My son attended Treehouse for 2 years and my daughter attended some of their summer school…read moreofferings. I cannot say enough good things about this school. 1. The campus is beautiful. Classrooms are clean and beautifully decorated. It is set in the trees so it feels like a real retreat. The playground is beautiful and fully equipped with all kinds of toys. 2. The teachers are beyond! Each one is so loving and kind and fully invested in loving and supporting the kids. They got to know my entire family - grandparents visiting, siblings, etc. and took a vested interest in our entire family. They are kind, engaging, joyful, energetic, and professional. Most of the teachers have been there for several decades and I know that is largely due to the incredible warmth that Principal Jan and Kayla set as the administration of the school. There is truly no place I have ever visited with the same warmth and kindness. 3. The curriculum is impressive! I am shocked about how well my son is prepared for TK. They are doing kindergarten level work in preschool. But of course it is mostly fun and playing and art. I am amazed by all the creative projects he comes home with and the patience and attention to detail it must require from the staff. I truly cannot say enough good things about this wonderful loving environment and cannot encourage families enough to send their kids here.

My daughter attended Treehouse from age 3 through 5. Treehouse is such a sweet, supportive,…read morewonderful school. We are not religious, but chose Treehouse due to the great reviews, nice campus, and lack of teacher turnover (pretty much all of the teachers have been there for many years), and are so glad we did. Every member of the staff knows all of the kids by name, and the love they have for the children, and the children for the teachers and staff in return, is palpable. Treehouse is a perfect mix of fun play and deep learning of important life skills, expected behavior in the school environment, and academic curriculum. We are sad to have aged out of Treehouse for now, but look forward to returning with our younger child in a few years for the two year old class.

We are on our second year (4th if you count toddler play time. *Hi teacher Nick!) at MCPC with my…read moreson and 1st (2nd?) year with my daughter. Pros: Phenomenal parent support, wonderful community, great skill building, socialization models for the kids. Inclusivity, diversity and cultural exposure, nature and mental/physical enrichment are all here, disability support physical and neurodivergent. Cons? This is a true co-op Parent involvement is required. The parents are running the school under the guidance and tenure of a past parent turned director. At least 25% of your life is this school once you join. You will work once a week per child.(Two child cap*) The kids will be here three hours a day so when you leave it will feel like you are coming right back. Second year you get a board job, more work! So, is it worth it? For our family, yes!!!! The memories, the involvement put you right in the front seat of your child's development and education. I feel like I am attending the school and relearning how to problem solve and function on my own. The experiences here are priceless. We don't want to leave!

This is our third year entering MCPC. We absolutely love the community...our kids are loved by the…read moreteachers, we're able to make friends with the other parents, and one of the best perks - we are all involved in parenting the children from a similar socioemotionally grounded approach which makes playdates so fun and easy. Any parent can step in at anytime and the messages our kids receive are loving and consistent. And the Director Jolie as well as Teachers Jamie and Nick are just rockstars. I feel a lot of confidence when I'm out at the playground, I feel that I can work things out with my child and ask about his plans and intentions and come up with safety guidelines together. It's helped so that he's able to re-engage with children and meet new friends rather than just decide they're done playing. I could go on an on about what I've learned alongside my kid at MCPC. Highly suggest attending their Toddler Playtime classes that run year round in the afternoon (18-36 months) and/or the annual Info Night in January if you're interested in preschool.

I can't begin to say enough good things about this awesome preschool! It's honestly a little gem or…read morea diamond in the rough as some would call it. Both of my kids have graduated from LSP in the past couple of years and they both made so many awesome friends and even my wife and I have made some amazing friends as well with some of the other parents. The teachers there are amazing and they've done so much to enrich the little ones who attend with a great curriculum while instilling great values to help them grow into such wonderful TK students (TKers) to make sure they're all ready for the next chapter in their lives. If you want your preschooler(s) to attend a great school while knowing they will be in great hands, while learning, having fun (and even getting potty trained if they need to be....bonus!), and making special friendships, then Little Sprouts should definitely be worth checking out! PS They've always be very reasonably priced as well!

