We enrolled our child (23 months old) at Building Blocks when he was 20 months old. Belma worked with us to create a smooth onboarding plan for our child to ease him into the daycare routine. She was also very receptive to our request of wanting to stay part time (4 hours a day) for a month and a half before we transitioned to full time. I've seen Belma invite police officers to talk to the children, have weekly outings to the park, have water play on hot days and try various different sensory activities. We also receive daily updates/photos about the day's activities and this helps us connect and converse with our child about his day. The other care takers (Emina and Roberta) have also been amazing with our child and he seems to have a special bond with each of them. Our child loves going to Building Blocks and regularly talks about his teachers and friends on the weekend. Building blocks is a great place for children and I would highly recommend them to anyone. read more

Our experience as parents of an infant at BBD has been wonderful. The teachers are incredibly caring and made my child's transition into the center smooth and comforting with a thoughtful plan. My child absolutely loves the Friday park days and field trips, and it's clear the teachers put great effort into ensuring every child is happy and having fun. Belma (the owner) is amazing at communicating --always giving us plenty of notice about upcoming events/activities, holiday schedules, birthdays, and graduations--which keeps us engaged, involved, and enough notice to plan days ahead. Over time, the center has truly come to feel like family, and we feel confident knowing my child is in a good nurturing space to learn, play, and grow. I would highly recommend BBD to any parent. read more

Our family has had such a wonderful experience with Buildng Blocks Daycare. Belma and her team are so loving and caring. My toddler had a smooth transition and loves going there every day. She spends a lot of time curating play based activities - I love seeing the daily updates. Everything is super clean and organized. There is extras that you wouldn't find at other schools such as a dedicated music time and field trips and so much more. We are grateful to have found this gem. read more

We enrolled our 5-months old child this year and Belma was very accommodating our schedule. Also, Belma and teachers were willing to work with us to transition our child from home to daycare. They are communicative, loving, and caring. read more

After having a negative experience at a previous daycare, we were having a hard time trusting anyone else to care for our baby. We visited many daycares in the process, but the moment we met Belma, we could tell BBD was special. Our baby girl just started in January and she already loves it so much. We were so worried about the transition period, but she adjusted very quickly and is really enjoying her time. Belma and her team are so patient and kind. The kids are so loving and supportive, and they have so much fun! We are amazed at the number of activities and experiences Belma plans for the kids everyday. We always look forward to Belma's daily updates and we love seeing how engaged and happy everyone is in all the activities :) We are so happy to be a part of the BBD family, and we would absolutely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a special place for their child. Belma, thank you so much for everything that you do! read more

Like any parent with a young child, my wife and I both had high expectations about a daycare when we did our search for a provider to take care of our daughter. Building Blocks exceeded our expectations in all areas and we have been really happy with our choice. The quality of love, care and attention comes down to the owner, Belma, who genuinely cares about the health, safety and development of all the children there. Belma created a safe and wonderful environment where our daughter is engaged everyday with different activities that help her grow and develop in all areas from her sensory skills to motor skills. The facilities are well organized and clean at all times, the equipment and toys are in good condition, and supplies used in activities are high quality. The group size is also just right with enough children to play with each other, but not so many that children don't get enough attention from Belma and the other teachers. She takes a very gentle approach with the kids and lets them grow and play at their own pace. She does not impose unreasonable rules or push them in any way that would make them feel uncomfortable, but also provides enough instruction and guidance so that children understand the boundaries. You can see how happy all the children are everyday. One of the most amazing things is how much effort Belma puts into keeping us updated about our daughter on a daily basis with photos, videos and a summary. This has helped us really understand and know what's going on and gives us a strong sense of security and confidence that our child is in caring hands. Belma genuinely loves the children and our daughter feels the same way, frequently telling Belma that she loves her too. I have so many positive things to say and could keep going on, There is no question I would highly recommend BBD to any parent looking for a daycare for their child. read more

