We had a wonderful experience with Stretch - to this day our kids are constantly exploring their natural surroundings. Wonderful teachers and community - highly recommended. read more

Stretch absolutely rocks. Michelle is amazing at running the school and the teachers are so talented and caring. Our daughter went to Stretch for a year and sadly we had to take it out when we moved and we hated that we had to. Stretch does an amazing job of understanding children and creating an environment where they feel safe and can learn and grow. Highly highly recommend the school. read more

Our daughter has been going to Stretch for almost half a year now, she is in their Willow (youngest) class. We are so happy with the school and I can not recommend it enough! Our daughter is so excited to go to school, which is a big deal given her more timid personality. We are also a trilingual household (with English being her weakest language) and I love how much effort her teachers put into learning the basic words of her native tongue to make her feel included. Her teachers, Caitlyn and Jerika, are the warmest human beings! (And so is everyone else we've met at the school). They have a true sense of community. While we haven't been able to attend many events due to our newborn, we always feel welcome and included, which is just so lovely in a big city like SF. All teachers have masters in education, they take professional growth very seriously, and I am always so eager to learn from them too, since we are new to all of this parenting stuff! If you are considering this place, look no further, your child will be so happy and you will find your new village here! Thanks for everything, Stretch teachers and administration! read more

I have two boys at Stretch, in their first and 4th years (TK). Our family has had an absolutely incredible experience at the school and couldn't be happier with our decision to have our children spend these crucial, formative years with their incredible teaching staff. The school utilizes a child-centered approach to learning, incorporates active, outdoor education through weekly trips to the Presidio and also offers the City Explorers program to older children (small groups navigate the city using public transit to explore museums, landmarks, and neighborhoods.) Teachers are true early childhood experts, dedicated to providing a supportive, creative, active and thought-provoking experience each and every day. And the school and PA invest in ongoing teacher education, including trips to Reggio Emilia to learn from the source. Stretch's focus on social-emotional development is exactly what I want for my kids and strongly believe they are getting the support they need to grow into confident, secure and happy young adults. The teachers invest in knowing each child and working with them in whatever way they need to thrive, delivering equally for our "physical" younger child as for our more introverted older son--as a toddler we described him as "the observer" as he often chose not to participate in anything new or unfamiliar. We were concerned that this could have a negative impact on him later in life. After being under the guidance of his Stretch teachers in navigating this temperament he's grown into a completely different person! He's now much more confident in speaking up, has made many social connections and tried so many new things we never would have thought possible before. We couldn't be happier with Stretch, the teachers, and the director (among other things a godsend in navigating the kindergarten process). read more

We currently have two daughters at Stretch in different classes, and we have been a part of the school and its community for three years. The punchline is this: We cannot say enough good things about the school. We absolutely LOVE the programming, the teachers, the activities, the other families and the teaching style. These early years are SO important to a child's development, and they set the foundations for a love of learning, socialization, mental acuity, empathy, physical motor skills, etc. Stretch has done an amazing job of addressing these and so many other areas of growth that we did not even know enough to be concerned with before enrolling at Stretch. Our expectations have been exceeded in every possible way, and we have seen our girls grow in such positive ways at the school. The head of the school and the teachers have been fantastic in every case, as we've progressed through 4 different classes with our two girls. The girls have real bonds with their teachers, and the student-teacher ratio is 6:1 or 7:1, and that does not include "roving" teachers (like music, etc). The teachers all have masters in early education and have been true partners to us in helping to raise our children. We ask questions to the teachers/director on items that we have difficulty with at home (e.g. time out, temper tantrums, sleep schedules, potty training, etc) and have been so grateful to have their valuable insights and continued follow up on these issues. They are true partners. The community is amazing too. We have made life-long friends with many of the families, and we see them outside of school very frequently, whether for play dates or adult socializing. I think the best way to characterize the other families is that they're down to earth, good people that want the best for their children. The physical school building itself is a 3-story "house" with a yard that's on Bush between Divisadero and Scott streets, and it has been totally retrofitted into a cozy, cute, active pre-school with fantastic rooms for every activity. The teachers constantly reimagine their classrooms... I would say at least 4-5 times each year, so the kids always have new environments to explore and play in. One of the things we love best is Natural Classroom. This is one day per week when the class spends the entire day outside in the Presidio (or maybe Crissy Field other outdoor locations). The kids hike, climb, roll, dig, jump and run all over the Presidio. They come home with mud-streaked faces and sand pouring out of their pockets and shoes. This is such a unique and valuable time for the kids to enjoy nature and get down and dirty in the outdoors, particularly considering that we live in the middle of a big city. In summary, Stretch is a joyful place with amazing teachers and a warm, inviting community. Our kids love going to school every day, and we can see so many ways in which the school has helped our girls to grow and learn. read more

My daughter, who attended Stretch the Imagination for three years, is now wrapping up first grade, Reflecting back, we are now positive that the majority of what she learned and experienced at Stretch is paying dividends in elementary school. During her time at Stretch, our daughter had the opportunity to nurture her creative side through different aspects of learning, develop a true love and passion for nature (through the weekly "natural classroom" program), learned about community and how to develop friendships with peers as well as relationships with other members of her "community." The Stretch educators are very kind, loving, professional, truly dedicated and they work as a supportive team to nurture their students. We appreciate Michelle and all her passion, love and hard work in making the Stretch community a nurturing, creative and amazing environment. We couldn't be happier with this preschool program and now in the early years of elementary school we see the benefits. read more

