It's been a long time since I was a wee one at Merry Garden, but I still think often and reminisce with my family about the wonderful time I had here as a child with my sister. I remember playing outside with the animals (giving my grandmother a fright with a cornsnake), eating around a big table, playing with the other neighborhood kids ... even the smell of the lavender hand soap! Funny how we hang on to such memories for so long. It is so important - especially now more than ever - for young children to have the opportunity to connect with each other and with the wondrous world we inhabit. I cannot think of a place better suited to cultivate that love and curiosity than Merry Garden. Truly a treasure of Curtis Park and Sacramento, and I still wander by and look in the little pond from time to time when I come home. My love and gratitude to Linda and this place read more

I love the surroundings: beautiful plants and friendly, professional staff. My granddaughter loves it !!!

Can't recommend this school enough. After a trial run at another local preschool (land park neighborhood) my daughter's mother found Merry Garden... we did a first visit and loved everything about it! Ms. Linda and Ms. Lyla are more than attentive and provide a safe and nurturing environment. They encouraged growth in our daughter while maintaining structure and gently communicating expectations on a daily basis. We loved the flexibility of being able to pick how many days we wanted to send her (which was reflected in tuition). The setting/environment is beautiful and reflects the staff's attention to detail. The greenery and plants that fill the space where the children play outside has an enchanted-feel to it. When I picked my daughter up I just wanted to stay and hang out for a while because it was so pretty and felt nice. My daughter moved on to a local Waldorf school for kindergarten and we miss those days at Merry Garden. Wonderful experience. -A Grateful Dad. PS- I'd ignore Nich's poorly articulated, inaccurate, and unintelligent review mentioned below. Yawn. read more

We are so grateful to Linda and Lila for giving our daughter a beautiful play based start to her education! Since starting Merry Garden just a few months ago, we have seen tremendous growth in language, social skills, and confidence. Linda and Lila are kind and patient and our daughter is excited to go to school every day! They build a community that allows children to learn from one another and grow together in a safe and warm environment. read more

Our daughter attended Merry Garden from ages 3-5 (2018-2020) and we absolutely adore Ms Linda & Ms Lila (mother-daughter duo). They have a passion for providing the children with a calming, peaceful atmosphere, and finding families with similar priorities. Not to mention the sweet animals, vintage toys & beautiful garden. Our daughter had some big adjustments with this being her 1st place of care outside of our family - they gave her extra love and care while transitioning, communicated with me when she had hard times with certain rules and inclusion of peers, and helped us navigate through those lessons. Now, we have our 3 year old son, who we tried at another preschool (with longer hours and closer to home) and toured multiple other play-based preschools. However, Merry Garden's serene atmosphere and gentle approach are unmatched. I have not yet found any place like it. So, fall of 2023, we are very happily coming back! If your family is looking for a magical garden & teachers who genuinely care, this is the place. Thank you Merry Garden for helping us raise our family! read more

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It's taken me years to decide to write this review and I've decided to do it now so that other parents (particularly parents of boys) can make an informed decision for their kiddo. After two weeks of attending merry garden, we were asked to come pick my 3 year old up. He has separation anxiety and this day he was having a hard time and screaming. If upset, he would usually cry for 30 minutes, not want to be touched, not touch anyone or anything else, and then he'd snap out of it and join in. They said it was very upsetting to the other children (hello, children cry?) but mostly I think it was upsetting to them. So what they decided to do was isolate him in the gated side yard, upsetting him even more until he pooped his pants and then refused to help him clean himself up for the 20 more minutes it took my husband to get there. When my husband arrived our son wasn't crying anymore, was completely calm, cages in the side yard with soiled pants. (My son potty trained just over two and hasn't had an accident in over a year. So we knew this situation was very upsetting for him.) my husband asked to go inside to clean him up and put new pants on him and she refused and said it would be better for them to leave. He had to clean him up on the side of the road as best he could which was also extremely upsetting for our kid, crying "someone will see me!" My son later said that they were very mad at him for crying and he was scared. She later sent me an email going to great lengths to tell me she's never had to send any child away in 25 years, that's how bad his crying was and at 3 he shouldn't have meltdowns like that. (Remember, he never hit or threw, anything. We're just talking about loud crying.) She also mentioned keeping the ratio of boys to a certain level. (Enrollment was majority girls and she wanted to keep it that way.) Weeks later we find out that she kicked out the other 3 year old boy enrolled at the time because at drop off their masks weren't on properly. Everyone had a mask at drop off. This parent included. She was shocked. She was also told she has very rarely ever needed to ask a child to leave, making it feel like there was something very wrong with them. Same she said to us. I was shocked and furious. Who treats 3 year olds that way? And then puts the blame on how abnormally abhorrent the child is for very normal toddler behavior? Who isolates them and refuses to help when they've become so upset they poop their pants? And THEN not even let the parent use the bathroom to clean up making them drive home with soiled pants? My child is now 7 and I have two younger kids as well now so I now know that this experience was not normal and not acceptable and completely indecent behavior. It was a traumatizing experience for all of us. It took him awhile (months and months) to be comfortable being left in another preschools care but we found someone who would be kind and patient and after a few weeks would run straight to her arms to be held when I left. He had also attended another preschool before merry garden that was fantastic but that shut down when Covid started. Proceed with extreme caution. It takes more than smiling faces and a garden full of toys and trees to properly care for children so young. read more

