There is no better place for children to start out their educational and social/ emotional journey…read morethan Jean Lyle. My family spends nearly an hour in the car every day to get to Jean Lyle and we would gladly spend twice as long to go to this incredible place. Our daughter has blossomed under the expert and loving care of teachers many of whom who have been teaching here for decades. The student teacher ratio is amazing and the community of parents and kids is the kind of inclusive and welcoming space we all need and deserve. I don't write google reviews but Jean Lyle is pure magic and every parent should be lucky enough to be able to send their child here and watch them take flight.

Jean Lyle is a stunning gem of a school targeting children ages 3-6yr old. There are three areas…read morethat set this school apart from the rest for me: (1) Play-based philosophy: fundamentally, this is a SCHOOL not a daycare, with extremely low (like 1:4) teacher:student ratios often with student teachers and parent helpers on top of that. Children get to PLAY while they learn. With 45 years in business, this school was originally Macalester's "lab" school pioneering a caring and play-based learning philosophy that has continued, at its core. Curriculum if often driven by children's interests (oh you want to learn about sharks?) (2) The people: you know that one friend you have that makes you feel warm and heard? ALL the teachers here are like that friend. They really, individually, understand and love your children. (3) The facilities: many of the competitors i had toured sit in a small room most of the day. Jean Lyle has a huge gym and one Sunshine room dedicated to Art. Take a tour!

Love this daycare. The teachers are fantastic and there's a lot of green space for the kids to play…read moreoutside. Both my son and daughter loved it too.

*** Let me preface by saying I did not actually use Edgecumbe Montessori for my child care needs…read more This review is purely based on my experience calling and emailing them in consideration of using them for childcare. *** When I called the school to inquire about rates, etc. I have no idea who I spoke with - I could barely understand her, I even had to question whether I had dialed the right number. She could not answer any of my questions and simply told me to email them through the website. So I did. My emails were responded to casually, slowly, were not signed so, again, I have no idea who I was corresponding with. Sometimes I would go a week without receiving a response at all, and when I finally did my questions were not even addressed. To me, it showed a lack of organization and care. They were the most proximal and least expensive of the dozen daycare facilities I contacted, which are huge pros, but how can I possibly send my kid to a place that rubbed me wrong every step of the way? UPDATE: Th director of the school emailed me back (nearly 8 months later) apologizing and saying my message "went to the spam folder and got deleted". Since my emails were in direct reply to their own, I don't know how that could have happened except by someone tagging it as spam (perhaps by accident, but either way only reinforces the disorganized impression I have of this place)

I adore The Little School! My son has been going here for about 1.5 years, first in the older…read moretoddler room and now in the preschool. My 7 month old also just started in the infant room. The teachers here - and owner Erin! - are absolutely the warmest, kindest, and most genuine people. I'm constantly amazed at the creativity they put into each day for the kids: from building forts, to the dramatic play station, to themed crafts and working on letters and counting, they do such a wonderful job at providing an environment that is fun and safe. And the ratios! You truly can't beat them. The fact that there are only 3 (!) babies in their infant room and 4 toddlers in each group (younger and older) is something you just don't see anywhere else. I also love the parents here, several of whom have become "real life" friends! It's such a joy hearing all the stories of his day from my preschooler, it's obvious how much he loves his teachers and this school. Highly, highly, highly recommend!

The Little School came highly recommended from a close family member who had her two children…read moreattend. It seemed to be fate that there happened to be an opening that came up when my daughter turned two and a half, just in time to start the preschool program. The philosophy and teaching methods that this school bases itself upon are far superior from absolutely every other preschool that we looked in to. The staff consistently maintains an overall higher level of expectation for these kids. Which was so impressive to me because at such an impressionable age these young kids are being held accountable for themselves. They take such pride in the work that they accomplish either by themselves or in a group. They are respectful of not only the boundaries of their peers, but more importantly of themselves. As a result they are rewarded by having more freedom in their choices. From science lessons, to music class, yoga, art classes, dramatic play (my daughters fave!), weekly sharing day, to hearing what creative game they made up that day while playing outside. The amazing staff, conferences & daily progress reports, the ever so anticipated Halloween party, and sincerely wonderful families and parents, I could go on forever. Overall the three years at The Little School was a tremendously positive experience for our whole family. We now have a first grader who is reading at a fourth grade level with impressive comprehension skills. As well as going above and beyond her schools curriculum in math and science. I'm so proud of her, and I attribute so much of her early successes to her time at The Little School.

