Our son and then later our daughter each spent 18 months with Mariana and her loving team. We could…read morenot be happier. Our kids were always so excited to show up in the morning (and often sad to leave at the end of the day). If we have a third child, we'll definitely be sending them to Learn and Play.

Our son loved attending Learn and Play. In the morning, he was excited to be dropped off. In the…read moreafternoon, he often didn't want to leave. The space is great for kids -- very outdoor and play oriented. And the staff/teachers are all very sweet and caring. If we have a second child, we'll send them to Learn and Play.

Our son started in the youngest Nitzanim class at the San Rafael JCC preschool. We enrolled him at…read more18mos because he was more than ready! Loved the philosophy, teachers, program, school yard and couldn't have been more pleased. Our daughter started in the Nevatim class at the Tiburon JCC preschool. Every teacher was exceptional with their lesson plans, emergent curriculum and their emphasis on engaging children with their critical thinking skills. That may mean an idea is pulled and developed from the interest of the class and explored more in depth for weeks/months if the interest is still high! The teachers created a warm, nurturing, supportive and engaging environment. Their outdoor learning classroom is incredible! It feels very rural and is beyond special. How often can your child say that it's okay to jump in the mud at school in my boots, we can rinse our boots off ourselves and hear the birds and see the deer on their walk to class? Our son joined his older sister at the Tiburon JCC the following year and both stayed until their graduation / end of year siyum celebrations with Etzim. We are not Jewish but loved the emphasis on the different values that were introduced: kehilah (community), tikkun olam (healing the world) etc. Our children and our family are better having had this preschool experience. I encourage you to book a tour and see for yourself.

we LOVE the jcc tiburon! this was our daughter's second year and our son's first. the teachers are…read moreamazing - so caring, thoughtful and creative. the projects they spearhead and the ways in which they encourage the kids' creativity are incredible. i just feel so lucky to be part of the community and have my kids educated and nurtured by such a thoughtful group of people. as a parent it's also been a wonderful place to meet people! we moved to marin ~1.5 years ago and i feel like i've been here for years. the campus is such a warm welcoming place - it's truly the best!

Mill Valley Nursery School was such an amazing experience for our family. We sent both of our kids…read morethere and not only did the school make us better, more informed parents, but we made some amazing friends as well. It's a very special community. Once your kids get into elementary school, you realize how removed you are from their education, but at MVNS you get to be a part of it. I will forever cherish that time. I highly recommend this preschool!

We have been at Mill Valley Nursery School with two of our daughters and it's been a wonderful…read moreexperience. MVNS is truly a special place for preschoolers to do what they do best: play. The outdoor space is one of a kind along with the resident chickens. Our director is also amazing and leads with a deep understanding of child development. The emergent, play based curriculum has helped our girls thrive and prepare them for elementary school. There is also no other place in Mill Valley we can be as involved in their early childhood education which has been helpful in my parenting journey. On top of that, the community is warm and supportive and we all get to know one another's children in deep and meaningful ways. We'll be sad to leave MVNS, however the benefits of being here will impact us the rest of our lives!

We feel incredibly lucky to have found LPJ's San Rafael campus for our 2-year-old daughter. It is a…read morebeautiful preschool, and our daughter is absolutely thriving here. We started in October, so she joined after the beginning of the school year, but she adjusted so quickly. Now, after about seven months, she literally runs into school giggling to see her friends at drop-off. She is also speaking French at home, which has been such a surprise for us. Her teacher, Ms. Florine, is fantastic, warm, engaged, and clearly wonderful with the children. The owner, Ambi, is also incredibly kind and thoughtful, and you can feel how much care has gone into creating this program. One of the things we love most is how many special activities the children have each week. Mondays are cooking, which my daughter LOVES. Tuesdays are music with a special instructor, Wednesdays are ballet/dance, Thursdays are Gym Bus, and Fridays are sports with Coach April. The weekly themes are also so sweet and engaging. Last week, they learned about caterpillars turning into butterflies, and their art projects tied into that theme. The campus itself is truly beautiful. It is on gorgeous land with so much open, sunny outdoor space for the kids to play. There are horses, turkeys, rabbits, and other wildlife, and the children even get to feed and play with bunnies on campus. The school building is also lovely and very well-kept. If you are considering a preschool in Marin, I highly recommend visiting LPJ San Rafael. It is such a special place, and from speaking with other parents, many of us feel grateful to have found it for our children.

