About me: I am the antithesis of the PTA mom. I'm pretty much a hot mess most days. I have two…read morewonderful boys (20 mos and 3 mos) that run my life and keep my busy beyond belief. I sought daycare, not because I needed someone to watch my children (thanks grammy!) but because I wanted my children to be socialized, learn some structure, and HAVE FUN! I'm extremely protective and highly opinionated mom, but I will be the first to admit that I kinda suck at this mom gig. So! Any help I can get, I'm game. SO, I shopped around at a few daycares in town and was surprised by the massive variety of variables in care, prices, and personalities. My first impression, just from visiting Little Discoveries: I love it! I just enrolled my 20-month-old son three days a week. Here's why: The moment I stepped into the safety-gated front door, I was greeted with a smile. It felt genuine. Not desperate or lackluster. I was also THAT mom who called and literally asked 68 questions in a mini interview before even stepping foot in the doors and the owner was kind enough to answer EVERY question in detail. I was surprised to not have any concerns when I got off the phone with her. I had heard from MANY friends, especially THOSE moms who everyone wants to be like, that Little Discoveries was the place to go. True to my rebellious nature, I decided it'd be the last place I checked out. I am SO glad I did. I felt something missing from so many other daycares. Something I think is more important than just about anything else: LOVE! I want to know that when I drop my little guy off, he will be held and cuddled and adored as much as humanly possible for those who've not birthed him. I was stoked to see many hugs and snuggles given the moment I walked into the infant area. I heard soft, pleasant voices cooing at babies, saying "please" and "thank you." It was peaceful enough that I wanted to lie down and rest listening to the staff's sweet voices. I witnessed positive structure. The kind where back pats and hugs happen when something goes right. The kind where safety is first, but kindness isn't far behind. I saw SMILES! I had no idea how much of a difference this would make to me, but it was huge! Too many other places in town have structure without smiles. That just feels so wrong. Here, everyone was smiling. The kids, the staff. It's lovely! I saw tons of age-appropriate toys, a well-fenced backyard for play, and all kinds of active, devoted staff. The place is not immaculately clean, but it's cleaner than my home. I found daycares that were too clean and it bugged me. How can kids have fun if they don't get a little paint on their hands? How do I know they've eaten if there aren't yummy little crumbs on their clothes? I think a healthy level of cleanliness is important to observe. Part of it being healthy is having room for brain-growing messes. Little Discoveries had exactly that. I LOVE that they feed the kids. I didn't know how off-putting it'd be to have to think about making lunches and meals for kids, but it literally made me disinterested in another daycare. Being able to drop my little guy off knowing they are well stocked on healthy food and feed kids throughout the day so I don't have to worry about a thing is GREAT! The pricing is reasonable and better than a few other places in town. For the value, it's the best by far. You can do part time, full time, or drop-in if you're registered already. They adhere to the state ratio laws and seem overstaffed at times (which I think is a bonus). Little Discoveries has a few citations on the licensing board site BUT! If you look at those citations, there are far fewer than any other places and their license is one of the oldest in town. Also, one of the citations is for a staff member playing with kids and accidentally falling. If there's gunna be a hazard for my kid, I HOPE it's while he's having tons of fun doing something engaging. At least that's my take. There are definitely places I didn't even check out based on the citations I read alone. Feel free to check the website and see what I mean... Finally, I like their electronic check in and camera systems. The first thing anyone hears about, when daycare shopping, is the cameras. There's something about knowing you can peek in on your kiddo anytime that soothes the soul. Also, who's gunna do wrong when they know they're on camera? Not many folks... I'm BEYOND happy to have a place like Little Discoveries in Chico. They have two other locations as well and it sounds like they're very flexible with parents and their scheduling needs. Based off of first impressions alone, obviously, I'm sold. I shall update more as our experience deepens. Wishing all the other parents shopping for this most important service luck! It's terrifying and wonderful. Trust your gut! There are definitely worse places to take your kiddos. For now, I highly recommend Little Discoveries. :)

All three of my children at one time or another have gone here. Now, my two year old attends during…read moreschool hours mon-fri. Every morning the staff greet him so kindly and respectfully; me too of course. I'm so appreciative of how much he loves going to "school" like his big brother and sister. It's a clear reflection of the diligence and love Rhonda and her staff put into making the place so welcoming and warm; so that my son can get down to the hard work of being two!

