Toddle is truly such a special preschool that sees and nurtures the whole child. Our son attended Toddle for two years, and every single morning he walked into the classroom, he would absolutely beam - both from excitement to play with his teachers and friends, and also with pride knowing he was seen as an important part of the community. The school is intentionally small to maintain an amazing student teacher ratio, and the entire little school is thoughtfully designed for independent, creative, collaborative, open-ended play - with a beautiful outdoor space as well. Very Montessori in feel. The curriculum at Toddle is student-inspired, evolving based on the children's' interests (from anatomy to forests to outer space), and hands on. The lessons are creative and engaging - My son has brought home handmade treehouses, a paper model of the lungs (complete with straws to inflate), a miniature planet diagram, just to name a few. When the students were learning about forests, the teachers introduced this idea that the kids could earn a paper leaf for doing an act of kindness -- by the end of the quarter the ceiling was covered in leaves. It not only transformed the classroom into a beautiful forest to match the curriculum, but the students had a physical reminder of all the kindness they had showed to one another. Most importantly, to me, is how Toddle has bolstered my son's confidence through the respect, independence, healthy challenges, sense of community, and belonging the school offers. He is greeted with such warmth from the teachers each morning, the students are respectful to one other because that is the clear expectation, and my son takes pride in his daily jobs and responsibilities-- it's all added up to giving him an incredible baseline for his schooling for years to come. I can't say enough positive things about the Toddle ethos and approach to preschool education. read more

See all

I can't say enough good things about Toddle. Both of my children have attended from the time they were 2 all the way until they graduated to TK/Kindergarten, and honestly, leaving this school feels like leaving family. It is definitely not your "standard" daycare setup--it's a deeply nurturing preschool that is 100% invested in making sure kids are emotionally and academically ready for the big transition to elementary school. What really sets them apart: - The Head Teacher is a "Child Whisperer": She is essentially a child psychologist in disguise. She has this amazing ability to understand each child's unique personality and meet them exactly where they are. - Incredible Hands-on Projects: They do the coolest activities I've ever seen. My favorites were when the kids made actual paper from wood chips and a project where every child picked their favorite food and the whole class learned how to cook it. - STEM & Music: They do a ton of anatomy lessons through play, and they even have a dedicated music teacher who comes in weekly. - Deep Parent Involvement: They hold regular family conferences to discuss how your child is doing both at school and at home. You never feel out of the loop. - The Community: Between the parent meet-and-greets and the sweet student gift exchanges at Christmas, we've made real friends here. If you are looking for a place that treats your child as an individual and makes learning feel like an adventure, Toddles is it. We're going to miss them so much! read more

Very disappointed. Unfortunately, I did not feel that the caregivers were adequately prepared or capable of properly supervising and caring for the children. My child was bitten very badly on her chest twice within the same week while under their supervision! I know incidents happen but twice on the same week? No thank you. As a parent, safety and trust are everything. read more

We love this school so much! Teacher Maria and her team do such an amazing job with the students at Toddle. We've had two kids attend Toddle and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to other parents. The teachers at Toddle are the wonderful, particularly Teacher Maria. You can tell that they care deeply about each student and really get to know them as individuals. They build in thoughtful aspects of the school routine to get kids comfortable, which is so helpful at preschool age. For example, staggered drop-offs (only a few kids arrive at each time window) allow for each kid to get some individual attention and help keep parent goodbyes cheerful and confident. Teacher Maria is experienced at helping with major adjustments like changes in nap schedules, getting solidified with potty training, and navigating new social situations with classmates. Each year, there are different curriculum themes that spark interest in learning and goes into impressive depth. For example, when learning about neighborhoods and community, my son's class built a giant cardboard model of Menlo Park and nearby towns, including learning architectural principles (what is a foundation?) and designing their own buildings. When learning about outer space, they went way beyond just basic planets and discussed the life cycle of a star, dwarf planets, and more... I was pleasantly surprised to be on the receiving end of my 4-year-old's lecture about nebulae. This year, my daughter is learning all about the human body and has made functional models of the heart and lungs, played with stethoscopes, and loves her sponge model showing the layers of the skin. She is so excited about capillaries. Although they learn a ton, it's all very play-based and age-appropriate... think hands-on models and exploration, not rote memorization. One of our goals for early school years is to cultivate a love of learning, and Toddle definitely achieves this. In addition to all this theme-oriented discovery, students practice basics in preparation for writing (horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines, putting together pieces of letters, etc.) and other foundational literacy/number skills. Although their facility is compact, the classroom space is well-utilized and the kids are able to run around and play outside. Toddle is a small school, so you get to know the other kids and their families. There are "Toddle Time" parent meetups about once a month, where parents can chat or ask questions with Teacher Maria. She's also always open to meet and discuss any questions or concerns on an individual basis. We can't say enough wonderful things about Teacher Maria and Toddle. Highly recommend! read more