I can't say enough how thankful I am to have found Belma with Building Block Daycare. It's hard enough for a parent to leave their kid but Belma made me feel comfortable from day one. With photos of my kid every days, I feel a little closer to her. I also love that she thinks about the kids interest and incorporates it into her planning. There's also opportunities for parents to get together like a Mother/Father Day celebrations, graduation ceremony for the kiddos going to elementary and opportunities for parents to meet up with activities like the pumpkin patch, all the details and efforts make it truly special. Belma has even surprised the kids with baby goats from her family's farm! Roberta and Emina are also wonderful, such kind teachers. I remember my daughter following Emina around at the graduation, so sweet to see that they had bonded so quick, it warmed my heart. Belma's husband Nigel is also such a good person and does the handy work to keep the daycare taken care of. Even the kids that graduate come and visit, it's so great to see that they still connect, very much a family feel at the daycare, I love it!!! Add your name to the waitlist in advance because spots don't come around often. read more

BBD is an amazing daycare. Our 2.5 year old son has been attending BBD for the past 6 months and he really enjoys going there everyday. Belma and the other teachers are very kind and caring and the student teacher ratio is great! The play space is beautiful and inviting to the kids and extremely well maintained and clean. The kids are exposed to a wide range of sensory and educational activities which are meticulously prepared by Belma everyday. Every now and then there are other interesting events such as fire truck visit, storyteller, visit to a local farm etc. Everyday afternoon parents also receive updates of their child's activities during the day and a small note about how they are doing. Overall our experience with BBD has been very positive. Our son has become more social and has become good friends with the other kids at BBD. He really looks forward to going to school everyday. Before joining BBD our son only spoke in our native language but now he has picked up English very well and properly communicates in the language. If you are looking for a great daycare where you can send your kids without any worry, I will definitely recommend BBD! read more

We love love love Building Blocks Daycare! Currently my 18months boy goes there everyday, and my older son went from 6 months to 3 years old. Belma - the owner - is so loving, experienced and committed to offering the best care to her babies and kids. She has years of experience in childcare, plans creative and engaging activities everyday, and has the best toys that are age appropriate. She is so committed to health and safety and sanitizes her place and toys very regularly. She is all about creating a community for the kids and parents and plan social events too. Most of all -- she truly loves the babies and kids and cares for them as if they are her own. Her husband is very involved with her daycare and is loved by the kids, and the teachers she hires are all wonderful. When we first looked for daycare, we toured several other in-home centers but there was no comparison. Building blocks daycare was the cleanest and most organized place you can find, and you can tell right away that Belma will love and take care of your baby. We are so lucky to have found this daycare. Even when we moved further away, we couldn't imagine going anywhere else. Belma and her husband are like family for us. We love them so much. Building blocks daycare is the best! read more

Building Blocks is simply the best! Finding a daycare can be hard and stressful but we have been so so so lucky to have ours spend their days with Belma and the amazing teachers at BBD. They are so loving and attentive to the kids and the communication and daily updates and pictures are amazing. We look forward to the afternoon photo album and written update everyday that shows what the kids did that day, how well they ate, what time they went down for nap and any other details of the day. Both my kids joined BBD around 8 months and they fell in love. The environment and invitations to play that Belma sets out every day are so engaging. There are different themes and the kids get so many activities to try every day. She has sensory bins, water play, paint, puzzles, and blocks but then also bikes, climbers, outdoor activities and experiments for the kids to do too. Every day it's something different and the kids get so much quality stimulation that aids their development. What I also love is the social emotional learning they get by being with other kids. The teachers work with the kids to understand emotions, be respectful to each other and build strong friendships within the group. On days that their is no school, my toddler will repeatedly ask if she can go to BBD and then tell me how much she loves her fwiends and teachers. She is so excited on Monday mornings and eagerly gets ready every morning to go to school. Leaving your young children in the care of others requires a lot of trust and there is honestly no other place that I trust more than Building Blocks. Any child would be lucky to be there and we are so blessed to have our children there for the past few years. Thank you Belma for being part of our life read more