Our first year at Stretch has exceeded my expectations in every way. The quality of the teachers, diverse experiences and creativity of the project work has really helped my daughter thrive. The outdoor classroom is truly unique and allows our active toddler to spend a day outside in the trees. Each week my daughter is filled with wonder and excitement for school and her friends. The parent community is supportive and engaged and Michelle and the teaching staff are absolutely top notch. read more

We moved to SF two years ago and were extremely lucky to meet Michelle and to be welcomed into the Stretch Community. We have one son who is in his second year and one to start in the Fall. Being new to the city we found such a warm and welcoming community at Stretch. The learning and partnership with parents is unparalleled. Our teachers and their continuity and commitment to the education and development of the kids is truly remarkable. Michelle and Melissa are friendly and accessible and Stretch is everything we would want for our children and our family- thank you for welcoming us! read more

Stretch has been an incredible gift to our children and family. The program is thoughtful and inspiring, and the staff/teachers are simply the BEST! I have two children that attend Stretch currently and we are so grateful for their commitment to understanding each child and supporting their differences. One of our children has a speech delay and the teachers have taken extra time to speak with us (parents) at our request to see how our child is progressing as well as be loving and supportive when he gets frustrated. I truly feel like one of my greatest accomplishments as a parent was getting my children into Stretch! read more

We cannot say enough good things about this program, the community, the teachers and the school director. We have two children at the school and have felt grateful throughout our experience for the way in which they've been taught and the partnership we found with the teacher and parent community. Stretch employs a Reggio Emilia-based teaching methodology that focuses on learning through play and project work. There is a steady stream of outdoor adventure and exploration with day-long trips into the Presidio every week. The children go out rain or shine, hike all day carrying their own backpacks, do bird sits (silently listening for sounds), climb trees, roll down hills, jump in puddles, chase each other around and get dirty. The children also learn from the city - often just a short muni bus ride away from a cherished day at a museum or a walk in a new neighborhood. The teachers are very thoughtful and intentional in how they structure the children's days incorporating elements of classroom learning into everything they do. Most important for us are the promises the children make to one another at the beginning of every year- building their empathy, kindness and caring for their friends. read more

Perfect, all around A+ Great place to start before pre-school. Teachers are great, location is perfect read more

We LOVE stretch! My oldest daughter just finished up her three years there and is thriving in Kindergarten right now. My youngest just started her first year and is loving it. One of the things I love most about Stretch is that the kids spend 1 day a week in the Presidio (the "natural classroom") and learn about independence in a way they could not possible in a classroom (the kids do ALL their own walking on hikes which get longer each year and they carry their own backpacks the entire time). Just the other day, I was driving through the Presidio with my older daughter, and she said "Mommy, I miss the Presidio, I used to spend so much time here." In terms of "academics", it is a play-based program, but the kids have a lot of exposure to literacy and math through projects - which becomes very apparent as the kids grow older. The last year, my older daughter's project was all about gardening, and she did things like measuring plants as they grew, and writing down the names of everything they planted. They also put together a book on how to grow plants which they then presented to other classes at the school. It is a special place. The class sizes and student/teacher ratios are very small which means the teachers really get to know your kid. It's about 12-13 kids with 2-3 teachers! We've gotten to know most of the teachers there over the years and they are all warm, loving people with such enthusiasm for these young kids. I can't say enough good things about Stretch. read more

As my son finishes his second year at Stretch, I am SO grateful we found such an amazing warm and nurturing environment for him to spend his preschool years. My husband and I recently attended his spring parent-teacher conference and the teachers' write-up was a testament to their ability to connect with, relate to and engage with each child in their unique and particular ways. They described our kiddo and his development better than I could have myself! Most importantly the teachers place a real emphasis on helping the kids navigate their social/emotional worlds, which in my opinion is the foundation for pretty much everything. Other amazing components of Stretch include the time outdoors in the Presidio--I love that environmental stewardship is instilled from such a young age--the overall community (parents are engaged and involved) and the school administrators (Michelle and Melissa are both so dedicated to their work and just amazing). We couldn't be happier with Stretch. read more

We love a stretch! We could not ask for a more nurturing environment for our children. Our son is a graduate and my daughter is a student now. Each and every teacher that my children have had and presently have are passionate educators and truly love teaching. The natural classroom has been invaluable to my city children and has helped every member of our family connect to nature and appreciate the nature that lies within San Francisco. The director of Stretch is what makes this such a special school. She is a brilliant educator and her passion for the development of young children is obvious in all the educators I have had the pleasure to work with. Very thankful both our children have the opportunity to thrive at Stretch. read more

Both of our kids, 4 and 8 currently, have attended Stretch for preschool and have had wonderful experiences. Our kids couldn't be more different - girl and boy, extrovert and introvert, daredevil and risk averse but the amazing teachers at Stretch are expert at bringing out the best in all sorts of kids both in the classroom and in the Presidio. I did not know anything about the Reggio philosophy when my oldest started but it requires unfathomable patience on the part of the teachers and your kids reap the benefits - a love of learning, independence and confidence. SF is a tough place to attract quality teachers but Stretch manages not only to get very talented early childhood educators but to retain them. A magical preschool experience! read more