My wife and I booked a tour, took a half day off work to make it. When we arrived we were shocked to learn that they had double booked that time and their excuse was that we didnt have an online test result (we had our paper copy of the test with us). They didnt bother to communicate with us on the email thread that we had to avoid wasting our whole day. The personel were very unprofessional and not welcoming. This was nowhere near the nice experience in the other preschools we toured and probably explains why this place is not popular. On a side note, the location is basically a small house with little room for children to play. read more

Oh how we love Toddle! A year ago we moved not too far from the school and had a panic attack. We had been scared by all our friends that we needed to sign our daughter up for preschool when she was like an embryo so we had put down a deposit for another school closer to our last home. Now that we moved it didn't make sense to drive her to Palo Alto everyday when we both worked and it was in the opposite direction. We assumed we would have to be creative for a while until we got off the waitlist but Toddle was able to accommodate right away! Our daughter flourished in this school and made so many wonderful adorable friends. I ended up being the class mom - not because I had the time, but because I loved it there so much. Our daughter is now in a program that goes to 5th grade but we couldn't say better things about this place and our son will be attending starting next month! read more

Toddle felt right from the beginning of our tour. It is modern, fresh, eco-friendly and smart. Maria, a director and a teacher is so professional, organized and warm! Amy and Heather, the owners are so welcoming, friendly and efficient! We got all support and information. The registration was easy! Toddle is a flexible playcare and a preschool. You choose what works for you. Flexible playcare was a right choice for us as our son is not 3 years old yet and he loves open play. But open play doesn't mean just open play it is a quality, smart playing with interaction and care of the teachers, socializing with playmates. I like how Maria, the teacher talks to children using clear and kind language, giving them hugs, smiling and also teaching them to be organized by putting activities back where they took them from, reading a book and doing a project connected with the subject from the book, making sure kids eat together and also have fun playing and learning and using nature materials for different projects. Toddle is so cute and trendy. It feels just right, smart, safe and fresh! My son is happy going there and crashes for a nap while we drive back from Toddle. His socks are sandy when I take them off while he is napping, it means he played with sand in the backyard-it is small but functional. read more

See all

Thank you Toddle, in particular Maria and Samantha! Toddle helped to educate, foster and support my 3 year old through a tough time. Their guidance and care goes beyond a dollar value and layered a foundation of social confidence in my son that will be realized through his life. Thank you Toddle, will never forget! read more

Tried to reach out and get information regarding the daycare. I followed the instructions and filled out the application they needed. I emailed the director per the email instructions and a week later I got the same automated response from the director. I replied that I had filled out an application and I am still waiting for a response almost 2 weeks after completing the application. If there is no space, please just let me know. Very disappointing and will not be recommending to other parents of toddlers in the area. read more

