We went through extensive research on daycares in the Monrovia area (we toured maybe a dozen!) and worked with a consultant who specializes in choosing high quality daycares. Our search led us to Chandlers and we REALLY wanted a spot. Our first time visiting, we were in love with the big play, outdoor space, and food. Ms Lina worked wonders to make room for our second baby when he was ready for daycare too. Being away from my kiddos was brutal, but I knew they were getting great care, great friendships, and better cooking than we have at home. We loved that it was mixed age and SO much outdoor time. Ms Lina has been a lifeline for us through the years! She helps the kids grow, but also helps us grow as parents. Our youngest was struggling with frustration for a while and she sat us down and talked with us about possible solutions. We did what she suggested and things improved for him tons. Both kids adore Lina and everyone she hires! She has a knack for community building. She loves our family so well and we're lucky that chandler's is part of our "village." Plus, some of my kids best friends are from this school because it's such a cozy fun place :) For our oldest, she's in TK now, and she LOVES it because Ms Lina prepped her for it so well. Not just academically, but with emotional maturity and confidence building. Truly the beginning of a lifelong learner! read more

My child had been enrolled at Chandlers Playhouse for 1.5 years, and though I had high hopes for this place, our family left with total disappointment. This review will be long, so for a quick summary, a racial gesture made toward my daughter was not handled properly by the school director, so we requested a two week notice to leave the school instead of the 30 days in our contract, and school director Carolina made us leave right away. In past incidents of our child coming home with wounds, we were gaslit and lied to about what happened. But regarding the straw that broke the camel's back, my 3 year old daughter came home one day and said one girl was being mean to her. She had previously said that girl was mean, and bit her arm before. We tried to brush it off as regular toddler interaction, and since she said the teacher put that girl on time out, we let it go. However, when we asked how the girl was being mean this time, my daughter pulled the outer corner of her eyes and made a slanty eye gesture. Horrified, we asked her to re-enact it so we could record it and report it to Carolina. Over text, she said she was "dumbfounded" and found it "outrageous and unacceptable." She requested an immediate in-person meeting with me. When I went to school to meet with her, she had brought all her teachers in to meet with me, and all of them denied seeing this happen. Then she even told me that the child's gesture was not racist, and had no idea that it was offensive. Carolina said she didn't even know what that gesture was, and had to Google it. Ignorance doesn't mean that behavior is acceptable. I had to explain the Asian American experience to her, but she diminished our racial experience by brushing off my statement and saying "...just like how Latinos and African Americans experience racism, it's all unacceptable." As a person of color, of course I'm aware of the different types of racism people experience, but I'm specifically talking about a racial situation at your school, so why are you making such a generalized statement...? Although I believe that child didn't realize that what she did was offensive, it was the school's responsibility to communicate with their parents to say that gesture is not acceptable in school. That would have given us confidence to keep our daughter at Chandlers' until right up to Kindergarten because we knew the caretakers were taking care of her and protecting her. Unfortunately, instead of making clear communication on this boundary, she decided to tell us to unenroll from her school immediately because it seemed like we "have been dissatisfied with this school for a while already" and that "the stress that this was causing [Carolina] is enormous." Note: enrollment papers require a 30 day notice to unenroll, but they do not honor the 30 days. We asked to shorten to two weeks, but they let us go immediately. Other previous experiences: Half a year ago, my daughter was really anxious and refused to go to Chandlers (she's usually very excited to go). We asked Carolina why, and she said because my daughter was put on a timeout the day before for climbing a fence. Then later, during my meeting about the racist gesture, I mentioned that my daughter was put on timeout before, and Carolina acted surprised and said "no she's never been put on a timeout before". It just seems like she will say whatever suits her argument in the moment, and pretend previous conversations never happened. So should we believe that A) our daughter was never put on timeout but was anxious instead because something suspicious happened at school, or B) there was a timeout but was lied to afterward? My daughter came home with a wound under her mouth one day, and the next day we asked Carolina, and she said she forgot to tell us that some other kids ran her over with a bike. We let it go at the time, but looking back, we definitely should not have. My daughter still has a scar under her mouth to this day. No incident reports ever made, no situations are ever documented. My daughter came home with wounds on her hands one day. She explained that a boy pulled her and she tripped and fell, but the teachers saw and put him on a timeout. We accept that these situations happen, and the teachers put the boy on timeout and didn't pursue this incident. However, I casually mentioned it to Carolina, and she said my daughter got those wounds because she was bear crawling around outside with her friend, and those are blister wounds. Unbelievable, my daughter bear crawls outside all the time and never gets wounds. As an early childhood provider, we had expected the school director to be more forthcoming (especially when wounds and racism are experienced) and emotionally mature. The fact that she forced us to immediately unenroll because the situation was causing too much stress for HER is mindblowing. read more

Chandlers Playhouse - Here's a reference photo of the slanty eye racist gesture that my 3 year old experienced at Chandlers. - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Arcadia, California