I am a recent Stretch alumni parent. I rarely post reviews, but felt compelled to give back to both the Stretch and Yelp communities in light of the positive experience our family had with this preschool. Any prospective parent who thinks "the right" preschool is the single most defining aspect in your child's life needs to take a chill pill. But any prospective parent who thinks "any" preschool will do and think it's just glorified "daycare" needs to understand there's WAAAY more that goes into everything you see and that it still is a very vital and critical stage of your child's developmental path. Our entry profile is probably very different from most families entering preschool. Our daughter joined an already formed class moving up from a younger class. In addition, she had never been in any kind of school or day care type of situation. Stretch would be be the both the first "outside of home" environment as well as the first "with only strangers" type of environment for her. As if that were not hard enough, our daughter did not speak English yet as we had decided to try to raise her to be bilingual in English as well in our native tongue (although we knew it would be a tough challenge). I will not sugar coat the transition phase. It was rough. I 100% expected it to be super rough, but nonetheless it was hard. But Stretch went beyond what I could ever have expected and did what was necessary to make my daughter feel comfortable and eventually flourish in her new environment. It first started with a very traditional separation anxiety / rip the band-aid off process. But they quickly realized that the situation was slightly different from the norm and quickly adapted in the first week. Either I or our nanny would be standby to come back and pick her up when it got too much. This then transitioned into a plan where our nanny would be allowed to stay with her at school. She would gradually move away. First moving the chair back. Then waiting in the room next door. Eventually moving to "Hey I'm going to go get coffee at Starbucks and be right back". The process was definitely not short, but the school kept adjusting the strategies to make it work for my daughter. And I was blown back by the extra care and accommodations which were given by the school and our daughter's teachers. In addition to this I would get sometimes daily emails updates from the teachers letting us know how the transition was progressing. They even asked us to teach them some basic phrases so the teachers could better communicate with our daughter. A few months later the teary-eyed "please don't leave me" turned into "uh... can I at least get a good bye?" as my daughter went skipping off holding her teacher's hand, eager to join her friends in free play time at drop off. As for the teachers and the program, I am constantly reminded that you should not judge a book by its cover. One day I was watching my daughter play in a gooey slime pit thinking "omg she loves that thing, but oh my what a mess..." when one of the teachers walked up to me to say hi. She couldn't have looked more than a few years out of college and she had the kindest, bubbliest demeanor ever. As I was thinking to myself "oh how fortunate my daughter is to have such a kind teacher", she starts explaining how "sensory play is crucial in early state development to promote the creation of nerve connections in the brain's pathways". Later that year I learn that she (along with many others) have a masters in early childhood development. So they take this stuff seriously. You learn so much from them too. We didn't understand our daughter's incessant need to color coordinate and sort her beads. They reassured us that this is a good thing as it's an early form of mathematical thinking. I can go on and on... but I'm gonna get capped off by Yelp's character limit unfortunately. You can read the other posts about their natural classroom and explorers camp. Or how they send their teachers to Italy to learn the finer points of the Reggio Emilia approach. Or the awesome PDF reports you get telling you what your child did that week. I haven't even gone into how wonderful Michelle the director is and how truly devoted she is into not only your time at Stretch, but helping you with the nightmarish process of the elementary school admission process. Don't be fooled by the cutesy name or what "play based" looks like at first glance. There's way more care and thought that is going on behind the scenes than any single Yelp review or school tour will ever let you see. But hopefully this review helps someone going through the tough process of finding the right fit for their child. I personally am grateful for this school. I truly hope that time permitting, I can one day give back to the school more than writing a Yelp review. I wish you all luck in your search. read more

This preschool was one of the first ones I looked at and got in. When my second child was born I started looking again; I felt the space was too constricted for an active child, despite the Natural Classroom and Explorers programs. The teachers are terrific! read more

I am glad to see all the positive reviews, our experience was much different though. The teachers are loving and caring! However, they do not have the necessary experience needed to deal with "excelling", "different", or "behind" children. All teachers have a degree. If your child has a "problem", they will not tell you because "this is not something they do". The school is play based, but in my opinion still too structured. Because it is an "alternative" preschool, major Holidays are not celebrated (no art projects, etc.) and Halloween became a "no school day". They have a small outside area with a small planter box; weather permitting they will put out a water table. Once a week children go to the Presidio for Natural Classroom. It is difficult to socialize with other parents during drop-off/pick-up due to parking space. This also makes it hard to connect with other parents during that time, unless you walk of course or park in the area. I know they have been voted "Winner - Best Preschool 2013" by Red Tricycle, but I would not recommend this preschool. read more