Should have listened to my gut but I was taken by her beautiful garden. She's like a Stepford Wife with a big smile and sweet voice but she actually doesn't like kids (or maybe just not boys). It seems like she started a preschool as a way to get paid to tend to her garden. read more

I wanted to acknowledge that everything Chloe M. stated in her review on 10/2/2021 really resonated with my experience. Merry Garden seemed like a good fit for my 3 year old son, but after only 2 hours on his first day of school I received a text stating that he "doesn't seem ready for Merry Garden" and that there was "lot's of whining and crying". Ms. Linda insisted 15 minutes later that I come pick him up immediately. We spoke later that afternoon on the phone to in which she described situations in which my 3 year old was whining, and frustrated, and not accepting help, but also that the "volume" with which he was expressing frustration was "upsetting" the other children, and that she was having to devote most of her attention to him. I get it, he's three and he's a little emotionally raw on his first day, and I'm sure he wasn't behaving that well. But, I explained that the little guy didn't have the benefit of having previous experiences that were similar to preschool (like daycare) any sooner, first because of our comfort level during COVID and then later because the family that supported us with our other children has grown older and were unable to help in the same way. Still, when I asked about taking him back the next day, something my wife and I were willing to work on with him and partner with Linda to help him with the transition, she simply insisted that he was not ready and that she would leave our check and his things on her front porch. She also relayed a situation in which my son had put his arms around another child, and that they fell down, and for that reason she felt it was a safety issue that he wasn't listening. I wasn't there to witness the interaction, but it seemed like a pretty routine thing that might happen between children of a young age, and that calling it a safety and liability issue may have been a little overblown and a way for her to justify why she so prematurely asked me to pick him up, and not bring him back. First, in response to him not being ready, as I explained to her, he's been in music classes, and gymnastics, and had other experiences where a non-parent was in charge, and he has done well. Something about being left behind was upsetting him, and we feel it would have been something we could have ultimately worked through to help him feel less nervous and fit in better. I got the feeling that Linda simply had no interest in putting in that effort (a sentiment that again in Chloe M.'s review mirrored my own when she stated that "[her] feeling was [Linda] only wanted the easy no personality children"). I'm not sure that I would go that far, but it was easy to see that even after I explained why this might be difficult for my son, Linda quickly assessed that for whatever we were paying her, it wasn't worth it to her to try to help him beyond the 2 hours she'd already spent. But secondly, if Linda's assessment was that he wasn't ready (something I think cannot be determined in the span of half a session), how is the kid supposed to get ready for something if he isn't given the chance to go through the experience of it. To cave so quickly on a kid, who's in school for the first time, who's parents are asking for help supporting him a little further to see if we can all make it work, just smacks of a choice made with her own convenience in mind. I mean, my child can't be the only 3 year old to have a rough first day at school. Now on top of his need to spend more time in childcare settings, learning how to socialize and get over his separation anxiety, he now also has to deal with the blow to his confidence dealt by Linda, kicking him out after his first try. In her defense, Linda was pleasant and professional through the experience, but you can imagine how little consolation that is when your child is being shown so little compassion during a tough time for them. read more