We have only the most amazing things to say about LPJ, Ambi the director/owner and the teaching…read morestaff, and we are truly grateful for the time our son spent there. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in a French immersion preschool program (but also totally fine for non-French speaking parents). Some thoughts: - The teachers are excellent, highly qualified, warm and consistent - There is enriching special extra programming throughout the week (gym bus, music, dance, cooking, art) to broaden kids' horizons. This is on top of the regular curriculum taught throughout the year. - The class sizes were great - small enough to feel like the teachers could give our son dedicated attention if/when he needed it and big enough so that he had a good number of friends to play with. - The communication between the school and parents was always transparent and warm, and we got plenty of updates on how our son was doing. Ambi and her team are very well organised. It's always a nerve wracking thing to entrust other people with your kids, especially when it's your first, but we always just felt so comfortable with LPJ. You can tell how much the staff care about the littles, and how much the kids learn and grow when they're there. For reference, our son attended LPJ for two years - first as a part time/half day kiddo in the Piaf (age 2) class, and then full time in the Hiboux (age 3) class. Thank you LPJ for the amazing community you've built and for creating such a wonderful place for littles.

We ADORE Mighty Bambinis! Our son (4) currently attends and is thriving in this fun-loving,…read morenature-centered program. We've seen his curiosity and joy come alive and every day he looks forward to going to school. Evelyn and her team are incredibly thoughtful about every aspect of the program, focusing on child-led play and social and emotional development support. The teacher to child ratio (1:5) is the best I've seen in Marin and it really shows. 10+ stars if I could!

Mighty Bambinis is completely amazing. Such attentive, skilled, and caring teachers, great…read morelocation, wonderful opportunity for kids to be outside, and perfect, ever changing curriculum responsive to interests of kids. Highly recommended for all kids but especially a great choice for parents considering a TK alternative as there is an academic component but in such a fun way. Evelyn the director is such a wealth of knowledge not just about preschoolers but families in general. Also a great choice for families looking for a bit more community rather than just drop and go. We really enjoyed the camping and family days.

My daughter is in her second year at the Mountain School and we couldn't be happier. I toured 15…read morepreschools throughout Marin when looking for a preschool and was utterly blown away by the calm and creativity I saw when I toured TMS, and which is why we are in our second year at the School. My daughter is absolutely thriving, she is independent and creative, showing her imagination and play at home as well. The teachers and staff all care so much, and it really feels like a close-knit group. I am so thankful for TMS and can't wait for our younger daughter to start!

Our daughter has been at The Mountain School for more than four months now and I could not be more…read morepleased. The school is a warm place in every sense - the teachers are lovely and the space is inviting and peaceful. Every day, my daughter asks if she gets to go to school. It is such a happy place for her. She loves her teacher, Ms. Claudia, and loves her friends. We also love Ms. Claudia - she's fabulous! At The Mountain School, the children learn how to be independent (to do their "work") in many ways. They also learn to be kind to one another, use their imagination and appreciate nature, among many other things. Everything is well thought out from the daily schedule to how the teachers speak to the children. We feel so lucky to have found The Mountain School for our daughter. Highly recommend!

My grandson started his first experience with school at Morning Song last year. It has been a…read morewonderful opportunity for him to learn how to socialize with other children and learn in such a creative environment. I totally recommend this preschool!

Morning Song School and Linda, who runs it, are a godsend for our family. There truly are no words…read moreto describe how happy we are to have found it. It is such a warm, welcoming place and a perfect environment for our little one to thrive. The very first time we dropped our four-year-old off, we didn't even get a chance to give him a hug or say goodbye. He ran right in with a quick "bye!" We knew from the moment we met Linda and saw the place that this was something special, and it continues to be just that. We couldn't recommend it highly enough. Run, don't walk! Morning Song is an absolute gift.

