In love with this place since day 1. Our now three-year-old has been enrolled since she was two. We…read morebasically hit Covid as soon as she was 6 months old so not much socializing for either my daughter or myself before enrolling here. We were impressed with how easy Miss Julie made the transition for me as a mom dropping off my kiddo anywhere for the first time and for my daughter who hadn't even been exposed to English yet. Of course there was some crying the first days at drop off but BIG SMILES at pickup. We were so surprised that after a couple of days she didn't even say goodbye to us, she was ready to play and felt comfortable to go to the teachers. We did not get a physical tour before enrolling due to Covid, which I greatly appreciate, but we did jump on a video call and got to see the space and met the teachers which was more important to us than the space. We wanted to make sure we connected with the staff and that it was a similar dynamic to what happens at our house but with other kids, with the socializing factor. That is what we liked about UT, it's a home not a school, and I understand this might not work for every parent or every kid but we figured once kids transition to kindergarten they will have a more defined and strict learning structure, a playground, more rules, and sadly, a classroom. Because how amazing would it be for kids to learn outdoors constantly? We LOVE that our little one is playing/learning all day outdoors. We have since we enrolled, toured the school physically to check out an art mural in the works and my daughter loved showing me the space, every nook and corner and introducing me to her human and animal friends. I was there in the middle of the day and the backyard was pretty much shaded, in a good way, no harsh sun exposure but open to the elements. They have so many fun things and stuff to play with and an environment that supports creative play. We find this more meaningful than popping a bunch of plastic toys or slides everywhere. We can tell how big of an effort Miss Julie puts into her themed curriculum and disguising play and art with learning - my little one tells me what they read that day, what art they made, about yoga, about lunch, about her friends and about the interaction with the animals. I think interacting with the free roaming animals has made our little one more comfortable with them and more aware of her body and space, making sure she's gentle and careful around them. My daughter has thrived in this environment because it's all about having fun for her and she is given the space and the emotional support to be herself and be comfortable. We've made the best friends here, some we've been with for the entire year, some new ones but that's what's made it super fun too, to make new friends. As mentioned before, a year ago my daughter didn't speak a word of English and now she can pretty much communicate whatever she needs to say in English. This tells me that the teachers certainly have the patience and give as much attention to my daughter as she individually needs. As a mom, I've also thrived here, ha! Miss Julie has helped me navigate through all of our little one's stages and emotions. She is super communicative and direct which I love, because all the feedback and observations I can get, the better mom I can be to my three-nager. All I can say is a have the happiest kiddo, who's made a lot of friends, is super communicative about her needs, super secure about herself and I think a big part of this is because of the socializing environment we chose for her. We chose Urban Toddler and will be here until we transition to kindergarten. Thanks Miss Julie and team.

I'm so grateful for The Urban Toddler Art Program -- my kids absolutely love being there! The space…read moreis not only beautiful and functional, but also incredibly inspirational. The strong emphasis on art and free play creates the perfect environment for my 2-year-old daughter to thrive. She feels so comfortable and happy that she barely says goodbye to me at drop-off! I highly recommend The Urban Toddler Art Program to any parent looking for a nurturing, creative space where young children can grow, explore, and feel truly at home.

We love Adventures in Montessori! Both my boys went there and loved it so much. I would always…read morehighly recommend it. It prepares kids well for school. So loving and welcoming!

We're going to miss Adventures in Montessori. Our 4 1/2 year old attended AIM for the last 2 years…read moreand just graduated. We couldn't be more grateful for her time there. We watched her blossom leaps and bounds from the education she gained there. She constantly came home speaking and singing in Spanish, which was so amazing to hear and see. The environment and love they give to your child makes this community special and like a family. Ms Drea, Ms Aylette and Nana...we are so grateful to you for taking care of our little one. Heart!

I love Grace Preschool. The staff and teachers are AMAZING!…read moreThey are so kind and loving to the children, and their experience and knowledge make this place wonderful. And they teach about Jesus! The preschool has been such a blessing to so many families in the community. I highly recommend this preschool!