First of all I want to say , that I am very happy that I found Building Blocks Daycare. I want to thank to Ms. Belma and the other teachers at BBD for all their love, care and attention that they are providing. Enrolling my son here, was one of the best decisions that we've made. He had very smooth transition and get used to BBD earlier than I was expecting. Here we found everything that we were looking for. Their program is excellent. Low teacher-child ratio, daily play-based activities ( both indoors and outdoors) , learning , story time, NO screen time, visiting a local park ( weekly), and more...... Everything is very well organized and clean. They offer homemade yummy breakfast. During summer time there are amazing activities like water play, visiting the library, going to the swimming pool, camping night, visiting museums, bus/train rides.... Very important, Ms. Belma is sending report + lot of photos every day, informing us how the kid's day was . Ms. Belma is very professional, knowledgeable and lovely person, with lot's of experience.... I highly recommend Building Blocks Daycare. read more

Building Blocks Daycare provides an amazing learning environment for your little one, and I don't hesitate to recommend it to you. At Building Blocks, your child will experience everything they need to be Kindergarten ready. Research demonstrates that children learn best through play and when their choices are supported. The teachers at Building Blocks observe the children and plan activities based on the interests of children. Curriculum is planned with children's cognitive, social, emotional and physical needs in mind. There is a vast amount of materials available and they're used in many varied ways, resulting in children who are constantly challenged and engaged. The owner, and head teacher, Belma is everything you could want in a first educator for your child. She is a passionate, conscientious educator who is consistent in reading the needs of the children. She is open and loving towards the children, showering them with affection and making them feel at ease. Her home becomes your child's second home. I am a Department Chair of Child Development at a college in the area, and I've had the pleasure of knowing Belma and observing her work since 2007. For more reading on what to look for in group care, check out the National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAEYC) articles here: https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/what-look-program You'll find Building Blocks meets these high standards. read more

We sent my boy when he was just 4 month old, and he is now 19 month old. He always feels happy to go BBD every morning. He woke up in the morning when I say 'let's go bbd and see Belma' and he woke up by himself. Every parent worries when the kids are in daycare to have a best care, and it's clear sign that if kids want to go that daycare, it's definitely good place for them. I strongly recommend this place and we rent the home near bbd even I work at Palo Alto. read more

My daughter attended Building Blocks daycare for 4 years. She was 1 when she joined and recently left to start Kindergarten. My daughter loved the teachers and her friends at BBD. A year before her graduation we moved 25 miles away and yet still commuted for a year because we knew we couldn't find a better daycare. BBD is an amazing place for kids to learn, grow and have fun in a safe and nurturing environment. . Belma has a teaching background so therefore understands what activities the kids needs to help them with their development. My daughter was always excited to tell us about what she did and what she had learnt. How many daycares do you know where your child comes home naming all planets! It also set up my daughter for Kindergarten. She was able to fit in, make friends but also communicate well with her teachers and friends. Everything she learned from this daycare. This isn't just a daycare. It's a community. read more

Called twice and spoke with the owner. I expressed interest in her services as we chatted and both times she took my name & # and agreed to review her calendar to assess upcoming openings and get back to me. Both times she neglected to call back. Her Yelp reviews were encouraging and are what prompted me to call. Unfortunately, she is not responsive or able to honor a simple commitment to call back a potential new client even after being given a second chance. read more

Building Blocks Daycare is a fantastic place for infants and toddlers. Belma (the owner) is a very loving, experienced and passionate childcare provider. The home based daycare is the right size (12 kids max), well staffed with teachers who are personally involved in the care of your child. The kids have a great time learning through play. They enjoy an outing every Friday. They are engage in a variety of activities like dancing, singing, sensory games, painting, water play, cars, and bikes. All the kids are always happy. Our son joined as an infant and is now a toddler. He is always eager to go and reluctant to leave. We are very happy and have a referred some of our friends whose kids have also joined Building Blocks. read more

We love BBD with all our hearts! Belma (the owner) is a great teacher, she and other teachers are all very caring, affectionate, knowledgeable and most importantly, very loving! Our 3 year old son joined BBD when he was 1 and absolutely loves going to Belma. He is learning so much there! Belma offers a great variety of learning activities for kids of all ages and stages (sensory, art, music, gross motor skills, social-emotional learning). Her program is play-based, kids learn while play, however they also have a more structured learning time. Belma is very organized, she invests a lot into learning materials. Everything is in a great condition! Belma is super vigilant about hygiene, cleans and sanitizes everything and meets all of the COVID -related hygiene standards. We are so happy to be part of the BBD and would recommend BBD over and over again! read more