My daughter is about to complete her second year at Stretch and my youngest daughter is going to start in the fall. I have so many great things to say about the school, it's hard to know where to start. The teachers are all amazing. Our daughter has been taught by several of the teachers and we have been impressed by all of them. I can't believe how well they know and understand children generally and each child individually. This fall, I was amazed with the 8 page evaluation we got before our parent/teacher conference. It was so detailed and thoughtful. I was astonished they knew my child so well and cared about her so much after only a couple of months of teaching her. Also, each week, we get a journal discussing what the children are learning and they tend to mention something special about each child in every journal. It's great to read these and see how much thought the teachers put into teaching our kids. In fact, one of the reasons I love spending time volunteering in the classroom is because I learn so much from the teachers. I wish I could spend more time watching how they handle some very difficult situations and also how they make learning so much fun for the kids. The Director Michelle and the Assistant Director Whitney are also amazing! They both truly care so much about each student and parent. Every time I have a question, I get a response immediately. My questions are always happily answered. Both Michelle and Whitney are happy to chat and help in any way they can, regarding anything I've ever needed help with. I look to them as a resource when I'm having any type of parental issues, from potty training to temper tantrums. They have so much knowledge about young children and I feel lucky to have them in my corner when I need help. I feel like we are all working together to help my daughter grow and learn. I love the outdoor space at Stretch. We can go to the playground whenever we want, but at Stretch, the outdoor space is a blank canvas for the teachers and children to create all sorts of fun adventures and learning. Our daughter started at 2.5 and has always been physically cautious. She learned to jump with confidence off all different size tree logs the teachers put out on some days, she learned to balance on other wooden play structures they put out on other days. I've watched her to yoga outside, play with water tables, run and jump through obstacle courses she, her friends and her teachers create. The possibilities in the outdoor space are endless. The space allows the teachers and students to be imaginative and creative. One of my favorite things about Stretch is the Natural Classroom. Once your child is old enough, they will spend one day a week in the Presidio. This has been an amazing experience for our daughter. I love the fact that she can connect with nature and learn so much outside the typical classroom with her peers and teachers. Given that we live in the City and don't have a yard, it is so important to us that our children receive all of the benefits of learning in nature and feel so lucky our daughter has been given the opportunity to do this as part of her preschool education. Another amazing thing about Stretch is Teacher Barb! Teacher Barb is a music teacher from Blue Bear School of Music and she has been teaching our kids music since they were born. She is a wonderful music teacher and we're so lucky our kids continue to have her as their music teacher in school. Lastly, the parent community is also great! We have many events over the year where people have an opportunity to get to know each other. And, each class has many of their own events over the year. I've met some great friends over the last couple of years! I could go on more, but the main thing is that Stretch is truly a magical and special place for children. I feel our daughter is leaning more that just academics, she is learning to be a thoughtful, kind, creative and grounded person. I constantly feel inspired by the program and so lucky that our children get to benefit from such an amazing school! read more

I am a long time fan of Stretch. My oldest child graduated from the school in 2014 and is now thriving in first grade at one of the city's top private schools. My second child is in his third and final year at Stretch, and my youngest is in his first year. All three are extremely different children with his own individual strengths and weaknesses and I've been blown away by how Stretch has been a wonderful place for each of them. The teachers are talented, thoughtful and nurturing. They really get to know your child, and I've been tremendously impressed with their feedback and observations. Michelle (the founder) and Whitney (the co-director) are also incredible. They also spend a lot of time in the classroom and really get to know each of the children at the school. I have never heard of another preschool (with over 110 students enrolled) in which the head of school actually spends hours each week teaching the students, getting to know them, and collaborating with the teachers on how to address challenges and bring new stimulus into the environment. It is a Reggio inspired program, and each year the school sends teachers to study in Italy where Reggio began. The community is also extremely close-knit. Many of our closest friends are families we have met over the years from Stretch. There are many school wide events as well as events for each class to come together as a community. There are also many different types of opportunities for parents to volunteer. Stretch's Natural Classroom program is also a leader in outdoor teaching in San Francisco. It was one of the first preschools to spend time in the Presidio, and the connection my children have discovered with nature is amazing as city kids. Each class spends a full day in the Presidio each week, year round. The teachers are trained by some of the country's most well respected nature experts. The deep learning for the children is incredible - just a few weeks ago we were at the Museum of Natural History in NYC and my four year old was able to identify every hawk in that exhibit on his own. Stretch is a truly special place, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. We are grateful to have our children there and look forward to more years to come. read more

I have a son currently enrolled at Stretch and I have been very happy with the program! My son loves his teachers and his classmates and looks forward to going to school. I love that my son gets to spend one day a week in the Presidio. For a "city kid" he is very comfortable playing in the woods and I have noticed a big difference in how he interacts with nature. He likes to go on hikes and is excited to look for worms, ants or birds. I don't think he would have the same appreciation for the outdoors if it weren't for this experience. Another aspect I appreciate about Stretch is how the teachers manage conflict. They are so patient and do not yell or blame. They help the children to use their words to say how they are feeling. I feel that my son is in a very safe environment at school. Lastly, I want to say that I have been really impressed with Michelle, the director of the school. She has reached out to me personally on several occasions to talk with me about my son. She is involved deeply with all of the children and is very available if a parent has any issue/question. In my one on one meetings with her I have always left feeling impressed with her knowledge and understanding. We will be going thru the kindergarten application process next fall and I am confident that Michelle and her staff will help me find the right fit for my son. read more

It was very important to us to find a preschool environment for our son and family that put an emphasis on kindness and caring in the classroom and all interactions in and out of school. We have found that in Stretch the Imagination and so much more. They are thoughtful and intentional in their approach to education and teaching. The Reggio Emilia approach focuses on learning through play and focused year long project work which has been amazing to watch and for our child to be part of. He has blossomed in his time at Stretch and the community has been so warm and welcoming to our entire family. The partnership we have built with the teachers and Michelle, the director, has been so crucial in helping us understand what is best for our son. They identified that he would benefit from some outside therapy which has helped him immensely and some of the tools we have found to be helpful for him the school adapted to fit the classroom environment. We could not be more thankful and happy to see how open the school has been in making adaptations to help our son thrive. He has always been social and energetic but now he also is able to focus on some of the more difficult tasks in his day. Thank you to Michelle and all the teachers at Stretch for taking such good care of our son. read more

