Tinker Preschool has been a wonderful experience for our family. The teachers are exceptional: warm, caring, empathetic, and truly invested in each child. We also love how much time the kids spend outdoors. The focus on park time, exploration, and nature-based play is such a special part of the program. Tinker strikes a great balance between child-led exploration and structured learning, which has helped our daughter grow with both confidence and curiosity. The school also has a strong sense of community, with thoughtful parent involvement and a very supportive environment for families. Miranda and the Tinker team have been incredibly helpful throughout, especially during the stressful kindergarten application process. We're so grateful to be part of the Tinker community and would highly recommend it. read more

My son started at Tinker when he was about 1.5 years old. He is now almost 5 and will start TK in the fall. I do not have enough wonderful things to say about Tinker. They are not just a preschool but a genuine community with deep roots to the local neighborhood. The teachers and leadership stay up to date on evolving philosophies around early childhood development, with a strong focus on raising happy, confident, and emotionally well-adjusted children. There's a deep respect for each child as an individual, along with an emphasis on social-emotional growth, independence, and curiosity. We feel incredibly grateful to have been part of this community and for my son to have this enriching early childhood experience. read more

Our daughter started at Tinker (Inner Richmond / Park Presidio) about a year ago (she started at 18 months) and It has been an amazing experience for her and our family. I'm from the Midwest and loved the idea of giving her the opportunity to spend half of her days outside playing, learning, and exploring nature. She loved her teachers and has come home happy from day 1. She has learned so much including conflict management & self-regulation skills. I'll also add that the parent community is fantastic. We have monthly meet-ups at the park and the PGA schedules family meet-ups when school is closed for government holidays. In short, we would highly recommend Tinker!! read more

Tinker Preschool - Preschools Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Tinker has been a real blessing for my family and our two boy! Currently 2yr2mo and 3yr6mo old, our boys joined Tinker as soon as they were able to and the experience has been incredible; in part because it is so consistent with the transparent expectations they have set since day 1. The frequent and detailed updates are refreshing, and have provided us with the upmost confidence that our boys are growing and developing, while their safety is the focus every step of the way. I'm writing this a few days following a field trip that Tinker orchestrated to the Academy of Science. Myself and a few follow parents volunteered to chaperone, joining 5 full time teachers. The experience was so eye opening to all the care and effort the staff puts in day in and day out for our children. I wont post any pictures but just know it would be of 15 happy children, each with smiles from ear to ear! :) Highly highly recommend this program to all!! read more

Can't recommend this preschool enough. Our son is leaving a confident and caring 5-year-old ready for kindergarten. The teachers put a lot of thought into their lessons, incorporating their outdoor explorations with indoor projects and discussions. He's learned about the water cycle and pollenators, speaks some spanish and mandarin words and phrases, and has developed great emotional maturity. The entire program is managed with thought and care, with lots of communication that kept us informed about what he was learning each day. read more

We have a great affection for Tinker. Our daughter began attending Tinker at the age of 12 months and is now 21 months old. She is doing very well. I have a high regard for the teachers - they clearly show a lot of care for our little one and are excellent educators - both nurturing and very considerate about early childhood development. It has been particularly uplifting to see Piper become a part of the Tinker community - she has found a whole world that she belongs to and it's wonderful to see her feeling of belonging, comfort, and excitement when we drop her off every day. I also appreciate the mandarin immersion and am consistently amazed at all the words she is learning. A big thank you to Tinker for providing a second home that we can rely on to support Piper and her development. read more