All of our 3 children went to Little Sprouts Preschool and had an amazing experience. Teacher…read moreZugeyli has been such a loving presence for our children (potty training all of them!). Her care extends to the families of the children as well. Our children have gone onto school at NYU, UCSD, and Oakland High. Little Sprouts laid such a beautiful foundation for them to thrive as students and as members of a larger community.

Our daughter Mabel was at OMS for about 2 1/2 years, from 2-5. It's no exaggeration that OMS was…read moreone of the best parts of our life during that whole time. She has thrived there, making friends, loving her teachers, learning independence, learning about the world and just plain having fun. We looked at a few different Montessori schools as we were thinking about preschool, and a huge part of why we chose OMS was the amazing outdoor space. There are two separate classrooms (one for 2 year olds, one for 3-5) and they are separated by a huge outdoor space, so rare to find in urban preschools. It's fully fenced, safe and provides for children to have so much room to roam, explore and play. From the time she was two she was able to explore and have real independence. It was a very special part of her time there. The teachers are also wonderful. They are kind, caring and make the kids feel taken care of and safe while also giving them space to form friendships and choose what appeals to them. We'd frequently talk about how our daughter was a 'little citizen' at school: the manners they teach them, the ability to be in a group and interact with others, the skills to sit in a circle, pay attention, be heard, share. As she gets ready to go to kindergarten this year, we are so grateful that our time at OMS prepared her for this next phase. She is on the young side for K but we feel confident that she is ready for it and a HUGE part of this is her time at OMS. We'd recommend this school to anyone.

We pulled our two-year-old daughter out of this school within two months of her starting…read more Other negative reviews of OMS on Berkeley Parents Network and Yelp mention the same sorts of things we experienced. We regret not fully reading those reviews before enrolling. This was not our first preschool experience or our first Montessori experience. Our daughter was happily enrolled at another Montessori preschool in Oakland for a year. We had no real issues with that school, and our daughter seemed comfortable and engaged there. We moved to another part of town and wanted to switch schools to avoid a long commute. I was wowed during our OMS tour by the outdoor play area and the promises made by one of the school leaders. In reality, this school can be unsafe, unstructured, and understaffed, especially in the toddler class. Two good toddler teachers left within two weeks of the start of the school year and told parents they had been bullied by school leadership. Reviewing old reviews on BPN and Yelp, it seems this is not the first time good teachers have left in questionable circumstances. In the teachers' absence, a parade of substitutes came and went. There was very little continuity of care for the youngest students for weeks. One day, we saw a teacher roughly grab a child's arm in an inappropriate manner. The boy was not in danger, putting others in danger, or doing anything that warranted this treatment.  We ultimately pulled our daughter out after repeatedly seeing kids unsupervised near a gate atop a steep flight of stairs--a gate they could open. At one point, we watched a toddler unlatch the gate independently and go down the stairs without a single OMS staffer watching him. We informed them as to where he was, and no one seemed to take it seriously. At pickup, the kids sometimes seemed to be left to their own devices largely and sort of roaming around aimlessly. We know Montessori involves a lot of independent play and exploration. That's great and an approach we intentionally sought for our kid. However, this felt more like understaffing and disorganization. Our daughter frequently talked about kids crying at school and missing their parents. We didn't put excessive stock in this; toddlers say lots of things and aren't always reliable narrators. But we saw it with our own eyes at pick up. Kids were crying, and no one was appropriately responding to them or helping them through their feelings. The response was sort of clinical and rote. Since moving to a new preschool, she talks about fun things that happened at school and says sweet things about her teachers. She never talks about kids crying and missing their parents. Basic communication with parents was awful. Emails were confusing and haphazard, and critical scheduling information was poorly communicated. The only positive thing I can say about the administration is that they returned our full deposit and unused balance. In short, do your homework and really look into this school's online reviews before enrolling your kid here. It's a shame that this beautiful campus isn't better run.

Teachers Margo and Susan are so gentle and effective with the kids. Our child has really enjoyed…read moretheir time with the other kids and the teachers. We see growth and are excited to see how much is to come by the end of the year. The school is managed by the parents and follows an organized model for how teachers & kids are supported in the program. It's a beautiful school and we're happy with our experience and truly welcome others to visit and see for themselves.

