My daughter started at Busy Bears at 4 months (was at KinderCare for a month after I returned to…read morework) and she'll be turning 2 soon. She loves her teachers and we're really sad to leave (but alas, moving cross country). I echo the other reviewers and thought I'd add a few things. Open: Aside from stat holidays, Busy Bears is almost always open! Through the multiple snow and wind storms this past winter (and spring), it was closed 1 additional day (whereas I think the public schools closed in total 7 days?) and that was a precaution for power outage. They have a good backup system for teachers that are away or ill. Also have great hours (7am-6pm). Both my husband and I work full time so this was a great plus for us. Projects: With an at home day care, you get a wider mix of ages, which means more limited activities and 'projects' when they're infants not moving around yet, but great of observing and learning from the older kids (and interacting with them once they're mobile). For example, while the older kids may do art projects more often, don't expect that from your infant (which, compared to KinderCare where your child is likely in a class of just infants, I found the teachers there actually spend the time and resources to do a weekly art project - not sure how it's done when my kid couldn't sit on her own... but I was also paying close to double the cost...). Food: Once your kiddo turns one (unless you tell the teachers otherwise and want to send in food), all (breakfast and lunch) meals and snacks are provided! They do enjoy sugary treats and popsicles on special occasions (eg. a kid's birthday or holiday party), again unless you let the teachers know otherwise, and the kids get a small cookie when they get picked up, but otherwise the meals and snacks are healthy and well balanced (much better than I'd have the time to prep) and they send out a monthly menu at the beginning of each month. Outside: At both the Teddy Bears and Busy Bears location, they have outdoor play space weather permitting. Note that they won't bundle up the kids to have them play outside when it's cold so they barely have outside time in the winter/spring if you care about that (I didn't). Naps: Again because of the mixed ages, they try to get everyone on the same nap schedule as soon as possible. This meant my daughter transitioned to just 1 nap by pretty early on (on the weekends, she'd still do 2 naps at home), but she seemed ok and flexible on that front. Bonus is she now typically naps ~2 hours after lunch every day. Friends: It's awesome to see my daughter make friends and interact with the other kids and teachers. From what I can tell, all the 18mo+ kids know each other names and whose parents are walking up the driveway to pick up which kid. It's super cute. I can always get either Chester or Clara (the owners) on the phone if I have questions, loving teachers and great value for what you pay. All in all, a great day care.

Years later Teddy Bear Daycare continues to provide our children the most amazing care. We are now…read moresending our third child to Ms Luz and Mr Chris! We have had such a wonderful experience with this daycare. The staff is incredibly kind, patient, and truly caring with the children. My kids are excited to go each day, and we've seen so much growth socially and developmentally since starting here. The communication is excellent and the teachers genuinely make each child feel special and safe. We're so grateful for the love and attention they show every day. Highly recommend this daycare to any family looking for a nurturing, reliable, and positive environment!

i can't say enough good things about GNS. our son has thrived during his first year there and we're…read moreenthusiastically sending him back for a second. the curriculum is rooted in play and emotional growth, rather than "ABCs and 123s." the faculty is excellent and they make amazing use of their interior and exterior spaces. the co-op aspect also makes you feel like you're taking part in your kid's education. great community of people, too. here's another way to put it: my wife went there 30 years ago and loved it so much, we went out of our way to make sure our son got to go too.

Recently became a parent at GNS via the Cambridge Preschool Program (CPP)…read more I had many reasons to be nervous about my kiddo starting preschool - pretty big aversion to playing with other children, having essentially no daycare/nanny experience, loud "no school!" when the idea was brought up periodically in attempts to make it less foreign, being a picky eater, etc. True story - when we did a classroom visit, where families can come and see the school, be in the classrooms, and meet the teachers, my kiddo said "why do I like school?" 5 minutes into it and the rest is history (currently in the making). The thought "oh, I can leave my kiddo here" came to me pretty unexpectedly and clearly during that visit, and I legit got pretty emotional. The other reviews ring true. If GNS interests you even a little bit, I highly recommend that you check it out for yourself.

It's been years since I sent my son to The Learning Circle,…read morebut I'm still left with a terrible taste in my mouth pertaining to the administrative staff and owner. I watched the owner take advantage of both parents and employees during the COVID childcare crisis. Trusting toddlers to their own devices is the only thing I'd recommend less than trusting the owner with your hard earned money. If you need childcare and cannot get a spot anywhere else, The Learning Circle makes its case for a lackluster temporary alternative. They've purchased positive reviews on other review sites, which makes me cringe at the lack of responsibility they're willing to take for improved business practices.

