We wouldn't recommend Scuttlebugs. We were at Tiny Minders North and loved it. The transition to…read moreScuttlebugs, who bought it when the original owner retired, was rough. The chef is wonderful and so are the hours, but after all of our favorite caregivers left, we started looking for other options. The turnover was so high, it felt like staff came and went every few weeks. The old guard associated with Tiny Minders all departed over time; new folks coming in also left after short stints. Rooms were not staffed with enough teachers. New staff didn't know my kiddo or introduce themselves to me. I felt I was leaving her with strangers. I'm relieved we left when we did--I've since heard concerning stories. For reference our daughter is 3. I hope they can turn this ship around because I know we all desperately need safe, quality childcare.

Our daughter is doing great in ScuttleBugs' preschool program. We've been with the center since it…read morewas called TinyMinders, and while the transition to new ownership was a bit rocky for a while, the new team seems to have found their footing and emerged as good as ever. The school recruited an amazing preschool teacher who brings solid, professional teaching and a great energy to the room. The addition of the onsite chef has been fantastic both because we no longer have to pack lunches, and the meals are full of quality and variety. Overall, a solid choice for a Boulder daycare that caters to the typical working parent.

Frida's Garden Childcare is a wonderful natural environment that provides discovery opportunities…read morefor young children. With a focus on sensory play and collaborative activities like their group lunch prep and group nature walks, a supportive space has been created which fosters interactive learning. The flexibility in drop off times and hours of care enables families to find the care that suits their family best and at affordable rates. Lucie Uhr is an amazing teacher and I am honored to recommend her and her garden childcare as one of the best in Boulder.

Lucie is kind, compassionate and very creative! I'm thrilled to see this resource in our community…read morefor parents with young children. if your super lucky your kiddo will get a spot in her home daycare!!!

I'm fond of YMCA's as they tend to be affordable solid gyms and a membership at one allows access…read moreat others. This is a typical Y, with free weights, stacks, cardio machines, classes that are included in the membership cost, and a gym with an elevated track. This location also has a pool, though personally I'd trade it for one set of pre-loaded barbells. I'm sure swimmers would disagree. Other bonuses include convenient access to several bus lines and a Whole Foods as well as pilates reformer machines, though I've yet to try those. If there's a better deal for a gym in Boulder, I've not found it yet.

The attitude at this Y is the worst! The staff all act like they are doing me a favor to answer my…read morequestions. The boulder bubble snottiness is definitely present at the Boulder Y. This Y just got a huge remodel and I don't think they deserve it. That money should've gone to a different Y in Northern CO because this is the worst Y in the northern Colorado group. I cannot stand to go into the Boulder why because I know the attitude is gonna be snotty! I have gone in to play pickle ball at the Boulder Y because that's where my friends wanted to go. We called and they said we could come in and play and when we got there and started to play a staff member came in and ran us off. That's the second time that's happened. As with everything in Boulder, the parking sucks at the Boulder YMCA. I've told my friends I'm done with the Boulder Y! I highly do not recommend going to this YMCA especially when there's other YMCA options in the Northern CO group that are low stress, friendly, good parking and just a more pleasant experience.

Starsong has been a fantastic place for our son to learn, grow and blossom into a toddler. Ms…read more Julie brings a unique warmth and a deeply thoughtful and caring approach. Her home presents a wealth of wooden toys and the backyard offers your child the opportunity to learn about the outdoors. You feel like you are leaving your child with a close family member whenever you drop him or her off. The kiddos learn to play together, cook, compost, share, communicate and enjoy the outdoors. So many wonderful things to say about our experience with Starsong.

I had my two year old in StarSong and he was always very happy to go. We had a smooth settling in…read moreand it was so sad to leave. Julie is calm, motherly, warm with lots of smiles and songs. It feels like home. I will highly recommend StarSong as a beautiful beginning to being away from home to the little ones. The setting has beautiful wooden toys and playroom. Healthy tasty warm food for lunch and an amazing garden with everything a child will want to play with.