What a little paradise away from home. High academics, enormous quality with high standards and a tremendous amount of passion towards kids. A must see, I tour the facility and can't compare with any other facility. An urgencies space but I got busy and l missed the opportunity to enroll. I'm in tears!!! This place is hard to get in!! read more

We've had three kids at Chandler's, with two still attending (the other is now in 1st grade.) Lina and the crew have been great for all our kids. The oldest still loves coming by to say "hi" when picking up the little two. The lunches and snacks are great. And the practice writing, arts and crafts, and memorization (songs, basic facts like seasons and months, planets, and presidents) get them ready for starting school. If we were to have a fourth (sorry, Lina, no) we'd send them here, too. read more

Chandler's playhouse is by far the best preschool I have come across...and I'm not just being biased. I visited multiple preschools/Montessori's in Arcadia before coming across Chandler's. All the other schools seemed a lot more strict with the toddlers. I wanted my child to go somewhere he could learn, but still be a child and have fun. My kids absolutely love going to school everyday and they really love and respect the teachers. It is very much like a big family there...the kids genuinely love each other. I was very hesitant initially in enrolling my first child full time and almost felt like a bad mother, but now I know that I couldn't have made a better decision for him. I now wish I had done it sooner. I enrolled my first son at 2.5 years old after his pediatrician pushed me to do so. He was requiring speech and occupational therapy at the time due to difficulty eating and delays in language development. Being at Chandler's helped him significantly more than any of his speech and occupational therapy lessons. We noticed a drastic improvement within weeks at Chandler's. He was also the pickiest eater and learned to eat a lot healthier thanks to Carolina's amazing home cooking. I enrolled my second child at an earlier age because I trust them so much. There's no other preschool that I would feel comfortable with enrolling my child at such a young age, but I know they're in great hands at Chandler's. I am amazed at how much they learn there everyday. They have also helped guide us through many difficulties as parents. I am so grateful to have come across this school and highly recommend it to anyone considering. read more

This review is long overdue! It is so difficult to find a place that you can trust with your children. We were so fortunate that we found Chandler's playhouse. We have 2 boys, ages 4 and 2. Our oldest has been going to Chandler's playhouse since he was 18 months old, and our youngest has been there since he was 8 months old. We can't say enough about how happy we have been with our experience. The lead director, Carolina, is a child whisperer. She has so much experience and understands children on a different level. There are other instructors there, and they are all extremely caring and great with all the kids. This is a smaller sized daycare and we absolutely love the intimacy and attention that our kids receive. One of my favorite things about Chandler's Playhouse is that lunches and snacks are provided (Monday - Thursday), excluding Fridays. I highly recommend anyone looking for a five-star day care program to give Carolina and her team a call. :) read more

I think it should be noted the only two remotely negative reviews here (for a business that has been open for 25 years and is well known and respected in Arcadia) are from the two parents of one family that were asked to leave. So....Grain. Salt. Hundreds of children have attended Chandler's Playhouse over 2.5 decades, and have nothing but positive feedback. Alumni who were enrolled in this daycare as kids have even grown up, remained friends with their peers, and credit Chandler's Playhouse as integral to their happiness as adults and childhood development. It was through one of said adults/grown-up former enrollees that we received Chandler's as a recommendation for our son! It's one thing to have a daycare recommended by another parent, it's VERY impressive to have it recommended by a child-turned-adult who WENT THERE and credits them for so much. ...And said recommendation was honest and accurate! Our boy was in multiple other daycares before attending here, and we weren't really satisfied with any of them (for different and varied reasons), but we instantly felt at home at Chandler's. Our son blossomed- emotionally, academically, he began sleeping better, eating anything, and we know, is truly the best version of himself, thanks to 3 years with Miss Carolina and her team. We love the other parents at the daycare and look forward to events with them, our son has play dates with his other little CPH friends, and went on to begin TK with immediately incredible feedback from his teacher about how well prepared he was in every respect, and how well he made the transition. This is because Chandler's made him feel loved, confident and competent! Thank you, Chandler's Playhouse. You are a beloved institution in the Arcadia community, and we are grateful for the positive influence you've had on our family, and so many others. read more

The ultimate place for childcare in the Arcadia region. Do not look any further. Carolina and team are the best

Wonderful, nurturing owner and staff, delicious meals, lots of playtime and learning in a beautiful setting!

