We feel so lucky to be part of the Garden community. The teachers are incredibly supportive, nurturing, and truly see each child as an individual. Their Reggio-inspired approach to learning fosters creativity, independence, and a genuine love of exploration. It doesn't just feel like a school--it feels like family. The communication is always positive and thoughtful, and the sense of community is unmatched. This place has truly become our village, and we're so grateful for the love and care they pour into every moment. read more

We could not love Garden Community more. All the teachers are wonderful and so love, kind, and compassionate towards our entire family. My daughter started going there at 2.5 and I only wish we had started the day she turned 2! My son is 9 months old and I do plan for him to start at GCP as soon as he can. The playground is so amazing and spacious, and I love that there's real dirt! They paint, play, craft, learn, and are so supported. We love GCP and can't recommend it enough. read more

Because the Owner #1. Threatened to sue me for sharing our negative experiences at her school with what looks like a pre-drafted legal letter probably used as a scare tactic against any parent who wanted to write, speak, or share their negative experiences. #2. Tried to slandar my character on my Yelp Review in order to discredit my claims. I filed a COMPLAINT with the Social Security Child Care Licensing Board for Facility did not provide a safe and comfortable environment for daycare Children. Upon the Board's investigation, my complaint has been SUBSTANTIATED. Here is the link (look under the report tab for all complaints) and my complaint will be updated on the Social Security Board's website https://www.ccld.dss.ca.gov/carefacilitysearch/FacDetail/073408880 read more

Our daughter has had the privilege of attending GCP for two years. We cannot say enough wonderful things about this school. It focuses on creativity and play and that's just what a preschooler needs. The backyard is amazing and in my daughter's opinion, the best part of the school. All of the teachers are warm, loving and kind. GCP was a second family to us. Not only did our daughter enjoy coming here, she also grew and learned so much. GCP thoroughly prepares each child for the next steps, whether that be TK or Kindergarten. We will miss this school so much! read more

Absolutely love this daycare! The kids play outside for much of the day, are always doing creative projects and the teachers are kind, flexible, patient and caring. Love the fact that there is no homework and that the focus is on play, socializing and creativity. Couldn't be happier with our choice to send our son to GCP. Highly recommend ! read more

This review is LONG overdue for this preschool. We were lucky to enroll my then 2.5 yo son at this school during the summer of 2022 and on his first day there he didn't even look back for us. I wasn't sure how he would adapt, if the kids would be friendly, or if the teachers would know his needs. Melissa and Haley reassured me as a parent and updated us with pictures via the schools app on a daily which was really comforting. I loved seeing my son interact and play. We were able to find what interested him the most here. Only a couple months later, my son was then diagnosed with ASD and GCP really made the effort to focus on Max and attend to his needs as needed. They were an amazing support not only to him but to me as well. I think it's important to shout out all the teachers there too. They work so hard to tire these kids out (lol) and really care about them. Special shout out to Ms. Esmeralda if she's still there, my son was her shadow and they both loved each other so much !!! We enjoyed our time there and we hope that both him (along with his sister) can meet them again sometime. read more

I could write pages about all the wonderful things I loved about this school but the staff is definitely the best part. The owner, director and teachers are all so patient, caring and supportive and I always felt like my daughter was in the best hands when I dropped her off. Our daughter is very sensitive and drop off was often hard for her when she was 2-3 years old but the teachers always approached her with patience and kindness and knew how to get her to smile and start playing. I loved the frequent messages and pictures they send through their app during the day so you always know what your little one is doing and learning. The play yard is also the best I've seen from all the other preschools we visited which is so fun for the kids. I also felt so lucky to meet a great community of other children and parents through the school that we continue to be friends with even after graduating. I'm excited that we will get to be a part of this community again when my son is old enough to attend! read more

My 2 year old daughter has attended this school starting in March 2023 and is currently attending. This school has been truly wonderful for my little girl. The teachers have been kind, patient, gentle and caring. My daughter comes home singing their sweet school songs, telling me about her art projects and talking about her friends. They have a wonderful app where pictures of her day are posted and the teachers are quick to respond to messages I have sent. The school provides AM and PM snacks which have been enough to satisfy my super hungry girls appetite! The kids also get a ton of outdoor time, which to me is incredibly important to my daughter's development. Overall, i feel lucky we have found this school. read more