I have been part of the Tinker community for 3+ years. My now 5 year old has been going since he was 2, and his younger brother also started when he turned 2. We attended pre-COVID and switched to the fully outdoor forest program starting in June 2020. I have only wonderful things to say about the teachers and the Tinker community. The admin. and teachers handled COVID with a lot of patience, creativity, and heart- always thinking about making things as normal and stable for the kids as possible while focusing on safety and science. Because of Tinker, my kids are going to come out of COVID virtually unscathed. The biggest COVID silver lining for our family was the shift to 100% outdoor school. My 2 boys thrive from the energy of being in nature. They are excited to go to school everyday where they know GGP better than I do. They spend their days building stick forts, running in sprinklers, and getting gardening tips from the very patient park ranger in charge of the rose garden. They have code names for various locations they visit (the yellow flowers, the marshmallow garden, the tables...) and every morning the class votes where they want to go that day. The teachers have all been wonderful, and there is a lot of emphasis on the well being of the whole child and social emotional growth. From what I can tell, the forest class is not traditionally academically focused, but my kids are definitely learning the fundamentals. I know my rising Kinder kid will excel next year. We will be leaving the city in a few months to relocate for a job, and the thing that I am sadest to leave behind is Tinker. I tried very hard to find a program in our new city that matched Tinker, and was unsuccessful. So I will take the lessons I learned from Tinker and continue to get outside with my kids as much as possible and explore nature. If you get the opportunity to send your kid to Tinker, don't hesitate. It was the best decision for my family and I am so grateful for the 3+ years we got to spend with them. read more

This review is about a year late, but we wanted to share our experience at Tinker, the Clement Street location. Our son attended Tinker for one year. Since my son's enrollment was during COVID, we didn't tour the school in person. (In general, the school has implemented relatively conservative COVID protocols, but there have been few exposures and no closures to our knowledge.) Despite not touring the school in person, we love the Progressive/Reggio education philosophy including the daily walks to the surrounding parks. During our time there, the teachers were amazing; they helped him with his transitions, kept us updated on his progress, and took the time to simply chat with us. We really enjoyed seeing our son thrive at Tinker. read more

Our daughter has been attending Tinker since ~July 2019. Before the pandemic hit, our daughter was participating in an amazing indoor/outdoor program -- she's been to more parks in this city and ridden the bus more than I have at this point. These 3-5yo kids would go out for hours every day, hopping onto busses and going cross town 2-3 times a week. The "lighter" days they would just walk to one of the nearby parks (still 15-20+ minutes of walking each way). We loved that she was getting such a rich education with nature and the city as the classroom. Afternoons after quiet time were full of dramatic play, different 'provocation' stations with different activities, and fully engaged teachers. I feel like I learned a lot about how to talk to my daughter and guide her in her learning from watching our the teachers. After the pandemic hit, we moved to virtual learning, which, for pre-school, was definitely challenging. The upside was I really got to watch the teachers adapt and teach the kids up close, as I supervised Zoom sessions, and I really gained a new appreciation for these wonderful professionals. As lockdown dragged on, my daughter (and many other kids in the class) were struggling with Zoom lessons. Through the uncertainty, Miranda (the school director), put together a part-day, masked, outdoor forest program in Golden Gate Park. Things were getting pretty dire in our household, so getting our daughter back into a supportive social situation outside, with acceptable transmission risk, was a godsend for us. Now, since last summer, our preschooler has been living her best life hiking around Golden Gate Park for most of the day with her friends. We've been so thankful that we have this option open to us through this trying year. The teachers and staff are all fantastic and caring, and I feel like we're giving our daughter the best preschool experience possible (pandemic or not), especially as we head into kindergarten next year where it'll be mostly indoors. read more

I can't imagine a better preschool to send your child to in San Francisco! My son attended Tinker from 18months to 5 years old and have been nothing short of amazed with the level of love and care all of the teachers have provided for my son. It is a safe/nurturing environment and the teachers are always keeping the learning fresh and exciting for the kids. They put a lot of thought and effort into the curriculum. Even in the height of Covid, they made sure to keep the kids schedules as normal as possible. One part of the program that we love is that they go outside and explore parks nearby everyday, rain or shine! They also provide daily pictures, weekly newsletters and conduct parent/teacher conferences so you can hear about the progress your child is making. The school is so involved with developing your child! There is also a active parent community that puts on events and playdates which is a nice way to connect with other families in the city. All the kids there are always so happy and excited to be there as well. My son loves the friends he made at Tinker and tells me how much he loves his teachers everyday. The school does a very thorough job of vetting teachers and have enjoyed getting to know all of them. They are like family. We will miss Tinker dearly (we had to move to the east coast). They really have a great thing going there and can't wait to see how the school grows and evolves over time. read more