My boy graduated! What fun! No doubt he will always have fond memories of this school. He…read morelearned so much here. Two and a half years! This is the place where he learned to use the toilet. Priceless. Now off to take on the world!

From the owner: Specializing in: - Preschools & Kindergarten…read more- Schools

A few months ago, my husband and I made the decision to put our 18-month-old daughter into daycare…read more It was a difficult decision as we both work from home and we were used to having her around us, but we knew it was the best thing all around. I could not be happier that I found Cookies-n-Dirt. Christian Wood has a marvelous gift at nurturing and educating children. All of the children in her care seem happy, curious, warm and friendly. She stimulates their minds and imaginations with a variety of activities, all within a safe, loving environment. My daughter loves going there and I love when she comes home with new words, songs, games, etc. I HIGHLY recommend Christian Wood and Cookies-n-Dirt! Elise Holland-Desai Mill Valley, CA

5 stars says it all. If you want someone who will nurture, protect, teach, and love your children,…read morethen you want Christian. We were so blessed to have her care for our little girl when I went back to work part-time. Our little girl flourished under Christian's care and we never had a day when she didn't want to go. In fact, there were many mornings when she was sad that it wasn't a "Christian Day." I could go on and on about how thoughtful Christian is about her curriculum planning, tactile activities for the kids, the amazingly beautiful art projects that come home (we still have a self portrait up from over 2 years ago!), and the fact that she takes the kids outside! But all you really need to know is that your child will be loved, safe, grow, and have fun. What more could you want?

I'm going to be honest and share that Educare wasn't our first choice. At the time, I thought I…read morewanted something more niche or up with the trends of other types of school styles and we chose Educare because we found them to be the most dual income family friendly with hours starting at 730am-5pm and year round so no need to plan for summer camps. Turns out, Educare was the best decision we could have made for our us and our kids, especially having compared notes with friends from other schools. We started there as early as 22 months- the youngest that they'll take them. Educare has provided so much growth for my kids- both socially and academically. They've grown to speak up for themselves, to work both independently and as a team, to behave appropriately at restaurants, make friends easily at playgrounds, focus on tasks, cope with quiet time, try new things/foods, and transition successfully through various situations and scenarios. The teachers and staff approach everything with such empathy and love- even potty training. My youngest had issues pooping in the potty and it was a long two month journey. Instead of making it my problem, the teachers approached it with patience and worked with my little one until she was fully able to let go of the fear and anxiety. One of my favorite things that Educare does, aside from providing breakfast/snacks/lunch, is celebrate all the various cultural holidays and occasions. They also provide two parent/teacher conferences twice a year- both of which the school stays open vs closed like others. The community of parents and friends we've met have been so special. Lastly, I couldn't have asked for my kiddo to be more prepared for kindergarten. We didn't have to spend time after dinner or before bedtime to help them catch up either emotionally or academically. As our kinder teacher shared during our first parent/teacher conference when discussing various school assessments, "the Educare kids usually all do really well."

Educare is such a wonderful school. We had our son at a more strict, more well-known Montessori and…read moreit didn't feel right (too sterile, no smiles!) -- then we found Educare and my son has absolutely thrived here. The teachers and staff blend a high degree of learning with fun, they host so many great events to learn about different cultures, and it's a total bonus that the kids learn in both Spanish and English. As we're heading to kindergarten this fall, it's clear that the Educare kids are extremely well prepared to enter kindergarten with confidence. And if you're planning to be in the LCM public schools, it's awesome for the kids to have so many familiar Educare kids at their elementary school. I'm truly grateful that we found Educare and want to spread the word -- they didn't show up as prominently in my original search as some of the preschools with a more 'elite' reputation. But now that I've seen many friends go through many different pre-schools, I can say with confidence that Educare stands out for nurturing and preparing kids for kindergarten -- socially, emotionally and academically. Moving my son to Educare is one of the best parenting decisions I've made.