Andrew's Camp is absolutely fantastic! My daughter had such an amazing time here. She came home…read moreevery day excited to show me what she made and these weren't your typical coloring or watercolor projects. They did real, supply-intensive arts and crafts that were so creative and fun. The staff clearly put a lot of thought and effort into planning activities that keep kids engaged, happy, and proud of what they create. It's rare to find a camp that offers this level of hands-on, imaginative experience.

My kids above Andrews Camps. We usually only go during the summer. They have the best time, truly a…read morekids paradise full of their favorite activities. I love the drop in option as well. I have no complaints when I drop them off and only get negative comments if I pick them up too early.

We have been sending our kiddos at San Anselmo Preschool and Super Summer Adventure for some time…read morenow and are so psyched to be there again this summer. It's such a great classic summer camp experience - riding bikes on the playground, awesome arts and crafts, fun field trips. But honestly what makes it for us is the staff. This isn't your summer camp run by 16-18 year olds - the counselors are professionals when it comes to taking care of children and have made a career it of it. To me that makes a huge difference. My kids just love to play there.

We sent our 5 yo last summer and was pretty disappointed. The website made it look great however it…read moreseemed like the themes were an after thought and the camp counselors were barely interested. It felt more like a babysitting service than a camp. They actively discouraged us from joining the field trip on Friday maybe because she was on the younger side? By that time we were not feeling great about the supervision anyway. We saw several interactions between kids where there was no engagement from staff to help resolve conflicts. We did several camps and this was the only one my daughter asked not to return to.

These folks are amazing. Camps, weekend, homeschool, and after school opportunities to play role…read moreplay games AND learn to explore relationships, creativity, and imagination through story. My kids are so into this.

Wilderness Cubs is absolutely amazing--one of the best decisions we've made for our daughter!…read more Living in Marin, we regularly take her hiking, so I was initially hesitant to sign her up. But once we did, we couldn't be happier. Wilderness Cubs isn't just about hiking and running around outside--it's a fully immersive educational experience. Our daughter gets the opportunity to learn about reptiles, amphibians, farm animals, insects, local plant life, and so much more, all while exploring and having fun with her friends. The live animal presentations are incredible, and the amount of information she retains and excitedly shares with us at home makes us feel so lucky to have found this program before she starts elementary school. In addition to hikes and animal visits, the children create nature-themed art projects, read books related to the day's lesson, and learn to identify local birds, animals and plants around Phoenix Lake. I love that now when we go hiking she's is the one telling us and her little sister what type of plant or bird we are looking at. If you'd like your little one to stay longer, there's also a fantastic afterschool program available. Wilderness Cubs has been such a wonderful experience that we're already planning to sign up our younger daughter as soon as she turns three!

Our 3yr old son attends Wilderness Cubs two days a week and he'd like to attend even more! He is…read moreabsolutely thriving being outside for the full class day. They spend their days hiking, learning about nature, interacting with animals, and do the cutest daily projects that are both educational, outdoorsy, and fun. Not to mention getting to hang out at one of the most beautiful trailheads in Marin. Teacher Lesley has created a fun, comfortable, and outdoorsy experience, and our son comes home covered in mud with the biggest smiles on his face every day. It's so fun to see how much our kiddos can learn and enjoy by just being in nature with the class!

We love love love Coastal camp. The kids have been going since it started operating post Covid and…read moreit remains one of their favorite summer camps. The activities become more fun as the kids grow, the quality of the teachers and staff remains extremely high. The kids love taking the bus from/to the Presidio, they enjoy hiking, sailing, learning about ocean life and nature in general, and they learn to appreciate nature so much. They look up to park rangers and come home with advice on what to do to preserve nature. I highly recommend this camp to anyone who appreciates the outdoors and frankly to anyone who needs to learn more about nature, which is the majority of people, especially people who live in the city.

This is January 2010 and I stumbled across Jody's July 2009 review of the Coastal Camp. I had or…read moreshould I say , my nephew from Europe had a great time in the summer of 2009 ( same month as Jody's child). For a non- English speaking kid, and trying to pick up the language, he still had a great time with all the activities ( Ocean Explorers). He has asked me to enroll him again this coming summer. The only comment I share with Jody is the need to increase the staff by 1/3 for the volume of children attending. I'll feel better if they did so. Maybe that's what Jody meant by lack of supervision. My girlfriend enrolled her young children in the Call for the Wild program. They spent a night in the "Wild" and still recall their memorable night outdoor.

We are in the middle of our 3rd year at SAPS and we've had a wonderful experience. Our son is…read moreincredibly happy and has grown so much in his confidence and preparedness for Kindergarten. He'a had a breadth of learning experiences and projects over his time at SAPS. His curiosity has been constantly sparked by his teachers. They've been supportive and kind as he's grown up there. SAPS is a large preschool with many teachers. I've genuinely appreciated how many staff members know and care for my son. It's given my son a chance to get to know many children at different ages as well. We chose SAPS because of the relaxed atmosphere and great hours for working parents. They went above and beyond what I expected and I am continually grateful we chose to send our son there.