Our oldest child is about to graduate Stretch and our middle daughter is finishing her first year. We absolutely cannot say enough good things about Stretch and our experience there. Our girls are very different- one is an extrovert who spends her days playing make believe with her classmates, and one is more shy and independent and loves spending time working on her art. We adore Stretch the Imagination and the teachers for both of our daughters! The primary reasons we chose Stretch were the play-based program and the Natural Classroom. Each week the students spend one day in the forest, exploring, hiking and getting muddy! We can now go on weekend hikes where our girls show us the poison oak to avoid and name the plants and birds we see! The Stretch teachers are exceptional and really focus on preserving the joy of childhood for these San Francisco kids. When they graduate, the students are prepared for Kindergarten and Michelle (the Director) helped us navigate the K process (both public and private) with ease. Our biggest concern about Stretch is that it does not have an elementary school we can continue to attend! read more

We couldn't have asked for a more magical place to start our daughter's school journey. The program is incredibly thoughtful and the teachers impeccably trained and heartfelt. The space is light-filled, nurturing and creative. Children are viewed as competent and capable learners. I love watching our daughter's face light up when she enters school in the morning and see her giggle, and skip out of class at the end of the day. Stretch is a place of research, collaboration and play. Children get to discover, explore and learn in the most innovative of ways. The curriculum allows them to tinker and discover their talents in areas spanning from art to science. Most importantly, Stretch cultivates a love of learning and community. Families that attend this school are welcoming and inclusive. Educators are always open to lending an ear and sharing thoughts on your child's progress. Overall, there's a deep sense of support and belonging at Stretch. Another gem about this program is the day per week spent in the Presidio. It's given our daughter the opportunity to connect with nature in the midst of the city's hustle and bustle. The school's Explorer program is also nothing short of genius. The older preschoolers get to discover the city and apply their classroom learnings a couple of mornings a week. As a parent, you'll be excited to hear about all the amazing trips taken, from visits to the MOMA, hikes up Lombard Street and time spent at the Randall Museum. Stretch also supported us immensely during the Kindergarten application process and we feel very lucky to be heading to our top choice school this fall. Needless to say, we cannot wait for our son to go through this wonderful program. read more

I cannot say enough about Stretch the Imagination. It has been and continues to be such a wonderful place for my children. My son graduated last year after three magical years and is now thriving in a great kindergarten. My 2.5 year old daughter started in the youngest class in September and we are amazed at the growth we have seen in her in these short months. As a parent and an educator, I could not be happier with the program at Stretch. The program is play based and Reggio inspired and has an amazing outdoor program called the Natural Classroom. When it is age appropriate the children spend one day each week exploring the Presidio. They learn about the trees and birds, and become so comfortable playing and learning outdoors. Our whole family benefitted from my son's Natural Classroom experience and we can't wait for our daughter to begin her own Natural Classroom experience soon. The play based program is not only fun and enriching for the children, but it gives the teachers a chance to closely watch their student's interests emerge and evolve, so that they can carefully plan the amazing projects that they do in the classrooms with the children's unique interests in mind. During my son's final year at Stretch the children in his class became concerned about the California drought and began studying our water system. They began drawing and labeling maps of where our water comes from, coming up with and writing about water saving activities and so much more. They compiled questions and wrote to rangers at Hetch Hetchy. His final year of preschool ended with a three day, whole family field trip to Hetch Hetchy planned by parents and teachers. Amazing. Over his three years, my son got to know and love many of the teachers at Stretch. Stretch has hired warm, experienced, well educated teachers who stay true to the philosophies of the school. I am consistently amazed at how well each teacher knows my children and how they understand the individual needs of each of my very different children. Stretch was great in helping us navigate through the kindergarten application process. We are so happy with the school that we chose and are so thankful for the help we got along the way from our Stretch teachers and directors as well as other parents from the Stretch community. Through the Stretch community we have found wonderful friends. The community is strong and has become stronger during our time there. Parents get together often for Mom's Nights and Dad's Nights and other events both organized and more casual. Our experience has been so good. We look forward to our next few years there! read more

We have been extremely happy with our children's experience at Stretch over the past five years. My son's time at Stretch began with the toddler exploration program, which focuses on allowing toddlers to explore all their senses and get messy--my son loved it! We then completed the twos program before moving away and starting at a new preschool, where I quickly and sadly learned that not all preschools are the same. I realized what a special place Stretch is and how important it was to our family to have our children attend a nurturing preschool with passionate teachers who respect children and are wonderful at helping children and parents navigate through the developmental stages. We returned to Stretch for my son's final year and my second son also joined the program. In his final year at Stretch I saw my older son evolve from a somewhat reserved child into a confident and outgoing boy. Coming home after the days at Natural Classroom my son would come bounding into the room (muddy from head to toe), full of joy and pride, to excitedly tell me about the adventures of the day. I couldn't have been more pleased to see him so happy! Stretch provides children with many opportunities for inquiry, encouraging children to think independently and present their ideas to the class. Peer interactions are also a focus at Stretch, and the teachers do a wonderful job in guiding children to work through conflict and teaching them to communicate respectfully. My son's class had 13 different personalities and they all became such good friends, even after graduation. What I believe is also unique to Stretch is the continuing education and guidance the teachers at Stretch receive. They are a wealth of knowledge. And they love children. They truly care about their development. We love Stretch and truly believe it is a unique and special preschool and would recommend it without hesitation. read more