Thank you for your response. I need to clarify several statements because I do not believe your…read moreresponse accurately reflects my daughter's experience or the concerns I raised. The suggestion that my daughter struggled primarily because she had "rarely been separated" from me is inaccurate. Before attending Grace Kids Preschool, she attended Grace Church children's ministry for 12 Sundays in a row. We intentionally worked on separation, and by approximately her sixth through twelfth visits, she would happily go downstairs, did not cry when I left, and enjoyed her time there. She has also been cared for while I worked by my mother and other trusted caregivers without these issues. My daughter had been potty trained for approximately two and a half months before attending Grace Kids. She had never had a bowel-movement accident during that time. On her third day at Grace Kids, she had a urine accident. Six days after beginning school, she had her first bowel-movement accident since being potty trained. This was extremely unusual for her. Since leaving Grace Kids, the contrast has been significant. Within four days, she returned to successfully using the toilet with no further accidents. Her eating has returned to normal, her behavior has improved, and the anxiety she developed surrounding the specific water bottle she brought to school has significantly decreased. Regarding food, my concern was never simply whether food was "offered." The snacks I packed repeatedly came home untouched. On her third day, I specifically raised this with Mary, who told me she would leave a note for the teachers. Despite that, her snacks were untouched again on the fourth day and again on her fifth and final day. That Friday, when I arrived early, I already had my daughter's lunchbox in my hand yet was still being handed another child's lunchbox. Given my concerns about her eating, this raised additional questions for me about how consistently the children's belongings and individual needs were being tracked. There were also inconsistencies regarding my daughter's classroom and supervision. On Wednesday, I arrived to find her in Room 4 instead of her regular Room 6. On Thursday, I arrived at approximately the same time and went to Room 4 expecting her to be there again, but she was back in Room 6. I was never given clear information about why she was being moved, where she would be, or who was supervising her. My concern is not that children can never transition between rooms. My concern is the lack of consistent communication about where my newly enrolled child was being cared for and by whom. I also personally observed, twice during her short enrollment, what appeared to be one teacher supervising a full classroom during transitions to or from playtime. When I picked her up early that Friday, I noticed a scratch on her lip. After coming home, she also began displaying unusually aggressive and physical behavior that was not typical for her. Her sleep changed as well. My daughter has consistently taken approximately two-hour naps. The Saturday following her final day--the same day as her first bowel-movement accident--she completely refused to nap. She had never gone an entire day without a nap before. Any one of these behaviors could perhaps be attributed to adjustment. My concern is the number of changes that occurred together within such a short period: regression in toileting, changes in eating, sleep and behavior, anxiety surrounding her water bottle, and the inconsistencies I personally observed regarding her belongings, classroom placement, and supervision. Most importantly, I have been able to observe what happened after she stopped attending. Within four days, I saw significant improvement. Her eating returned to normal, her toileting returned to normal without additional accidents, her behavior improved, and her anxiety surrounding her water bottle decreased. For those reasons, I cannot agree that everything I observed should simply be attributed to a child needing more than five days to acclimate. I understand that preschool transitions can be difficult, and I never expected an immediate or perfect adjustment. However, as her mother, I know her established behaviors and abilities. I watched several previously established skills and behaviors decline during this experience and then improve after she was removed from the environment. My concerns were not raised to attack Grace Kids Preschool. They were based on what I personally observed and the significant changes I witnessed in my daughter before, during, and after her attendance. I respect your right to respond to my experience, but I stand by the concerns I raised and the observations I documented regarding my daughter's care.

Our almost 4-year-old son has been attending Hillcrest Preschool, and we've had a great experience…read more We really love the progressive vibe of the school, and everyone has been so friendly and helpful. They helped us quickly get our son enrolled when I had to return to work from maternity leave and needed childcare right away. The administration was on top of everything and made the process so much less stressful. One of our favorite things is that they send photos throughout the day so we can see what our kid is up to. A special shoutout to Ms. Michell, who has been absolutely wonderful. She is kind, patient, and you can tell she truly cares about the kids. Our son has loved being in her class, and we're so grateful for everything she's done. Our son will be heading off to TK in August. We're sad to leave the school, but we'll definitely get our 2nd baby enrolled when she becomes a toddler!

I'm not sure where to begin. There are simply no words to describe the love I have for Hillcrest…read morePreschool. After 3 months of touring a few other centers, I finally found HP and the security, joy and support both of my children felt was worth all of the research. Hillcrest Preschool were the first people we trusted our babies with, they were supportive and patient as they dealt with this very anxious mom. Having 2 children in different age ranges provided such a great perspective as to just how much HP was offering our children. The value is high quality, both of my children were noticeably becoming social butterflies, their vocabulary expanded and one even came out potty trained! The staff is just *chefs kiss* their attention to detail to my littlest one as she dealt with separation anxiety was comforting and a breath of fresh air. The love doesn't just stop with the teachers, Kelli in the front office, was always available when needed and made the transition from one director to another so seamless and smooth. She truly deserves so much credit. All in all, if you stuck around to read all of this, I highly recommend you swing by, tour and take a look for yourself. Hillcrest Preschool was a Godsend to our family.

