Wilderness Cubs is absolutely amazing--one of the best decisions we've made for our daughter!…read more Living in Marin, we regularly take her hiking, so I was initially hesitant to sign her up. But once we did, we couldn't be happier. Wilderness Cubs isn't just about hiking and running around outside--it's a fully immersive educational experience. Our daughter gets the opportunity to learn about reptiles, amphibians, farm animals, insects, local plant life, and so much more, all while exploring and having fun with her friends. The live animal presentations are incredible, and the amount of information she retains and excitedly shares with us at home makes us feel so lucky to have found this program before she starts elementary school. In addition to hikes and animal visits, the children create nature-themed art projects, read books related to the day's lesson, and learn to identify local birds, animals and plants around Phoenix Lake. I love that now when we go hiking she's is the one telling us and her little sister what type of plant or bird we are looking at. If you'd like your little one to stay longer, there's also a fantastic afterschool program available. Wilderness Cubs has been such a wonderful experience that we're already planning to sign up our younger daughter as soon as she turns three!

Our 3yr old son attends Wilderness Cubs two days a week and he'd like to attend even more! He is…read moreabsolutely thriving being outside for the full class day. They spend their days hiking, learning about nature, interacting with animals, and do the cutest daily projects that are both educational, outdoorsy, and fun. Not to mention getting to hang out at one of the most beautiful trailheads in Marin. Teacher Lesley has created a fun, comfortable, and outdoorsy experience, and our son comes home covered in mud with the biggest smiles on his face every day. It's so fun to see how much our kiddos can learn and enjoy by just being in nature with the class!

Bright Start Little School is the best daycare we could have imagined. Full stop…read more Our daughter and son attended over the course of three years, and it was a joy to watch them grow and learn in such a loving, nurturing environment. Vania has a deep understanding of child development and continues to expand her expertise and it truly shows. The activities she creates for children of different ages are thoughtful, engaging, and developmentally rich. From watching caterpillars transform into butterflies to making personalized Mother's Day crafts (I still have the German handprint card on our fridge!), every experience is designed with care and intention. Her two longtime caregivers, Esly and Yomara, have been with her for many years, which speaks volumes, especially in an industry where turnover can be high. Their consistency and warmth gave our children such a strong sense of comfort and trust. Daily updates and photos were always a highlight, and communication, whether about an illness or the rare small boo-boo, was impeccable. Our kids thrived at Bright Start. They entered school confident, curious, and well-prepared, not just academically, but socially and emotionally. Many of our daughter's closest friends today are the ones she made at Vania's. And funnily enough, most of our closest friends in Marin are families we met through Bright Start, too. It's hard to overstate what a real, welcoming community Vania has built. Especially if you're new to the area, this place is something truly special: loving, grounded, and just the right amount of not-too-fussy.

I can't say enough great things about this daycare and how incredible they have been with my son…read moresince he began attending two years ago. When we drop him off he is greeted with genuine warmth and love from his teachers and he is always excited to see them and his friends. They have many different activities scheduled for each day including gymnastics, yoga, and music classes AND they serve healthy, homemade, child friendly lunches and snacks. Additionally, the backyard area is large and filled with lot's of activities with plenty of space to run around and get his energy out. It's covered so they can be outside year round. They also go out in a buggy to the nearby park on nice days which is not something that we have seen with other school options in the neighborhood. Finally, the owner has an AS degree in early childhood education which adds to the value of this school as this is not common with home daycares. Every day we drop him off we can feel good knowing that our son is in great hands and developing his social, emotional, and cognitive skills all while having a great time!

I would caution any parent considering this camp. I was asked to pick up a child whom I had never…read morepicked up before, and no one at the camp was familiar with me. When I arrived, I told the director, Tiger/Troy, which child I was there to pick up. Without any hesitation or apparent verification, he summoned the child over the walkie-talkie. He did not ask for my name, check my identification, confirm that I was authorized to pick up the child, or otherwise verify my identity. There was apparently no meaningful attempt to establish that I was the person I claimed to be before releasing a child to me. As a parent, I find this deeply disturbing. Child pickup and release should be one of the most basic and important safety procedures at a summer camp. A stranger should not be able to walk in, name a child, and have that child sent over without any identity or authorization check. What concerns me even more is that this was not a minor administrative oversight--it was a failure of a fundamental child-safety protocol. Parents entrust camps with their children expecting that there are safeguards in place to prevent exactly this kind of situation. I would strongly encourage parents to ask this camp exactly what procedures they have in place for verifying authorized pickups and whether those procedures are actually followed. Based on my experience, I would not feel comfortable relying on this camp to adequately protect a child during pickup.

Awful experience. Child was bored. Water play was just spraying the kids down with a hose like…read morecattle. No skill set to manage young kids. High cost but YMCA level of fun. Good if you like coloring and fuse beads. Lame overall. Director is an arrogant prick.

The teachers here are amazing! The teachers and staff are always welcoming. I know my child is safe…read morewhen I drop them off. If I can give them 10 stars I would! I highly recommend this center for families.

