I went to this school and I had the best time making friends learning Spanish and the food was amazing.I remember the teachers being very kind.I loved the preschool so much read more

My second son attended this school for almost 3 years, starting at age 2. There is much to love and appreciate about this school, but there are several things I feel they could do better. The Pros: - The hours from 8am-6pm are fairly reasonable for most families who work in SF. - The tuition fees are reasonable compared to other options in SF. - We loved the Spanish immersion aspect. It was a gentle approach where they do not penalize kids who prefer to speak in English. My son did learn a fair amount of Spanish, but never really spoke much outside of the classroom. -The kids create tons of artwork, but much of it is centered around learning letters, numbers, etc. so there is much rote learning (which has some benefits, but not always super creative) - We loved that they include breakfast and lunch (even if the menu is redundant and basic, at least my kid learned to eat salad and other veggies). - Most of the teachers are pretty good with kids. The Cons: -The outdoor play area could use some upgrades. It is mostly concrete with an outdated play structure. - I would have preferred if they offered a late afternoon snack, as my child was ALWAYS starving when I picked him up around 5:30pm each day (like meltdown-ready, from the minute he got out the door). - They could improve upon the potty training skills of their teaching staff, and do a better job of teaching kids to pull up/down their pants (or better yet, how about allowing kids to wear sweatpants instead of khakis- which are too difficult to pull up and down for most 3-5 yr olds). They could explore installing restrooms inside each classrooms and/or take more frequent bathroom breaks. My older son attended KMS, and they were AMAZING on this front b/c they had one staff member who was very talented in helping kids to figure out complex potty skills quickly, in a warm and loving way (but not making them develop a complex about it). Sadly, my 2nd son STILL has problems wetting himself, and he's almost 5... - They actively discourage the parents from forming any sort of community (they squashed attempts to form a parent / teacher association, a listserve, etc). They could offer monthly community coffee, during AM drop-off, to help foster positive relationships with and among the community. Instead, it felt they created roadblocks to allowing community to form naturally (for example, they refuse to share parents contact info- or even offer an opt-in option, which makes birthday invites challenging). - The administrator of the school could improve her "soft skills". Sometimes she was friendly to us, but other times her behavior felt aggressive, rude or hostile (often over minor incidents). She didn't seem open to dialogue about parental concerns, nor receiving feedback. - Several times over our years at TCB, beloved teachers would mysteriously give "2 weeks notice" without having another job position lined up. I believe they were fired or forced out, but no communication as to why was shared with the families. - My son was forced to depart the school 6 weeks prior to the start of Transitional Kindergarten, despite original promises that he could stay through the end of summer - because "they needed his spot for other kids moving up into his color classroom". This meant we had to scramble to find a summer camp that would accept TK kids (most of which have short hours and are very expensive). - The school refused to allow any of the kids departing TCB to attend Transitional Kindergarten to partake in their big graduation ceremony or to allow a separate event to formally mark their departure from the school. My son never got to say goodbye to his teachers or friends. After 3 mostly good years at TCB, this felt like they didn't really have my son's best interest at heart with this policy. In short, if I had a 3rd child, I'd research some other SI preschools to send them to. I think TCB could be a GREAT school, but they'll need to do a better job of fostering community, and improving communication between the administration and parents. read more

It has been a couple years since my son attended the Crayon Box preschool, but I have wanted to write a review in quite a while but I decided to do write it now because I saw a lot of negative comments towards the school. my son still remembers and talks about his friends and teachers at the crayon box, we have nothing but good things to say about the school. I should have written sooner. We still see friends and families that attended the Crayon Box the same year as my son and they all love it as well. -the hours are great 8-6pm. Great for me a working parent. -Full Spanish Immersion. -Great neighborhood. -Great Staff. -the rate is one of the cheapest I have found even today, specially with all the programs being offered, dance, gymnastics, and yoga naming just a few. -Lunch is also included; my son still remember the "sopita" soup. he loved it. -Teachers are very loving and communicate any concerns they have with the parents. -Lots of art work and hands on projects, kids can be kids. -preparation for Kinder and Spanish Immersion schools at SFUSD. my son learned Spanish and continues to speak it at home even though he did not attend an Immersion school because San Francisco is blessed with the Immersion schools and we live out of the city (Lucky San Francisco). -Lots of outdoor space and time to play outdoors which my son needed. -Christmas, harvest festival, Fiesta Latina and Graduation, thank you teachers and staff for taking the time to do this for us parents it gives us such great joy to see 2-5 year olds perform or at least try to. :) they look so adorable. enough said we are happy and grateful we had the opportunity to be a part of such a great preschool, we felt right at home. the community is blessed to have such a great Spanish enriched program. Thank you Crayon Box, keep up the great work. read more