Cindy is wonderful as my son (2.5 yrs old) has been at her at-home daycare since he was a baby and…read moreher home is safe, fun and a very happy place for children! My son runs inside to play upon drop-off and sometimes doesn't want to leave when I arrive. She takes care of everything in terms of snacks, meals and milk which makes life so much easier for me + there is only four children and quiet sleeping areas which allows for tons of attention and tailored schedules depending on the age/stage of the child! I looked at a number of different at-home daycares and daycare centers and am SO thankful I came across Cindy and Hillside Child Care as I hated the high turnover and regimented schedules at the centers and was so thankful for a place where my son could take two naps a day when he first started vs getting forced into one nap when he wasn't ready (not to mention the germs from all the children in those kind of places as well). I would HIGHLY recommend Cindy's at-home daycare and am happy to provide a reference if anyone wants additional details.

Cindy was great with both of our sons! She is responsible, reliable and very knowledgable. Her…read morein-home childcare setting felt more like an extension of home, plus, way less germs in the smaller environment! We would happily recommend her to anyone looking for quality childcare.

We are so happy we found this daycare! The teachers are all very welcoming, even if the teachers…read morewho don't teach my kids' class know their names. The director Stephanie is doing a great job too, she organizes a lot of events and fun activities for the kids and the parents' night out day is awesome too. My kids always beg me to go to parents' night out. I think the teachers all love to work here too, the only few who left recently are all because of life situation changes, not because of the management issues.

Caring staff that helped me navigate potty training and development of my first child. I know whe…read moreis always on good hands. I enjoy recieving pictures of her at school through the app.

Both of my children have grown with the Tiny Minders North family and we couldn't be happier with…read morethe care and developmental skills they have received. My oldest is in Kindergarten now and still misses her teachers and the staff. My son is still there and is so excited to go every morning that he grabs his coat and bag and drags it around the house waiting for me to get out. Andrea and Diana have always been a great support network and I can't imagine my life without them and the TNM crew!

My daughter went to Tinyminders North for two years, and it's been GREAT! As a first-time working…read moremom, my concerns were about her welfare, time spent on developmental activities, and her socialization. The staff at Tinyminders did not disappoint. They were attentive, kind, generous, caring, friendly and reassuring. Especially to a nervous wreck like me! The rates were excellent, and the curriculum was centered around fostering a loving, caring environment. My child learned so much. I agree with the other reviewer here that the teachers may not have all been certified teachers, but their love and dedication to children was more important in my eyes. Especially for my daughter, who started so young. I would glad recommend this daycare to anyone who is looking for a small, close, attentive, individualized, breast-friendly and affordable facility close to their workplace in Boulder. Top notch.

My daughter has been attending Patience Montessori for over a year and a half now…read more My wife and I looked at a variety of local schools and chose Patience because we loved the diversity among teachers and the convenient logistics. Colorado isn't a particularly diverse state so having several ethnicities and cultures represented at school is important to us. Our daughter has been taught to love learning and be independent there. She's been shown a tremendous amount of love and has grown out of her shy, quiet demeanor into a social, confident personality. The fact that Patience is open from 7:30am to 5:45pm has been an unexpectedly important part of our happiness with the school. As a two income family having the flexibility to drop off early and pick up without having to leave the office in the middle of the afternoon has taken a lot of stress out of our lives. I highly recommend that you look at Patience - we have been incredibly happy with the education, care, and love for our daughter.