Although our little one doesn't go here yet, as we only did the tour earlier this month, I wanted…read moreto provide a review of the tour. The preschool has locks on the doors which i though provides an extra sense of security. The entire facility was clean and well maintained. Dawn was polite, friendly and down to earth. She answered all our questions, and you can really tell she has put time and energy and most importantly her love into this place. Excited for new beginning here in August:)

My daughter absolutely adores teacher Heidi and teacher Shannon. They set out a number of different…read moreenrichment activities every day, and I know that my child is in a safe and positive environment when I drop her off. Her growth and confidence in the past few months she's been there is very noticeable.

The Cottage is a very special place that our son loves. He is excited to go to school each day to…read moresee what adventures await him. The teachers curate an amazing, warm environment where the children learn, have fun, and feel safe and loved. On any given day, the kids can create art, make music, build cities, play in the playground, farm in the garden, etc. Teacher Heidi and Teacher Shannon are both amazing, patient, and very quick to adapt to a child's needs whether it's playing on the playground or sitting quietly with a book. The icing on the cake is that there are benefits for the parents as well. You get to learn valuable, in-the-moment parenting skills, join an awesome community, and be active in your kid's school day. The school encourages social events amongst the families, and we've done some fun activities with great people who are now friends.

I don't know why this place is not more highly recommended. My grandson has been going here for…read morealmost 2 years. It's an outdoor wilderness certified daycare and preschool and he's really thrived and learn to be super happy outdoors which is so awesome. The teachers are amazing and they're all bilingual and teaching the kids in Spanish and english. They are so caring and fun. I just went to the little graduation and it was the cutest thing. The kids all sang a song in Spanish and it was just a lovely little potluck. I highly recommend them! My daughter and son-in-law also absolutely love the quality of service that they provide

Our daughter started at SMCC a week before her second birthday. She is now 6 years old and…read morecontinues to frequent SMCC on days that her elementary school is closed - we wouldn't send her anywhere else. SMCC is not just a "daycare" to us; it's a part of our family. When our daughter was diagnosed with autism at 2 1/2, they opened their hearts and minds to learn more and educate themselves. They become part of our journey. SMCC is full of the most supportive and loving individuals we could ever ask for.

We are in the middle of our 3rd year at SAPS and we've had a wonderful experience. Our son is…read moreincredibly happy and has grown so much in his confidence and preparedness for Kindergarten. He'a had a breadth of learning experiences and projects over his time at SAPS. His curiosity has been constantly sparked by his teachers. They've been supportive and kind as he's grown up there. SAPS is a large preschool with many teachers. I've genuinely appreciated how many staff members know and care for my son. It's given my son a chance to get to know many children at different ages as well. We chose SAPS because of the relaxed atmosphere and great hours for working parents. They went above and beyond what I expected and I am continually grateful we chose to send our son there.

We probably should have gone elsewhere, but we were desperate…read more For reference, we came in to SAPS at the Pre-K (Mighty Oaks) program, so this review is based off of being a new student in their self-contained pre-K program. First off, we had decided to do a week of summer camp prior to starting the school year so my son could get used to the new environment. Our first day, we were not greeted at all or told where we should go. We were lost and the campus is quite large for being a preschool. They house several different ages and so we didn't know where to go. When I picked him up from camp, nobody said bye. We could have been strangers taking a kid and no one would have known. This should have been a red flag to immediately apply elsewhere. But really, there was no where else accepting at the time, so there we went. I never really felt that magical connection we had with his prior preschool (the Pre-K there had run out of spots). Really, I feel a lot of guilt for not doing more research. Some parents I've read had done a year of Kindergarten (which my son age wise qualified for (barely being 5), but emotionally, he was not ready) at a private school and then re-did kindergarten at the public school at age 6. This is a path I only found out about today. Such is life! My son is chugging along, however, I know it's not the magical place of his old preschool. We'll get through it for the next 8 months, and take it with a grain of salt. It'll build resilience. The other students are nice enough and his two teachers are nice enough, but I don't honestly feel like anyone there LOVES their job. At least they don't convey that. It's not as "bubbly" and warm as our other school. My other son will for sure stay where we are at the other preschool for pre-K. But if I had to do it again, we'd go elsewhere. I hope I can help other parents out there. This just wasn't a great fit. I think you need to spend a day and meet the teachers before you enroll. Meet ALL the teachers as they do cover for other classes sometimes. We have our favorites (science for sure). For the price, it's ok, but the nearby (and I mean it's on the same street) private Kindergarten was actually CHEAPER! So that's on me for not even looking or thinking to do a year there instead. All in all it's a learning lesson. It has taught me to do more diligent research on any program my children do. And sometimes you might be better off just waiting.

Mill Valley Nursery School was such an amazing experience for our family. We sent both of our kids…read morethere and not only did the school make us better, more informed parents, but we made some amazing friends as well. It's a very special community. Once your kids get into elementary school, you realize how removed you are from their education, but at MVNS you get to be a part of it. I will forever cherish that time. I highly recommend this preschool!

Been here for almost a year now with our 4 year old Henry and we love it. The grounds are fun, well…read morekept, imaginative, creative, and safe. Teacher Miranda is so solid with there research, experience, and demeanor. The community has been amazing and a true village. Chickens roaming, Pirate Ship looming, and learning happening constantly with the play based curriculum. Would recommend MVNS co op to anyone and their children. Being able to be part of my child's early education and days is invaluable. Danson Drummer Father of Henry(4) @ MVNS