We have been so, so happy sending our daughter here. My daughter looks forward to going to school…read moreeach day, and has formed great friendships here. The teachers are so invested in each child and have created a wonderful, engaging environment for learning and play. My daughter particularly loves the imaginary play area, which rotates it's theme every month-a post office, a hospital, bakery, etc. This aligns with topics each month for learning-such as body/health. The teachers have decades of experience, and are always available to chat. We get updates each day on what was covered, along with pictures, which can help facilitate chatting about what happened that day over dinner. So grateful to have found this gem and very highly recommend.

Learning through play and helping children develop their social/ emotional skills is the focus at…read moreMacalester Plymouth!

Our daughter attends the toddler program here and we couldn't be happier. The school has been…read moreamazing for her developmentally; she is learning more than we ever expected her to at such a young age. From the administrators to the teachers to the custodial staff, everyone here is a gem. Incredibly kind, patient, and dedicated. We love attending the events the school holds, which are often for fun but also very often to service the community. We really align with the ethos of both the teaching practices and worldview of Sunny Hollow. A small but important fact: there's a surprising amount of diversity in my daughter's classroom, especially considering the neighborhood. It's been great seeing that and I hope that stays true as she grows into the older classrooms. Something to note: Sunny Hollow is very much a school and not a daycare, even for toddlers. There's a specific ten minute window for drop offs in the morning, and the after school program is from 3:30 to 4:30. They have a specific curriculum for the kids that they stick to. We personally love this, because it's definitely helped our daughter develop beyond what's expected of a two-year-old, and it's actually really nice that we see her as going to school, not going to daycare. A big thing that's been a massive plus: they spearhead toilet training from the get go. A couple months after our oldest daughter started at Sunny Hollow, our second daughter was born. We were (and are) so swamped in trying to take care of two very young kids, we barely did anything with toilet training. Our daughter, because of her guidance at school, started wanting to go on the potty at home all by herself. We're still in the midst of training, but it's been more or less painless. Our youngest daughter is only four months old but we already put in her application to go to Sunny Hollow. So happy to be a part of their community!

From the owner: Sunny Hollow Montessori serves children ages 16 months to 8th grade. Our broad range of educational…read moreexperiences supports and nurtures the intellectual, emotional, and social well being of the child. Sunny Hollow Montessori is a school where you and your child will thrive. We offer: -authentic Montessori education -beautiful and engaging classrooms -exceptional teachers and staff -a strong parent community -a lovely setting along the Mississippi River

We love the JCC! Great offerings for a great value. We signed up to use the fitness center and…read morepool. They offer a very large fitness area with all the usual equipment. They have a lap pool, fun kiddy pool with water slides and a hot tub. They offer many fitness classes that are included in your membership. The locker rooms offer saunas and steam rooms. I'm sure you may be wondering; you don't need to be Jewish to be a member. You are also invited to attend special programs they have going on at the center, including the changing art installations, concerts, etc.

Stopped in on a whim to see what services they provide and was very pleased with the customer…read moreservice. I was able to do a quick tour and shown the available classes and amenities. It's way bigger than it looks. It was quite busy with people finishing playing pickleball and swimming. Would be interested in going again if was in the market for a new fitness center

great school, great teachers. this place makes my heart swell. from the inside classroom to the…read moreoutside spaces, you couldn't find a better place to begin lifelong learning.

From the owner: Situated on a 110-acre area of our Environmental Educational Preserve, the Dodge Nature Preschool…read morebrings the natural world into the lives of young children. With their teachers and classmates, children discover the wonders of nature and play on the Model Farm where barnyard animals provide stimulating opportunities for learning and growth. Programs on beekeeping, honey making, maple syruping - as well as tasting apples picked right off the tree - encourage children to explore how their lives are part of the world of nature. The Dodge Nature Preschool uses the inherent wonder, complexity and beauty of the natural world as a catalyst for a child's growth and development.