I can't say enough great things about Merry Garden and Ms Linda who leads the whole operation. It's set up very differently than traditional schools: The same two teachers are here each day. It's all outside. The space is like a magical playground for kids. They build amazing relationships with the kids. Only about 10 kids on a given day. Low stress environment vs large scale schools where you can barely hear yourself think. My child really disliked a large preschool setting but loves this place. I trust the teachers. They are clearly not here JUST for a paycheck, which was my experience at other schools. I highly recommend merry garden. read more

Merry Garden is a wonderful place for little kids to grow and learn from one another. Prior to attending, Linda and Lila scheduled visits to ensure that my daughter was ready to start preschool and would fit in with the other kids. Although she was nervous when we initially visited, numerous little boys and girls would constantly come over and ask her to play and would even gave her space when she was a little nervous. She eventually relented and played various imaginative games with them in these initial visits. Now that she is enrolled, whenever a family member comes to pick her up, all of the little kids come out to say hello to us and bid her farewell. Linda and Lila have built an amazing community of little learners that is gentle, kind, and inclusive and a playground garden that truly allows the kids to have all sorts of adventures and imaginative play! Cannot recommend them enough! read more

Merry Garden is such a magical place. Besides the esthetics of the lush garden & animal life, Ms Linda and Lilah are the most patient & caring teachers we could ask for. If you're looking for Waldorf inspiration and/or somewhere that lets kids solely use their imaginations and focus on social/emotional development, this is your place! Our daughter is on her second year with Ms Linda & Ms Lilah; who are pretty much her second family. Our kid does NOT take to most people, she is extremely intuitive and other than our family & a few close friends, she has never climbed into someone's lap & snuggled up the way she does with these ladies! I'm never worried about her time at Merry Garden, as she always comes home with magical stories & silly stories of their day in the garden. We honestly couldn't imagine sending our kid anywhere else & plan to send our next. I can go on and on about their genuine sweetness, the amazing crafts our kid brings home, their bi-annual family potluck & etc etc. so many magical wonderful things! read more

Merry Garden Preschool - Just a typical exciting morning, entering Merry Garden - Preschools Near Me - Sacramento, California

Merry Garden has been fantastic for both my grandchildren. I am happy that Ms. Linda sets boundaries for the whole of the school. I appreciate when she lets children know when they are behaving well and misbehaving. Having her loving kind and positive traditional ways is a comfort that my grandkids are at a place I can trust dropping off and picking up. Evidence is when we have conversations in the car of how their day went. Thank you for having this wonderful option for families in the Sacramento community. read more

Merry Garden is an urban oasis where the natural world nurtures young humans. Linda is a nurturing, kind human with an unparalleled sense of the needs of young children. She creates beautiful spaces inside & outside her home where preschoolers thrive. Her backyard offers a whole world for little ones to safely explore the environment & play with their peers while challenging their abilities so they may grow & thrive & develop in a way that prepares them for life. read more

I'm a student who came to observe Merry Garden for a child development class paper. It was such a treat. Just like other reviewers have said, the garden is beautiful and the teachers are very kind. The kids got to play freely in the magical backyard space with a couple of structured craft activities. Thanks again for letting me observe! read more

Our family can't say enough wonderful things about Merry Garden Preschool and Miss Linda and Miss Lila. It is a gem of a place. An outdoor children's oasis with bunnies, fairy gardens, rope swings, and where imagination, creativity and exploration is encouraged. My son, was lucky enough to go to Merry Garden 3 years ago and my daughter is now attending. She comes home singing songs she's learned, talking about friends, and asks eagerly with sweet anticipation every morning if "today is a preschool day?!" Miss Linda and Miss Lila are the most kind, nurturing, loving teachers. They have a way of guiding and teaching through showing the children how to respect and love all creatures big and small. I feel like I should also note that our daughter wears hearing aides in both ears and Miss Linda and Miss Lila have been true partners in supporting her. We are so happy to have had this special place as a part of our lives. read more

f you are looking for a place where your littles will be cared for with the same tenderness as they are at home, look no further! Both my little boys attended Merry Garden and we were so sad to leave when they "graduated." It instilled a love of the outdoors and the ability to entertain themselves without screens! It provided them with the structure they needed along with the freedom to explore nature in a safe space. My youngest is now in first grade and he still talks about his fond memories in the garden with Miss Linda and Miss Lila. As you walk through the garden doors, you just feel at peace. It is truly a special place! read more