Stretch has far exceeded my preschool experience expectations! The overall personality of the school is one of strong community. We are in our second year with a group of 12 dynamic, like-minded families and will be starting our son's first year in the fall. The Director has facilitated programs like Book Clubs, In-Dialogue series and Second Saturdays which I believe goes above and beyond the typical preschool experience. This year's book club choice (Unselfie by Dr. Michele Borba) taught me so much about early childhood development and the in-dialogue series are brilliant discussions around charged topics in a really safe space. Our class has a group text thread and are always helping and supporting each other in more ways than I can count. This summer will be our second class camping trip where every parent attends. We have a shared group calendar with Mamas' / Dads' Night Out, All Parent Outings and fun playdate events. We even adopted a family in need for the holidays as a class and are working on more class social impact/service experiences. I agree with all the raving reviews about the nature connection and wonderful teachers. I have absolutely become a better parent observing the teachers interacting with our Littles and love everything about the Reggio philosophy. But I think the strong COMMUNITY is what sets Stretch apart as being one of the best preschools in San Francisco. read more

Stretch the imagination is a fantastic program. They have an AMAZING group of teachers who are nurturing, energetic, creative, and thoughtful. Classes are small, no more than 10 or 12 and each child is nurtured according to his/her unique personality. My son is very bright, but cautious and I was worried about separation anxiety. He has blossomed into a very independent 3 year old. They now have an impressive play-based preschool and pre-k program that brings out the best in each child through cultivating imagination, problem-solving, teamwork, and friendship( they are no longer only a twos program). If you want a intimate, nurturing and creative preschool and pre-k program, check them out ASAP (before the news completely gets out). We feel very fortunate to have found this wonderful program. read more

My son graduated from Stretch in 2015 after three full years in the program and I can admit to being pretty skeptical of this specific preschool approach when we first joined. While everyone was very nice, I wasn't sure how the "play-based" curriculum and "natural classroom" were going to prepare my son for the rigors of the top private schools. I wondered when/where he was going to learn his letter, numbers, and key elements I heard were so important by the time they hit 5yrs old. Sometimes it is great to be wrong. Not only did my son come out of Stretch with exceptional tangible skills, he never once thought of school as a chore. He loved the teachers and activities all three years. Now that he is at Town School for Boys, he is competing with boys from the top programs and excelling. Five of his classmates at Stretch are also at Town with him so combine that with the fact that most of the families were admitted to their top Kindergarten choice and its clear that Michelle and the Stretch team are doing something right. We loved our time there and I transitioned from someone who was a bit of a skeptic to a true believer in what the administrators and teachers at Stretch are doing. Couldn't be happier with the results. read more

I have 2 children currently enrolled at Stretch and I couldn't be happier with the experience they are having. The teachers are top notch and truly know my children. My children absolutely adore their eachers and look forward to going to school. he program offered at Stretch is phenomenal, they employ a Reggio Emilia approach to teaching which has really benefited my children. They also have Natural Classroom in the Presidio once a week (my son's favorite), and offer an extracurricular program called Explorers for the older children. In the Explorers program the children select a theme to investigate/study for the year and go out into the city to do so (last year the children studied Ruth Asawa, this year they are studying Chinese culture). My son has participated in the Explorers program the past two years and it's been incredible to see how much he has learned and how empowered he feels moving about the city and pointing out places to me that he's been (the explorers is a small group 5-7 kids with 2-3 teachers). We just went through the Kindergarten process for my son, and he did extremely well in the admissions process, largely due to how well Stretch prepared him for the interviews and assessments. Bottom line, I wouldn't change a thing about the program at Stretch and feel really lucky and grateful to be part of the Stretch community. read more

My child has been going to Stretch The Imagination for two years. The teachers there are truly phenomenal. True to the Reggio methodology the teachers commit a huge amount of time witnessing, documenting and thinking about how each child learns. They are also continuously looking at their own teaching approach. The small class sizes give them the opportunity to deeply know each child. My child's class has 12 students and 2 teachers. Our first year there, after our daughter had only been at school for two months, we received our "conference", which was a written document that would be discussed during the teacher/parent conference. My husband and I were astounded at how thoroughly the teachers knew our daughter. Natural Classroom, the day the children spend in the Presidio is a magical day and my daughters favorite day of the week. However, she loves everyday of school at Stretch and is sad whenever there is vacation and she can't attend. In regards to the comment from a previous reviewer about the Stretch teachers not having the experience to deal with children who are different...our experience could not be more different. Our daughter has Hearing Loss. Stretch has consistently been willing and able to accommodate her differential needs. In fact her first teacher at Stretch even knew American Sign Language. She was never made to feel different or less than in any way. The school was open to having specialists come and observe her at school and all of them were impressed with the high caliber of teaching at the school. The school also went out of their way to send teachers to IEP meetings outside of school. Michelle Lawton, the director is wonderful at helping parents through the Kindergarten process. I felt she was there for us the whole way through, really knew our daughter and what schools would be best for her. She is a real advocate for her students. We ended up with a fantastic school and we couldn't have done it with out Stretch! Of course no school is perfect, Stretch would definitely benefit from more diversity and I wish they had a more relaxed attitude towards parent participation, and yes it would have been nice if there were more art activities in my daughter's class. The drop off/pick up situation does make it very hard to connect with other parents. But all that is well worth the trade off for the amazing education these young children receive at Stretch. I wish the school went to 8th Grade! read more

