I did a review 3 years ago here is the newest review! This is such a great school!!!! Parents don't ever hesitate to start your little ones' journey here! (if you can find a spot since there might be line and believe me it will worth to wait) Svitlana is an amazing woman, school is great, and we have been so happy for last 3, 5 years here. My daughter started when she was almost 1 years old today she graduated 3, 5 years later all I can say is how much I appreciate how Svitlana was an amazing idol for her and us. Amazing homemade foods, amazing instructors (Vika also the best!) amazing classes. My little one learned and progressed a lot. Thank you so much! Mila already misses you and her friends read more

Redwood Little School - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Irvine, California

We feel really lucky to have found Redwood Little School for our daughter. From the very first phone call Svetlana was very accommodating and understanding . My daughter went to school for over a year and all this time she enjoyed what they did and learned with great desire. Redwood Little School has a very warm, loving and caring environment for our kids. They have plenty of activities to do every day - circle time, toys, reading stories, art projects, dancing and ballet, and there is a great park where they spend several times in nature. My daughter improved so much in speaking and her social skills interacting with the kids and teachers. Last, but not least the food program is great, balanced, healthy kids menu, soup, fruits and a lot of farmers veggies daily. I felt at ease and knew my child is in great hands at Redwood Little School. Highly recommend! read more

Redwood Little School - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Irvine, California

I don't have words to describe how I'm thankful to my friend who recommended me this daycare preschool. I can't even compare Redwood Little School and the amazing family, loving, caring atmosphere Sveta created there to any others. It's a different level of Individual Educational approach, different type of physical activities activities and personal attention according to each child needs, age, capability and skills willing to be improved and social adapting is very organized with no pressure for kids or parents. When I started to look for the daycare my biggest concern was the feeding, because my daughter is very picky and I was struggling, had to put so much afford to feed her at home. That's why one most important things I would love to mention about the school that Sveta makes high quality organic homemade food every day And I was impressed that my daughter just loves it and eats it all I feel that my daughter is safe, being taken care of, getting healthy balanced nutrition, right schedule, learning new things and having fun with her friends Highly Recommend Redwood Little School as a first step of social adaptation read more

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Redwood little school is a very unique place where you can find a lot of care and special attention. Every morning starts with play in the play yard and healthy exercise. Very good program for kids including a lot of creativity and music. Homemade Natural food, daytime sleeping, well caring - Great value! Special thanks to Svetlana, owner and director! Gregory read more

We would love to share great experience of love, support, warm and kindness for our two boys for almost 3 years. There are great Teachers who will be taken care of your kids if you choice this beautiful place for your kids! Thank you very much!!! read more

This is the best child care ever ! My daughter Melania 2,5 Years old started going there 8 months ago, she is in love with Svetlana and Anna the owner, she can't wait to go see them soon n the morning. They prepare fresh healthy meals for the kids. They even have music teacher, yoga teacher. And all the toys are clean and new. The place is clean, I recommend it to all Russian kids in the aria read more

My son was only 1 year old when he started attending Redwood little school. I thought that it will take a couple weeks for him to get used to everything, but they have such a friendly and warm atmosphere there that in a few days he was able to stay for a whole day! My son loves Svitlana and her daughter Anna and he always smiles when he comes to their daycare! I can say for sure that they love what they are doing, and it makes kids feel happy and safe in their daycare. They provide the best organic food (made fresh daily) for kids and also they have a separate room, where kids can sleep in their own beds. This is the best daycare in Irvine and I highly recommend this place! read more

Redwood Little School - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Irvine, California

It's a lovely home-based daycare with a comfortable and safe environment and very caring and attentive staff. We've attended the daycare for more than a year, and every time I dropped off my son, I felt that I was leaving him in good hands. Svetlana has pedagogical education and lots of experience in working with kids. My son loves her. She always cooks kids-friendly delicious meals, including soups (which is important for every Russian mom). Kids eat porridge, fruit, veggies, drink kefir or kompot, and other food Russians are used to. Kids sleep in normal beds. They also have music lessons twice a week with another teacher. They do plenty of art and crafts activities, including academics (they learn letters, numbers, learn to write with Kumon books). There is a nice park nearby with a playground where kids play in the morning and afternoon. All in all, we are satisfied with everything and would definitely recommend this place. read more