Our Experience at Patience Montessori: A Cautionary Account…read more Our time at Patience Montessori was unfortunately marked by significant concerns regarding the care of our child and the overall environment of the daycare. What should have been a nurturing, supportive partnership turned into a stressful and unhealthy experience for our entire family. Mismanagement and Poor Communication From the beginning, I had concerns about the center's management. When I approached the director to discuss issues such as classroom transitions, choking hazards, teacher turnover, and the handling of pumped breast milk, I was met with a dismissive and defensive attitude. Instead of engaging in a constructive dialogue, the director consistently deflected responsibility and placed blame on parents or staff. Communication at this daycare was a recurring problem. Any concerns raised were typically ignored or met with hostility. Over time, it became clear that the director only engaged with me to point out what she believed I was doing wrong as a parent--including breastfeeding choices, carrying my child, or even my child removing her shoes at school. This level of intrusion into parenting decisions felt entirely inappropriate and overreaching. High Staff Turnover and Questionable Hiring In just six months, my child had six different teachers in the toddler room. This high turnover created instability and was never proactively communicated to parents. After the sixth teacher, my child--previously happy to attend--began crying at drop-off and describing the new teacher as "mean" and "scary." I later learned that this teacher refused to offer milk based on a personal belief that another child might mistakenly drink it. Shockingly, she had cycled through twelve different daycare centers before arriving at this one. Concerning Treatment of Children and Staff More alarming were the reports I heard directly from staff members, who confided in me about the director's behavior. They expressed discomfort with being sworn at in front of children, being pressured to operate over legal child-to-adult ratios, and being given questionable directions, including how to minimize parent-teacher interactions during drop-off. On multiple occasions, the director interrupted private conversations I was having with my child's teachers under the pretense of needing to "talk privately" with them. This left me feeling that transparency with parents was being intentionally avoided. Emotional Wellbeing and Child Development One of my deepest concerns was the director's approach to emotional development. Patience's philosophy, as described to me, discouraged staff from comforting children in distress. Staff were reportedly told not to hold, soothe, or validate a crying child's emotions. "She needs to be on her own," they were instructed. This rigid interpretation of the Montessori philosophy felt, to me, like emotional neglect rather than encouragement of independence. Montessori education values independence, yes--but not at the cost of compassion and emotional support. Children deserve comfort and guidance as they learn to regulate their feelings. What I witnessed and heard about at Patience Montessori deeply contradicted those values. Final Thoughts What I hoped for was a nurturing and professional childcare environment--one that would support my child and work with me as a parent. Instead, I encountered a toxic culture, a lack of professionalism, and a director who was more interested in control than care. Ultimately, we had to find a new daycare where our child could feel safe, supported, and understood. I share our experience to help other families make informed decisions and to advocate for higher standards in early childhood care.

Best hidden secret of Boulder... great teachers... great school!read more

From the owner: Mt. Zion provides childcare for Toddlers, preschool and prekindergarten children in a safe, loving…read moreenvironment. Children are allowed to grow through appropriate activities and lessons with teachers who care. Founded in 1986 we offer an environment rich in opportunities that develop a well rounded child.

Our current AuPair fiercely protective of our girls and is equally vested in finding someone who…read morefits in our family when she leaves us in late summer. Additionally, Our previous AuPair has gotten engaged to and she has asked our girls are going to be flower girls in her Irish celebrations, and I will be a bridesmaid! This program has really enriched our family in ways we could not have anticipated. Including having a child who qualifies for speech and language services but is able to say "cheers" in Serbian and Irish as well as basic greetings in both languages. We so appreciate this program and the candidates that we have had that matched with our family. We have had an opportunity already to go to Ireland (last November) as well as an open invitation to Serbia! We have gotten to celebrate Orthodox Christmas and Easter and found a whole subculture (Serbian) literally in our backyard that we did not know existed until Our family participated in this program. This agency has been very easy to work with, and because it is relatively small I feel like any concerns we've had, or our AuPairs have faced, they've worked with us willingly to help. We would (and have) recommended both AuPairs generally, and this agency specifically to others in our area. It truly can be a cultural exchange and for that we're thankful.

Au Pair International is an extremely unprofessional group. The people seem to really dislike…read moreworking there and they foster a very anti-host family environment. Our au pair also said she felt like they were very difficult. They talk very disrespectfully to us once they take our money and make it difficult to communicate with them. I have actually been hung up on and avoided for months. I am so glad I switched agencies. I realized what a big difference there was in professionalism! We love our new agency and I wish I knew this years ago.