Kindercare on Huron blvd is a well-run, reliable, and convenient place to bring your child. First…read moreof all, the center director and co-director, Brittany and Kayla, are fine, professional, and caring people with a staff that mostly follows their example. If you work at the UMN you'll have the added benefit of using their parking lot to store your car while you work, UMN charges $160/month for a spot just blocks away! Your child will receive multiple meals as opposed to other centers that charge extra or make you provide meals. Only downsides are the expense and some rooms seem to have a high-turnover rate.

KinderCare's drop-in care is an absolute God-send! My 2-year-old son's father and I have a unique…read moreschedule between him, so full-time, and even strict part-time daycare isn't much of an option for us. He had been attending another daycare with drop-in care outside of the cities, which was going alright aside from the distance away from work/home. However, when I called them on this last Monday, they were unable to get him in, and weren't sure if they were staffed enough to get him in any time soon, and couldn't give me any answers as to when they would be able to. Meanwhile, this is two months after I have fully registered him, and he has been there for a few weeks and started to get comfortable. So there I was, without childcare, and frantic. I called KinderCare late that Monday afternoon, after reading about them online, I spoke with Kayla on the phone and she was extremely helpful, put me at ease about everything, and was able to get my son in the next day and for the rest of the week with no problems, in their Discovery Preschool area. They made it very easy to get him in on such short notice, and I felt extremely comfortable with my son going there. He enjoyed his time there, and the staff kept me very informed and welcomed to all of the goings-on while my son was in their care. I would recommend their drop-in care to anyone I know who is in need of childcare at a short notice. They made my entire week better. And I will now be sending my son there on a more regular basis.

Our daughter began attending the Cradle Club in downtown Minneapolis in October 2019 when she was…read morejust six months old. To say I was nervous about placing her in someone else's care would be to put it mildly. We had done our research and toured multiple facilities and just kept coming back to Cradle Club and the feeling we had from our tour, during which Sharita knew each of the children by name, the children seemed happy and excited about learning and playing and the teachers also seemed to be enjoying their time. The experience felt personal and as if we would be joining a family and a village that would help us raise and care for our little girl. We made the right choice. The teachers and the directors helped with the transition from my maternity leave to daycare and welcomed our daughter in such a way that she and we grew to love bringing her to school each day. The teachers truly care about the children and greet them with joy and huge smiles and excitement for the day ahead. The attention to detail and individual needs is evidenced by the care that goes into moving up to older classrooms and ensuring that we as parents feel heard and our child's needs are met. I would highly recommend Cradle Club!

We've sent our toddler to the Minneapolis Cradle Club location since she was 5 months old. She…read moreabsolutely loves her friends and all her activities (playground, art, songs, dramatic play, Spanish, etc.) in the toddler room. We love Cradle Club all-around - her teachers have all been wonderful, and we've always felt that it has a much more personable, "family" feeling than the average center (and very different from some of the more corporate-feeling centers we toured!). We couldn't be happier!

I adore The Little School! My son has been going here for about 1.5 years, first in the older…read moretoddler room and now in the preschool. My 7 month old also just started in the infant room. The teachers here - and owner Erin! - are absolutely the warmest, kindest, and most genuine people. I'm constantly amazed at the creativity they put into each day for the kids: from building forts, to the dramatic play station, to themed crafts and working on letters and counting, they do such a wonderful job at providing an environment that is fun and safe. And the ratios! You truly can't beat them. The fact that there are only 3 (!) babies in their infant room and 4 toddlers in each group (younger and older) is something you just don't see anywhere else. I also love the parents here, several of whom have become "real life" friends! It's such a joy hearing all the stories of his day from my preschooler, it's obvious how much he loves his teachers and this school. Highly, highly, highly recommend!