Love...love this place!!! If I can give stars more than five? I would!! It comes from nervous mom who always been so picky about the school. No..it's not like I am looking for something imposibble but number one priority for my little one is her emotional state and safe. MGP has delivered it!! The teachers are so caring and lovely. Ms.Linda & Ms. Lila really love their students. They treat the student with respect and love. This place is not only magical but let the children build their confidence, curiosity, social skill and imaginary blossom in their own uniqueness what parents who are not going to love if their child's so excited and can't wait for school day? Not only that, i still remember the 1st day I picked up my baby from school, she told me that 'Ms.Linda's her best friend' it warmed my heart to hear and know that my baby loves her teachers and school. The only regret I have that wish I found this place earlier We heart Merry Garden Preschool Take a peek at their FB page thus you would see how happy the kids in MGP Ps: Yes, I am new w/Yelp but not w/social media ( you can check that I have IG account ( Reta K ( reta_kh ) ) from long time ago, this review really comes from one of MGP parents that have satisfied w/the school read more

My son started at Merry Garden for January of 2021 and we thought it would be such a great fit. It felt magical and as he loves nature it was great that it was outside. From the beginning however I felt that Linda, the owner had repeated gripes over our son. He had just turned 3 and this was his first ever school experience. Every day i'd come to get him there was something about his behavior that wasn't docile enough. Of course i don't want to be blind to my own kid and i know he's energetic and spirited but she robbed me completely of my confidence as a parent and made me doubt my son. When my husband picked him up one day he was all alone and no knew where he was. He had been shamed by Linda in front of all the children for an apparent biting incident which was completely uncharacteristic. Even if true, he was 3 and left alone. He's since started in a different program that has been a night and day experience . He's so so well behaved, communicative, loving and is thriving. It's reinforced what I already knew, that he's a great kid and this was completely the wrong place for him. My feeling was she only wanted the easy no personality children. I think maybe Linda needs to consider retiring. read more

This place is wonderful. It's a very nurturing caring environment. It's also a fantastic place for children to learn social norms and how to play with others. It's such a comforting place. When my oldest started here she was deathly afraid of dogs. In fact, when she'd see one even a hundred yards away her whole little body would tense up in fear. But with Ms Linda's gentle guidance and patience she was running around and playing with the doggies at school in about a month. We sent three kids here over seven years and we couldn't be happier with how much free unstructured time they got here. It's worth the wait to go here! read more

Merry Garden is my daughters first experience at preschool and we couldn't be happier. Both teachers are warm and friendly and seem to genuinely enjoy the children. The garden itself is beautiful and such a magical place to spend a morning. Fun, creative and imaginative play spaces await the children each day. Highly reccomend a visit. read more

My two year old son and I just toured Merry Garden and absolutely loved it! It is so beautiful and peaceful and clean - I can't even describe the aura of serenity. The teachers are calm and loving with the children, the children are active but well behaved and gentle, and the garden is something you can't find anywhere else. Truly paradise. My little boy played for an hour and didn't want to leave. I have toured many of the top preschools in the area and Merry Garden is a perfect place for a child to learn, grow, and be nurtured. I can't wait to start my son at the Merry Garden! read more

Update: I did finally get a call back over one month after this year's telephone call (probably due to this review). Unfortunately, by this time, I've already planned out the summer. I don't think I can bump up the star level, though, as communication really hasn't improved, and I still have the same liability concerns. I do, however, think that Merry Garden is a fun, warm, and healthy place for a child if you don't share the same concerns. :o) read more

Best place in town to get your young kids socialized in a small, artistic environment. My granddaughter benefitted in countless ways by going here. Ms. Linda and Ms. Lila are kind, experienced and a perfect fit for their jobs. Location is beautiful and unique. Highly recommend!! read more