Our son has attended Crayon Box full time from the youngest class (2 year olds) through the pre-K class (5 year olds). He loves it, and looks forward to going in every day. The teachers and admin staff are great - we haven't had any bad experiences with them, and some of the comments in prior reviews are honestly quite at odds with what our experience has been (for example, the school does indeed connect parents and create listservs for the parents of each class - maybe that's a relatively new thing, but it's been the case since at least 2018). Our son doesn't have many behavioral problems, so I can't speak to the staff's approach to dealing with that. We didn't have any issues with their approach to potty training, although they do expect parents to take the lead with starting the process at home. And our son has indeed learned Spanish, which is awesome! As sort of a sidenote, we've also been pretty happy with the steps the school took to reopen this year after the Covid19 shutdown. They have a system where parents drop off their kids at the front door and they do a temperature check. The hours have been shortened to 8:30 - 5, and they're not currently providing lunch (parents have to pack), but I'm amazed they've been able to reopen with reduced enrollment at all without increasing tuition. And I assume those measures will be temporary as the city as a whole starts to get back to normal. All in all, we've had a great experience at Crayon Box! read more

The hours are from 8:00am to 6:00pm, extremely inconvenient for working parents. God forbid you are late for pick-up because they will threaten to cut off service (I was late 3 minutes due to traffic as I commute from work in Oakland!). Love the teachers but not very flexible for working parents. read more

Our son has been there since Jan 2007 and it has been wonderful to watch him blossom and grow at this school. The teachers genuinely care for him and make him feel loved ,and his spanish language skills have surpassed his English. We have been very happy with the school. Here's the web site if you want more info. http://www.thecrayonboxpreschool.com/history.html read more

My son has been attending The Crayon Box Preschool in San Francisco for a little over two years now and I cannot express how happy I am with this school. Where should I begin... The staff and administration is knowledgable, friendly, and most importantly nurturing. My son loves his teachers and that makes me very happy. If he could write, he would be the first to write a review about his wonderful teachers at The Crayon Box. I also love that I do not have to worry about sending breakfast, lunch and snacks. The Crayon Box provides a nutritious breakfast, lunch and snacks. As a working parent, any time you can save during the day is gold. I was very happy to learn that they are opened from 8:00 to 6:00pm, which works perfectly with my working schedule. I had looked at other preschools and came across quite a few that would close early in the afternoon so when I learned about The Crayon Box's 8-6pm hours of operation, I was delighted. Lastly, there's nothing more precious then hearing your four year old son singing his favorite lullaby in Spanish. What can I say, I love the school. My 2 year old daughter is already ready to start in a couple of weeks :) read more