It's sad - one parent who responded did not have good experience at Lana's place and did not experience the value of this hidden gem. We all have our expectations and opinions. But I would like to chime in as I know Lana for over 8 years (she was full time nanny to our triplets ~~one with disability~~) and is now taking care of the lil one for 3 + years. Not only she taught my older kids to eat plentiful colorful veggies at age 2 (which I consider a life-long habit and skill), but my 4th lil one always comes home fed and will not touch any food until the following day. V. was rejecting broccoli for years. Recently, he came home and proudly confirmed that he will start eating it going forward (but just a little bit - not a full plate ha-ha-ha : ) I am 100% positive, the daycare has open door policy and no shoes inside. Sometimes Ania and Lana cut the conversations short upon early pick up just because they are properly and honestly feeding children one after another. May be that was your case when you tried inquiring about the day-time routine and were not invited to the kitchen !? As a mom of four - I can attest her meals are VERY healthy and diverse just because children do not fall sick there - garlic, herbs, freshly made green smoothies, very limited dairy and no simple carbs. I LOVE learning everything Lana shares. There is wisdom in what she recommends - because I followed many of her advice, experimented and figured out that all "traditional" tips and tricks DO work. read more

A bit of history... We move to Irvine in 2017 and immediately found an "American" home day care. My daughter loved it, but... she we had problem with eating, putty training, behavior issue, etc. Enough was enough. We had to find another solution. Finally, I found Russian day care...This place is great! Svetlana and her daughter Ana, (they are a team) have excellent communication skills and has always promoted a warm atmosphere where children can thrive. Svetlana and Ana always speak with soft voice and children somehow follow their directions. Daily activities organized in very consistent and structural order. In the morning they play on playground, then morning exercise, breakfast, art workshops or live music classes, lunch, nap time, light snake, playtime, dinner and playground. During art workshop they always plays classic music (Vivaldi, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky). They gently reinforce good social behavior, teach kids to think and solve problems. Svetlana cooks amazing food from scratch. Even she brews kompot ( fruit juice) every day. When I pickup my daughter in the evening, she run into me and screams "Kompot, Kompot!!!!" this is the best reward for the hard work that she did during her day My Daughter's eating habits dramatically improved , as well as her bowel movements. By 2.5 years she was fully putty trained. Such a relief!!!!! One last thing me and my husband really love is Svetlana and Ana always post videos/ pictures throughout the day of what the kids are doing and it really comforts us in knowing my children are safe and are having a great time at Russian daycare. Thanks to Svetlana and Ana for their total love and commitment to my daughter and other kids. read more

This is the best place for children in this city! A special thanks to Anna and Svetlana for their kindness and care, as well as attention and good attitude towards our baby. In this kindergarten a homely atmosphere and very clean, tasty and healthy food. Every day they care about development of speech, music classes, dancing and intellectual development of children. They are professional and love kids! My doughter loved this place and now she misses it a lot. read more

This school was such a treasure and an absolute blessing for our family. Our son went to Redwood Little School for over one year, starting when he was 1.5 yrs old. We do not have any connection to Russian language and speak English at home, and they supported him so well in participating in all the amazing activities, learning the language, and growing in body and mind. He learned so much while there. I was especially grateful for the wonderful support they gave him while he was potty training before age 2 -- it made the process for us so much easier and more smooth. I was always so impressed with the different activities and games the children would play, from ballet to music and art, all with the purpose of learning. He will always miss the teachers and friends he made there, and he will very much miss the food!! We love Lana and Anna and will always be grateful to them. read more

Our son attended Redwood Little School for almost 3 years. It was the best decision we could have made for him. We recently had to leave because we moved out of state, but we still miss the daycare teachers! Svitlana, Anna and all the staff are incredible. The very first thing I noticed when I enrolled my son was that all kids were well-behaved and kind towards each other, and listened to teachers carefully. Unlike our experience with a previous daycare, our son transitioned very easily to Redwood little school. Kids go to a nearby park twice a day which is great for physical activity but also makes kids comfortable with nature. In today's day and age, when kids spend most time indoors, I am so grateful to this daycare for making my son curious about nature and loving the outdoors. My favorite part about this daycare is that Svitlana cooks amazing, well-balanced meals for kids. My son loves several fruits and vegetables now, thanks to Lana and doesn't prefer junk food. This is a habit which will stay with him long-term and it's a blessing. Most importantly, neither me not my husband are from Russian background or speak the language. But I am so happy that our son got to learn another language and we hope to continue to work on his language skills in future. We recommend all future parents looking for childcare for their infants or toddlers to consider this daycare as we had an incredible experience! read more

My boy and a girl twins have been attending the Redwood Little School for a little over a year now and they absolutely love it there. Great location with a green park within a walking distance from the place makes it simply perfect. Kids have plenty of space to ride their bikes, plasma cars, scooters, swim in the pool and play at the playground. It has a loving and dedicated staff that is always ready to help and teach new things. Being of a Ukrainian decent, Svitlana, makes home made meals from scratch with lots of fruits and vegetables which is very important for the preschoolers. Our kids developed nicely there and their speech capabilities are pretty amazing. They have done lots of arts and crafts, sports activities. We are going to be travelling overseas over the summer but when we come back we will be looking forward to get back to this wonderful place! read more