Merry Garden is a perfect place for our family. The setting is magic--inviting, natural, creative, organic, and imaginative. There is room to explore and room to gather. The atmosphere is genuine, clearly based on years of loving care for children. There is an easiness and warm welcoming nature, fostered by Ms. Linda and Ms. Lila who go out of their way to provide children with nurturing and thoughtful guidance. And they are very responsive to individual needs. Our son struggled with separation, and their expertise and caring approach--and persistence--helped him grow from being scared and reserved to excited and engaged. If you seek a place for your child where she can socialize in a world of imagination and play or where he can explore the wonders of backyard nature, Merry Garden is the place. read more

Merry Garden is such a bright spot in our Sacramento life! Being greeted each morning by the animals, happy children and parents as well as Miss Linda and Miss Lila was so perfect. Our daughter woke every morning excited to explore and play in the garden. Why would you send your children to an indoor school when Sac has such lovely weather most of the time? Both teachers are so experienced and in tune with the children I never once worried about our daughter. I knew she would be busy learning in such a safe and caring environment. The social skills our daughter learned and honed there will be with her forever. I can't recommend MG enough. I wish our daughter could have stayed there much longer! Too bad they grow so quickly! read more

Merry Garden is the most magical, beautiful place to send your little ones, and I feel blessed that I found it for my son. Linda is a gentle, quiet, strong soul who truely understands how to nurture a child's mind, body, and spirit. The garden and the garden house are designed to make children feel safe and at peace; in fact, this feeling works on adults, too! I always want to linger when I am there. Linda is wise and kind, and has solid opinions and advice on many child related subjects. If you want an alternative to the overly academic 'achievement' based style of education and a step away from the mainstream, this is the place to be. read more

What I wanted in a preschool was a place where my daughters could begin to get to know themselves as individuals among peers and adults where their naturally open, imaginative, curious, fanciful, investigative and collaborative spirits would be honored and nurtured in the process of learning some of the first lessons of socialization. Tall order. I also wanted no plastic, no rainy day movies, and no brand-name character stand-in models of gender. At Merry Garden we found all this and more. For four years, between our two daughters, Merry Garden was a part of our lives. And Ms Linda, Ms Beatrice, Ms Lila, and the magical backyard (a world unto itself, not to mention all its furry creatures) made it a gift for our whole family. read more

This is a hidden gem. We looked at many different preschools and realized the focus should be on playing and exploring. That's how you learn best at this age and that's exactly what Merry Garden is all about. Our daughter flourished in the garden. Ms Linda is a laid back but very experienced and understands childhood development well. We couldn't be happier with Merry Garden Preschool. read more

I have had children at Merry Garden continuously for the last 4 years. Words cannot describe what a special place it is - one must experience for themselves to understand! The outside garden space is magical and has quails, bunnies, bird feeders, bunnies, a tortoise, a sand play area, slide, swing sets, tricycles, and lots of little spaces to play and explore. The cozy garden room is filled with things for imaginative play like silk capes and crowns, real china tea sets and pots and pans. No plastic toys here! My kids have learned the sweetest seasonal songs (which is part of circle time each day), they play with homemade play dough, the teachers make homemade bread, need I say more?! I can't recommend Merry Garden enough for a family looking for a Waldorf-inspired preschool or just a sweet, loving, small environment for their child. read more

Linda and her staff are absolutely wonderful and I cannot say enough about this amazing preschool. They serve lovely homemade, wholesome, vegetarian meals, take into account allergies and special needs, care for the WHOLE child - body, mind & spirit and create an amazing rhythm for little ones to play, explore and learn through the natural environment. I have been THOROUGHLY impressed with the high degree of consciousness, care and extra-mile-effort that this school has given both my daughter and our family. Linda is always available to support child development and parenting with advice, ideas and wisdom and is an incredible Momma-love energy to fill in for when I am at work. At first, I felt guilty about leaving my little one in a daycare/preschool to work out of the house, but now my daughter begs to go to school on weekends and holidays. She is thriving and loves her school and the amazing teachers at Merry Garden. The garden, the toys, the food, the ambiance, the high degree of care and attention, it is all amazing and almost too good to be true - but it is true. read more