Hands down one of the coolest preschool programs in Chico--if not the coolest! Unique structure,…read morelow teacher to child ratios, and an awesome teaching philosophy. The curriculum is always changing and fresh and having inclusive classrooms allows staff to look at the individual considerations of all children. Innovative also collaborates with the Chico State Child Development department so there are many opportunities for interns and students to come learn from the teaching staff about working with children of all abilities. Coming from that department myself, I had the opportunity to spend time in several different preschool programs around town and none of them came close to the quality that I feel Innovative offers families. I chose to work here because I believe in the way this program looks at early childhood development and how the teaching staff works on an individual level with children. This program has been around for 25 years and has done amazing things teaching children social emotional foundations, in addition to getting kiddos ready for many other challenges that life will offer post-preschool. I highly encourage families to check out this preschool program to see everything that it offers!

This preschool is life changing! They are not only the most wonderful educators, they are wonderful…read morehumans. Their partnership with Chico Unified allows them to provide inclusive services to children with special needs as well as typically developing children. They have a strong connection to Chico State which provides highly qualified students in the classroom with children. They hire teachers with strong educational backgrounds that truly love being with children. There is such a feeling of joy in the classrooms and everyone becomes family.

My wife and I are so happy to be sending our daughter here! Erica and Shannon, and all the…read moreteachers, are the best! Our first impression was that the kids were happy. Junie loves it here, she is so excited and happy at school. We thought dropping our baby off at daycare would be so hard, but it's been surprisingly easy because she loves it so much and she's so well cared for. We are so grateful and lucky to be here.

From the owner: Acorns to Oaks Preschool and Daycare is a privately owned preschool and daycare center. We began…read morethis journey of opening a new center to bring more access for childcare within our community. As a new center we know that you want to do what’s best for your child by giving them a strong start in their early education. Acorns to Oaks is the right place for them to begin their journey. We are here to form an exceptionally strong social and educational foundation. The children will learn to respect one another, learn together, work together and have fun constructively. Your child will discover how enjoyable learning can be. So, if you’re looking for the best place for your child to learn and grow (when you can’t be there), there is no better choice than Acorns to Oaks!

5 Stars Our son just turned two and has been attending Chico…read moreChild Development Center on Palmetto since March. He's always been a very sensitive and clingy little guy, so leaving him anywhere has been tough for us in the past. But this center has really helped with that. From our very first visit, Shelly made him feel right at home and he didn't want to leave--he loved playing, exploring, and immediately connected with the staff. The team is warm and welcoming, but I have to highlight a few people who have made a huge impact. He absolutely adores the lead of the center, and his favorite teachers are Miss Jada and Miss Chloe. Miss Chloe truly has a gift when it comes to working with kids--she's incredibly gentle, kind, and understanding. She just has this calming presence that makes me feel completely at peace leaving my child in her care. She's also amazing about sharing updates through the parent portal, with thoughtful notes and sweet pictures that give us a real sense of how our son is doing throughout the day. Miss Jada is also wonderful--she's so thorough and attentive. I really appreciate how she keeps us informed not only about how much he's eaten and what he's played with, but also how he's doing emotionally. That level of care means everything to us. We feel so lucky to have found a place that feels like a second home for our son. Knowing he's in such loving, capable hands brings us so much comfort. We're truly grateful for the team.

If I could give zero stars I would!! I hate this place and…read moremy son ended hating it as well. I will repeat this as in my pictures, Val, was amazing she should be the one running the place. I will say a little more than what my pictures say, my son was picked up by his dad there were times he would find him playing outside, in nothing but underwear, sometimes he'd be dressed but with no shoes. And in bad weather. We'd show up to get him they would also not know where is stuff is including shoes which is always supposed to be in cubby, and if it wasn't my son would get blamed. He was a toddler. I don't understand how they put all of these expectations on small children not even school aged just starting to learn these things. Ang, has been fired since but she would literally tell us our son was put of control and she couldn't handle him and she would be mad!!! This place blew my mind.

Denise has made a lovely home with beautiful architecture into the most heart warming daycare…read morecenter. This place is beyond amazing, and I am so happy to have such great care given to my children while my husband and I are working. Its a clean, cozy, and welcoming environment for learning and having fun for the most special little people in our lives! To just throw it over the top, theres a covered patio area giving the kids room to play without having to be 100% exposed to the extreme weather we experience in Chico, and the outside play area gives them so much room to run around and have a good time. Denise has selected the sweetest staff who seem like they honestly love what they do and value their time spent with the kids. As someone who constantly seems to have a concern about something, I have zero about Enchanted Play and the quality of care given to the kids here. We currently have an 11 month old and a 3 year old enrolled here, and we are beyond happy!

Enchanted Play has been a dream come true for my family. Denise and her amazing staff and family…read morework together to provide an environment you could never get a big corporate day care. They feed the kids homemade fresh meals, which helps parents in the never ending quest to broaden their palettes! They have tons of outside time in their very safe and functional backyard. And my favorite part of it all is the circle time, learning games, and arts and crafts activities they do daily. They teach the kids letters and number and do fun science and math projects to keep them learning while having fun. They also do naps every day which is both amazing and admirable (my son refuses to nap at home these days). Denise has watched my 6 and 3 year old since they were babies and they both dearly love her and teachers, which is proof what they are doing is working.

