We're fresh out of our local library's Insect Discovery Lab presentation led by Ren. First off, Ren…read morewas fantastic! Absolutely wonderful energy and presence, was top-tier with keeping the kiddos engaged and respectful, and was just an overall joy to listen to. The bug selection was solid! I loved how there was a variety of bugs that could be touched, held, and/or just looked at. My 4-year-old had an incredible time along with my husband and myself! Thank you Ren and Save Nature!

This group put on a program at my local library and they were absolutely fantastic. They were…read moreobvious pros when it came to the creatures, I learned so much, and they were excellent at handling the crowd of mixed age children and pivoting when the kids threw a curveball, as kids sometimes do, as well as reassuring and accommodating to those in the audience overcoming their insect fears, all while making sure the creatures they brought with were safe and comfortable, too. They went a whole hour with the audience making sure all those in attendance that wished to get up close with the insects had a chance to. The group did another presentation at a different library earlier in the day but it did not diminish the energy they brought and their obvious passion at all. I would encourage anyone thinking of booking this group for an event not to hesitate- they'll do a great job.

As a decades long veteran of community acting in my area, and a graduate if Jim Dunn's Theatrical…read moreArts Dept. at the College of Marin, I'm always impressed by true professionals when I get a chance to see them. While The Magic Circus' website speaks to the kinds of activities for which you can hire them, it doesn't talk about the fact that they are truly professional and inspiring performers. I hired the Magic Circus for my Wife's birthday party, an adult event, and the magic show and performance that Bebe and Benny delivered was entertaining and engaging, and people are still talking about it years later. There was a piece that Bene performed, with just the brim of a hat, that was hysterical and showcased his effortless range as a comedic actor.

The kids had a blast at my sons virtual 4th birthday puppet show!! The show kept them captivated…read moreand they even personalized it and mentioned my sons favorite stuffed animal. We would definitely do it again! Thanks so much!!!

Absolutely amazing school with very creative and child friendly activities. We were lucky enough to…read morevisit during Messy Art day and were blown away. Our toddler was absolutely in love with all the activities and did not want to leave. The staff was so friendly and helpful despite the craziness. It was really a wonderful experience and we can't wait to come back.

When looking for a preschool for my then 3-year-old I needed a space where I knew he would feel…read moresafe away from home for the first time, where there was a community of grown ups looking out for him, and he was able to learn and grow socially. ECPC checked all of my preschool wishlist items. Even before school started, teachers and current families hosted new family playdates so the kids could get accustomed to the space, and we had a one-on-one teacher meeting; I always felt welcomed and included. The teachers take great care to curate open-ended experiences for the kids. There are outdoor and indoor play spaces to include sand and climbing play, art, games and imaginative play, building, reading, and more. Each space is set up to encourage discovery and self-expression. The kids are free to roam each space during play times, they are invited for snack mid-program, and gather for two group times. There is a deep sense of community not just for the kids, but for the grown ups, too. Every enrolled family has a family job and commits to 5-35 hours a month (depending on the role) to ensure the school runs smoothly for the current year and for future kids to enjoy. Families also commit to at least one participation shift a week to support the teachers in the different play spaces. The grown ups learn, too, as the teachers and members of the community share on early childhood development topics. The school has been around since 1940 and serves families in El Cerrito and nearby cities. There is an AM and a PM program (you can enroll in one or both) with a minimum of three days enrollment, plus an optional lunch program. Teachers can assist your littles with toileting as needed and will work with you if your kid is transitioning to potty use. I highly recommend ECPC for any family looking for a play-based parent cooperative for their 3-5 year olds!

This school is fantastic!! Our little one started a year ago and is thriving. The staff are…read morecaring, loving, and really care deeply about our child. They go out of their way to make sure that she is included and feels safe and secure. They also emphasize learning through play with lots of tactile and sensory play that's appropriate for 2 to 4-year-olds. Ms Amrita and Ms Diana do a great job leading. Miss Epiphany is especially caring and loving toward our child and all of the children. She and Miss Marie and Miss Michelle go out of their way to come up with incredible enrichment activities and holiday festivities and artistic endeavors for the children to explore. In addition to all of that they also have a wonderful backyard garden in their play yard and the kids get to experience a structured physical education program every week and they also learn their letters and numbers and read lots of books and are building the foundations of good learning. We had been a little bit worried coming from a at-home daycare to curious explorers academy but we shouldn't have because it has just been fantastic the whole time, we highly recommend this school!

My first experience with CEA was extremely positive! When I first spoke to Ms. Amrita she gave me…read morelots of info about the school and also offered us a tour (old campus). Out of all the preschool tours we took in the area, this one just felt right. The first day I dropped my son off for his first day of preschool there were no tears, no push back, and he walked right into the building. Over the time we have been at CEA we've seen our son grow so much. He's always been very shy, reserved, and pretty cautious. Since the time he's been at CEA I've seen him grow so much! He's become more confident, made new friends, and speaking up for himself. He's also become so much more independent. The staff at CEA is extremely professional, kind, and caring. There is no doubt in my mind that we made the right choice for our child. Thank you CEA!

Both of our kids went to Albany Sunflower Daycare and loved it there. Ms Helen is a very kind,…read morepatient and caring teacher who made our children feel at home. The daycare is located in a residential safe area, the house equipped with everything the kiddos need- large outdoor space, room for play and room for naps. I knew my kids are getting fed hot meals, getting their naps and lots of vitamin D outside. Operating hours are the best for working parents which made our drop offs and pick ups less stressful! We can't recommend Ms Helen and family enough for anyone looking for a daycare in Albany area. Mandarin language exposure was a huge plus for our kids even though none of us (adults) speak it at home. Thank you!