Possibly the most heartfelt review I've ever left. This place, it's staff, and Carolina(the owner) are now a huge part of our family's history. We've had our daughter there for three years and next year will be her last. I can hardly believe this time is coming to an end as Chandlers Playhouse is the extension of family we wouldn't have know how to do without. Carolina is a nurturer...Like to the the core! She has gracefully guided our daughter(and us!) through learning to walk, potty training, fussy eating, socialization , biting phases...you NAME IT! Basically everything you're kicking yourself for "Not being able to do while your working"...she's doing THAT with your kids! It's a total community there. So if your not into seeing the same smiling faces everyday dropping off, picking up, and countless weekend birthday parties... it's going to be rough lol. We Loved this quality about Chandlers Playhouse. Finally a group of people doing something just like us with kids our kids age! Have you seen pictures? It's so cute and safe! If you could imagine a one room school house nestled in an enchanted backyard beneath a storybook-quality oak tree as the daily experience for your child's earliest education...wouldn't you be like "where do I sign?" Not to mention (after a ton of research) this place isn't even that pricy! The staff is just as wonderful and many of them Have become babysitters for us over the years. We've grown passionate about this place and what it does for the families it touches. If you find yourself with the opportunity to enroll your little one, take it. Because if you don't, someone surly will! read more

Our daughter started at Chandler's Playhouse when she was 4 months old. Ms. Lina and the rest of the staff have been nothing short of amazing. They have been a huge support to us and we are so happy to have found such a great daycare. Our daughter is now three and we have a baby boy that will also be starting at Chandler's Playhouse later this year. We are so grateful to have found a place where the staff genuinely love and care for our child. read more

Chandler's Playhouse is the best place I could ever imagine for my child. It's safe, clean, and loving for every kid in their care! The hallmark is that my child runs into her home each day happy as can be. The curriculum is appropriate and fun with lots of arts along with reading, writing, etc. lots of room to run around and play. It's a very structured, organized school where the kids thrive. This is an excellent place for your baby :) read more

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Chandler's playhouse has been a second home for our two boys from the age of 24 and 18 months. In searching for a day care we were most concerned about finding a place that was a safe and nurturing environment, where we knew our kids will learn and grow as individuals, and be cared for like family. That's what you get at Chandler's Playhouse. Carolina and her staff have been nothing short of parental figures in our kids' lives. The school has an amazing back yard where the kids can play and plenty of cool toys to keep them occupied. There is structured arts & crafts, "circle time" or story time, and other learning activities. Our oldest son had difficulty with speech and was undergoing speech therapy for 6+ months before enrolling in Chandler's Playhouse. Within 2 months his vocabulary grew exponentially. The teacher to student ratio is great and all the kids get the attention they need. Additionally, Carolina prepares breakfast and lunch ever day! The food is delicious and nutritious. I have no reservations in recommending Chandler's Playhouse. read more

Ms. Lina and her team are amazing. We have been so lucky to find a daycare that feels like home. I would recommend Chandler's Playhouse for any kid. read more

I wanted to find a daycare/preschool that is more intimate, giving more personal attention and training to the kids. Chandler's Playhouse is that place. Ms. Carolina G. is a very motivated teacher, and her helpers care a lot about the children, providing positive support and encouragement to them throughout the day. It took my 3 year old daughter no more than a couple days to be comfortable with the place. Now she gets excited to go there every morning, and the other kids welcome her when she comes in. Ms. Lina (as they call her) feeds the kids Monday thru Thursdays,and potty trains, if necessary. And during the day, the kids have circle time to learn various things (such as counting numbers, learning state capitals, presidents, develop writing skills) to help them prepare for kindergarten. Ms. Lina also helped my daughter develop her speech & social skills with other children. Highly recommended! read more

Chandler's playhouse is a wonderful trusting place. I am so grateful that I was able to find a safe place to take our baby, while I was at work. In the 2 1/2 years he's been there, he's learned the Pledge of Allegiance, he reads small words, he does math, he sings multiple songs, but best of all he is happy and loved. Everyday he has so many exciting things to tell me about his friends and Miss Lina. Carolina Garzzia has an amazing ability with children. Her staff are reliable and trust worthy. My son is ready for kindergarten and he's only 3 years old. He knows his phone number and he's learning his address. I wouldn't have my son anywhere else, he's with family. His best friends and someone who loves him as much as we do. read more

This is a great place! So cute and the staff are really loving. They really care about the children and it shows. If they have space, take the spot! Great outside play area, lots of shade and good selection of toys and play equipment. I liked the curriculum and the day to day operation. read more

We have been fortunate to have all 4 of our children attend day care and preschool at Chandler's Playhouse (2 are still presently attending). I cannot speak highly enough of the owner, Carolina, and her team, or the overall experience my family has enjoyed over the past 8 years. When my older two daughters started elementary school, their teachers were impressed by their preparedness academically and socially and inquired where they had gone to preschool. Some special features that we appreciate: -children are encouraged to learn, explore, and play all while learning about working cooperatively, understanding rules, and developing life skills -the food! my kids eat better at school than my husband and I do at home! -fun and interesting field trips -individualized attention and lesson plans (art, literature, math, and science are incorporated regularly) -regular and detailed feedback on your child's progress with very open communication about all school related matters As a mom of 4, I have learned a lot along the way and have come in contact with many other mothers who have gone through the preschool experience. I am confident that the preschool and day care experience my children have had and are having surpasses many other programs and has provided them with fantastic foundation for elementary school and beyond. read more