Ok so here we go. My daughter has been going to Crayon Box for 2 1/2 yrs. I have gotten so much attitude from the office! They pretty much hate you and try to figure out a way to get you out if you are a children's council family. I kinda wish that they would have just never accepted children's council funding. I'm sure they feel the same as they are discontinuing their participation in the program at the end of this month. They would constantly try to charge me the wrong amount and then blame me for not figuring out how much I owe. I was approved for 4 days but in 2 1/2 years they apparently never had an opening (really?) Why do pre-schoolers need to wear uniforms? And apparently we never get the uniform right as we are constantly being reprimanded for the every little detail wrong. So then they decided that the kids have to wear the T-shirts that you have to buy from them with the Crayon Box design. We are a low income family and this is an extra expense for us. And how about the education? Well the assessments are ridiculous: cut straight lines, trace this, etc. At first I thought my priorities were askew as I never thought about cutting straight lines as a priority or tracing something someone else drew. My daughter's artwork is brilliant at home. Her use of colors, shapes, patterns, details and imagination are awesome. I've never heard them mention this. Actually many of her great qualities are not valued or encouraged. And the parent community is not very cohesive. I don't really feel like I know any of the other families other those who I have specifically reached out to on my own. There really is no community here. Today however was the last straw. We have 6 school days to go until graduation otherwise I would be looking for another school. I have been riding my bicycle to work for the past few months and riding my daughter to school. The other day I ended up without a bike helmet for her because of a mix up. I mentioned that maybe I should leave an extra helmet in her cubby so that doesn't happen again. I was told that was against the rules. REALLY?! It's against the rules to leave a bicycle safety helmet in a child's cubby (which takes up no more space than if it was not there)?! And the attitude I got about it was incredible!!! By the way many kids have extra stuffed animals in their cubbies but for a child's safety no room for a helmet. I was told that it was unsafe as the other kids were trying it on (unsafe to put on a safety helmet?!), that there was not enough space, and finally that it was against their childcare license. I am in the process of investigating this final one! Also both the director and a teacher referred to "my husband" and when I corrected them I got total judgment. I am a lesbian and my daughter's papa is a trans man and in 2 1/2 years they have never known us well enough to know this let alone have any respect for us. If you value respect for diversity this is not the school for you. And probably should not have been for us either. So the low down: ~Super attitude from staff and director ~Getting blamed for their mistakes ~Assessments are a joke ~Rules are way too rigid and arbitrary ~Lack of community ~Lack of respect for diversity (or even acknowledgement) read more

Our experience with this school, a particular teacher, has left our child traumatized - and we do not know for how long. In the few short months we attended this school - we had one caring teacher that our child flocked to but there was one teacher that we believe has left our child traumatized to date. I had been debating for weeks whether or not I should write a review but after being away from the facility for a few weeks now and our child still says, "you are not going to send me to the crayon box anymore right?!" every time we pass by the school, mention the school, see anything that reminds our child of the school, we believe that what our child has experienced was true. Our child had been telling us on and off that there is a teacher that says parents don't come back if they don't stop crying. Or, that if children don't behave, this teacher said she has powers and said things that scared kids. When I child starts a pre school, there are many new experiences that both parents and children have to be faced with. If the child has never attended a school type environment, we understood there would be a period of adjustment. If a child has only spent time with family members, we understood that said child would take time to get to know new caregivers. If a child cries at drop off, we attributed this to the environment being new and that it will pass. If a child continues to cry daily at drop off, we assumed, our child needed a bit more time to adjust. We thought that our child just needed more time to adjust and that eventually school would be a positive and enjoyable experience. But after weeks and weeks of trying every suggestion other parents had, trying the suggestion the school director had - our child feared attending school. We have been out of this facility now for a bit of time and we still see anxiety in our child. I feel the heavy burden and guilt that I put my child in the hands of people that I should be able to trust. Be weary of this school - there is a teacher there that may be smiling to your face when you drop off your child, then whisper words to your kid that will eventually traumatize them. read more

My son has been attending the Daly City location since it opened in the Fall of 2008 and he absolutely loves it! All the teachers are very attentive and nurturing! read more

My kid attended this school for 2 years and I cannot say enough good things about it. I have waited to write a review until she was done to make sure my opinion did not change. We transferred into this school from a Waldorf program in S. SF that just did not feel right for us and it was the best decision we made. I cannot thank teacher Maria and teacher Anna for their love and support of my child that has helped her thrive and grow. At her prior school, she was not taught letters or numbers, which I did not think was a big deal, but after seeing her be excited about spelling and asking a ton of questions about math, I realized she liked learning and this was because of the environment at this school. I have so much art work and projects that she brings home that we have run out of wall space. I was also thrilled when she started signing songs in Spanish and telling me the days of the week, animals in another language. Thanks to this she was tested by the SFUSD as a bilingual child for her kindergarten entrance exam. I liked that for the price she can attend between 8-6 which is great for working parents not to mention the meals they gave her were healthy ones my kid actually liked to eat. I had no issues with communication from the teachers who actually gave me a form with her progress in different areas during one of our meetings. I like the patient way they worked with kids to settle their differences with compassion and understanding and each time I entered the classroom they had control of the kids in a relaxed manner. I was surprised at the level of care they showed when she fell from the slide and the injury report they sent home was pretty thorough indicating the time it happened, what they did and what they suggested for at home care (mind you it was only a scrape). I also liked the uniforms which made getting ready for school so easy and it kept her nice clothes free of stains, plus the fact that it consisted of a khaki bottom with a navy top was very easy to shop for and avoided a lot of emphasis on who is wearing what, and competition, etc. I also loved the community of parents and feel very lucky to have found this school. Highly recommend it! read more