We probably should have gone elsewhere, but we were desperate…read more For reference, we came in to SAPS at the Pre-K (Mighty Oaks) program, so this review is based off of being a new student in their self-contained pre-K program. First off, we had decided to do a week of summer camp prior to starting the school year so my son could get used to the new environment. Our first day, we were not greeted at all or told where we should go. We were lost and the campus is quite large for being a preschool. They house several different ages and so we didn't know where to go. When I picked him up from camp, nobody said bye. We could have been strangers taking a kid and no one would have known. This should have been a red flag to immediately apply elsewhere. But really, there was no where else accepting at the time, so there we went. I never really felt that magical connection we had with his prior preschool (the Pre-K there had run out of spots). Really, I feel a lot of guilt for not doing more research. Some parents I've read had done a year of Kindergarten (which my son age wise qualified for (barely being 5), but emotionally, he was not ready) at a private school and then re-did kindergarten at the public school at age 6. This is a path I only found out about today. Such is life! My son is chugging along, however, I know it's not the magical place of his old preschool. We'll get through it for the next 8 months, and take it with a grain of salt. It'll build resilience. The other students are nice enough and his two teachers are nice enough, but I don't honestly feel like anyone there LOVES their job. At least they don't convey that. It's not as "bubbly" and warm as our other school. My other son will for sure stay where we are at the other preschool for pre-K. But if I had to do it again, we'd go elsewhere. I hope I can help other parents out there. This just wasn't a great fit. I think you need to spend a day and meet the teachers before you enroll. Meet ALL the teachers as they do cover for other classes sometimes. We have our favorites (science for sure). For the price, it's ok, but the nearby (and I mean it's on the same street) private Kindergarten was actually CHEAPER! So that's on me for not even looking or thinking to do a year there instead. All in all it's a learning lesson. It has taught me to do more diligent research on any program my children do. And sometimes you might be better off just waiting.

My son recently attended a Roots to Branches Summer Camp and loved it. The camp was held throughout…read moreMarin, primarily in the GGNRA/Marin Headlands, a wonderful use of the beautiful area we live in! We recently moved into the area it was a great way for my son to meet new friends in. In addition, the facilitators were awesome, fun, very supportive and helpful. Such a great camp that we look forward to participating in the Roots to Branches yearlong program this year! Thanks!

My soon to be 13 year old son attended this years R2B summer camp and I wish I could give more than…read more5 stars as it really does deserve it. From the time the boys all met up on day one and clicked immediately with Armando taking lead to Zach coming in as well and creating a very different vibe to make the boys feel so welcome. Power tools, Lasar tag, making shelters, building fires, storytelling, and fun games on the beaches of the Marin Headlands were just some of the weeks activities. I have to say my son came home everyday with a smile on his face from ear to ear. He is already asking me when the year long program will begin! Please don't hesitate signing your child up for any program with Roots to Branches as what Armando and Zach are creating for our children as they become young adults in a very different and sometimes challenging world is so very needed and important. Thank you R2B!! Jackie H.

We are so grateful we found Oakview. After moving to Marin during COVID, it was difficult to find a…read moresense of community, but Oakview gave our family that and so much more. Our daughter started at Oakview at age two, and from the moment we toured the school, we knew it was special. The warm and welcoming environment stood out to us. Every classroom felt joyful, engaging, colorful, and thoughtfully designed. After touring a handful of places we knew Oakview was the one. Over the years, it has been a joy to watch our daughters grow and thrive. Our oldest recently graduated and is heading to kindergarten with confidence, independence, and a genuine love of learning. I have especially loved seeing how much she admires and adores her teachers. The teachers really go above and beyond with unique and creative, hands-on projects and building relationships with each child and their families. Lastly, as newcomers to Marin, we met so many wonderful families through the school who have become some of our closest friends. Oakview has been an incredibly special part of our lives, and we are deeply grateful for the love, care, education, creativity, and community it has provided. We couldn't recommend it more highly.

We've had such a wonderful experience at Oakview Preschool. Each classroom tailors its program to…read morethe children's age and developmental stage, which makes a noticeable difference. The teachers lead with so much kindness and care and you can genuinely feel how much they value each child. It feels great knowing my two boys are safe, well cared for, having fun, and learning every day, not just academically, but also how to be kind little humans. They enjoy being there and are happy when I pick them up, and that says everything to me. The amazing parent community is an added bonus. I feel lucky to have found Oakview and would absolutely recommend Oakview as the best place for children to get their start with school.