My son is at LGA for over a year now and I love this school. I love the app updates showing his…read morepotty times, nap times, meals and school activities. To our surprise, many schools do not use an app. The extracurricular activities are so engaging - I like that they bring an outside coach to engage the kids in sports, Mr. George for music, and Ms Brittany for reading. The meals are also great. My son is open to eating a variety of food as a result of the meals serve at the school. In terms of academics, my almost 4 year old can count to 40, knows the ABCs and write his name. All in all, LGA makes life easy for parents, especially working parents. Even the morning drop off procedures are so quick and seamless. Between my older daughter and son, we've been at multiple schools in the area and I can say that LGA is our favorite.

My little one started at LGA a couple months ago and honestly I could not have asked for a better…read moreplace! The facility is very clean, spacious and the workers are warm, welcoming and nothing short of excellent. The team keeps the kiddos busy with many activities such as art, music class, sensory activities and more. Their aim is to ensure that the children are in a fun and positive environment while learning and growing every day. My favorite part of LGA is that they use modern day technology to keep you updated on your child all throughout the day. You receive hourly updates on what meals they are serving your child, updates when their diaper is being changed, nap time as well as photos of your kiddo. Even though you may be spending hours away from your child - Their system is amazing and really keeps you updated on everything. I love it! The price for childcare now a-days is pretty expensive no matter where you go - But if your child is spending more time here than their home, you should want them to be in the safest and best environment. LGA is a place where we don't have to worry, our child absolutely loves going there and it's really hard to find a place who will beat their quality and care. 10/10 recommend!!

This preschool is truly a magical place! It's a warm, peaceful, and loving environment where…read morechildren are not only cared for, but deeply seen, heard, and nurtured. The educators are incredibly kind-hearted and compassionate. They lead by example, and kindness is genuinely the cornerstone of everything they do. The director, Debra, is a force of nature in the best way. You can tell she has dedicated her life to early childhood education. She's shaping the next generation to be good humans -- empathetic, curious, confident, and capable. Her leadership sets the tone for the entire school. She is leaving the Moraga campus to head up the new Springhill campus and we are in turn getting Kavisha (from the Oakland campus). It's bittersweet saying goodbye, but we're excited to have Kavisha who already seems incredible, and we feel lucky for the new families who get to be part of GLMS. The Montessori-based curriculum here is the real deal, with the added gift of Spanish immersion. My children sing songs in Spanish (and correct my pronunciation at home of course :)). They learn real-world life skills, gain independence, and engage with thoughtful, rotating themes (some months it's the continents, the next it's the parts of an apple or the lifecycle of a butterfly). The curiosity this school inspires is beautiful. The school is also incredibly clean. Cleanliness is a huge priority for us. My kids both have sensitive skin and you can tell how well cared the environment is -- carpets are changed out regularly (when they sometimes still look new), toys are refreshed, sand is rotated out, and everything always feels fresh and well cared for. There are also many enrichment courses offered throughout the year: yoga, music, dance/movement, soccer -- all brought in through thoughtful partnerships with local programs. The energy of the school is calm, joyful, and intentional. It's the kind of place that where you feel instantly at ease when you walk through the doors as there is usually a gentle hum of children playing, laughing, or working. We are so incredibly grateful to be part of this community. There is truly no better school in the area!

10/10 love GLMS Moraga! My son attended for two years and my daughter started in June. Love the…read morecommunity created by GLMS. The director Debra and all the teachers are wonderful.

Attendance at Lamorinda Montessori started out as a stepping stone while we waited to get off the…read morewaitlist at another daycare/preschool in Lamorinda, but now Lamorinda Montessori has quickly become our son's favorite place and I can't imagine switching him to the other school. I call all the lovely teachers and staff at Lamorinda Montessori his "abuelitas"-- each and every staff member treat my son like their own child or grandchild. He is so loved here and it shows. Yes, Spanish is spoken often and it's one of the many perks about Lamorinda Montessori. My son says "agua" instead of "water" and sometimes babbles in Spanish-- something that will surely serve him well later in life if we continue to expose him to Spanish! The school itself runs great. As a full time working mom, I know I can depend on them each and every morning. No worries about an absent teacher or someone running late-- something that is commonplace at a smaller daycare. The hours are the best in Lamorinda and actual learning is happening all day long. The Brightwheel app provides updates all day long, which is super appreciative so I can get a look into his daily routine. When I drop off at 8am I usually get an update that he's starting a morning activity like painting or blocks. The learning translates into life at home and I can tell he is catching on to the Montessori teachings. We are so so lucky to have found this place when our small in-home daycare closed down. The only drag is having to make lunch every morning for our son. We were spoiled before when our prior daycare used to provide all meals. If Lamorinda Montessori starts making lunches they would get an A+++ from me, so for now, its only an A++.