We moved to Canada about 2 months ago and our son started at one of the best Montessori schools in Toronto. It doesn't hold a candle to Tinker (not even close). He attended Tinker for nearly 2 years and it was amazing. We reflect often on how unique the nature-based program is, with teachers that are well trained and show genuine care. We will never forget that our kiddo went to school in Golden Gate Park and learned among the trees. read more

Our son has been in Tinker for a year and enrolling our kid to Tinker is the best choice we have made. We first transferred our son to Tinker from another preschool because he was afraid of going to school and cried every morning. One week after he enrolled in the Tinker Cole Valley (Chinese immersion program) he said 'hooray' on school day morning and he made friends immediately. I really appreciate Teacher Dongdong. She is very professional and loves kids with all her heart. Then we moved to Tinker Clement campus smoothly. Our son, who only spoke mandarin first, was adapted easily to this English program with help of all teachers, who can speak Spanish, Italian, Mandarin and Cantonese. We can see how fast he developed weekly at school, from a shy little boy to a confident Tinker kid. Thanks to their lowest classroom ratio in SF and nature exploration project, my son rarely gets sick. We see he happily climbs trees, chases butterflies, watches duck and jumps puddles in parks though photos sent by teachers every day. I am glad that he can still have this nature experience in this big city. We also love the art classes, holiday parties and museum field trips every month. I highly recommend Tinker to every parent who wants their kid to have a happy childhood! read more

You can't find a better preschool!! My daughter has been attending Tinker for a year now, since she was three. In that year, I've been so pleased to see how much she has grown and thrived in this super creative environment. She adores the adventures they go on each day, from exploring the beaches and forests around our city, to visiting local merchants and community gardens and of course getting their wiggles out on the playgrounds they find on their way. I love that she is constantly engaged in learning - the school follows the Reggio-Emilia method, where the teachers job is to identify what is sparking interest in the students, and present the opportunities for them to learn more in depth through exploration, projects and play. She has developed confidence through being given opportunities to share and learn. The teachers don't just TELL the kids about the world we live in, they ask for their observations and opinions. All of the learning is centered on the child, which is really amazing to watch how engaging it is for my daughter. The teachers are a carefully curated group of professionals. They all are so warm and genuinely love our children. I feel 1000% confident that my daughter is getting the best attention and care. They are interested in helping the whole child grow and blossom: emotionally, socially and academically. They encourage them to stretch beyond what they think is possible and hold them if they fall (which let's face it... someone is going to when they are on these epic adventures). Miranda is beyond amazing. She has created a dream of a school. Blending the outdoors with the Reggio approach. She seeks every opportunity to expand our kid's horizons - arranging field trips to ranches and farms, and even bringing in Dragon Dancers for Lunar New Year. The community of parents is also warm and supportive. It's reassuring to know that we can look to each other for assistance when we are having a tough day with one of our threenagers - or when drop off was a bit of a mess. As well as to just connect and have fun at the parent/family mixers we have through the year. I simply cannot recommend Tinker more than I do here. It is a well rounded, beautiful, inspirational school - and there is no where else I would rather have started my daughter's educational journey than here. read more

We toured Tinker as a possible school for our toddler. Miranda has created such a unique and special program. She truly understands how to strengthen learning and honor each student's unique gifts with their teaching philosophy. She spent a very long amount of time with our son encouraging him to explore and learn about science and art. She spoke of the strong parent community (and especially in the time of COVID, the protocols she and all the parents are adhering to). This is a very very special school and I would highly encourage parents to consider Tinker. read more