Both of my children attended Sunflower Daycare for several years, and we couldn't have asked for a…read morebetter experience. Ms. Helen is incredibly kind, patient, and attentive. She was wonderfully supportive during potty training, made sure the kids were dressed appropriately for the weather, and created a warm, nurturing environment. The daycare has a great outdoor play space, serves delicious home-cooked meals that my kids still talk about, and is exceptionally clean--my children rarely got sick while they were there, which is a feat in itself! Ms. Helen also has a strong background in early childhood education and incorporates age-appropriate learning, arts and crafts, music, and early academics into the day. By the time my daughter started TK, she was very well prepared. Since Ms. Helen speaks Mandarin with the children, both of my kids were also able to maintain their Mandarin fluency. One thing to note is that Ms. Helen is more comfortable communicating in Mandarin than English. This was fine for me since I speak Mandarin, while my husband usually communicated through email or Google Translate. We feel lucky to have found Sunflower Daycare. It felt like having a trusted family member with expertise in early childhood education caring for our children. I highly recommend it to any family looking for a loving, enriching daycare.

We have so many good things to say about Skytown and its staff. Our daughter attended from age 18…read moremonths, in the Toddler Room. We were initially drawn to Skytown for the ratios (3:1 in Toddler Room), the transparency that comes from parent participation in the classroom, the respect for children that's at the core of their philosophy. We also appreciated the level of involvement that parents get in the preschool's day-to-day, without being a pure parent cooperative (the teachers/director are employees of the school with formal training in the education space). As we spent more time there, we really came to admire the staff, Allison, Nancy, and Bex who really embody the values of the school and do an incredible job at sharing their expertise with the parent community. Our toddler is highly verbal, intense, and energetic. We were reluctant to have her in school so early, but she thrived at Sktytown and learned social skills there that we/nanny wouldn't have been able to provide on our own. We were impressed with Skytown's commitment to using positive language to guide children's behavior, respecting children's autonomy, making each child feel heard and understood, and treating even the youngest toddlers as highly capable individuals with as much autonomy as they could safely have. The 3:1 ratio and small class size allowed even the youngest toddlers to be given with a high degree of autonomy in a way that wouldn't be as feasible in typical classroom. It is a great school for families who are happy to have their child come home with paint on their clothes or food from their snack still on their face because the child was given the opportunity to clean up after themselves. Skytown's commitment to making it a truly child-centric space shows in everything from the way the classrooms are structured and equipped to the way staff talk to the children. It was a joy to see the children be able to play with water, paint, wash hands on their own, visit sensory or pretend play areas, and transition from indoor/outdoor playspaces on their own accord. We have not seen anything else like it. The staff does an exceptional job at helping children learn how to problem solve on their own, and address interpersonal conflict while respecting all the children involved. Even in the toddler room, teachers and parents help the youngest children use age-appropriate methods of communicating through conflict, and use positive language to address unsafe behavior (running indoors, hitting, throwing things, etc) in a way that allows children to learn while still feeling respected and able to express themselves safely. As parents of a daughter, we are aware of when adults might be unintentionally interacting with girls differently than their boy counterparts, but this was never a problem at Skytown with staff or parents. We also noticed the staff and parent community were attuned to racial and gender inclusivity, didn't sweep things under the rug, and were proactive about diversity and inclusivity in all aspects of the school from the materials chosen to the way they communicated with one another.

Take a tour! Our family loves being at Skytown. This was our first experience having our son away…read morefrom us (no sitter, daycare, school) and this gave me the option to finally gain some freedom, but also still be a part of his learning experience through the co-op. It's been comforting to know he is safe and supported at Skytown by child development experts with a strong philosophy, and a community of parents and families with strong values. The care and concern for his food allergies by everyone has also contributed to our sense of safety having him away from us. Beyond all this, my son genuinely looks forward to school and his favorite people now are his teacher, the parents, and his friends! Skytown has become our village - we participate in the classroom together, we play outside of school together, we work on school initiatives together. It's really a unique and special experience and I'm so glad we had this option available to us. Skytown offers the only co-op toddler program (starts at 18mo) in Contra Costa County and is 1 of 2 in the entire East Bay. Like I said there's nothing like it around!

I can't recommend Pequenos Gigantes enough!! Mónica and her team are excellent! My daughter is a…read morepandemic baby and was super shy and had major separation anxiety. Monica, Jenny and Layla were so patient and excellent with my daughter. Once she got used to being in daycare she couldn't wait to get back the next day. She blossomed in to a social butterfly! Her Spanish has improved along with her ability to socialize, recognized colors, shapes and alphabet in both English and Spanish. I am so glad I found this place and would recommend them every time someone asks! They're affordable, local, and extremely knowledgeable of supporting little ones. I loved the updates offered throughout the day and all the art projects and activities they did. I will be forever grateful for Monica and her team for all they've done in my daughters development. If you're looking for a bilingual day care, you found them! Muchas Gracias Mónica, Jenny y Layla

It's amazing here! Ms. Monica is very attentive and is super sweet. She is easy to get in contact…read morewith if ever need any question answered. Her team is amazing, they welcome my son with open arms and treat him as if he was their own. I also love that they are bilingual in Spanish and English!