I can't believe I haven't written a review for Toddle yet. My 4-year-old daughter a 2-year-old son have been here since our family moved to Menlo Park in the Fall. They LOVE coming to school here. I love having them at school here. Why? 1. Flexibility. I can schedule to drop one or both of my children off regularly or occasionally. If I have an appointment coming up the next day and I forgot to set up care, most of the time I can reserve at Toddle last-minute to drop them off for a couple of hours if there is space. 2. Amazing teachers. We adore every teacher here. My daughter always runs up to Teacher Maria and gives her hugs. She talks about her often. Teachers Samantha and Lilia are often the there when my kids are dropped off, and they are warm, professional, and kind. 3. Building good habits. The staff encourage children towards independence. The entire location is set up so that kids can put toys away themselves, wash their own hands, and learn to potty train. The teachers are diligent in patiently directing the kids towards responsibility. 4. High quality educational toys. There are many educational toys and puzzles here that I have on my Christmas list for our kids at home. They are high quality, made of natural materials, and always a favorite with the kids. 5. Clean space. The building is immaculate and fresh. My children never come home sick. Long story short, I am thrilled to have found this gem in West Menlo. read more

We have been sending our kids to Toddle on and off for the past four years, both on a drop-in basis when our older kids' elementary school is on break, and as a set weekly "2's" preschool. We wanted an environment that was safe, nurturing and flexible. We got that and SO MUCH MORE from the Toddle team. There is a warmth and energy there that I have rarely seen so consistently at other preschools, and they truly know each and every child (I took advantage of the optional parent-teacher conferences and was blown away by how thorough they were, even for a 2-year-old). These are talented teachers who love what they do, and it shows every day. And a program that closes a total of about 5 weekdays all year?!? Amazing. We will miss Toddle and are so grateful to have started two of our kids' education journeys there. read more

We tried Toddle today for the first time. I had a last minute (well 3 hour heads up) that I needed childcare for my 4.5 year old. I registered, reserved my time slot (lots easier than I expected), emailed a question...received an immediate email response back and had time to shower, pack a lunch and get him over there! He had a great time! I was impressed with how much "school structured" fun learning there was - it wasn't just a free for all. Great for kids getting ready to go into a school environment. Since my son has been in preschool elsewhere for a year and a half now he knows the drill so he slid right in. What a relief. Teacher Maria was very engaging and really treated the whole group as a class - I really liked that. They were also clearly working on their social skills - when we arrived she introduced Marco and they all said hi - and then they all said good-bye to him as he left so he felt special. It is so much more than a daycare - even though I needed last minute child care today - I was using it as daycare and was pleasantly surprised! We will be back! Heather B. read more

My toddler told me that she hated Toddle and was lonely at school. She is at a new preschool that she adores with engaged educators (teachers who love to learn with kids). She loves it so much she requested to go full-time. She has friends, builds crazy tall block structures, sings Beatles songs, and she's able to express herself in ways that were not fostered at Toddle. This really bothers me because Teacher Maria told us our daughter wasn't very social when in fact, the school didn't do anything to encourage her. We found the teacher parent conferences to be a joke, Teacher Maria only told us what we already knew about our daughter but we know our limitations. As nerds, we have her IQ covered so we value fostering her EQ. Yet, we often found her playing alone in the sandbox or playing by herself. We were told we should increase the number of days at the preschool but that didn't make it better. I arrived one day and several girls had made a castle with cones and my daughter wanted to play with one of the cones. The teachers were completely absent in this exchange (they were standing a couple of paces from me) so I walked the girls through this small social exchange. I thought these were just a few incidents until recently my daughter randomly told me she never wanted to go back to Toddle. It's rather heart breaking to hear her speak about it. I wish I listened to my gut. All the red flags were there. If anything I hope this review helps with a discussion that Montessori principles does not mean hands off in every situation. Toddlers need social guidance, they look to us and we need to help them how to listen and collaborate with each other even in the small situations. It all adds up. Let's hope we can avoid a Trumpian future for our kids. read more

Called and emailed for months and have not heard from a soul. Very unfortunate as this school looks amazing g! I'm thinking something is not working quite right with this business at this moment. Maybe next time. read more

