Recently became a parent at GNS via the Cambridge Preschool Program (CPP)…read more I had many reasons to be nervous about my kiddo starting preschool - pretty big aversion to playing with other children, having essentially no daycare/nanny experience, loud "no school!" when the idea was brought up periodically in attempts to make it less foreign, being a picky eater, etc. True story - when we did a classroom visit, where families can come and see the school, be in the classrooms, and meet the teachers, my kiddo said "why do I like school?" 5 minutes into it and the rest is history (currently in the making). The thought "oh, I can leave my kiddo here" came to me pretty unexpectedly and clearly during that visit, and I legit got pretty emotional. The other reviews ring true. If GNS interests you even a little bit, I highly recommend that you check it out for yourself.

Our daughter is in her second year at Garden Nursery School and it has been such a wonderful and…read moresupportive first school experience for her. We love that it is play-based and emphasizes socio-emotional learning, and the community that is created through the cooperative structure. It is such a welcoming environment with teachers and a director that truly appreciate the uniqueness of each child. Being new to the area, we have appreciated the chance to get to know the other families beyond a hello at dropoff. Our daughter has so much fun with all the art projects, and being able to run around with her friends in the garden, and as parents, it has been the perfect opportunity to have a part in sharing the experience with her. We love GNS!

Our daughter (then 3 y/o) attended the summer program at Pine Village in Brighton in 2019…read more And when I look back, I'm amazed by (and grateful for) the generosity and warmth of the teachers, the structure of the daily activities, how varied and enriching those activities were (picnic by the Charles, visit by local musicians, park trip with sprinklers), and how professionally the school was run. We were just looking at some of the photos from "Spanish camp" (as we call it) yesterday, and she can't wait to go back and see her friends in summer 2020.

This is our daughter's second year here, and our younger daughter is starting here next year -…read morethat's how much we like this place! We were originally interested in the school because of the Spanish immersion, but we were so impressed when we visited with how kind and nurturing the staff is. They have a social-emotional learning and classroom management program called Conscious Discipline that my husband and I are especially big fans of. It teaches children to be both compassionate and assertive, as well as how to understand and manage their own feelings. We are both teachers and have implemented some of the strategies in our own classrooms! We are grateful to be able to trust this place with our children's safety, learning and happiness - which is a big deal!

Both our children attended Belmont Nursery School (BNS!) for preschool, including Pre-K, and over…read morethe course of 8 years. During those 8 years, the school maintained its main focus - teaching children to develop strong relationships with their peers and teachers. Both my children are now in elementary school and are still close with their BNS friends. The BNS teachers teach children how to be a part of a group, how to express themselves, share, compromise, play, and learn joyfully together. Sure, you'll find schools with fancier facilities, bigger playgrounds, and more "rigorous" academics, but BNS' focus on friendship and play is refreshing, age-appropriate, and long-lasting. These social-emotional skills is what has allowed both my children to flourish academically in elementary school. The staff is professional and approachable, caring and good-humored. Not only do my kids miss their BNS days, but I miss them too!

My recently four-year-old daughter started at Belmont nursery school summer camp at the end of…read moreJune. We are now in the middle of August and it has been a fantastic experience. The teachers there are amazing the class sizes are small and especially during the pandemic their cleanliness standards are through the roof. Love the diversity, love the other families, love that we can walk there. And while I feel for the parents who are experiencing back to school anxiety amongst a pandemic, I'm quite relieved that my daughter will transition seamlessly from the summer camp to the preschool.

We had an incredible experience sending our two children to Children's House Montessori (CHM) over…read morea 5 year period. This served as our introduction to Montessori techniques and it worked out great for our family. Ms. Paula and all the teachers we met over the years were amazing. Our children left CHM fully prepared for public elementary school.

Our children had a wonderful experience at Children's House. It is a remarkably calm space for kids…read moreto learn.

Our family joined the Beginnings community in Fall 2020, during the midst of the pandemic and right…read moreafter we moved locally. I could not imagine a more warm welcome to a new place for our son, who runs into school every morning and talks about how much he loves his teachers and friends every night. From really creative classroom curriculum to outstanding communication between administration, teachers, and parents, we have confidence that our son is in the place that is best for him. We also have confidence that the Beginnings team is doing everything the right way in regards to keeping the whole community safe and healthy. I highly recommend Beginnings School to other families looking for an engaging and fun place dedicated to thoughtfully educating your children.

The teachers and administration at Beginnings deeply care for and love the work that they do. If…read moreyou are looking for professional, high-quality early education, this is the place. The teachers are well-trained to scaffold the most important dimensions of early learning: social-emotional development and self-help skills. Pre-academic tasks are weaved through play and conversation and children are quick to adopt a growth mindset, which is one of the most necessary indicators of future success. I highly recommend Beginnings for any parent or educator looking for a truly special, unique school that will give them or their children the tools needed to thrive.