BBD is a great daycare with wonderful teachers under Belma's supervision. Definitely made the right choice by choosing this place. Ever since enrolling my kid I've seen many improvements. This place is great! The staff is extremely friendly and professional. The BBD is clean and very detailed. The management is really committed to providing a safe, fun, and loving environment, and I am very thankful to Belma and the whole awesome team at BBD read more

Our daughter started at BBD in January this year when she was 17.5 months old. I enrolled her at BBD based on great references from my friend's kid who is also enrolled here. Cannot express in words how glad we are that we chose BBD after having 2 not so great experiences with the previous daycare centers. Our daughter is thriving and how! We are in LOVE with this place. Belma and her staff are so loving and caring. BBD has a structured routine everyday and has different kinds of fun and cool play based activities for kids of every age group. Lot of outdoor fun. Belma knows how best to keep all the kids engaged and is very organized about how the daycare should function due to her many years of professional experience. She changes up activities for every kid depending on how they are progressing. I have only seen happy faces at drop off and pick up. Belma and her staff also ensure that kids bond with one another and also works on improving their social skills (for ex. teaching them to be gentle, working on different emotions etc.). This has been a huge plus for our daughter. She happily names everyone at her daycare and they even hug each other. They dance, sing, read books etc. apart from the usual activities. Friday is also park day which is wonderful as all kids go to this nearby park and enjoy the play structures there. Our LO has become so confident and has picked up so many new skills. All credit goes to Belma and her wonderful staff. In addition, Belma treats us parents also like her family. She will spend a good few mins at pick up time discussing how the day went. She welcomes all the questions parents might have and will promptly answer them without any hesitation. She would promptly send interesting updates every single day without fail with pictures and sometimes videos. We have never felt even once that we have missed out on how our daughter did on a particular day due to the amazing updates we get each day. Any parent would feel reassured about their LO with such updates. Thank you for taking such good care of our LO! Cannot be happier. BBD has my highest recommendation. read more

We currently have our three year old enrolled at Building Blocks. We switched from a larger center, and from the moment we met Belma, we felt complete confidence in her abilities as a teacher and caregiver for the kids. She is very gentle and warm but firm (when needed) with the kids, and they all love her. The kids learn a ton through play, and Belma works hard to keep the kids engaged through many activities during the day! Belma hand picks the teachers who help her, and they are also great. We also love how easy it is to understand how our child is doing. We recommend Building Blocks to all our friends! read more

We found BBD first from the google map and we decided to let our kid go through the program provided at BBD. At first, we weren't sure how good it is just because of its size compared to the big ones, but it didn't take us long to realize how good this daycare is for my kid. Belma is such a professional knowing how she can educate the kids. Even when kids tend to get spoiled in some cases, Belma knows how she can deal with it and let the guidance well delivered to the kids. From the way she and all teachers treat kids, we could feel that the kids are truly beloved and cared with lots of love, which in turn makes them feel free to express themselves well. I liked that BBD sends out the photos on a daily basis with valuable comment about my kid. How well she ate the food, how long she slept during the nap time, what was the highlight of the day, etc. are the things that were delivered to me by text every day and I could get relieved from the message even from our first day at BBD. If you are looking for a place where your child can have lots of fun, learnings with teachers at a small enough ratio of students to teachers during the day, I recommend BBD with no hesitation. read more

Belma is all we could ask for in a daycare provider. She treats our child with love and consistency. They do fun activities and we get lots of updates on his well-being. read more