Our kids love it here. They have been attending Lamorinda Montessori since they were infants. The…read morestaff here are very friendly and loving to the kids. We also love all the special events they hold for the kids and parents. Another plus is the Spanish teaching curriculum on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our kids run in to school excited to see their teachers and friends every day. Definitely recommend Lamorinda Montessori, especially for working parents! This campus is much larger than the other one and also has a bigger outdoor area for play. Parking/drop off is a breeze.

Old Firehouse School is Exceptional!…read more We sent both of our children to OFS after moving to Lafayette, and it was a wonderful experience for our family. The dedication of the staff is truly what sets this school apart. We especially valued the model where teachers, like Liz, Pam, and Zahara, continue to work with the students as they grow. This consistency and the deep care they show for the children is evident every day. Our kids absolutely loved their teachers. We are huge fans of their kid-led, project-based learning approach. It allows the students to drive their own education. Just as important is their focus on emotional education--teaching kids practical ways to understand and manage their feelings, which is a key skill for life. Alex and Michelle are fantastic leaders, and the entire team deserves praise. We have nothing but great things to say about OFS and highly recommend it.

I have had at least one child at OFS since 2021. It is an incredible community and the director…read moreAlex is a thoughtful, bright, measured, and caring leader. We have loved all the teachers we've worked with and were first drawn to OFS because of the Reggio Emilio method they practice. This approach centers around a single primary caregiver for the majority of a child's time at the school. Our oldest has come out of OFS with incredible social emotional skills as a result of this model. We still have our son there and will be sad the day we have to leave. This is not the closest school to our home, but we trust the staff and we can't imagine going anywhere else.

We had such an amazing experience at Lafayette Nursery School! I attended Lafayette Nursery School…read moremyself when I was little and had such fond memories of it that I couldn't wait for my daughter to experience its magic as well. Nonetheless, we did our due diligence and toured a few schools before committing to LNS--sure enough, no other school compared. LNS has it all--a beautiful, bright classroom and spacious and fun backyard area, experienced and warm teachers that truly love what they do, and a variety of constantly changing activities that keep children engaged and excited to go to school every day. LNS is a co-op (parent-participation) preschool and therefore enabled my husband and I to help in the classroom and feel included in our daughter's first years in school. Co-oping, as well as other school-wide activities and social events, afforded us the opportunity to get to know the other families at the school and build connections (in contrast, friends at other preschools have personally shared it's sometimes hard to get to know other families at their preschools). Finally, the LNS play-based education model fostered a love of learning in our daughter and left her well-prepared to go straight to kindergarten (we chose to stay at LNS over TK). Overall, we have loved our time at LNS and highly recommend it!

The day my son started here, he was completely at home. I love getting new artwork in his cubby…read moreevery day. He's been much more in to cooking at home because they do snack prep. It's such a warm and welcoming environment. The teachers are non-judgmental and supportive of both kids and parents, and it's clear they genuinely care about each and every child. When you work in the classroom, it's so nice to get to know other kids and see your child in action. Beyond that, it feels like the school is built for families, not just kids. Having purpose in the classroom connects you to other parents in a way that doesn't seem possible anywhere else. Housekeeping days, fundraising events, parent education, school participation at city events...they all help us feel like we're part of a community.

My daughter attended Joyful Beginnings for 2 years before starting kindergarten. We always had a…read morevery positive experience there, but I'm kind of glad I never reviewed the preschool because now I have an even better perspective now that my daughter is in grade school. I feel like the teachers did an amazing job preparing her for kindergarten and fostering both her social and academic skills. I'm thrilled to write that my daughter is loving school and excited to go everyday. Thanks to everyone at Joyful Beginnings, especially the incredible teachers Erica, Tracy, and Taryn! The school runs very efficiently under the direction of Carol, and I always found it to be an incredibly safe and clean environment. I liked that the days/schedule was a bit flexible and that helped our family be able to select the schedule that would fit our finances. Thanks to all!