Great little school. My son really thrived here and some good friends. Great parent community: parents overall were very involved in the school and always willing to pitch in on fundraising and other projects. I didn't like the wood chips on the playground and the school needed some sprucing up but as far as my son's experience there, it's a total thumbs up! read more

I'm only giving 1 star since it isn't possible to write a review with 0 stars. Obviously, I'm not exactly thrilled with the care, safety and education provided. My child came home often with a new bump, bruise and even bite marks. When I asked about it, they gave me major bad attitude, like I was crazy for asking. When my child was enrolled, he was kind, gentle and calm. Now, we're dealing with some behavioral issues since he had to learn to be aggressive to fend off the bullies at school. As a parent, there are times when we can second guess our choices. In this instance, I am 100% certain, I made a huge mistake sending my little 2 year old there. Their idea of education was the ABC song and watching the teachers do their art projects. They should really stop calling themselves a preschool since they're clearly a daycare!!! From the glimpses I was able to observe, the kids do whatever they want with little to no supervision. I asked several times to sit in on classes but was told it was not allowed since it can be distracting to the class. I tried to compromise by looking through the window, but the teacher closed the blinds on me. What exactly were they trying to hide? I've never heard of another school where the parents aren't allowed to observe. That was a huge red flag! BTW, hotdog wrapped in a tortilla is not a nutritious lunch. read more

Our daughter has been there since she was 2. It is really an amazing place. The teachers are so kind and just love the kids. They are also firm and run a tight ship. Over the last year the parents have gotten more involved and are making it even better. I am going to miss them so much when our daughter graduates. Part of what makes her such a great kid is what she has learned at the Crayon Box. We feel really blessed to be there read more

Our son started there this year and he is growing more every day, The teachers genuinely care for the children and support their emotional and cognitive growth. All 3 teachers take the time to answer my questions as well as tell me about their day. Having the dance classes weekly is great and my son's comprehension of Spanish has dramatically increased. We are very happy there and look forward to the day when we can enroll our daughter. read more

My son has been attending The Crayon Box Preschool in San Francisco for a little over a year now and I cannot express how happy I am with this school. Where should I begin... The staff and administration is knowledgable, friendly, and most importantly nurturing. My son loves his teachers and that makes me very happy. If he could write, he would be the first to write a review about his wonderful teachers at The Crayon Box. I also love that I do not have to worry about sending breakfast, lunch and snacks. The Crayon Box provides a nutritious breakfast, lunch and snacks. As a working parent, any time you can save during the day is gold. I was very happy to learn that they are opened from 8:00 to 6:00pm, which works perfectly with my working schedule. I had looked at other preschools and came across quite a few that would close early in the afternoon so when I learned about The Crayon Box's 8-6pm hours of operation, I was delighted. Lastly, there's nothing more precious then hearing your three year old son singing his favorite lullaby in Spanish. What I can say, I love the school. My 6 month old daughter is already on the waiting list :) read more

My youngest daughter is currently attending The Crayon Box Preschool and my eldest daughter graduated from there a couple of years ago. Our experience at The Crayon Box has been wonderful! The teachers are kind and caring. Both my daughters LOVED their teachers. My daughter wakes up and can't wait to go to school every morning, which makes my husband and me very happy! AND did I mention they get to learn Spanish too??? Yea, it's that great! read more

Our child has been in several preschools, because we have unfortunately had a difficult time finding the right fit. When we came across The Crayon Box Preschool, we decided to come in for a visit and were immediately impressed. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, but most importantly, their love and passion for what they do was apparent from the first moment we met them. We have now been at this preschool for over a year and half and we couldn't be happier! Our son comes home happy every day, and can't stop talking about his teachers and his friends. We only have one child and sending him to a preschool/daycare facility was one of those steps we were so afraid to take. The Crayon Box Preschool made all our worries melt away, and as all working parents know, going to work knowing your child is in a safe and loving environment makes all the difference in the world! Thank you for all you do Crayon Box!!! read more