Just thought I would update, my son went to this school for a year after I did the walk through…read more. He LOVED it, loved the teachers and I was happy with the stuff he would bring home... They do crafts everyday and learning worksheets... My son never wants to leave and he made a lot of new friends. I went on a few field trips with my son books family farm, a pumpkin patch in Chico, the museum of science in Chico.. I think there are a few more I'm forgetting.. But my son loved it. I will probably enroll my other son who is 3 at kinder kids as well starting august. My other son is now 5 and starting kindergarten!

Love this place and so does my kid, We looked at a lot of preschools before entering her into…read moreKinderkids. This was the best by far! They teach the kids letters, numbers and more. They go on field trips all the time. My daughter love going every morning.

I'm so glad that our family found Bidwell Academy! The staff and teachers are amazing. I can tell…read morethey genuinely love the kids and work hard to create a fun learning environment. Lunch is included in the tuition price and I love that we are kept in the know about what they learn every month with a calendar- everyday has a question you can ask your child to engage with them about what they're learning. I would 100% recommended this school!

What a wonderful place this is! My older son went through Bidwell Academy and came out of the…read moreprogram beyond prepared for Kindergarten. He knew his letters, his numbers, the sounds of letters, how to share, and how to work out problems using words versus tears or violence. The staff is well trained, well educated, and most importantly, incredibly loving and gives each child the attention he or she deserves and needs. They serve lunch each day, which is a bonus for the busy parent! They take a few field trips each year, cook, paint, play, read, and have a great time every day. Now my younger son is going through the program and will graduate (yes, they have an adorable graduation ceremony) this year. I am thankful every day that we chose this program for our kids. I will miss it terribly when we move on to Kindergarten next year!

This has been my children's daycare for years. My son went here for about 7 years and now my…read moredaughter goes here. I like the staff and they are great with kids. Good location and services. Would highly recommend.

After some false starts with some of the Chico area preschools, I have to say King's Christian is…read moreby far the best choice. My son is excited to go to school everyday, and loves all the teachers there. His skills have grown both socially and educationally! This school is the whole package!

Folks would be remiss to not choose this place for daycare. I have been with CCDC since they opened…read moretheir second location at Oak St. I have seen this location grow and take feedback and implement it in the past 3 and half years I've taken my son there. I'm generally pretty anxious, and this is one place I feel comfortable leaving my son. They offer really great quality learning, play, and engagement. We get homework every week, constant updates about intellectual development, and great redirection. The teachers are just so thoughtful and caring. They are incredibly focused on safety, well being and development. Like all hands on deck everyone helps correct behaviors with love and empathy. My son was having a rough time, as three years old tend to do, and they sat with me to come up with a plan for behavioral issues and partnered with me in a really kind and empathetic way. There was no judgement, just a desire to do what was best for everyone. I implicitly trust the staff there and wholeheartedly recommend them for all childcare needs. They are quite literally the best.

All my kids have had a great experience here. They have been going to chico child development…read morecenter since the time they could at 6 weeks old! I put all my trust and faith into this daycare and they are like a family to me. Even after my kids turned school age they still want to go back and visit just to see all the familiar faces. I love Chico Child Development Center they always will have my vote as they keep the children best interests at heart and provide a loving first start.

My child attended Ms. Lori's Kids First Preschool and i can not say enough. He was always happy to…read morecome to school. Even on those dragging mornings. He made friends, learned his alphabet, shapes, colors, writing his name, and so much more. The environment is clean, encouraging, supportive, happy, and warm 24/7. Lori is a ball of energy and no matter whats going on her attitude and bubbly personality is consistent daily. From the moment you walk in you can feel that this is Lori's passion to work with your child from the bday parties she puts on some out of her own pocket to the pictures of her past classes on the walls. Communication to parents is excellent i always felt like i knew what was going on in class. He never wanted to go home when i picked him up because he was having fun and that meant everything to me. Her prices were the best i had found around and in a small in home environment was what my child needed. I wish i had found her when we first moved here. She is amazing and i would bring my child to her again and future siblings to her.

From the owner: The school is designed and structured identically to a center-based program. And with a maximum of…read moresix students enrolled at one time, children have an opportunity to receive rich individualized instruction, thereby allowing them to reach their full potential. Providing: Arts and Crafts, Music Appreciation, Science and Math Lessons, Sign-Language, Games, AM/PM Snacks, Pre-Kindergarten Readiness Program, and Annual Skill Assessments, your child will thrive.