The Little School came highly recommended from a close family member who had her two children…read moreattend. It seemed to be fate that there happened to be an opening that came up when my daughter turned two and a half, just in time to start the preschool program. The philosophy and teaching methods that this school bases itself upon are far superior from absolutely every other preschool that we looked in to. The staff consistently maintains an overall higher level of expectation for these kids. Which was so impressive to me because at such an impressionable age these young kids are being held accountable for themselves. They take such pride in the work that they accomplish either by themselves or in a group. They are respectful of not only the boundaries of their peers, but more importantly of themselves. As a result they are rewarded by having more freedom in their choices. From science lessons, to music class, yoga, art classes, dramatic play (my daughters fave!), weekly sharing day, to hearing what creative game they made up that day while playing outside. The amazing staff, conferences & daily progress reports, the ever so anticipated Halloween party, and sincerely wonderful families and parents, I could go on forever. Overall the three years at The Little School was a tremendously positive experience for our whole family. We now have a first grader who is reading at a fourth grade level with impressive comprehension skills. As well as going above and beyond her schools curriculum in math and science. I'm so proud of her, and I attribute so much of her early successes to her time at The Little School.

I could not recommend this school more. The teachers, leadership and support team truly care for…read moreand love our child. The curriculum is the perfect mix of fundamentals, life skills and free play and it truly brings a warm feeling in my heart to see how much our child enjoys their time here. Leadership is open to parental feedback and questions and they actually act on feedback to ensure that the whole experience is seamless. Not to mention, they use an app that sends pictures, video and update throughout the day which makes me feel connected to our child even though I am not there.

TLDR: The Gardner School is an amazing daycare and I could not recommend it more highly! The…read moreteachers and administrators are wonderful and there is no one I would trust more with caring for my child. Long review: My wife and I enrolled our child in the toddler program at the Gardner School ("TGS") after relocating to Minneapolis from Manhattan and having a lackluster experience with a lower cost corporate/chain daycare provider in Minneapolis. (In NYC, our child attended a large, national chain that provided OK care for an insanely high price.) The difference between TGS and the MSP chain daycare is night and day. At the old daycare, classrooms had a 7:1 student/teacher ratio, though they often would combine three different classrooms for morning activities. (While they technically were "in ratio," having 21 toddlers supervised by three adults was chaotic.) Children received almost no individualized attention and the facilities were messy and disorganized by the end of the day. Communication between the teachers/administrators and families was practically non-existent and we often had no idea who would be watching our child at any given time. Some of the teachers seemed to be overwhelmed or otherwise incapable of caring for the children. No efforts were made to formally introduce our child to classmates or my wife and I to the other parents. At the Gardner School, the ratios are much lower (5:1) and children receive an incredible amount of individual attention. The facilities are impressive and immaculate. Most important, the teachers are extremely professional and personally invested in the students. We get detailed updates on how our child is doing every day, including developmental milestones. The food is actually healthy (and not just carbs and sugar like the old daycare). The curriculum is important and not simply an afterthought. The teachers and administrators know all of the parents by name and are helpful, professional, organized, and friendly. We are greeted by name and with a smile when we come and go every day. Any changes or upcoming events are communicated clearly and in advance. Though the tuition is meaningfully higher than the other daycare, we have found that it is well worth the money. TGS has exceeded all of our expectations and we couldn't be happier with the care and service they provide.

Good information on site. Wonderful location…read more Great teaching practices for children. I so love nature base education.

I sought out The Forest School of Minnesota because my son loves being outside. He's now been part…read moreof the school for 9 months. He loves it. He always comes home happy and shares his experiences of the day. He has learned better manners than I would have taught him at home. We have had only positive experiences with the teachers at the school.Having an older child, I've had a few interactions with preschool faculty in Minneapolis. I've been more than pleased with the honesty that Michele has provided me in regards to my son's abilities and personality. It is a very good fit for our family. The environment is supportive of reaching one's full potential. There is also a reverence for imagination and childhood all while preparing kids for kindergarten.

I have a child one of the 2 infant rooms, and I am so incredibly impressed with the…read moreprofessionalism, friendliness, and generosity of the staff at St. Peter's. His two lead teachers are former elementary teachers and the environment is inviting AND ridiculously clean. Everyone I have come into contact with at St. Peters has been both competent and kind. I also really appreciate their high-tech security/check-in system. I would not hesitate to recommend St. Peters for anyone looking for child care.