My son has been with The Learning Circle--Somerville since the age of 7 months. He is now 3.2 years…read moreold and has started to show some unwanted behavior. To help guide my son to behave in better ways, the directors and I met about implementing a behavior plan. However, * The daily sheets they sent home each day critiqued the undesirable behavior and never recognized the improvements my son made over a short period of time * One week after creating a behavior plan, my son was having a difficult week and exhibited more of the unwanted behavior. I was never given the opportunity to schedule a time to meet with the directors about this matter in person, the meeting time had to be on their terms. As a single working mom, that was not an option. * The directors never followed through with the plan, instead they expelled my 3-year-old son from the preschool program by email (with less than 24 hrs notice at midnight). The least acceptable option to inform me of the expulsion should have been a phone call, not an email. The best and most professional way to inform me would have been an in person meeting.

I know it is only our third day at the Northpoint location, but I'm already in love…read more How did we get so lucky? This preschool is by-the-books perfect and if our 13 month could talk, he'd say "DAH" which means "I'm so happy here!" POTA is a Jewish preschool, modeled on the Reggio Emillia philosophy of letting children explore and experience rather than passively learn. This has been great to witness, as my son was in a different daycare for two weeks and while I liked the arts component there, he was more often following along and watching than going after the things that intrigued him. POTA has so many sensory exploration stations, and quiet nooks, plus big windows, wooden furniture and floors and colorful art all around. There are currently 6 kids in his class and 3 teachers, though there is room for up to 9 students at a time. Every day is a different art module. Today I was able to sit in during music with Mr. Owen, which was a short, sweet session of songs, movement, shakers and a stuffed dinosaur. Afterwards, the kids were given permission to explore his guitar. The most comforting part of this experience so far, apart from the fact that my son doesn't cry when I pick him up (which is a new thing) but just smiles and seems excited to see me, is the STELLAR communication from the staff. We were able to FaceTime our tour even before we moved to the area. We have received prompt replies to all emails. We've been mailed fridge magnets with helpful dates for social activities - yes, community is also a strong value of this school, and not just for the children! - as well as a welcome card from the teachers. The daily reports are thoughtful and clearly reflect what my son has eaten, when he has slept and how it went, and how many times he's gone to the bathroom. It isn't a drop-down menu like similar apps that daycares use, so I feel like the teachers are really paying more attention to what they report. The directors are easily reached by text or phone and also so prompt in replying to every question I've had. Lastly, I appreciate that the kids are learning about Jewish Holidays and that the calendar aligns so that we can celebrate as a family and not have my son miss any school. The teachers are called "morah" which is the Hebrew word for "teacher", so there is a slight exposure to Hebrew which is great since that is my son's first language, so far as we can tell. That being said, I think students of any religious/cultural background would highly benefit from this warm, supportive, attention-to-detail, beautiful school. It is a treasure.

My son has been attending Cambridge Preschool of the Arts (POTA) for the last 2 years and my family…read moreis so grateful for the love, support, and attention he has been receiving from the Morahs (teachers) and friends (and their families) he made at POTA. POTA has a great art-based and Reggio-inspired core curriculum and the weekly programs help my son to have an idea what to expect each day of the week. At the same time, Morahs help my son to be able to participate in these activities at his own pace. If he doesn't want to join the class for a certain activity, he would be given a specified amount of time and separate space to focus on other things. Also, I like that those art activities are used as a means to learn essential skills, and children get to enjoy the process while not being pressured to produce a final product to bring home. In addition, POTA has a great environment to provide outdoor play opportunities for children who love outdoor activities like my son. It's conveniently located right across from the North Point Park and Charles river and my son enjoys outdoor playtime almost every day and weekly class to learn about nature. I also love how easy it is to communicate with the school. I get updates from school with photos/videos of my son enjoying school and also details on meals/potty, etc. through a phone app. I can easily send/receive messages to/from Morahs throughout the day. I remember how pleasantly surprised I was after receiving my son's very detailed progress report prepared by his Morahs and in fact, I learned new things about my child from the report such as how he behaves differently when in school or in a group setting and it helped me understand my son and his personality better! POTA has helped my son grow so much in every aspect and I'm so happy and grateful to have found this school for my son.

As a parent, you hate your kids growing up for many reasons. And one of my reasons was my kids…read moregrowing out of the age for this school! I sent all three of my kids to Youbellor, and throughout the years, I received such care, understanding, and support that is very needed as a full-time employee and mother. A huge thanks to the directors Kelly and Jaime, who I now consider friends after our time together! Thanks for helping care for my little ones. Goodness knows it is not easy (Pricing was also a major help on to our lives)

From the owner: Providing a caring and safe place to develop and learn through play and designed activity for…read moreInfants through Pre-K.

