We have been part of Garden Nursery School for the past 3 years. Our son graduated from the school last year after completing the two year program and now his younger sister is thrilled to finally be able to go there too. (Our eldest who did not get a chance to go to GNS is still disappointed and begs to go back to preschool someday) After a tour of preschools in the Cambridge area we chose to join GNS. What we liked was that everything about this school looked like it was made by and for the children. GNS had a vibrant livelihood that was generated by the children's natural curiosity, their unpredictable creativity and their endless energy. We saw many wonderful preschools, but GNS stood out in that it did not present an element of 'show' for the parents. Nothing was too pretty and nothing felt staged. It was not a place where kids seemed to have been inserted into a beautiful backdrop that was made to please the eyes of adults. Rather, it was an inviting space filled with works and projects that reflected the children's minds and their inventive nature. We could not be happier at the school. The teachers are outstanding! They are extremely dedicated, thoughtful and professional. They hold a deep understanding of each and every child in the school, tending to their individual needs and emotions. The intimate connections that they make with each individual child work to supports a warm and friendly classroom environment where kids are encouraged notice one another (not a trivial thing for 3 and 4 year olds) to be kind and to be respectful towards one another. The curriculum is fantastic. Learning is done through play and with endless encouragement of exploration. Nonetheless, it is evident that all activities are designed with an underlying understanding of the developmental needs and requirements of preschoolers. Being part of a parent - teacher cooperative is a time commitment and comes with responsibility, but it enables parents to truly be part of their child's education and get a real sense of what is taking place in the school. It also creates a greater sense of community that extends beyond school hours. My appreciation for the approach that is adopted at this preschool has deepened now that my two older kids are in elementary school. In a time when children have fewer and fewer years to be kids, GNS is a unique environment where they are given the freedom and are truly encouraged to be themselves, as a group and as individuals. The current trends in education seem to encourage the use of more and more expensive and sophisticated gadgets and fancy teaching aids that often end up limiting children's natural tendency to hands-on exploration and invention. GNS, which operates on a modest budget is a wonderful example of a school where gifted teachers take advantage of humble 'old school' resources and use them to maintain and preserve the free spirit of childhood. read more

My son has been at GNS for 1 year. When I was making enrollment decisions for my son's first year of preschool, I found it hard to figure out what makes a great preschool. Neither me nor my husband are experienced in childhood education. Quick visits make every school look like a toy store wonderland to me. It's hard to get to know the teachers in such a short time. The first preschool where I enrolled my son was not a good fit for him. He is high energy (aka: a boy). At his first preschool he often ended up in the "sad chair". Mid-year we knew we wanted to make a change for his second year of preschool. A friend of a friend mentioned Garden Nursery School, a gem tucked away in Harvard Square. I visited and noticed the more art-centered and creative atmosphere including the loft playspace and giant mess room for painting and other crafts. I also noticed that all the children were very engaged with each other and with productive play, as opposed to living in a dichotomy between very focused and uniform activities and then breaking out to wildly thrash around the room. We were sold! A spot opened up and we even switched our son mid-year. It was a great decision. I have learned so much as a parent being a part of this community. The teachers are incredible. They helped my son transition, never asking him to do anything he didn't feel ready to do. During circle time/story time, they allowed my son to watch from afar until he wanted to join the circle, but always conveying that they would love to have him be a part. He went from feeling neutral about school to hoping every day was a school day. The community itself is diverse. Parents raise money each year to enable families with lower income to attend the school. In my son's class, there have been two children who didn't know English and just moved to the U.S. There are also members of the community with various family structures. We were nervous about the commitment of a parent cooperative school. The benefit of getting to know the other families and truly being part of a community was well worth the trade-off. read more

After spending two magical years at GNS, my son recently "graduated" and will move on to kindergarten next year. He has consistently asked me if it is possible to stay at GNS with his friends and teachers for kindergarten which just goes to show what an incredible and tight-knit community this is. I so wish the answer was yes! We stumbled upon GNS after moving to Cambridge from the West Coast. We wanted to find a part-time program for our son (and eventually our daughter, too) and GNS was one of the few schools in the Cambridge area that met our needs. Our son had attended other wonderful part-time programs prior to attending GNS, but never have we encountered such dedicated and thoughtful teachers. There is great care and attention given to the curriculum and each activity supports so many important aspects of childhood early education. I have also really come to appreciate how observant and committed each teacher is at GNS. Their ability to work with each child at their own level produces children that are truly engaged and excited about going to school. I grew up loving school and wanted the same thing for my children. The dedication and patience exhibited by the teachers and community at GNS create a supportive environment that nurtures the natural curiosity of all children. I'm so thankful that we found GNS when we did -- and that we get to continue on with our daughter now attending the school. read more