Thank you Svetlana for being an excellent educator! We appreciate your patience, your ability to make any subject interesting, and your true teacher spirit. read more

I highly recommend this daycare! They are responsible and reliable! They take care of these children as if they were their own. They provide healthy food, exceptional curriculum and activities to keep the kids interested all day! I've searched and experienced many other day cares and this one is by FAR THE BEST ONE YET! I recommend them to all my friends and family with kids! read more

We have been going to Redwood Little School for about a year now and my son wakes up every morning very excited to go to his daycare. I love everything about it and the owner, Svitlana is very passionate about kids and their well-being and safety. I love the fact that the kids sleep in actual beds & Svitlana provides home cooked meals everyday that my son enjoys eating. When I drop my son off, I don't stress out, because I know my son is in good hands! Svitlana does a lot of educational activities with the kids on a daily basis, in addition to the music class twice a week. After starting daycare, we noticed a big change in my son. He started talking much more, vocabulary improved drastically and his behavior too ( more disciplined and well- behaved, well- mannered) in addition to being able to eat on his own, which was a challenge at home with the nanny. Svitlana always updates us on the food he ate, how many times he went # 2, and how long he slept for. We love the fact that our son goes on walks and gets fresh air couple times a day and is able to play around outside! We are really happy we found this daycare and would recommend it to anyone looking! Here is a YouTube video of the daycare!! http://youtu.be/GmYQNi1w5Gs read more

We joined this home daycare 2 months ago. I brought my 15 months old daughter, and at the beginning I was worried about the adaptation period. I was afraid of terrible separation anxiety issues, etc. But Svitlana made the whole starting period just perfect. My daughter loved this daycare from the very first minutes. There is always so much fun going on. When I drive up to the house, she is ready to jump out of the car seat and runs towards the entrance door. I feel absolutely happy about leaving her there. Moreover, homemade food was very important in our decision making. Svitlana makes breakfast, lunch and dinner all by herself. It is very important for building right eating habits. And all the meals are so delicious. I envy my daughter :)) I am very observant and if anything went wrong with my girl's behavior (if she was negatively affected by the atmosphere of the daycare), I would have noticed that immediately. After we joined this daycare, I can see only positive changes in her character. She became well organized, eager to help, very responsive and social with other kids. Svitlana does amazing job working with kids' development. She has a lot of awesome ideas for developmental games, that are aimed to enhance speech, overall understanding, and communication capabilities. Svitlana takes the kids to the playground twice a day. They spend a lot of time outdoors, which is very important for their growth and health. Kids get physically strong and active. And the result is good appetite and sleep. Svitlana provides you information about menu and activities on daily basis (what they eat, how long the kid napped, how many times did #2 :) etc. So that you have a very good understanding of your kid's state when you pick him/her up in the evening. Moreover , Svitlana takes a lot of photos and video and sends them to you. Great memories. I find it very touching and nice of Svitlana. At this daycare I found even more than I could have ever expected from a childcare provider. Great home made food, discipline, a lot of fun, developmental games and activities, russian speaking (very important for keeping the culture and making kids bilingual). Local american day cares do not provide as good and focused care as Svitlana's day care does. Here you get a lot of nice "extras" which you don't get in regular day care centers. I definitely recommend this day care to those parents who truly care about their baby's well being, culture, education and health. We could not have found a better place to meet all our high demands and expectations. read more

My 2.5 year old daughter attends this wonderful Russian daycare in Irvine, CA. We have now been there for over a year and love everything about Svitlana. She is a sweet and very kind lady who loves the kids and takes wonderful care of them. They make freshly squeezed juice every morning and have home cooked meals throughout the day. My daughter was potty trained in a matter of days here and her speech development has been phenomenal. Svitlana always had fun activities for the kids along with educational ones. My daughter wakes up every morning and asks if she's going to "school" today as she loves being there so much. I feel so at peace with my child in the hands of Sveta, she's the best! I HIGHLY recommend this place, you will not find a better one!! read more

Choosing the right daycare provides you with important peace of mind. Knowing your baby is in caring hands will allow you to continue to do the other work you need to do! We are so blessed to find Svetlana and her Little Magical School. Every time we walk in the doors of this colorful and unique place we are always met with love and smiles! It is very relieving for me as a parent to know that my daughter is in a safe and loving environment while away from home, and Svetlana never fails to provide that! Not only Little Red Tree School is safe and clean, it's affordable for any family on a budget and provides an excellent learning curriculum that is second to none. I would not want my child in any other facility besides this beautiful daycare! read more