My son attended Garden Community for a year and a half. This was his first "school" experience and I was so worried about how my kiddo would do since his primary socializing years were lost to the pandemic. My fears were quickly relieved when I met all of the wonderful teachers and witnessed the school's atmosphere. All of the teachers were so loving to the children. There was always some kind of fun activity going on too, whether it was gardening, a bounce house for a child's birthday, or an ice cream truck visiting. We did not know it at the time, but my son has ADHD, and that brought on some challenges sometimes. But the teachers always seemed to handle it so well, and they were always quick to answer any of my questions or meet me to talk at drop off or pick up. My kiddo could not have been in better hands. He went on to elementary school so much more socially prepared and I am so grateful. read more

What an incredible, loving, caring, and nurturing preschool. While my son was only there for 7 1/2 months (we moved across the country), the time he spent in the care of Ms. Melissa, Ms. Haley, and other wonderful teacher's, was invaluable and instrumental to his development. Garden Community continues to improve their space (both indoor and outdoor), as well as their curriculum. If you're looking for a community of kind children and teacher's, where your child will be seen for who they are and cherished, this is the preschool for you! read more

Our family has been with Garden Community for two years now and we couldn't ask for more. As a long time educator, I've held high expectations for our little's care - our child started here at just two years old and the teachers, staff and school as a whole have nurtured her growth every step of the way. Our family has been so appreciative of the consistent communication, the ability to work with our little's unique needs at each developmental stage, and the overall culture of love and care. read more

First of all the school is filthy. Office, classrooms and backyard are all filthy. they discrimanated me and my son just because i asked if they teach kidz about sexuality and if they have drag shows at school after i saw the rainbow flag hanging outside. they had a spot for my son yesterday but today they texted me saying sorry we dont have the spot anymore, but howcome they gave me paperworks to fillout and told me my son can start 11/9/2023 which is tomorrow? now they say we dont have space. just becareful ur kidz will be exposed to LGBTQ and god know what else is going on there. read more

The Garden School, as both our sons call it, is the most warm and welcoming preschool. We found it after we realized the center where we were at wasn't in fact as great as we thought. Our son graduated from The Garden School this summer and is now thriving in his first weeks of Kindergarten. Our 3yo is currently there, and loving it. Melissa has created a warm and welcoming atmosphere where all children feel safe, valued, and cared for. The teachers are kind and loving and they create engaging activities that foster a love for learning. TGCP recognizes the importance of play. They provide opportunities for children to explore, experiment, and learn through hands-on experiences, fostering creativity and imagination. The preschool maintains open and effective communication channels with parents. Brightwheel is used and everyone is so responsive, even on weekends. My husband and I wholeheartedly recommend TGCP to anyone. It's a woman-owned local business that has been a staple in the area for years. I'm so grateful to everyone there - they will always be considered family! read more

The Garden Community Preschool was the first place I ever left my daughter and the amount of love and guidance she was given kept my mommy heart at ease. She had so much fun everyday and has created some amazing friends at TGCP. She was assigned specific teachers but every teacher at the school was accommodating to our daughter. The owner and director were very in- tuned with the children and often would realize if my daughter was having an "off day". They would communicate with me and did everything they could to make sure my daughter still had the best day when she was there. The app made communication very easy between myself and all the staff and the pictures we would receive daily were such a joy! My daughter has some very fond memories and I am so grateful that we chose The Garden Community Preschool to be our daughter first experience being away from family. read more

The Garden Community Preschool - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Concord, California

My almost 4 year old son has been attending The Garden Community Preschool since September 2022. The teachers are incredibly loving towards him, and he is very happy there. The teachers regularly communicate with us throughout the day, posting pictures and videos of the many activities they do with the kids. They are quick to respond if we ever have questions. It is truly night and day from the communication we were getting from his previous daycare in Oakland. We feel so fortunate to have found such a loving and welcoming community for our son. read more

This is exactly the kind of play based preschool I have always wanted for my children. My son attended this preschool for more than 2 years and has now graduated. He loved his time there, his friends, and his teachers. read more

My baby girl graduated from the Garden this summer and is now in Kindergarten. We found Garden after having a horrible experience elsewhere, and it saved us. The staff is what I now consider family. Having come from a place that my daughter would cry every morning at drop off, to her kicking off her shoes and saying Bye Mommy! I knew we found our preschool. The director always made time for me, even with things that were personal. The teachers loved my baby girl, helped when she got hurt, updated me along the way, and always had time to talk at pick up. We had no issues through our transition into kindergarten and that's all thanks to the Garden. read more