Our daughter has been at La Petite since she was 2 (and is now almost 4) and our son started here…read moreas well at 4 months. We love this school. The teachers a warm, loving, and committed, the space is beautiful and well-equipped with age appropriate toys and games, and the Montessori approach has really helped our children grow and develop into kind, independent, and curious kids. We can't recommend this school enough for anyone looking for quality care (at a not unreasonable price) here in Somerville.

don't take your child here unless you want them to have them touched inn-appropriately and nothing…read morebe done about it. please and thank you #savethechildren

If I could give negative stars, I would. Highly unprofessional, unreliable and frustrating to…read morecommunicate with. I have exchanged over 20 emails with them in the past 3 weeks and have gone back and forth about the availability of spots, canceling or not showing up to virtual tours at the last minute, just openly lying about a day care location having spots and changing the statement without any accountability at the last minute. I had heard great things about their brand but it seems like their staff is highly unprofessional and could care less about the reputation. They absolutely do not respect anyone else's time or needs and I doubt if they would even be able to care for my child if they are this unprofessional and unreliable about simple communication and showing up to meetings on time.

This school it great but not always great there some nice teachers but there some bad teacherread more

its is such a good school for children to learn about god and staff are also the best!read more

Best school ever!!! Having shopped around at almost all the preschools in camberville, we are so…read more thrilled to have found this Haven! emphasis on social and emotional development, yoga, and music, lots of outdoor time, community engagement with tufts and the town. Just wish they took toddlers too!

I got a little behind with work on the Teacher Appreciation Month (May) and wasn't able to leave a…read morerequested feedback on their website, so I am going to the Yelp masses. I cannot say enough of great things about this location of BH! My 3 year old daughter absolutely thrived in this school! The teachers are very well trained and educated in their jobs, and give a lot of individual attention to kids. Mine is sometimes a dare-devil, sometimes is defiant and stubborn, sometimes sweet and energetic, and they find the way and approach to deal with all her moods. Yoshanna (preschool lead teacher) is especially good at her job. Not only that she fosters good habits and behaviors in kids, she knows how to channel their (otherwise annoying) personality traits into a productive and useful actions and uses those for a healthy kids development. For example, my kid loves to talk and sort of argue why she should or shouldn't do something, like nap. I find it frustrating that she won't nap, but Yoshanna is very patient and while she still works towards the goal of having my kid to nap, she appreciates my kid's brain working ability to "reason" in her own way. Ally is another wonderful and patient teacher. Kids just gravitate to her. She is young, but very knowledgeable and experienced care giver and very, very good with kids. When my kid has a hard time, Ally comes to the rescue. Other teachers come and go, and there are a lot of shared staff between the groups. But I have learned to trust the directors, because they seem very dedicated and experienced. Betty, Stacy and Jane, these ladies know what they are doing! They are always available for any concerns or advice, or just a chat, and it is very comforting to see that they will stop whatever they are doing to hear you out. It has been very re-assuring support for me as a parent. I highly recommend this school, and I know a lot of parents who feel like this center is a big extended family, myself included!

We are so lucky to have found Cambridge Nursery School. We were nervous that our child wasn't quite…read moreyet ready for school and it has been absolutely beautiful watching him really thrive in this warm, loving, engaging environment. Where do I even begin? The teachers are absolutely amazing and he talks about them constantly at home. They all seem to have a sixth sense about what the kids need. For example: On mornings when our kid seems to be having a little bit more difficulty saying goodbye, one of them inevitably notices and comes over to us to help with the transition: Whether that's taking him to a window to wave bye, or reading a book with him, or whatever it is that he seems to need that morning. As another example: Our kid gets really nervous around other children, which is one reason we weren't sure if he was ready yet for preschool. The teachers have gently suggested activities for him with other kids, on days when it seems like he's in the mood for it, while leaving him to play on his own whenever that's what he needs. As a result - he has slowly started to warm up to some of the other kids, and has not been stressed at all about it. The curriculum is exactly what a preschool should be. The kids are free to play and explore and the teachers follow the kids' interests when designing class projects. As a result our kid absolutely loves school: It's stimulating and fun. But there's still just enough structure that I feel confident our kid will be ready for grade school when he gets there. But the thing that really makes CNS special is the parent co-op structure. We're a family of 2 working adults and I was worried it would be difficult for us to make this work. But it has been an absolute joy and blessing to be able to be a part of our kid's classroom, and I have treasured the extra time I get to spend with him. But it also helps us to see what his school days are like. For example, when he comes home saying he wants to "do the numbers" and then is upset because we don't have pipe cleaners, I know exactly what he's talking about. I've heard from the teachers that it helps them too - when they see how parents interact with their kids it gives another layer of insight into the kid. Overall the parent co-op structure helps teachers and parents work more smoothly in tandem to support each kid in exactly the way they need. I really can not recommend Cambridge Nursery School enough. It has been the perfect school for our kid and our family and I am so grateful that this institution exists. There really is nothing else like it.

We have had the best experience with Cambridge Nursery School…read more We have sent both of our children to CNS - my daughter and son each started at CNS when they were almost 3 (one two years before the other). Over the last 3+, we have had the best experience at CNS. The teachers are incredibly kind, the facility is adorable, and the community is warm and loving. I couldn't have imagined a better preschool experience for our family. Our kids are lovingly cared for, we have made incredible friends, and we are thrilled to be a part of this community. CNS is the best!