow's World has become a special and tightknit community in our lives. We feel so so lucky to have spent our childrens' earliest years here.

Our daughter has been at Rainbows World for over 4 years, and we feel very fortunate not only to…read morefind reliable childcare, but a loving and tight knit community. Berta and Luis care for these children like their own, with a small in home daycare each child gets so much individual attention. They provide breakfast, lunch and snack, which is very much appreciated as a busy working parent. Rainbows World is also an accredited preschool, so when our daughter turned 3 there was no question of her staying. She's already at kindergarten level academically, as are the other kids her age. It's wonderful to see the children ages infant to 5 years old interact together. All of the families are close and we are grateful for this wonderful community especially during the pandemic.