My daughter started here in March of 2021 at 2.5 yrs old. She really enjoys going to school and talks about her friends and teachers daily, even when she hasn't attended. What we most enjoyed seeing during our tour was all the outdoor space. There is a ton of entertainment to be explored and during COVID, it's the best place for everyone. My daughter comes home a rough and tumble happy child and I love that she can be a kid, get messy with paint, sand, water and dirt. Another thing we value is the communication. I can talk to the director, Melissa or any of the other teachers in person or within the app, Brightwheel. They all send pictures daily and it puts my heart at ease. I was worried a center would be too big for her based off her brother's experience when he was young but the teachers genuinely care for her and watch her closely to help her with any transitions. From the beginning they understood if she wasn't ready to participate in preschool activities and allowed her the freedom to come and go. Within a few short months I can tell she has embraced the more structured side and is paying attention for longer and coming home proud of her work. They truly are patient and really understand the development phases my child is in as she grows with them. read more

I cannot say enough great things about this school. Ms. Melissa was awesome when my child started at 2.5 years and came up with a great strategy for us when my toddler had huge issues with separating from me. My child is also neurodivergent, and this school was awesome with inclusion, and teaching socioemotional skills. I do not think my child would be as successful as he is today without the socioemotional skills he learned while at her school. I was sad when he graduated at 5 years old. I would have him attend her school again if she had an elementary school. read more

I agree with the reviews here. Ms Melissa and all of the teachers are so living, engaging and full of energy. This is a wonderful play based daycare and preschool. My daughter is 3, and in one year here, she has learned how to use scissors (safely), many songs and dances, improved her hand-eye coordination and social skills, and felt 100% loved and celebrated for who she is. It's clear the staff here love kids and love their jobs. Highly recommend them! read more

This is it. Loving, inclusive, patient, kind, fun, artsy. Awesome communication between the owner and teachers and parents. Our little has blossomed and become social, empathetic, and independent. We love it there but most importantly our kids love going to school. read more

Both of my two children attended the Garden from the time they were very little until they started Kinder. They loved it. I never worried about my children getting a developmentally appropriate education. Every day was filled with fun activities that also helped the kids learn the skills they needed to age into the next phase, and become the truest version of themselves. This school really understands the meaning of a play-based education and they really respect every child, not just parents. The teachers were always gentle in their approach to helping kids with social and emotional development and interactions with friends, but they also actively worked to teach every child to respect one another, to learn about body boundaries, and to work out their own problems, instead of just punishing kids for being...kids. The school has a clear and consistent structure every day, but also plenty of free and open play. This is truly an inclusive school where every teacher and administrator loves the children and is active and engaged with both kids and parents. A real community, and absolutely the best start I could have asked for for my two kids. The only downside was having to leave! read more

This school is an absolute treasure. My kid has been going here for the past 2.5 years and we couldn't be happier. He weaks up every morning excited to go to school. His development, physical, emotional and educational has exploded once he started attending it. I love that he learns through play, makes so many new friends, has an opportunity to learn how to grow veggies, play in a sandbox, run around a huge playground, be exposed to diversity, different cultures and food during their cooking classes. This school is built on knowledge, respect, hunger for learning, love and care. The biggest asset is the teachers. Ms. Melissa and her staff are always working on educating the kids, introducing new topics in fun and engaging ways, and they have so much respect and care and patience towards the kids. It's amazing and so highly appreciated. I would recommend this school to anyone in a heartbeat. read more

The Garden Community Preschool is a wonderful place. The teachers are attentive and kind and committed to providing a safe place for children to grow. It is a place filled with ways for the kids to express thier creativity and explore the world around them. Both my children love this place and have blossomed here. My eldest just started kindergarten and continues to talk fondly of her days here. My youngest exclaims how excited she is to go to school every time she gets in the car. It's such a relief to know that my child is safe and happy while we're apart. I highly recommend this place not only as a parent but as as a student working to become a teacher. read more

Can't say enough about all the love and learning that our two kids have experienced at Building Blocks. First-rate teachers who value diversity and multiculturalism, cooperative learning, and individual exploration. I love that some days my son is raving about his art project, other days about the fun times he had in the science room, and other days about the new song he learned or book he read. My daughter "graduated" to kindergarten a year ago, but still loves to go back daily to say hi to her teachers and tell them what she's learning. Terrific, terrific place where your kids will be loved and guided in a way that brings out their natural talents and interests. read more