We use toddle for our 3.5 year old. There are so many reasons I love this school but I'll just say a few key points here for potential parents. They are extremely flexible, drop off times are personalized for each child and while as unorthodox, this actually seems to make transitions easier on children. They have more attention when going in or leaving. I've been asked if my daughter has any consistency with children there, and from our experience, it seems like a good portion of children are on the same schedule so she sees the same kids regularly. I know this because she talks about the same friends every week with new ones every so often. Another important thing to me, this place is CLEAN. I have a one year old at home as well and I have actually never seen such a well kept facility. As parents we know we can't avoid bringing home colds and stuff, but their diligence actually really does have an impact on what my three year old is bringing home and exposing to my one year old. This preschool is a nut free and peanut free facility. As a mom to children with NO allergies, this can be a pain in the rear, sure, but the thing that's key to me is the idea behind it that they LIVE by. Every child walking in that door has the schools concern over their wellbeing. This idea extends into everything, not just the allergy concerns. They care about everyone's health. They want to keep all the children safe and go above and beyond to ensure that. So as a parent, I'm happy to comply knowing it's not the only area they keep safe for kids. My daughter has a foot concern and can't go into sandboxes barefoot. They take the time they need to switch her shoes instead of letting her in the sandbox barefoot. I'm sure it's a bit of an extra pain, but they do it. Gladly. There are many other reasons we use toddle, like the small child teacher ratio, the academic philosophy they follow, but basically... if you are a concerned parent who does want the best for their child, toddle is a solid choice. Excited to continue on with our youngest as well. read more

I heard about Toddle from two girlfriends, who like me have two year olds and no home-help. They raved about it and I have to say that having used it I must agree that it is AMAZING! I agree with all the 5-star comments above. My two and five year old have been several times and both exited delighted. The facilities are clean and well-maintained, the staff are warm, kind and know how to engage children and the toys and activities are tailored to the different age groups. Maria and Samantha are brilliant with my daughter and made her feel very comfortable on her first few visits when she was bit nervous about being left. The registration is easy and reservations very simple and all done online. It is great for someone like me who just needs ad-hoc help every so often and it has saved my bacon on more than one occasion! Amy and Heather, the owners, are also very friendly and accommodating. In short I am really impressed with Toddle and would wholeheartedly recommend it. read more

My son loves this school! My husband and I visited about 7 preschools and I have to say that this school was at the top of the list! All of the toys are up-to-date STEM/learning toys, the school is very clean, and the teachers are actual licensed teachers who truly care about the students. The kids are always having fun here! I always see fun and engaging activities happening and I always see smiling faces whenever I drop my son off and pick him up! I also really like the flexibility that this school offers. read more

I was in a bind with childcare last week while my 3 year old's preschool was closed. Luckily, I had heard about Toddle, the new flex time preschool/drop in play spot for preschoolers in West Menlo Park and sent her there for 3 half days. I cannot say enough positive things about Toddle. The facility is clean, well designed, and has great age-appropriate items for the children to explore. And the Director/head teacher Maria was just incredible. She was so helpful the first morning when my daughter was ambivalent about my leaving (she had such a good time, the other days' drop offs were uneventful), she was really engaging with the children, and I even got emails with descriptions and photos about my daughter's time there. I have no affiliation with this place; just a very happy customer who wants to see this place succeed. read more

Enrolled our 3.5 year old son in the school program and we have been very pleased. He looks forward to going to school. The curriculum, teachers, facility, events and activities have all been exceptional. It would be difficult to find a better place for kids this age in Menlo Park. read more

Love love love this preschool for our kids ages 3&4! It's so helpful to offer flexible school time for toddlers especially how life can change on an instant! We can schedule or cancel a class 24 hours in advance! Also, the teachers and staff are so wonderful! It is organized, clean and most importantly they have a fun and loving environment for the kids! Truly a Gem! read more

My 4.5 year old son has been attending drop in care at Toddle over the last two years when his regular school is closed and as training when he was adjusting to being left at preschool. He has a wonderful time at Toddle which has interesting materials and activities for children daily, wonderful teachers, and is very clean and organized. read more

I am so impressed with Toddle. We were in town for an unplanned long visit to be with family, and we wanted a place to send our 3 year old for a few days a week. Toddle accommodated us easily and quickly. Our daughter had so much fun, the facility is clean and inviting, and the teachers are excellent. One of the best features is the flexible schedule. The ability to choose a start time at any point during the day is invaluable. We will definitely use Toddle again. read more