teachers were gone as that was the only time that would work with our schedule. It seemed to be…read morevery clean and put together. Unfortunately all other daycares had a 1yr+ wait lists so we had no choice but to jump on the open spot here and paid to reserve the available spot. Later, we decided to visit the infant daycare room and meet the teachers before our baby started. Thank goodness we did. Every single child in the room was sick with very runny noses and coughs. When we asked what the limitations were for sick children the teachers said that they only turn children away if they have fever, are vomiting or have diarrhea. They flat out told us that we would just have to understand that there were always sick kids in the class and that our child would be getting sick. At one point, one of the more sick children spit up a good amount on the rug where all the kids were playing. The teacher barely wiped it up with a paper towel and spray allowing the other kids to play right where it was. They never wiped the spit up off the child's mouth. He put a rattle in his mouth getting spit up all over it when another child grabbed it and put it in their mouth. There was no real attempt at sanitation to avoid the spread of germs. Also the children were pretty fussy and the teachers did not seem at all confident or comfortable handling it. They seemed very overwhelmed and even frustrated. This was with only 6 children and they take up to 8 in that room. After that visit, there was no way we could imagine

They could improve on being cordial and caring. They could improve on creating a more professional…read moreenvironment.

As a camper at this camp it was a horrible experience for me and my friends. My 2nd day at this…read morecamp someone pushed my friend off the dock and he broke his ribs the counselor then said he was fine and did not let him contact his parents. Good thing I snuck my phone and my mom to pick me up. I would not recommend this to any families.

As a veteran middle school teacher who has known scores of students who have attended this camp…read moreover the years, I would like to warn parents about the "boys will be boys" mentality that is promoted at this camp. It's beyond complicity; sexualized behaviors/chatter seem to be encouraged and laughed about and are extremely prevalent. My female students come back from camp thinking that it's OK for boys to talk to them in a certain way (and about certain things), even though it makes them very uncomfortable.

We have been with PNWK since 2018 and have loved every minute of it. My kids have so much knowledge…read moreof nature through this program, and they love being able to play and explore during their class time. The teachers are incredibly kind and caring. The program incorporates inclusive teaching and values, which is very important to us. Also, the COVID safety protocols have been top-notch. Overall, a wonderful program.

My kids attended the PNWK Forest School program from January-June 2026, and had a negative…read moreexperience. For context, we moved to the area from out of state in December 2025. Both of my children attended a different outdoor pre-school for the Fall 2025 semester where their experience was overwhelmingly positive. At their prior school, the lead teacher was a former elementary school teacher with over 20 years of classroom experience. At PNWK, the teachers were considerably less experienced. All teachers, including the lead, were fairly recent graduates who, while passionate about nature and children, did not have the depth of expertise nor formal early childhood education training that we were expecting. The lack of formal training and experience became more evident to us when we learned about behavioral challenges our kids were having at school. While the teachers were kind, they did not seem equipped to deal with problematic behaviors. Similarly, the program as a whole did not seem designed to meet kids where the are, but rather to push "problem children" out through regular calls for early pick ups. Within several weeks of starting the program, we began receiving calls for early pick ups on a regular basis. Keep in mind a "full day" is only 3 hours including the time they are eating their packed lunch, and that they only attended 2 days a week. Obviously this created a lot of stress for our family, and an inability to treat the program as reliable childcare. Unfortunately, that stress also seemed to permeate to our kids who began to say they did not like school, which was heartbreaking to hear. The reports we got seemed to indicate that their behavior at school only worsened over the course of the semester. When it became more clear that the program was not a good fit for our family, we began asking about withdrawing or phasing out of the program. Unfortunately, the payments are structured such that you cannot withdraw without forfeiting significant amounts of advance tuition. However, we eventually cut our losses and moved on. Truthfully, there was a tremendous mental weight lifted off our family after separating from the program, as it had created a lot of stress for both us and our children. It's disappointing because this seems to the only outdoor preschool program in the area, and my children previously had such positive experiences at their prior school.

My son attended camp roots for nearly a year . He loved it and still talks about it weekly . If…read moreyour kid loves the outdoors this school / camp is definitely for them . I only wish we lived closer so we could continue going.

My children were past students of April's Play School, a Pre-K program that she directed 5 years…read moreago. After a few years of happy learning alongside great friends in a nurturing environment and we sent our daughter off to Kindergarten with a full heart and a thirst for learning. April's Play School was a very peaceful place filled with laughter and respectful friends. A couple years following her final Pre K class, she decided to bring the same fun curriculum to an outdoor summer camp and invite older kids to join along as participants or even junior counselors. Our youngest joined in for a week of camp along with her cousins. They had an amazing time. It's so fun to know that the kids are just being kids (with supervision), in nature, making up games and stories, building forts or even doing a structured project like washing berries and making jam. They took hikes and collected bugs. They did kid stuff and got dirty and maybe a little sweaty and they just had a blast. I was thrilled to hear that Camp Roots was gearing up for a 6 week run this summer. I immediately signed my little one up for 3 weeks and my Freshman aged son up to participate in the volunteering program. I'm expecting the same old thing as last time: slightly dirty, extremely happy & tired kids, competing with each other to over share their accomplishments of the day with me over dinner. It's soul filling to drop the hyper academic stuff for a few weeks and watch the kids truly enjoy (fairly) unstructured summer play. Go Camp Roots!!!