I'm writing to highlight a really wonderful experience our family had at Tinker Preschool in the Inner Richmond. The school is truly a gem, with amazing teachers and caregivers that are experienced, loving, and attentive. Our daughter started as as a 3 year old in the Owl Class during the pandemic, and as parents, we had our share of concerns, as it was her first school experience and had never spent any time away from us for more than a few hours. On her first day, she was was immediately engaged by a lead teacher and didn't glance back at her parents at all. No tears! From that day forward, she absolutely loved school and was so sad to be home on sick days or weekends. The school quite flexible, and she was able to start as a part time, 3 day student before later joining the class full time. As parents, we were really drawn by the school's Reggio Emilia based program and loved the outdoor learning environment for the kids, and every day was truly an adventure. The kids explored the local parks, studying flowers and caterpillars and roly poly bugs. They created amazing art projects using flower petals and leaves and sticks they gathered from their explorations. Our daughter came home one day, thrilled to tell us about the fairy doors they discovered in Golden Gate Park, which was a new discovery for us, too! She also loves coming home and teaching us what she's learned at school each day, singing songs she's learned in Mandarin and Spanish. We give all the credit for her enthusiasm for school to her wonderful teachers, who really seemed to be passionate about teaching and love spending their days with kids. Not only was our daughter happy and engaged at school, but she also became much more self sufficient, which we learned is a hallmark of their program. There is a thoughtfulness and intentionality to the school's program which is really impressive. Every activity is fun and appealing for the kids, but there are built-in goals for improving the kids' fine motor skills, socio-emotional learning, and independent thinking. As a parent, I feel incredibly fortunate that our family had the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful school community and wish all kids had a chance to experience a school like this one. read more

We've known Miranda for 2.5 years and transitioned our daughter to Tinker about a year ago so she could better prep for Kindergarten. The teachers are absolutely amazing, kind, and loving. One of my daughter's teacher's came to watch my daughter get promoted to the next belt in Kung Fu. She also joined in on my daughter's birthday zoom call. Another teacher baked my daughter a birthday cake. Miranda, the owner of Tinker, has also provided us with much guidance and support as we went through the Kindergarten admissions process helping us secure a spot at a prominent independent school. There is lots of investment all around and we couldn't be more grateful for all the times the staff has bent over backwards to assist us in our various situations. It really shows the amount of generosity and effort Tinker puts into the kids and the family. read more

Our child has been going to Tinker for 2.5 years, and we are very pleased with the experience! We love the teachers as everyone has been super supportive and attentive to the kids' needs. It feels like family! We are especially fond of their focus on the outdoor forest exploration and language immersion. We have witnessed our child become more compassionate, independent, and adaptable. The pandemic in particular has been challenging for everyone, but they've been able to adapt their procedures, ensure everyone's safety, and offer an outdoor only program that minimizes risk of COVID exposure - we might not have been comfortable with sending our child to preschool otherwise. If we had to make the choice all over, we would definitely pick Tinker again! read more

We've been part of the Tinker community for 3 years and have had a wonderful experience. What we love most about Tinker are the teachers and the teaching philosophy. Our kid has really flourished knowing that there are amazing teachers who care about her as a person. The curriculum is focused on instilling a love of learning both in the classroom and outside in the city and parks. The kids spend as much time doing indoor projects as they do outdoor adventures. This helps them learn how to appreciate, enjoy, and care for the unique city they live in. If you join Tinker you're joining a wonderful community. read more

Our daughter attended Tinker Preschool for 3 years and loved every day of it. I can't say enough as to how well the school adapted in such challenging time over the past year. The kids and staff didn't miss a beat and had the safety protocols down pat. Pre pandemic the kids rode muni all over the city and learned about the city, it's bus routes, and more parks than we can count. Although our daughter is super exited for Kindergarten, we will miss the Tinker community and all it has done for her. The bar has been set pretty high for her education moving forward! read more