We are expecting our first baby in July and stopped here to check the place out and interview the…read moreowner. It was truly creepy. He was almost completely unable to answer any question about the day care. He just kept telling us to read his brochure. I politely explained that we wanted to get some more information about the staff, activities, meals and so on. He was completely absent. It's almost as though he was deliberately trying to deter us from going there. Conspiracy theory? Maybe so but I can't understand how someone who cares for children can be so detached from what is happening on his business. Also I got the sense that none of the people who care for the children have any training or certification at all. One of the staff was wearing ratty sweatpants with holes in them. When I asked about credentials of the staff the owner was very evasive. He just told me that the staff has "a lot of experience with children". It didn't take long to decide that this place is not going to work. I would regrettably suggest that you not waste your time by stopping in for a visit, because even if you're the least bit particular about who watches your kids, you won't line this place.

My husband and I are expecting our first baby in June. We toured A Child's View today and were less…read morethan impressed. We parked right on Cleveland Ave. right in front of the daycare. There was a woman in the window, looking over 3 toddler aged children. I thought she would've come open the door for me but didn't. I walked up to the door and turned the handle, and was able to let myself right in. First red flag. You should not be operating a daycare where you are able to open the front door to a room full of toddlers as you so please. We walked inside and waited for someone to come to us, someone finally popped her head around the corner as she was chasing a half naked child, and told us the infant room was in a different building (house) behind the one we were in. We walked through the house to the next one and were greeted by another woman. I told her we were there for a meeting with Jim and she brought us through the house to go upstairs to meet him. He wasn't there. He showed up about 2 minutes later. He brought us upstairs and said, "what questions do you have?" One of the questions I asked was how often they sanitize toys, he said, "everyone's been healthy so it depends." I asked what their policy was on sick kids, again I got an answer of "it depends." Then I asked what their security was like, to which he replied "passive". I said I walked right in the front door on Cleveland and he goes, "well yeah, but not to the infant house." It doesn't seem anyone there is credentialed whatsoever, there is absolutely no security, the infant "kitchen" was filthy, it stunk, which is to be expected when you have a bunch of dirty diapers around, but it was less than tolerable. They have no sort of communication process with the parents, other than writing notes to parents at the end of the day/week and no cameras in the "facility" either. Jim was very willy nilly about everything I'd asked, I asked if he had a packet of info he could send me home with, he didn't, and it seemed to have very little structure. I would absolutely not bring my child here.

We have two kids at mis amigos and LOVE IT. Both transferred from another school that, politely…read moreput, wasn't meeting their needs. The difference here is night and day! Our older kid often doesn't want to come home at the end of the day! The teachers are so kind and caring and patient (with us and the kids) every morning they seem genuinely excited to see them and we get pictures and updates every day. We love that our kids are learning a second language at such a young age too. It is a little more expensive than some of the other options we considered, but they have a lot of other benefits (like included lunch for the big kid and cloth diapers for the baby). And we feel like it's incredibly valuable to get the benefits of language immersion.

Mis Amigos St Paul is a wonderful environment for my child. Starting back at work and putting our…read morechildren in the hands of someone else can be nerve-wracking but after I felt how caring the teachers are here, I became very comfortable with leaving her all day. You can really feel how much the teachers care about their students, which is the most important thing I look for in a daycare. The Spanish-speaking environment has been enriching for her development as well. Thank you Mis Amigos!

We love MMS! The teachers and support staff are awesome, the building and classrooms are beautiful,…read moreand their philosophy/approach/curriculum builds our daughter's independence. She loves it and we love it too. And, during this last year of Covid, MMS has been our one constant saving grace.

The staff is amazing, they love the children. It is the administration that is going to be the fall…read moreof MacDonald Montessori. Staff that have been there for years, almost decades, are fleeting fast because of how they are treated by administration. Here they do not care for their staff and push their staff over the limit and turn around and say it is staff's fault for administration falling short. The turn-over rate is concerning to the point your child could have a new teacher every 1-2 weeks. When they are understaffed it is on administration to help in the classroom. When they do they are rough physically and verbally with the children. Snatch things from them, yell and ostracize the ones that "are too difficult." Which is concerning considering administration doesn't spend much time with the children as is. They only care about money and aesthetic and not feeding into the children. Do not send your child here, please.