Before starting Building Blocks Day Care, the owner, Belma, was the assistant director at the Downtown Children's Center (DCC) in Palo Alto, where my daughter was enrolled. Belma was, hands down, our daughter's favorite teacher there. And that's saying a lot, because pretty-much everyone at DCC was great. Belma is an incredibly kind, generous and warm-hearted person. Kids can sense that instantly and they flock to Belma like moths to a flame. At the same time, she can be stern when needed and knows how to set limits. As a result, she commands not only love, but also deep respect from the kids. It is a rare sight to observe a person performing a job for which they are ideally suited professionally and temperamentally. This is the feeling you get when you observe Belma in a preschool classroom setting. Our kids are out of preschool now, sadly. However, had this not been the case, and if we lived anywhere nearby, we would send our kids to Belma's in a heartbeat! read more

Belma (owner/ care provider) is an amazing caregiver of children! I had the pleasure of mentoring her and working side by side for several years, and as a Child Development Professor, can attest to her amazing skills and qualifications. Her education in the field of child development is evident in every part of Building Blocks Daycare. In my work with her, I came to very much respect her natural interactions with children. Belma is able to stand back and take in what is happening with the children in the environment. She also excels at being truly present with a child in the moment, focusing her attention on them and making them feel special. She ensures that every child in her care is loved and valued. Belma is not afraid to set limits, and speaks to the children in a way that is calm, showing respect for their current stage. She anticipates what their actions might be, and distracts them when necessary. Belma is also able to let the child discover new things while keeping them safe. As well as being wonderful with the children, she will quickly become your friend as well. She is very warm, welcoming and understanding, and you will have an ally in the raising of your child. Her physical environment is intimate, with amazing materials on hand. Her education and experience caring for children and creating an early education program are very apparent in the space that she has made. I trust very few people with my children, and if it weren't for my own mother's availability, I'd be dropping off my children at Building Blocks Daycare : ) read more

I previously left review for Building Blocks Daycare and it was filtered. Frustrating, but this shows you how much I truly love Building Blocks Daycare. One of the first things that comes to my mind when I think of Belma (the owner) is how wonderful she is with children. She is kind, loving, and educated on child development. She simply knows how to interact with children, and also has good boundaries with them, for which she gains children's respect. Belma is fun, interactive and introduces learning through games, songs and art. She has life time of experience working with children so she is unlikely to come across situations in which she would not know what to do, and/or how to handle. One thing that I say in confidence is that She is one person that I can leave my children with, without any reluctance. Also, one of the important things to me is that I don't need to think if they are ok. Because I know they are well taken care of and having a blast. read more

I have not had experience with Building Blocks daycare itself but Belma, the owner, was teacher at my kid's Day care in Palo Alto and I cannot enough praise her. She is loving, caring and makes the kids feel at home. She provided very nurturing environment and kids thrived under her. She would greet kids with hugs and brightens their day with her care. My daughter used to tell me that Belma is like her mom at school, she can be strict to set limits and loved and cared unconditionally. I was really touched as at the end of the day, you want to know that your kid enjoys where they are for most of their day. . She is very organized, comes up with very engaging activities, knows each kid's strengths and interests and provides needed support for their growth. With Belma as owner of this daycare, I highly recommend it to anyone looking for one. read more

Belma, the owner of Building Blocks is by far the most amazing person you could entrust with your little ones. My oldest had Belma as a teacher when she was in child care and the amount of love and attention she gave all her kids gave me the confidence that my child will not miss out on the things I would give if I was home with her. She's thoughtful in her "lessons" very interactive with her children and overall the perfect person to care for your kids. I have zero concerns when my children are in her care. read more

I give the highest recommendation for Belma, the owner of Building Blocks. She is wonderful with children of all ages, very warm yet firm. She was my son's teacher in a day care center for a number of years, and I saw how her care and instruction changed and was attuned to the developmental needs of the children in her class as they grew. Since then, she has worked in other settings and with young children of all ages. Her experience, training and temperment are excellent, and there is not another person I would trust more to care for children. read more

Belma has a wonderful rapport with kids. She won our daughter over completely during her very first days/weeks of preschool and the two formed an emotional bond which lasted the entire time. No other teacher before or since has managed to forge a connection quite this strong. Belma's kindness went a long way toward making our daughter feel comfortable and welcome in a new environment. As a parent it is always difficult to leave your child in someone else's care, but with Belma you can feel very safe and positive about it. read more