Two years at Garden Nursery School, an idyllic first school experience for young children and parents alike, goes far too quickly! The teachers are true masters of their craft: warm, professional, calm, experienced and thoroughly engaged. Children feel safe and respected; they learn how to navigate school routines, care for themselves and their friends and discover the wonder of learning though exploration and investigation. Our family was drawn by the logistics; specifically, the possibility of a part-time schedule, accessibility by T and a parent co-operative structure. Leaving our daughter for her first school experience was not an easy fit for us. She had very few spoken words and had more than her share of separation anxiety. Because the teachers are so reassuring and caring, we gave it a try. We are so glad we did! Our daughter has now moved on to a large PreK-8 school. I am amazed at how ready she was for so much newness. She settled in quickly and happily, easily transitioning among different activities, spaces and teachers throughout the day. She is described by her teachers as joyful about school, "go with the flow", comfortable playing with a wide range of friends and needing little adult support. I attribute all of this to the start that she had at Garden Nursery School. read more

We LOVE Garden Nursery School! My first 2 kids went to another pre-school as GNS was oversubscribed and we didn't win the lottery. My third finally got in and we couldn't be happier. It is a truly unique place where children and families form a community and share in the joy of each child's growth. The curriculum is child-lead and really evolves based on the interests of the group. My son's class decided to do all things train related for awhile and now they are running a restaurant (making menus, drawing play money, etc..). Since the ideas come from the kids, they are very engaged and take ownership over their projects. Another focus of GNS is to help children build their social / emotional skills. My son receives individual attention from the teachers everyday and they have really taken the time to get to know him. He had a hard time with separation at the beginning and the teachers helped him feel safe and comfortable in the most kind and nurturing way. Now he loves to go to school and happily waves from the "goodbye window" everyday. So grateful for such a wonderful start to school for my son. Couldn't recommend GNS more. read more

Our daughter attended GNS 4s class during 2016-2017 as her first real school experience. We were extremely happy with the school for many reasons. First and foremost, both of the teachers Tracilee and Liza are exceptional- engaged, flexible, understanding, kind, and dedicated to the kids. They are real pros and helped us numerous times to gently put our daughter at ease (and ourselves), and they helped her transition, grow, and make friends in a new, away from home environment. Not a simple task. We also found the other families to be very positive and supportive of the school and all the kids, which also makes a difference in creating a warm environment. The play based curriculum is creatively constructed, follows the kids' interests, and we observed that the kids were almost always engaged and excited to be there. Overall, GNS really exceeded any expectations we had- it could not have been a better experience and foundation for moving on to Kindergarten, and we recommend, support, and endorse it in the strongest possible terms! read more

My 3y old is attending GNS (2017/2018). We moved to Cambridge three months ago. I felt in love with the school the first day I visited it and I still am. The space is sunny and cozy, with - among others - a mess room, a construction zone, a yard with sand box and a tree and everywhere a lot of beautiful things (toys and other material) to play with, very well organized by the two amazing teachers. Everyday the offer very interesting activities to the kids. This is a coop so I experienced personally a lot of activities being in the class as parent helper and most of all I experienced the very gentle manners of the two teachers. I am so happy to have found this school, I can't imagine nothing better for my son. I think could be helpful to mention that we are from Italy, so when my son started the school he didn't speak English. After two months of school he learned a lot of words and seems to understand every day more and more this totally new language. I strong recommend GNS. read more

My son is currently attending Garden Nursery school and we felt so fortunate to get a spot here. GNS was recommended to us from friends, and it was a perfect fit for my 3-year old son who had always stayed at home before that. The teachers are warm, dedicated, and incredibly personable. They arranged for a meet up in the park with parents and students before school started, there was a book with pictures of the school and we had a 30 minute session with just my husband and I, and our son to meet the teachers and for him to familiarize himself with the school. That made his transition to school so positive, and he felt like he already knew his teachers on the first day. A few months in, and he is doing great. The curriculum emphasizes on social development, the community and family so the three year olds can start associating all of these places as part of their lives. Our son is thriving here, and we are incredibly happy to be a part of this school. read more

We are exceptionally pleased with Garden Nursery School. Our older daughter has been there for three years, and our younger daughter will be starting next year. The teachers are highly experienced, consistent, and incredibly attentive to the children. They encourage curiosity and creativity by supporting each child's interests through thoughtful, project- and play-based learning experiences. The school has also been wonderfully flexible with our family's changing schedules over the years--we've done full-time, part-time, and varying day combinations, and they've always been accommodating and supportive. What truly makes Garden Nursery School unique is its amazing parent community. Parents are encouraged to be involved in the classroom, and families regularly connect outside of school through playground meetups and birthday parties. It is a warm, welcoming, and genuinely inclusive community, and we feel so lucky to be a part of it. read more