My child recently started in one of the infant rooms. We signed up when I was in the first…read moretrimester and the wait was 11 months but it was well worth the wait!! If you are pregnant, get on the waiting list asap. When we toured St.Peter's we knew right away this was where we wanted our son. The facilities are beyond anything you will find for child care. It is clean. They have a HUGE gymnasium where the kids can have recess in the winter or when it's rainy. There are balls, toys, trykes for them to ride, etc. This is something we didn't find ANYWHERE else. And in Minnesota, a space for kids to run around indoors is so essential. They also have a muscle room for the kids who are just learning to move around. There are safe objects for them to climb on. Often times at pickup I will see kids riding around in the buggies down the halls just for a change of scenery while they wait for their parents. I think in the summer they walk back and forth outside on the sidewalk out front. The infant room has volunteer grandmothers that come and rock babies, our son gets a ton more attention than he did at the daycare we used while waiting for his spot at St.Peters. The grandmas enjoy holding him when he naps at times, even though it's not necessary, they just like to. I drop in sometimes and visit my son. Most of the times I've come he's being held or he's playing and happy. (they do not ususally know I'm coming) The atmosphere is inviting and the staff and volunteers display so much love for the kids it makes my heart happy to witness. In the short time he's been there they have done multiple art projects. The kids go to chapel on a regular basis as well. Tonight is a christmas concert that the children are putting on for the parents. They have parent aware nights where you can meet other parents and everyone does some type of volunteer activity together. The last one was making meals for people less fortunate. When we started we received a welcome bag with lots of fun stuff including a hand made knitted blanket. I mean I could go on and on all day. This place has exceeded our wildest expectations and knowing what childcare can be like elsewhere I sometimes have to pinch myself that this is real life. Since starting, my baby boy has not giggled and smiled so much in his entire life. I can tell he is truely happy here.

I have had children at Casa de Corazon since it opened in 2010. The thing that stands out from…read moreother options is the extremely positive and loving environment. There is good communication and a strong curriculum. The atmosphere supports family wellbeing through providing cloth diapers, providing organic food heavy on fruits and veggies, and even storing breastmilk in their freezer or fridge and handling the milk as they provide bottles. They are very open to feedback and work on continuous improvement. Some areas that could use improvement include: 1. A long waiting list with poor forecasting of openings - call or email weekly if you are determined to enroll. 2. Higher than desired teacher turn over which they are actively working on improving with benefit improvements and offering continued education to teachers. 3. Spanish is not spoken 100% in the classroom which I personally believe should be their goal at all levels. 4. They post a minimum amount of "sufficient" breastmilk to be required which is on the high end of average and is more than My babies needed and more than I ever sent. Despite these opportunities they treat and love the children as individuals and are very willing to work with families to meet their needs.