Sequoia Nursery is a special place! The staff, the parents, the kids, the environment are all top…read morenotch. It's very well organized, structured perfectly, well balanced and run by teachers and parents who really care. We are proud and grateful to be a part of this wonderful community

Literally couldn't dream up a more idyllic preschool. Such a lovely community and the staff is top…read morenotch.

Highlands is truly a magical place that both our child and my family love. Teachers Angela, Dani,…read moreand Tracy are phenomenal--they genuinely care about each child's growth and happiness, and have many years of early childhood education experience under their belt. Their passion for teaching shines through in the fun and engaging activities they create, making learning a fun adventure. The sense of community fostered by being part of a co-op is wonderful: parents, teachers, and students all come together to create a supportive and collaborative environment. I look forward to the days I volunteer because I get to interact with my child, his friends, and teachers. I've learned so much from those days at school! The school itself is a wonderland for young minds--imaginative play areas, art stations, and an outdoor space that invites exploration and discovery. It's a place where creativity is not just encouraged but celebrated, and where every child is given the freedom to express themselves. We feel so fortunate to have found this gem of a preschool. It's a place where our son is not only learning but also thriving, and we couldn't ask for a better start to his educational journey. Highly recommended!

Mills College Children's School is an absolute gem and a truly transformative environment for…read morechildren and families alike. The teachers and staff are incredibly supportive, creating an inclusive and diverse community where every child and family feels welcomed and valued. Their ability to meet each child where they are--both in terms of needs and abilities--is unmatched. The educators here are first-rate, highly educated, and deeply dedicated to their craft. They foster an environment where children can blossom socially, emotionally, and academically. Every child is seen, supported, and celebrated, which allows them to build confidence and thrive in all aspects of their development. The care and thoughtfulness that go into every interaction and every element of the program are evident. I feel so privileged to have my child--and myself--be part of this extraordinary community. Mills College Children's School is a place where children and families grow together, and I cannot recommend it highly enough!

My child is in their first year here and we are blown away by the thoughtfulness the teachers put…read moreinto every detail of the students' surroundings and the variety of creative activities my kid gets to choose from in following their interests to see where it leads. This school really does feel like a community that's aligned with our values as a family. I also appreciate that parents at MCCS are encouraged to participate in making learning fun and helping in different ways. I've guest read books to the children and am planning to lead a craft activity in a few weeks. My kiddo looks forward to those moments together. I also really appreciate how I can tap my kid's teacher for advice on how to handle different challenging behaviors when they arise (as a fairly newbie parent). I'd recommend the school again and again.

Awesome and caring teachers here at Peter Pan in Bay Farm. My children learnt so much here while…read morefeeling like part of the play. They learnt their first letters, pretending to read :) , build smaller projects (which I was lucky to keep them as lifetime memories), beautiful valentine gifts made by kids for their parents (the best part every year) and Most of all loving and caring teachers. I was very speculative and very selective in choosing the right place for my kid and today I am grateful for taking that decision.

Hi, my son has long since graduated from Peter Pan at Bayfarm and my daughter has finished and…read morecontinuing in their summer program before starting K in the fall. The teachers are knowledgeable and have lot of experience. They are very loving, warm and friendly and have a genuine care for the kids. On my son's last day, one of the teachers actually teared up which shows how much care and attachment she has towards the children. I love how the teachers were also very knowledgeable and supportive with potty training and helped both of my kids get potty trained very quickly. I also remember being very impressed by their infant care and appreciated that one of the teachers was a mom herself with multiple kids of her own, and can see why she was so good with babies and toddlers. They teach the kids how to interact, play, and share with each other, which are important social skills to have. Lots of different activities (singing, arts/crafts, learning sign language, and Spanish, etc.) with a very cute graduation ceremony for all the pre-k in cap and gown. I do wish they taught more phonics, but my son has done fine at K public school so wouldn't say it's a huge deal. My daughter is able to recognize her alphabet letters and write her own name very well. Definitely give them a 5 star for the care and attention they've invested into my 2 children.