Our son attends Garden Nursery School and we are absolutely thrilled with the program - so much so that we are opting to return for a third year when most students move on to full time preschool or kindergarten after two years. The teachers are exceptional and manage to build rich and dynamic curricula based on student interests each year. I think we have been most struck by how well the teachers know each child. Our child has grown by leaps and bounds with the guidance of these loving and thoughtful adults. We love the cooperative nature of the school which has allowed us to build lasting relationships with teachers, children and other families. I actually attended Garden Nursery in the late seventies and am so glad that, when considering schools for our now 4.5 year old, I went back to visit. It is an absolute gem of a community and has been the perfect start to our son's school experience. read more

I can't say enough positive things about the school, the setting, or the teachers. My two daughters spent each spent two years in the school, and it was a very enriching and rewarding experience. Having two teachers for about 17 kids made for almost personalized experiences. My kids learned a lot, and they were so well prepared for entry into kindergarten in a larger public school environment. One of the things I liked the most was the respectful environment, it seemed like all the kids were heard, but the kids learned to pay attention to teachers, too. At the same time, the school lets kids have time to be kids. They aren't trying to accelerate their precious childhood. A lot of play-based learning. Oh, and the school itself is a bright, cheery place, with lots of things to explore. read more

GNS is truly a top-notch place! Our two kids are excited to go every morning, and come home with stories of unique activities from each day. The kids are so enthusiastic for their nursery school that they proudly wear their GNS t-shirts around town. The teachers work diligently, far above the minimum, to plan enriching activities for the kids, and they clearly implement the science of early childhood development into their practices. This place is far more than a daycare, and will foster your child's emotional, intellectual, and social development. We've also enjoyed the expectation of parental participation; it's given us a chance to be involved with our kids at the school, to spend more time in the space and with the teachers, and bonded us with a community of other local parents. read more

GNS has been a great experience for both us and the kids. The kids love the time that they spend at the school. They love going there and talk enthusiastically about their day and the their teachers and friends. The focus of the school on learning through play and preparing them socially for kindergarten. The teachers are amazing with children this age--as parents, we have learned many tips and tricks from the teachers on raising our children. As a co-op, GNS actively involves the parents in their child's learning and development. We are asked to participate in the classroom a few times during the year which helps us understand how our children interact in environments outside of the home and family. We could not think of a better place for nursery schools. read more

I would highly recommend GNS. We found out we were moving in the spring of 2014 from Brooklyn to Boston and GNS was recommended to us. Luckily they had a spot. From the minute my son started he has been nothing but happy and excited about school. The teachers are warm and the environment is clean and happy (the walls are covered with the children's artwork). The curriculum makes sense for kids who are three and four-years-old with a focus on play and supporting the children's social and emotional needs. The combination of the loving teachers, friendly and supportive community as well as the engaging surroundings at GNS has sparked our son's love of learning and we are so grateful we found this special place. read more

My child attended Garden Nursery School for both 3 and 4 year classes and loved it! As a family, it was important to have a part time preschool, to allow me to spend time with my child. We also found the co-op philosophy warm and welcoming and enabled us to really be a part of the parent/school community. The child-centered, play based model was wonderful and allowed age appropriate exploration and development for my child. The physical and outdoor space is beautiful, with so many areas for the children to explore. After interviewing several local preschools, we knew Garden Nursery School was the one for us the moment we walked through the door! We highly recommend this incredible preschool! read more

We sent both of our sons through Garden Nursery School (GNS) for both the 3's and the 4's program. They are both now at Buckingham Brown and Nichols and doing incredibly well. GNSs focus on the social and emotional aspects of pre-school were invaluable. Even though we worked full time, both my husband and I treasured the co-op aspect of the school as it allowed us to spend time in the classroom a few days a year and see our children and the wonderful school in action. Our children thrived at GNS and were incredibly well prepared for BB&N. We miss GNS to this day and highly recommend it to other families seeking a warm, loving and creative environment for their pre-schoolers. read more

I'm a teacher and mom to 4, who due to multiple moves has had experience in 5 different preschools. GNS lies by far closest to our hearts. It has a fantastic parent community and a supportive, inclusive learning environment in which kids thrive. We loved the part time programme as well as it gave our children a chance to learn social skills and become school ready while still giving them time to free play and explore at home. It was the perfect balance for us. I really can't recommend this school enough! read more

Creative play at its finest! Garden Nursery School provides just enough structure to provide a school experience while the focus remains on pretending, art projects, outdoor play and group interactions. The community aspect is wonderful. Parent-teaching days give a chance to really get to know the teachers and all of the chlidren. This is one of the few remaining part time programs in the area and is a lovely way to ease the little ones into a positive outlook on school and learning. read more

For our daughter, GNS was the foundation for what we hoped would always be her educational experience: a place to grow and become a curious individual while being supported by warm and gentle teachers and parents. We loved the community and the families from our time there - many of whom we kept in touch with for years. It was a beautifully slow place to be, where the idea of phones and iPads have not yet materialized. We will always be grateful for the magic of GNS. read more