Our son attended Casa de Corazon Kingfield on Nicollet for almost 1 year, starting in Infant A and…read moreending in Toddler B. I wanted so badly for Casa to work for us, unfortunately, we just never were able to make that happen. I know that this review is in stark contrast to every other review, but I'm hoping to give one perspective so that people can make a truly informed decision. The benefits are pretty clear: organic food, multicultural curriculum, Spanish language immersion, and for us, it was close to home. Here are the downsides and why we chose to move to a different childcare center: 1. The program is not only Spanish immersion for the children, but also the parents. The teachers speak little to no English which makes communicating about very basic things like how our child's day was, did he eat, how is she sleeping, etc. impossible. The directors do speak English, however, they are always running around highly stressed talking on walkie talkies and do not have time to communicate. I understood when we chose Casa that it would be Spanish immersion for our son, I didn't realize communication as a non-Spanish speaking parent would be so incredibly challenging. It's entirely possible that if we, as parents, spoke Spanish, we would have had a very different experience. 2. They take the maximum number of children to teacher ratio allowed by the state and always seem overworked and very stressed - especially the directors. Voicemails and emails went without response for days - sometimes not responded to at all until I emailed or called again. The app that they use to communicate to parents about their child throughout the day is perfunctory at best. While it gives a general overview of what the kids are doing, you will get no specific feedback on your individual child and any message you want to send to the teacher through the app goes without response. 3. The parking situation is a nuisance at best and incredibly dangerous at worst. There is only parking on Nicollet Ave with zero crosswalks to the school. Parents jaywalk, block traffic, and are ridiculously aggressive for parking spots. I was almost hit multiple times by other parents swerving into or cutting me off for parking spaces - imagine Hunger Games but with over caffeinated, under appreciated and sleep deprived caretakers to little Id driven beings - it's not pretty. 4. Lastly, the teachers are inconsistent. It's luck of the draw if you get a kind caring teacher. Our infant teachers were amazing but his morning toddler room teacher was a bit of nightmare - cold, defensive, never once said even an "hola" to me when I dropped off my son. Coincidentally, my son started screaming in the mornings on school days and would latch onto me when I brought him into his classroom shortly after he transitioned to this teacher's room. Thankfully, the other teachers later in the day seemed much more pleasant and caring. The point is, there's really no consistency in the quality of teacher you will get. They also transition in and out of classrooms frequently so the good news is that if you do not like the teacher, they will probably change. Take all of this for what it's worth. There are many reviews to the contrary, this is simply one perspective based on our experience. Hope it helps give a more 360 view of Casa.

We love Casa! It's a big warm family, and I know my children are exceptionally taken care. On top…read moreof learning another language, they learn about different cultures and countries, eat fresh and organic meals, make art projects and have a ton of "fun days" like water days outside or dress up days. And most importantly, it is clear that at Casa they are loved. I wouldn't send my children anywhere else.

Our son has been enrolled at the Centennial Lakes location for about a year and we have been SO…read moreimpressed by the care he's received. As a first time mom, I was anxious about bringing him to daycare but, right from the start, the teachers and center leadership showed amazing attention and care. The teachers are dedicated, the leadership team is strong, and the center itself is beautiful and engaging for my young child. Everyone knows my child's name and is so welcoming. I know that he loves to go to Casa and I feel relieved he's enjoying his time there. I truly cannot say enough good things about the Centennial Lakes Casa team! We are switching to a new location for convenience am I am hopeful he will have the same, amazing experience there. Gracias, Casa!

This is truly the best daycare and preschool I know. Before enrolling my child at Paidea, I toured…read moreand interviewed 17 daycares in the surrounding area. Paidea stood out immediately for so many reasons. The staff is loving, caring, and deeply hands-on with the children, creating an environment that feels warm, welcoming, and like a second home. The school is clean, safe, and stimulating, with thoughtful activities that keep children engaged, learning, and excited to come each day. The teachers are kind, supportive, and genuinely invested in every child's well-being. What makes Paidea especially special is that every staff member is involved--it feels like a true community that is nurturing, helpful, and fun, always going the extra mile to support not only the children, but the whole family. My child has truly thrived here, receiving educational, emotional, and social support, and I feel complete confidence knowing he is in the best hands. In addition, my older son attends the summer program and absolutely loves it. It offers the same strong sense of community while giving him the chance to learn so much and have a wonderful time. I wholeheartedly recommend Paidea to any family looking for a place where their children will be cared for, supported, and encouraged to flourish.

Best place ever for our child. She is loved, safe, and learning SO MUCH. Everyone here is so…read morewonderful and you can tell they LOVE THEIR JOBS! And love all the kids. We are so thankful to have found this place. Highly recommend checking them out!

Our daughter absolutely loved being at Captain Kids! It felt like dropping her off with family…read more Rosa and Paul are excellent with the kids and obviously care for them a lot. And, to echo the previous review, I am continually amazed at how clean and organized it is.

Rosa is amazing! She so clearly loves what she does and loves the kids. My kiddo doesn't want to…read moreleave at the end of the day! He will reach out for one more hug from her. Her daycare is so clean and organized. Every day my one year old comes home with a completely clean outfit (no small feat if you know what toddlers are like) and a smile on his face. Definitely recommend!