We began Tinker Preschool (Presidio location) just days after arriving to San Francisco and our son has been the happiest kid and met such amazing new friends. We also became friends with an absolutely wonderful group of parents. The Administration offers a great deal of flexibility and understanding which matters greatly in times of move or any kind of uncertainty. Notably, the school stayed resilient through shelter-in-place. We applaud Tinkers' teachers who are always warm and friendly with the kids. The group of kids is truly diverse in every way possible and the outdoor program is tailored to accommodate the ages/capabilities accordingly. Our son flourished at Tinker, loved going there every morning since day one and we would absolutely recommend the school to anyone seeking childcare especially with a significant outdoor component. Thank you to all Tinker friends for making us feel so welcome. read more

Tinker has been a fantastic experience for our child, especially during this challenging period of the pandemic. I'm writing this review to highlight and laud their COVID safety protocols, their flexibility of moving classes to have more time outside when COVID conditions have been daunting, and the ability for teachers and administration to meet this moment without ever sacrificing learning, fun and safety. I believe our child has become more resilient and adaptable and thus more prepared for the world beyond preschool. read more

From the outside you can't even tell it's a preschool but once you tour and see the inside, you get a quick sense how loving and dedicated the teachers are. If you are looking for a preschool in SF, this is one I highly highly recommend. The kids are out most of the day learning from environment. The teachers are so engaging, caring, and loving towards the students. They make crafts from things they learn during the day. Pictures are posted daily and teacher provide an update when you pick up your child - makes you know your kids are in good hands and with professional. Miranda, who runs all the Tinker gives personal tours and when you meet her you can feel the passion. I love this place and 100% recommend this place for your little ones! read more

We absolutely LOVE Tinker. Our daughter started at Tinker when she was about 12 months old and she is now 21 months old. She is thriving. I love the teachers - they clearly care so much about our little one and are excellent educators - both nurturing but also very thoughtful about early childhood development. It's been especially heartening to see Piper become a part of the Tinker community - she has this whole world that she has become a part of and it's special to witness her sense of belonging and comfort and enthusiasm when we drop her off every day. I also love the mandarin immersion and am consistently surprised at all the words she is picking up. Big thank you to Tinker for providing a home away from home that we can count on to support Piper and her growth. read more

I rarely take the time to write reviews but feel compelled to do so in order to share how wonderful our experience at Tinker in Noe Valley has been! The Noe Valley location has been open for less than 1 year and our daughter started there full time at 15 months old. The teachers are absolutely outstanding and love the babies like their own. Unlike the other Tinker locations, the Noe location serves children 6 months - 3 years old so as a first time mom dropping my baby at daycare full time was rather anxiety inducing at first. However, now I can confidently say it has been the best decision for our family. Our daughter absolutely loves going to "school" every day and she has grown so much during her time there. She has learned so many amazing words and skills and looks forward to being dropped off every day! The teachers do a wonderful job of sharing updates on her progress and activities each day through photos and weekly minutes. Perhaps most important to us, the Tinker faculty is committed to building a community among their families and as a result, we have built an amazing network of friends and support through Tinker which has been invaluable to us since we do not have any immediate family members close by. All in all, I truly cannont say enough good things about Tinker and we look forward to sending our new baby there when she turns 6 months old this spring! read more

Tinker Preschool is wonderful! We have had our son there for 3.5 years and our daughter will be attending their Park Presido location next month. We have loved their curriculum and how they incorporate being outdoors as a key part of it. They have seamlessly handled covid and were able to transition to outdoor school when needed as the kids were accustomed to being outside. The teachers and staff are loving and such capable facilitators. read more