Our oldest son has been at Stretch for two years, and we can't say enough about how much we love the program. We're watched him develop from a shy 2-year-old into a very confident 4-year-old. One of the most important things we were looking for in a pre-school is a strong community of parents, and we have found that at Stretch. We had just moved from the East Coast and wanted to find a school that fit our family as well as our children. Each class organizes activities outside of school, and the school also hosts events all over the area throughout the year. We've met so many families and great friends through the school. The teachers are amazing. Each week, they write up a journal entry full of pictures and words telling us what they've been up to. As parents, we are always so curious as to what our kids do in school each day - this journal entry is something we look forward to reading in our home. And our son loves to look at the pictures as well. It re-engages him and allows us to hear in his words what he experienced. But the reason I have always loved Stretch from day 1, is because, very simply, the teachers understand our children. Each year, we attend two conferences with our teachers. Before each meeting, my husband and I receive a 5-page detailed write-up of our child. Every single time I have read a report, I feel like I am reading something I would have written myself. They consistently point out characteristics and actions that I know are specific to my son. They address areas where he shines as well as pointing out what he could work on -- and, in these instances, teachers have helped us find better ways to address simple (and normal) patterns of behavior. If your child is in pre-school, he or she should be allowed to grow, learn and just have fun being a kid - this is what Stretch encourages, and we could not be happier. read more

Stretch the imagination is truly a special school. Our son has been there the last 3 years and is thriving! Our son receives OT weekly for fine motor delays and a weaker core. Our teachers and the school could not have been more supportive through incorporating his therapist ideas and suggestions and carrying them over to the classroom. Perhaps the greatest gift of Stretch has been Natural Classroom where he has learned to navigate the natural world while strengthening his muscles- what an awesome way to get the strengthening he needs developmentally outside in the forest! Most of all, we love the community which we have found so down the earth. The teaching staff and administrators so clearly love their job and that sets the tone for everything at Stretch. It is truly through these relationships that our son has grown so immensely. Looking forward to another year and having or younger son start in the fall! read more

We had 3 magical years of pre-school at Stretch the Imagination. It is hard to count the number of memories that took our breath away. Michelle and the teachers have created a special place that is centered around respecting and nurturing how children develop during their pre-school years. The weekly nature class, daily schedule, journals, special projects and the set up within the classrooms allow kids to learn, socialize and build confidence. The curriculum is designed to allow kids to learn and develop in ways that are fun and challenging, and we loved how closely all the kids bond with each other. I couldn't believe how my daughter's confidence soared with each year. It is heartwarming to see how well the teachers get to know the kids and are able to plan activities that match their personalities. We have a box of project work from each year with detailed notes from the teachers so we can remember the art, thoughts and funny lines that come out in those early years. While many schools claim to value community, Stretch actually does the intentional work of creating events and ways for families to come together. When I think about Stretch I think of passion, community and a commitment to excellence in early childhood. We have made lifelong friends and memories at Stretch. read more

Where to start?! I have a daughter who is about to graduate from Stretch after four years in preschool and a son who is about to start his second year at Stretch. Our family has had an overwhelmingly positive experience at Stretch- so much so that the thought of leaving in two years absolutely breaks my heart. The preschool director, Michelle Lawton... she's just special. Her passion for early childhood education is nothing short of inspiring and her commitment to all of the educators and families at Stretch shows through each and every day. From the first time I heard her speak at the fall tour I immediately knew she was someone that I would trust implicitly to help us shape our children's early years. One of the myriad ways Michelle really shines is through the educators that she hires and the ways in which she continues to support them throughout their time at Stretch. In short, each and every educator at Stretch has been kind, caring, thoughtful, intentional and passionate about this period in a child's life. Each teacher we have had has also really taken the time to get to know our kids and our family (with 2-3 teachers for 12-14 kids, they can!) and frankly, they feel like family at this point. Our school/home connection has been incredibly strong from the get go and the community at Stretch is one of the school's strongest points. Whether we are sharing ideas at an "In Dialogue" event or volunteering in the classroom or participating in a birthday party or a parent's night out, the Stretch community always shows up. In addition to the strong community, the nature connection focus has been so valuable to our family. Through the natural classroom, our kids have built confidence and strength throughout their years spent in the Presidio, providing them with a connection to (and a love for) the natural world that is incredibly hard to come by living in the city. Lastly, while Stretch is a play based preschool, the Reggio philosophy that utilizes project work has led to the most incredibly rich education opportunities for our children, leaving the kids to learn in the most natural and exciting of ways (and allowing my daughter to be accepted into one of the best independent schools in the city this coming fall). In short, we are so incredibly grateful for the entire Stretch community and would recommend it without reservation to anyone who is looking for a magical early childhood experience for their little ones. read more