My son attended Crayon box for 2.5 years. We ended up pulling him out. Parents of active boys and girls and non-docile children in general - beware. They don't know how to deal wth these kids. And there a long string of boys that have left or been kicked out because they can't handle the active boys. Also, the communication methods need to be improved. We heard at the last minute that teachers were gone. That being said there are positives: 1) Hours are friendly to working parents. Lots of schools close at 5 or 5:30 which is hard on working folks. 2) Price is not to high by SF standards (at least when we attended from 2012 to 2014). 3) Your child will learn Spanish even if you don't speak it at home. My son now attends a bilingual program and he was assessed at kindergarten. Teachers said his Spanish is solid when he entered the school and his Spanish is flourishing. I do attribute this to Crayon Box. 4)Strong parent community So, if you've got an easy going child this may be place for you. If you have a spirited one, stay clear. read more

i am updating my commment because this was my son first school and i was glad they spoke spanish. The first couple weeks pass and i wasnt receiving any updates from the teachers as they said they would i talk to my sons teacher and they were confused why i was not receiving any emails so they sent me to the form office. the lady Ana excuse was that sometime the parents dont write clearly// really? then the front lady Ingrid was so rude throughout almost the whole time my son was there. She would gives us rude faces and to come to find out we werent the only parents. we are with this program and we needed some information to get my son back in because we took him out for the summer at the end they didnt save his spot so we had to switch him schools. I think it work out for the best!!!! My son is in a great school now! where i see him progressing everyday!! he even gets homework and the teacher is constantly emailing us on updates and field trips and what there learning! the best thing i think i got from this school was that they didnt save my son spot!! i would definatley not reccommend this school! the only pro it has that they speak spanish to thier kids. they also say they have a menu for breakfast but the times we gone its been the same thing for breakfast all the time. read more

My son graduated from the Crayon Box Preschool last June and I have nothing but positive things to say about this preschool. We loved the Crayon Box Preschool!!! All the teachers my son had were wonderful. He loved going to school and thrived in that environment. I loved the fact that the Crayon Box was a Spanish-Immersion preschool. My husband and I knew the importance of having our child learn a second language. Through the years in the Crayon Box, my son was able to learn Spanish and speaks it fluently. We wanted him to continue mastering the language and applied to Spanish Immersion Elementary Schools. My son was accepted in the Spanish-Immersion program at Alvarado Elementary School. We have the Crayon Box Preschool to thank for the excellent educational and language foundation they provided my son. read more

Our grandson attends The Crayon Box and we have the highest regard for its staff and its entire organization. As grandparents we understand the difficulties facing parents as they try to manage the "schooling process" for their children. We all want the best education for our children and sometimes this can be a very challenging task for parents. The Crayon Box we believe is an excellent choice for our grandson. He really thrives in this environment and we thank the staff for this. Muchas gracias Crayon Box and vaya con Dios read more

Both of my sons attended The Crayon Box in San Francisco and we cannot say enough good things about our experience with the school, the administration, the teachers and the parent community. We were thrilled to be able to introduce our children to a second language in such a warm and nurturing environment that really catered to working parents with an early drop-off and late pick up times when we needed it. And, my boys loved the healthy and nutritious food that was served! I still need to get the recipe for the soup! We made life-long friends at The Crayon Box. read more

Our daughter has been going to the Crayon Box since she was 2 and a half. We LOVE it there! We toured a few preschools in the city, even some of the well thought of and hard to get into ones. We liked the vibe here. Great teachers, very caring and good with the kids. One big plus, potty training not required! That's hard to find. Our daughter was in day care before this and once she was in a mix of kids, her verbal and motor skills just blossomed. Love the Spanish immersion as well. They sing, they dance (dance teacher comes once a week). She brings her interest in arts and crafts home with her. Our daughter will be going to kindergarten in the Fall. I must say, we are excited for the future, but will certainly miss the great teachers at the Crayon Box! read more