I have 3 kids and two of them enjoy spending time in this amazing Russian daycare. My boy 3.5 years old has been there almost 2 years and my little girl started 3 months ago. I was impressed from the first time when I met Svitlana how perfectly she deals with little kids. She cares about everything but the huge point is her balanced and healthy food!!! Also, she has a separate room where kids sleep without any distractions like they do at home. Every day she has something new to take children's attention and it is always interesting and educational. She has a great park in her neighborhood and kids do not just run around, she plays with them all the time. Svitlana is so dedicated to what she is doing and being with Svitlana 2 years, I can definitely say she really loves kids and kids love her :) My boy and a girl are always happy with Svitlana. There is no better place than Red Wood Little school with Svitlana. She is the best!!! read more

We love our daycare, Redwood Little School, because they are so passionate and structured about childhood development. Instead of only 2 teachers for 12 children in this home-like daycare (as required), they utilize 3 teachers to provide better care and an individualized approach to each child. As parents, they truly partner with us in support of our 3-year-old daughter's growth and learning. She has regular music lessons, arts and crafts instruction, language learning, and group projects that motivate her to interact with other children. Since we have a multi-cultural marriage (my wife is originally from Russia) I am very excited that this daycare teaches both English and Russian language. My daughter is now bi-lingual. Even though we recently moved away from Irvine, we continue going here for the reasons I mentioned. The commute is well worth it because we find that everything about this daycare is very convenient for us. They're ready and open at 8 a.m., and are usually returning from a nearby gorgeous park by 6pm. The location also works well for us--located right off the 405 on Michelson between Culver and University. They accommodate their schedule to our needs when necessary--such as when my daughter has swim class, or if something unexpected has arisen to complicate the day. But in general, they're strong on consistency and routine. They stick to a weekly schedule inside the daycare, and provide feedback and guidance to ensure a child's healthy routine outside the daycare as well. For nap time, kids sleep in a dedicated bedroom on personal toddler beds with individual sheets just like as they do at home. For meal times, daycare prepares home-cooked, balanced meals which have helped out daughter with some digestive issues she experienced when bringing her own lunch to another daycare. I always look forward to our daycare's posts on its private Facebook group. There's no better feeling than my taking a moment to look back on how much joy my daughter experienced during the day. Through photos and videos, we are able to see what activities they did. And our daughter frequently brings home the results of her arts and crafts lessons. Thank you, Little Red Hill Daycare, for being so awesome. "Awesome", by the way, is now our daughter's favorite word. AWESOME! read more

My daughters came to this school for two years. Now they are in Kindergarten and 2nd grade and still miss it. They always want to come back because it is fun, and every day there is full of new things to make, to learn and to try. They adore Svetlana, I think because she is lovely and kind on one side, and structured and strict enough on the other. She is fair, so my kids feel safe and comfortable in her hands. What I like as a mom is the great atmosphere at school and between the parents. When we picked the kids up everyone was nice and happy. The classrooms and the kitchen are always clean, and the food is always made from scratch and tasty. One of my daughters is so picky, but she ate much better at school than at home! I feel I was so lucky to be able to send my kids to the Redwood Little school. The school is small (up to twelve kids with two teachers), so the only minus I see is that sometimes they are full, and you need to wait or to sign your kid in advance. Dina S. read more

My 2,5 year old girl and boy twins are still pretty new to the Redwood Little School and have been attending it for a little over a month now. They absolutely love it there! Owner Svitlana makes this daycare very comfortable, friendly and safe for her kids. She always greets them with a big inviting smile distracting them with cute little toys so they don't cry when their parents drop them off at the door. She makes delicious home made breakfast, lunch and dinner. She even shares tips about how to make food at home more healthy and suitable for the kids. With Svitlana my twins started eating foods that they would never eat at home with me. She takes the kids outside to a beautiful green belt park which meanders along the neighborhood pathway. Kids get lots of fresh air, develop physically and play interesting games outside. One of the many things that I love about this place is that the kids take their naps in a quiet, almost home like room with their shoes and socks off (unlike american day cares which put kids to sleep for their nap in their shoes). Their communication listening skills improved and they are learning to share things with other better now. My primary goal is for my kids to be bilingual in Russian and English. Svitlana does a great job with communicating with her kids in Russian. Kids have music lessons twice a week where they dance, sing Russian songs and play musical instruments. Even at their early age kids start appreciating music. On hot summer days kids like to splash inside an inflatable swimming pool which is a lot of fun. Svitlana is pretty good at creating short videos/updates about activities that kids are involved in throughout the day. She sends them to all the parents through a private closed Facebook group. Every time I take my kids to the Redwood Little School I know they are in good hands and I don't have to worry about them. Svitlana is a true professional of her craft and I would highly recommend her and her school to a parent who is passionate about their kids well being and physical as well as mental development. My kids are always eager to see Svitlana and this is the best testament for me:) read more