As our time is winding down at Stretch the Imagination (our son started Stretch at 2, and will be graduating pre-K at 5.5!) had to put in writing how incredible the school and experience has been for our family. Stretch's foundation is Reggio Emilia, project based child directed where our teachers build projects around the student's interests vs. topics, "lessons" etc pushed down without any thought. Children feel a sense of ownership in their projects and become mini-experts. For example, last year, when considering a class pet, this project included--field research at Crissy Field studying the habitat of hermit crabs, interviewing a Vet at Pets Unlimited, consulting the library for research on owning pets, interviewing a hermit crab owner (incl letter writing), and when it was time to bring this pet into the classroom, committees were formed--welcoming committee, habitat committee, etc. It was an incredible process throughout. I was present on voting day--children submitted names for the crab, petitioned, wrote ballots, and voted. Democracy 101, learned at age 4!! I mention this because rather than a teacher dropping a pet into a classroom without rhyme or reason, it was an exciting exploration for many months. Stretch has a foundation in nature that you'll find nowhere else--at age 3, kids spend one full day in the natural classroom, 4 hours every Monday at 5 years old. This time allows our urban kid to unwind, run free, physically get into nature and see all the beauty that the Presidio offers. Our favorite program at Stretch is Explorers, a before school activity. This year, students are studying Chinese culture in SF. Twice a week, a handful of students plus 2 teachers meet up at Lafayette Park and map their course. Adventures are via Muni and include: deeply exploring Chinatown (tea tasting, talking to shop owners, a long study on Chinese New Year and astrological signs), interviewing locals about the Foo Dogs at the Bush/Grant gate (which led to designing paper mache near life size foo dogs back at school), learning Chinese Calligraphy, simple language words, and many mornings spent at Asian Art Museum. Explorers has been absolutely incredible in instilling confidence in our son, a sense of wonder, interest and compassion for others and trust in his ability to maneuver SF so easily with his teachers! On the note of teachers, there are no words to adequately express how wonderful Stretch's teachers are....I am especially grateful for how accessible both our school director, assistant director and teachers are--always available, welcome open doors, so well versed on early childhood ed. Stretch is a warm, loving school and a happy one! everyone is so happy! Lastly, this is San Francisco where "the Kindergarten process" is a topic from the get-go and how lucky we were to have Michelle and Ned Lawton's guidance thru this time. As parents, we were prepped far in advance to ease any concerns about the process. Our son is beyond prepared for Kindergarten, we were fortunate to have multiple choices at amazing private schools (as did our entire class!) and a supportive Stretch team behind us to make the experience a positive one. I will happily advocate for Stretch the Imagination long past the time our son graduates this June. Please feel free to message me with any questions. Thanks Stretch for the last 4 years! read more

My daughter loves the mommy and me class. Their new building is beautiful and the back play area is an oasis with fun natural toys. The class focuses on exploration with her peers. It is the perfect step for my daughter to begin learning about her friends through a play based group. read more

We are finishing up our first year as part of Stretch, with my son in the 2 year old Willows class, and couldn't be more impressed by all aspects of this amazing program and community. Stretch is truly a haven for young children to explore, learn through experience and play, and develop lasting relationships. I can't believe how much our experience at Stretch has positively impacted our family after just the first year! When we were looking at preschools (a daunting process in the city), what was most important to us was to find a place for our very active and outgoing son to have the space and freedom to grow, challenge his creativity, develop his sense of self and relationships to the world and others, and develop appropriate boundaries. Stretch, for me, is the best possible place for all of this to occur. Immediately when we walked in for the tour, I felt a sense of comfort (the physical space feels very familiar, as it is like most SF victorians) and inspiration with all of the open-ended and nature-based play spaces set up around me. After learning more about Stretch and founder/director Michelle's approach to early childhood education, I was certain this was the perfect place for our family. Our experience this year has only grown my appreciation for Stretch. Last week, we attended the annual teacher presentations at which every teacher in the school presents their learnings and observations from the past year (and how this has impacted their teaching and personal lives) to the parent community. The amount of thought that goes into each teacher's approach and reflection is inspiring - constantly empowering children (i.e. 2 months spent allowing 2 years olds figure out where ice goes after "disappearing" in the water table utilizing sensory experiments, or celebrating the confidence of more risk-averse children as they jump off logs in the Presidio or in the school backyard). Stretch teachers truly practice the approach of the school and are masters at handling and bringing out the best in ALL types of children. I have seen first hand how much my son has grown and developed this year, thanks in large part to his amazing teachers and the program at Stretch. He has gone from initial hesitation (this was his first drop off experience) to quickly squealing with delight and running as fast as he can through the gate every morning. His relationships to others have grown tremendously - learning the boundaries of physical interactions, using his words and for the most part seamlessly sharing with others. I think in part due to the way that they balance physical play outside and free play inside with sensory materials, blocks, art, etc., my son has really learned to focus and be entertained by all sorts of activities, and is now much more independent and focused in his play at home. We have also met and developed great friendships already with a host of amazing and like-minded parents and families, with my son talking constantly about his adventures with friends. At Stretch I feel that he is learning HOW to learn as opposed to being taught, finding his own special community and absolutely loving school. Our experience at Stretch couldn't make me any happier! read more

Our 4 year old loves it. Creative, warm and competent teachers combined with a beautiful space for kids make Stretch an ideal drop off program. There is a real sense of community owner Michelle and Manager Sage have created that goes well beyond just taking a class. Our son calls it school because he gets the same kind of attention and nuturing that he gets at his preschool. Stretch teachers make every effort to make this a smooth transition for the kids and are great about keeping parents in the loop about how their child is doing in the program. A really wonderful opportunity for your little one. read more

This is THE place to send little ones before preschool and older ones for exposure to art, yoga and creativity. My two boys LOVE coming here. The teachers and content truly engage the kids and encourage them to expand and explore their horizons. I was so sad when we moved to Marin - the commute on a daily basis proved too much for me. Camps in the summer ROCK and now that they are coming to Corte Madera, we are thrilled. Well worth every penny! read more