We couldn't be happier with our experience at Corner Coop. One of the standout features for us has…read morebeen its flexibility with scheduling. As our daughter has grown more comfortable, we've been able to easily add on days and enroll her in the lunch program. The best part of the Coop is the teachers. They are fully engaged with the kids, always there to play, help manage those big feelings, and tailor activities to each child's interests. We've seen no staff turnover in the year our daughter has attended. We appreciate the play-based approach, allowing kids to choose their own activities and follow their passions. The kids spend at least an hour at the playground every day , weather permitting. They also get to play in the splash pad when it's hot and sled in Waldstein Park when it snows. Being a parent cooperative, we love being involved in the school's operations and feeling like true partners in our daughter's education journey. Corner Coop has exceeded our expectations and we're grateful to be a part of such a nurturing and supportive community.

I appreciate teachers and Co-op community. We came from a…read moreforeign country and were anxious to find my daughter's nursery school. But when we opened the door at Co-op, teachers warmly welcomed us. My Kids is learning English naturally. My kids love Corner Co-op, too. Kids have something special every day using their imagination. School generously offers flexible schedule (2-5 days a week) There is the Waldstein playground behind the school.

I have nothing but positive things to say about my child's time at LCS:…read more The staff were full of love and brought so much care and attention to my little one every day. All of the teachers/caregivers work very well as a team and take the time to get to know and love each of the children they look after and it really does show on the faces of the little ones attending the program. The learning curriculum is engaging for the kids and the communications with parents are frequent and clear . The Brightwheel app updates are amazing; seeing photos of my kid every day really brightened my mood. The physical space within the daycare is fun and inviting, with each classroom mocked up as a house or building in a neighborhood (hallway). I'd HIGHLY recommend this daycare to anyone in the Brookline/Boston area looking for somewhere their LO can socialize, exercise, learn, and grow in a safe and loving environment.

Both of my kids spent several years at LCSH, starting (for kid #1 at age 4, and kid #2 from 9…read moremonths). Between them, they passed through every classroom. There was not a single room that we (and they) didn't love! My son left for Kindergarten a year ago and my daughter is leaving now at age 3 to be closer to our home for pick-up/drop-off reasons. I'm so incredibly grateful we had LCSH to care for our children. First, the leadership. Lissy and Gladys are wonderful. They are experienced, kind, friendly, professional, and very responsive. They clearly love and know each one of the children and care for their staff. There is very little staff turnover, which both creates a very nice family atmosphere for the kids and speaks to Lissy and Gladys' leadership. When the pandemic hit, Lissy and Gladys did everything they could to keep the children safe while understanding the needs of working parents. I also have compared their tuition to many other places and they are very reasonable. Second, the staff! They are such wonderful people - my kids loved them all because they are warm, loving, and great educators. My son was fully ready for Kindergarten and my daughter has learned fine motor skills, sharing, listening, resolving conflicts, and fairness. Often teachers from previous years would see my daughter in the hallway and give her big hugs. It meant a lot to us that they felt surrounded by people who care. Third, the other programs. Lissy and Gladys keep things fresh by bringing in music teachers, having field days, sports, and many other activities. My daughter looked forward to every Thursday when Ms. Monica would come to her class and bring instruments for the kids to play and to dance. Finally, the community. The parents and other children are a lovely group of people. We are sad to leave LCSH, but grateful we have the memories. If you visit the school - especially Boylston street - it's not the most beautiful location. But don't judge based on that! The school itself is very nice and the teachers get the kids out and about to the local parks for sports, water parties in the summer, and playground fun. Ultimately, LCSH is a great place with people who truly care about kids and families.

I am the owner of Little Ducks Daycare in Belmont, I have heard nothing but great things about this…read moreschool. This program provides a free location for the rest of us in the area to get our CPR and first aide certifications. Without this we would all be scrambling for classes during work hours. I just wanted to say Thank you for providing the space for Mr. S to provide us with a required and much needed class. Also heard wonderful things about your programs.

Our daughter was a student at Adventures Preschool for 11 months, and it was a wonderful experience…read morefor both her and our family as a whole. Though this is a large daycare center, the care that the children receive is personalized, and caring. Our daughter was well known to teachers throughout the scho, and administrative staff. We never felt like a number here. We loved her classroom teachers, and it was clear to us that they loved our daughter too. She thrived during her time at Adventures, and I could see how she much she was learning, week by week. She was always happy to go to school! I never worried about my daughter while she was at Adventures. We received regular updates (and pictures) throughout the day, via an app, about what her class did that day, what she ate and drank, diaper changes, and naps. I knew that she was in the best hands! And for an anxious Mama, that is a big deal! We did not want to leave Adventures, but due to extenuating family circumstances we had to make a hard decision. The administrative team offered us a lot of support during this time, which we are very thankful for. Hopefully one day we will be back!