We love this school! All the staff is amazing! Very communicative, caring, professional and truly…read morehave the education and know how to care for your children and all their needs! My mom has been in education for nearly forty years and always loves everything I tell her about our preschool. I love that they use the brightwheel app and you can see pictures the teachers post to see what the kids are learning about or what fun activities they are up to. Can't recommend JB enough!

Can't say enough good things about Marnie and Alamo Montessori School…read more My 20 month only son previously enrolled in another local daycare but he was unfortunately removed after 4-5 part time days because he was being "disruptive" and "wanted to be around the caretakers only." This is more than reasonable for a toddler experiencing his first daycare and time away from us in a foreign environment. Before we even enrolled, Marnie and Alamo Montessori School went out of their way to help our son dip his toes in with multiple 15 minute morning sessions to help him feel comfortable with being away and with his new environment. We eventually enrolled our son and while he hesitant initially, Marnie had a great plan in place to keep my son entertained and distracted. After only a couple of weeks, he now loves going and can't wait to get out of the car. Highly recommend Alamo Montessori School! Note: It's a bit hard to initially get ahold of Marnie as she's actively involved in the day care but we got a hold of her through her direct email.

I cannot speak highly enough of Alamo Montessori and all that Marnie and her team have done for our…read morelittle boy. We enrolled our son at 18 months, the youngest age that AM accepts (which is lower relative to many Montessori programs in the area!) While I knew that it would be a big transition for him, I was comforted when Marnie asked us to come see the program in action and let him join in for two short visits prior to our first day. At the time, he was shy, attached, and was behind in his speech. Since then, he has grown into such a confident, personable, and intuitive little boy. I attribute so much of that to AM's approach to learning. They paint, do science experiments, read books, sing songs, and play outside every day. They let the child lead with their interests, but also expose them to experiences that I don't have the patience for (or the willingness to clean up!). He is constantly coming home with new skills, songs and words in his vocabulary. He gets so much focused attention and I can tell that he is incredibly well loved and cared for. We communicate and receive photos through an app, and there are twice yearly "parent teacher conferences" where we get an update on how he is doing. He has thrived under their care. I truly believe that placing him in Alamo Montessori has been one of the best things we have done for him. I am so grateful.

We don't take childcare lightly (I mean... this is America after all), and Walnut Creek KinderCare…read morehas earned our trust. Director Noella, Vice-Director Ashley, and our child's teacher Fernanda are the real deal, warm, communicative, and on top of everything. Noella especially stands out. She's highly responsive, and that level of accessibility made a big difference in getting us comfortable with enrollment. Leads by example. Yes, the facility is a bit dated. It's been around. But that's not what matters. What matters is whether your child is cared for, engaged, and has space to move. They deliver on all three, especially with solid outdoor time. The app is simple but effective. You get updates on attendance, meals, naps, and occasional photos. It does exactly what you need it to do without overcomplicating things. How did they manage to get our child to nap for 2 hrs early vs their regular nap schedule on their first day [!!!] is beyond me. {bows down} Pricing is in line with the area, but what stood out to us is flexibility. They've been accommodating with schedule changes and adding days on short notice, which is huge for real life. We also had an account access issue at one point. Customer support resolved it within a few hours. That is managed by corporate vs them but super important. In short, running a daycare well is *hard*. This team makes it look smooth. We're genuinely grateful and feel confident leaving our child in their care.

My daughter has been here for a couple years and we're coming down to our last day tomorrow!…read more When we moved to Walnut Creek we were initially at another daycare with my son for a few years but never loved it. Once he went to elementary school we decided it was time to try something else for my daughter especially something closer to IV. Thats when we discovered Kindercare walnut blvd. There's another Kindercare closer to our house but this one had better reviews. The teachers here are so sweet. Ms. Ashley & Ms. Noella are who really blew us away. I felt like they truly loved and adored kids and my daughter. I didn't get the chance to interact much with her teacher Ms. Rose but my daughter only had good things to say. Especially compared to our previous daycare, this place is very clean, big play area, small class sizes which we loved. The hours are so much better and it's actually reasonably priced. We got picture updates all day long which I really appreciated. Our last daycare stopped pictures after 2. This school does this through the years which I greatly appreciated. My daughter learned so much, made best friends and actually liked going to school. I can't thank this team enough!