Our two kids, 5yo girl and 2yo boy, are excited to go to this school every morning. And we, as parents, are fulfilled and grateful in confidence that we are giving our kids an amazing childhood experience. - Outdoors: It's hard to overstate or to appreciate without experiencing it, the impact of the magical outdoors of the Golden Gate Park and the Presidio. All kids every day spend at least half the day (and sometimes full day) in the parks. They become capable hikers so you'll stop using stroller and will be able to hike with your kids. There is so much to see and interact with in the park: plants, animals, visitors, park rangers and regular dog walkers to make friends with, and sprinkler rainbows on sunny mornings. Plenty of space to run and play. With daily drop-offs/pickups in the park, it is a joy and healthy lifestyle for the whole family. Outdoors it is also easier for parents to stick around for a bit or observe the class from distance (very comforting those first worrisome days). And what a great way to help kids develop love of nature and care about climate change. I remember being a bit concerned about inclement weather and restrooms, but in practice its never been an issue. Indoors of the school are modern, neat, creative, and inspiring. - Progressive education: In this school kids are not only loved, but they are also respected and trusted to make decisions about what and how to do throughout the day. There is some structure, and the experience is always social (a kid is not alone doing puzzles), but teachers are not telling kids what to do the whole day. Instead teachers are friends and collaborators. Teachers know our kids as much as we parents know them, which is surprising at times. There are regular parent-teacher conferences, ~20 beautiful pictures of the class daily, and weekly newsletter for each class describing exciting moments of every individual kid. If you are not aware of progressive parenting and education, I highly recommend the "Unconditional Parenting" book. - Other/misc: Tinker has been very helpful with Kindergarten choice and successful application. Families and teachers are as diverse as SF. Active community of parents, organizing events and being social but without pressure. Strictest COVID and safety protocols compared to other schools (and being half/full day outdoors helps). Kids are so loving and engaged with newly joining friends, all coming to talk, touch, and hug, and teachers talking so lovingly and patiently, I remember tearing up with relief and joy on day one (our daughter went to another great daycare before covid, but after that had a bad experience in a traditional very structured academic preschool). School has been flexible and accommodating to family needs, e.g. we always drop off late in the morning. Teachers change sometimes (for good reasons), but our kids have been able to build very strong personal relationships with new teachers and with multiple teachers. There are napping and non-napping groups for everyone to be comfortable and free. read more

Our daughter has been attending Tinker since the Fall of 2019. The teachers are wonderful and go above and beyond to create an engaging, age appropriate, and caring environment. During COVID, the administration has been incredibly communicative as things have rapidly evolved, pivoting one of their offerings to a forest-only program in GG park which has been wonderful - both in finding a safe way to return to education and keeping our daughter learning and engaging with other kids. This group deeply cares about kids and goes above and beyond to take a thoughtful approach to education. Thank you Tinker! read more

This review is about the new Noe Valley location. In order to fill out an application, you're required to pay a $100 fee. We paid the fee because we were very interested in the daycare given the location and the great reputation the other locations seem to have. After taking our money, they set up a virtual tour - and didn't show up. We followed up and they asked to reschedule. Fine. We showed up to the rescheduled virtual tour, and they didn't show up again! And this happened one more time before we finally gave up. We tried to reach out to ask for our application fee back and never heard another word from them. It feels like we were scammed out of $100 without explanation or apology. Even if this was some major misunderstanding, the least they could do is reply with some sort of explanation. Based on this experience and the total lack of communication, we definitely would not trust them with caring for our child. read more

Our daughter goes to the toddler class in the Presidio location (on Geary) and we couldn't be happier! The school provide a very unique combination of reggio Emilia and forest program so the kids spend a lot of time exploring the outdoors. The school recently reopen due to COVID-19 sip and is doing a great job in keeping both the kids and the staff safe and healthy. Honestly, this is an excellent place with a warm, caring, and responsible team. read more

My 3 year old and 5 year old went to Tinker and we absolutely loved it. It is such an amazing preschool in so many ways. The teachers all have a genuine love for children and are so engaging and supportive. They encourage children to be themselves and support each child's interests in a myriad of ways. The focus on outdoor time was also one of my favorite things about Tinker. Every morning/early afternoon the class went outside and walked to different places, usually in the Presidio or Golden Gate park. They would explore the outdoors, look at bugs/birds, do facepainting, have tea parties, etc. I thought it was great how playful the teachers are. Miranda also has different artists come to the school to do arts and crafts with the kids. Overall, Tinker is a really loving, creative, fun environment and I highly recommend it! read more

