We are so thankful to have found this little gem. The staff are so loving and thoughtful, often…read moregoing above and beyond to give our little one a place to learn, grow, and play every day.

Couldn't ask for a more kind, loving and teachable place to bring my children to. This is truly a…read morewonderful daycare. My kids continue to learn new things on a daily basis. Amazing teachers with great spirit!

My family has had a wonderful experience at Roots N Shoots! The thought, knowledge and dedication…read moreLynn has for this school is immediately apparent when walking in the door. Everything is very well thought out and executed from the beautiful physical space she has set up inside and outside her home, the art projects the kids do, the monthly learning themes (ocean, farm, weather, etc), the guest teachers she brings in (art, yoga, etc) and the field trips they go on. One of my favorite things about Roots N Shoots is the emphasis on outdoor play and connecting with our regional natural world. The hours are also great (9-3) - really allows me to get things done and for my son to be fully immersed in the day. Plus we have met really fantastic families through Roots N Shoots. Some of our closet friends in Maine! We couldn't be happier with our son's experience.

Choosing a first school experience for your first child is a tall order. We were looking for a…read moresmall group setting with an outdoor/play focus in a comfortable, caring, nurturing, environment - something I wasn't even sure existed until we found Lynn Rutter and Roots n Shoots. We couldn't have been more pleased from the minute we walked in the door, and from our first experience with Lynn. Clearly dedicated to the early childhood experience of play and exploration as the path to authentic learning, Lynn's connection to children and her ability to create a beautiful, welcoming, engaging environment for them is beyond compare. Playing and learning in the woods, backyards and gardens; exploring the neighborhood; creating art; doing yoga; putting on performances - the kids at Roots n Shoots have the luckiest, most appropriate preschool experience I can imagine. Not only our child, but we ourselves, have made lifelong friends in the other Roots n Shoots families. I'm so happy that this is our daughter's (and hopefully, in a couple years, our son's) first experience with how wonderful school can be.

They just love your child here. Plain and simple…read more Not the fanciest daycare in history but the care and love is what matters. We had a great experience here with our infant.

This is an awesome day care, my son has been attending since he was 3 months old and I feel so…read morelucky that he is in such good hands! Marjorie and Heidi are incredible with the kids and give great advice to parents. I know my son is being well taken care of.

What a great place! The teachers/staff/owners all truly care about the kids. My husband and I have…read moreput 4 kids through Little Hands and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a daycare in the area. As our kids got older, we put them into the after-school program and that is a great spot as well. The kids are well taken care of, the activities and themes seem to keep the children engaged. When we talked to the kids about their day went, they tell us about all that they did and how they love their teachers. I always cried the day I went back to work after my maternity leaves... but it was always reassuring knowing that they were going to a place that was good for them. We recently moved to Missouri and we miss a lot about southern Maine, our kids still talk about Little Hands.

HORRENDOUS PROGRAM!!!! do not be tempted by the convenient…read morelocation. The owners are negligent on ALL accounts. We had dozens of "accident reports" to sign for both of our children within weeks of beginning the program. Bruises, cuts, inexplicable injuries on the playground....and careless excuses for each from incompetent and underpaid staff. Every week there was a new "teacher" in our children's classrooms because the owners do not know how to run a buisness in order to take care of existing staff or to attract better staff. Lots of lazy blue collar staff with no previous childcare experience. Walked into my daughters classroom to hear a young staff member yell at a 2 year old toddler to "shut up and sit down"... I brought this up immediately to the owners and they did ZERO to address the issue. We pulled our children out immediately. If I could give this facility zero stars I absolutely would.

We feel so fortunate to have our son at Creative Play House this year. He has a great time there,…read moreand, he has made definite strides in his socialization, confidence, and development. It is a wonderful, nurturing place for children and their families. Willa and Ashlee care for and guide our son in a gentle, respectful, and fun way. What's more, they have been an excellent resource for us as parents as we navigate the toddler years. Creative Play House is a truly unique place, and I have and would recommend it to any family looking for the best Preschool for their child.

It has been a ling time since my boys attended The Creative Play House Preschool, but we all…read morecontinue to have wonderful memories. I knew the boys were safe physically and emotionally. They learned a lot about playing together and I learned so much about how to positively and effectively manage two energetic boys. I would recommend the Creative Play House without reservation. It is a treasure.

There is limited parking. The facility is falling apart and really dirty. The pool frequently has…read morelast minute closures with limited opening at the best of times. The therapy pool and steam room have been closed since the pandemic. There is often no hot water in the showers. the changing rooms are freezing in the winter (the windows upstairs were left open all winter) and dangerously hot in the summer as there is no AC.The lockers are not big enough to store winter clothing and boots. The changing rooms are really dirty. The staff are nice.

Visiting from Illinois, have a universal membership, drive all the way downtown and sign-in, ask…read morefor directions to basketball courts, attendant then tells me the gym is closed (not open always), not that there is a class scheduled but it's not open...Poor service at its best! Would never recommend

My daughter has been attending this school since the summer and she really enjoys it. Breakfast is…read moreserved in the classroom and she eats lunch with her friends and teachers in the cafeteria. The classrooms are well appointed and keeps my little girl very involved. She likes her teachers a lot and comes home playing school. The school staff are always very friendly and helpful. I ask them for advice often and they are very willing to listen and provide guidance. Overall the school is a very supportive environment. The school has a nice size playground for the kids to remain active.

From the owner: As Maine's oldest child care center, we offer full-day, full-year, quality early care and education…read morefor children from 6 weeks to 5 years in our 6 classrooms. We prioritize low to moderate income families, and provide a healthy breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack. We have a great outdoor playground and take advantage of our downtown Portland location with walking field trips.