We did the camp in Kirkland. My 8 and 6 year old loved this camp! My son did the ranger program and…read morelearned how to make a fire, build a shelter, shoot a bow and arrow, and camouflage himself in the forest. He came home so excited every day. My daughter did the artisan program and made a pouch, potions, and participated in a goblin market. The counselors are really good and professional. This is one of the best camps we've done in this area. We'll be back!

My baby started at 4 months old in the infant classroom and as a first time mother I was so nervous…read moreabout leaving my baby at daycare. But the teachers were so loving and took such great care of him. Now when I leave him at daycare, he's so happy with the teachers, he doesn't even notice when I leave sometimes. I love the daily reports and photos. He's moving up to the toddler classroom and the staff have been very good with letting us know about transitions. There's plenty of parking at the front, live camera feed so I don't miss him during work hours, very responsive to emails, and if there's any issue they call me straight away. Thank you teachers!

Our family was with Kiddie Academy Bothell for years, and our daughter truly grew up there as part…read moreof the community. Unfortunately, over the past few months, we experienced several concerning issues that caused her distress and ultimately led us to make the very difficult decision to move her to a new school. We noticed a decline in care and communication beginning earlier this year around summertime. One of our daughter's teachers made comments such as "She doesn't like me," which felt inappropriate and insensitive given her age and emotional development. On multiple occasions, we witnessed emotional responses dismissed instead of acknowledged by teachers, for example, telling children not to cry or using a toy remote to "change" their mood instead of helping them process their feelings. There were also moments of unnecessarily harsh discipline. During one pickup, my daughter ran happily toward me and was immediately scolded by a teacher in front of the class. The tone felt punitive and unkind for a 3-year-old. We also had ongoing hygiene concerns. Our daughter frequently came home uncomfortable from sitting in soiled diapers, and even after being potty trained, she wasn't always properly cleaned. This led to severe irritation and discomfort, something that is avoidable in a childcare setting. When we brought these concerns to staff, the responses were heard, but later on the issues would arise again. We later learned that other families had also withdrawn for similar reasons, citing concerns about the disorganized environment, absence of structure, and insufficiently defined teaching curriculum, all of which created emotional stress and overwhelm for the students. To make matters worse, Kiddie Academy refused to refund our $1,000 deposit for the fall term, even though our daughter began the new school year and met their own enrollment criteria before we made the decision to withdraw her due to these ongoing issues. We've since moved our daughter to Birch Tree, and the difference has been night and day. The staff there are attentive, communicative, and genuinely caring. Questions and concerns are addressed immediately, and their follow-through is clear and consistent. They also provide a developmentally appropriate, well-structured curriculum with systems in place that foster a calm environment and significantly reduce the behavioral challenges many families had previously experienced at Kiddie Academy Bothell. For the first time in a long time our daughter is truly thriving. She is happy, supported, and excited to go to school every day. We're deeply disappointed by how things ended at Kiddie Academy Bothell. What was once a positive experience declined into something that felt indifferent and disorganized, and the lack of care ultimately cost them the trust of our family.

Great toddler group with knowledgeable, friendly teachers and great resources. Nice families and…read morekids and a great way to meet other families and get out of the house!

My 3 year old and 1 year old have had SUCH an amazing experience at WTG. My 3-year-old was very shy…read moreand reserved and had a hard time with separation in the beginning. She would have had a hard time with a drop off style program so this was the perfect gradual first school experience/introduction she needed. Thanks to the amazing support and patience of the WTG program she was able to get so comfortable with the school experience and really find her confidence by the end- now can't wait for "drop off school" next year. This was such an incredible first school experience and I am so thankful we joined!

As first-time parents, choosing Columbia Crest was a big step--and we couldn't be happier. The…read morestaff is warm, attentive, and truly caring. We enrolled out child last year, and I see his growth almost daily - whether it's learning new words, interactions with other kids, expressing emotions more clearly, or simply showing excitement to go to "school." The center is clean and thoughtfully designed to encourage learning through play. Communication is excellent, and we always feel supported and informed. Additionally, I appreciate their openness to feedback and inclusion of the parents. Highly recommend to any parent looking for a safe, caring, and enriching environment!

My son has been attending Columbia Crest for almost a year and is absolutely thriving. He has grown…read moreso much in his independence and developmental skills. We love the teachers and staff- their communication with us is really great, and they have been good about working with us on challenging behaviors. We're excited for our second child to start attending in the fall!