ALL I have to say is THANK YOU Melissa !!! I can definitely see your passion for this center and the children. Much more of an connection and relationship from her . And I LOVE the new changes and goals you have set for building blocks . I can't wait to see what new life you bring into this place for 2020 !!!! You have changed my mind ALOT about this place ... and i feel much more happy that my child attends , she has cleaned this place up! Much more clean ! And more secured ... thank you and WELCOME Melissa ! read more

We have had our daughter at BB for over a year now, and are very happy with our decision to move her to this school (though it is about 15-20 mins from home). We had a favorite teacher move to this school from a previous daycare/preschool-- and shortly after, we followed. I've not regretted it a bit. They have a different approach to teaching- the kids are not expected to all do the same thing at the same time. Some kids are interested in the library- they move into the library. Some want to play outside or do art -- that's where they go. Science room for learning about bugs and birds-- that's where they go. Not all children go on every field trip-- a trip is planned if a group of kids is showing interest in a specific subject (like gardening). I helped take about 8 or so kids to the nursery to pick out plants - then we came back and those kids planted a veggie garden. Kids that have been very interested in birds lately are given binoculars to bird watch in the backyard-- and they built a ceramic bird bath to attract birds. These are just a few of the examples of why I love it. Kids are served a hot meal each day for lunch, a lot of time a meal that they've helped prepare (my daughter now knows what quiche is!). Love the staff - all of the teachers either have their BA in teaching related fields, or are working toward it. Price is similar/competitive to other places, not a lot more, not a lot less. BUt they do have great hours (6:30-6:30) and are open year round (no major time off at the holidays.) The one week off a year that they are closed, they dont charge us. That's nice! Definitely worth getting on their wait list- which there usually is. A lot of spaces come free in the summer - but otherwise- usually full up! Because they rock!! read more

We love this school. We found this place through my cousin who had her daughter attending it for years. My son has been there since he was 2 1/2 and now 2 years later he still loves it. The place is clean, the staff is genuinely friendly and loves the kids and the kids loves this place. They have a great curriculum, they teach the children to expand their creativity and as well to be encourage to play and get along as kids. If you can snag a spot, i would jump on it because this place gets full and has a waiting list. Hope this helps. read more

This Place is Great. The hours are 6:30am - 6:30pm, which has been helpful for our family. The price is very reasonable. Especially considering the quality of care is so high. These teachers really care about the kids. There is always some awesome project going on. They tie things to books that they read. If the kids get excited they go with it. For example they had an elaborate Teddy Bear Picnic. The kids plan it, the teachers will brainstorm with them and help them execute their ideas. They also were into gardening this year. They grew the seeds and the kids drew pictures of different stages as the seeds grew. They then planted in the back yard, and they then made zucchini loafs with their bounty. This is just a small sample of what is going on here. It is just a superbly rich learning environment. The backyard is kids paradise. They are always improving it for the kids. They even have a bird nest back there that ever year a bird returns and has its babes. I came to pick up my son one day and all the toddlers where sitting on the step watching the baby birds! I had never even seen wild baby birds before. This is a great place. Your child is safe and loved here. Also they have a accreditation NAEYC, http://www.naeyc.org/ which is very difficult to get. read more

I've been blabbing about this place for months to all my friends and family. Someone finally suggested that I just post my opinion here. So here I am. Putting your child in the hands of someone else is crazy-scary. We had tried several other places, they were either too sterile and cold or too laid back and scary. Building Blocks (BB) is a cottage-style house. From the moment that I first walked in, I knew BB was the place for us. It is warm, safe, friendly and affordable. They have so many wonderful programs for the kids too. They have a reading program, they do science projects, everything is learn by play---plant gardens, hatch butterflies, build rockets...etc. They cook a nutritious breakfast and lunch every day at the center. The kids eat family style. BB is a wonderful place for my daughter; she loves it. They have a low turnover rate, teachers have been there for years. Ms IIeane, the founder and director, is awesome. She has been awarded by the community for her work and leadership in childcare many times. If you are looking for a great place for your child, check out Building Blocks, it might be a good fit for your family too. read more

My daughter went to preschool here from the ages of 18 months to 5 and a half years and it was a wonderful experience for us both. The teachers are all compassionate and intelligent and made my daughter and I feel like family from day one! The curriculum is relaxed yet structured and in an environment of learning through play and exploration. The entire facility, inside and out, is inviting, clean, safe and organized. I cried her last day there because it was so sad to see and end to such an awesome experience. My daughter's about to finish first grade and still talks about Building Blocks. If you're looking for the best preschool, look no further! read more