Both my kids went through/are currently at Tinker Preschool on Clement. I love the outdoor program there, they are able to take full advantage of the climate here in the bay area and all the parks in the city and the surrounding neighborhoods. Teacher Jordan in particular is a standout. We've tried several preschools in SF and interacted with many pre-k teachers. I've found Teacher Jordan to be an exceptional instructor, always attentive, thoughtful, and observant of each child's developmental needs. I've also never seen any teacher have so much energy with the kids at the end of a long day as him. It's really impressive. I'm not sure what happened to the parents leaving bad reviews. I've never interacted with any of them probably because they never really spent any time at the school. It is really unfair to all the hard-working staff at Tinker for them to leave such negative remarks out of a misunderstanding without really have experienced the school. read more

We have loved our time with Tinker over the past two years and highly recommend the school!  The program is wonderful and the teachers/staff are truly amazing. Tinker offers a very solid combo of Reggio Emilia based learning and outdoor play and we love that our son is able to get outside for most of the day while we are working.   We chose the school since it is close to our home and the hours covered the whole workday and I'm so glad we did.  We thoroughly enjoy the school and the community as a whole! read more

My son started Tinker Preschool last week and he is having a blast!! He is an active boy at home. I was worried that the teachers may get scared. Instead he did extremely well in school, Big thanks to teacher Devon always greet him with big and warm smile and talking to him softly. Teacher Jules teaches him how to use building tools safely and build cool wooden objects. So far all the teachers are super loving and engaging. The most important part is they are really experienced and really know what they are doing to create such amazing program. I highly recommend everyone to check it out. read more

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Our son started attending Tinker at the age of 2. After a year and a half there, we had to leave (for logistical reasons). Months and months later, he would still talk about how he missed his Tinker friends and teachers. We are so grateful for his experience there. The teachers were all wonderful. They did so many creative activities, took advantage of all of the outdoor opportunities in SF, and created a really enriching and fun environment. Miranda and her team admirably managed through all of the changes forced by the pandemic; for that as well, we will always be grateful. read more

Words cannot describe how pleased my wife and I are with Tinker. They are amazing with son and great to work with. A special shout out to Miranda, she's amazing! read more

We are so happy that we found Tinker as the daycare for our 20 months old daughter. The forest discovery they do everyday makes me want to quite my day job and join them ;) The team is great! caring and patient, which really helped get my daughter (and us) through the first few weeks. They respected our choices for the adaptation period and shared updates to keep us comfortable, knowing that my daughter was doing well, playing, eating, sleeping and discovering! Thank you Tinker team! read more

We are so, so happy to have found Tinker! My 2.5 yo daughter started in February at the Richmond location, and she LOVES it. Every morning she asks, "Today school day???" The teachers are amazing -- warm, engaging, and so genuinely excited about working with these youngsters. I love that my daughter spends tons of time outdoors every day, does cool activities that even as a stay at home mom it's hard to find the time and energy to plan, and is learning to play happily with other kids. She barely pauses to say goodbye when I bring her to school, and races into the room to explore and play. Truly I can't say enough good things about this school! read more

My son joined Tinker in July 2020 when he was 4, as everyone was figuring out the pandemic world, and this has been the most amazing experience. The school has managed to find a great balance between safety and normalcy for the kids, and has been very supportive and positive throughout the pandemic. The kids spend most of the day outside, having adventures in the Presidio, Mountain Lake Park and Golden Gate Park, getting to know their neighborhood and developing appreciation for what San Francisco has to offer. The teachers are doing an incredible job following the children's lead by observing their interests and creating activities around them. One of the most impressive things to me has been the focus on social emotional development. The teachers work with the kids on naming and dealing with various emotions, teach them to resolve conflicts and be good friends and humans in general. Seeing your kid being excited about school every day is pretty special, and I credit Tinker for my son being virtually unscathed by the pandemic. The parents community is also great. My only wish is that we'd started Tinker earlier! read more

We feel so lucky that our 15-month-old son is a Tinker student! Not only is the staff extremely warm and caring with him, they are professional and responsive with us parents. I've watched my son start to say words, develop his social skills, and become more interested in reading since we started him at Tinker. They have my highest recommendation! read more