There are not enough good words to say about this school. Children's Growing Center is an amazing…read moreplace to send your kid for their 0-4 years. My daughter went there for the past three years, and the experience was great. Every class was fun, engaging, exploratory, and my child looked forward to going every day. The school was good with communication, they have cute performances for families throughout the year, and you can tell all the teachers are genuinely invested in the kids. What amazed me the most is that every single teacher at that school knew my kid's name. Every single one. It feels like such a safe and loving community. The director has been there for close to 30 years, and she's great. Straightforward, no nonsense, and kind, and loving to the kids. They spend a lot of time outdoors and have a very play-focused curriculum. The families are warm and friendly. We were genuinely sad to go. I picked this preschool in part because of the excellent reviews, and I wanted to contribute to that. These reviews are spot on--the school is as good as the reviews say it is. 10/10 preschool, absolutely recommend.

My daughter spent about two years at this school and went through three classrooms. The great thing…read moreabout schools like this is that children will move up to a new classroom about every 9 months and the curriculum targets the age group. All the teachers were very caring and the teacher the student ratio was good. They had a lot of volunteer opportunities and there were a few of parent led events each year so I thought that was really neat. This school would have been more fun if it weren't for COVID. During normal times, they had school performances in the spring and early December that they rehearse for. We moved to Santee and since I work from home, going to this school became a hardship. We were sad to leave but my daughter will always have great memories of this place.

Highly recommended if your are looking to keep your children in a safe place where they'll be…read moreengaged in nature. She gave our family a great price to care for our girls.

This was our first experience enrolling our daughter in daycare, and my husband and I were a little…read morenervous. She was used to one-on-one care with a nanny, and we were worried about how she would adjust and whether she would receive enough attention. Those fears disappeared quickly though, and our daughter absolutely thrived at Natura ECD! Natura emphasizes play, creativity, and nature, which made each day exciting for her. She spent lots of time outdoors in the secure, fenced yard, learning and exploring in ways that felt both safe and enriching. Ariana also incorporates age-appropriate academics through multi-week modules that keeps the kids engaged, as well as circle times focused on emotional intelligence and building friendships. We enjoyed all the artwork that came home and laughed at the fact that Mom couldn't do pig tails but our daughter let Miss Ariana do her hair. In the summer, our daughter loved the splash and water activities! Communication was good, which gave us so much peace of mind. We got daily updates through (private) Instagram stories, and the daycare uses an app to let you know when your child needs new diapers, wipes, sunscreen, or clothes--super helpful! And I have to mention potty training: I thought it would be a long, drawn-out process, but with the teachers' support, our daughter was fully potty trained within two months. Their patience and encouragement made all the difference. We couldn't be happier with our decision to enroll our daughter at Natura ECD. For any parent who is nervous about taking the leap into daycare, I wholeheartedly recommend scheduling a tour. It's clear that Ariana truly cares, and your child will be in a safe, nurturing, and fun environment.

Our eldest started SDCP at 19 months and our youngest started at 10 months and we couldn't be more…read moredelighted. Our toddler takes a while warming up to new places and people, and we knew (or I mean, she knew!) immediately this was the place for her when she darted outside. The indoor / outdoor access that every classroom has is awesome; the intentional curation of the spaces operate as another educator to explore and inspire. You can feel how much the teachers genuinely love what they do; their care and dedication are clear in every interaction with the kids and the stories they tell when we pick them up. When I was first researching preschools, I was excited that there was a co-op option in SD and wondered how it might fit with my schedule. After touring and learning more about the school, meeting Stephanie and the amazing teachers / staff, it was an easy decision. They have an open door policy and the hours are flexible for parents. The co-op model has taught us so much, allowing us to learn and grow together with our kids, both modeling and providing tools for connecting with them to be their whole, individual self through play.

Lovely preschool. Feels like the teachers really care about the kids. They use the RIE methodology…read morefor infants. Safe and supportive atmosphere. There are co-op requirements where parents/other adults have to volunteer at the school on a regular basis, which can be difficult for some families. Only downside is a long wait list to get in.

At Lulu's you get a family! When I first inquired I knew that it would be a great fit for my…read moredaughter. From day one all staff at Lulu's has taken time to get to know my daughter and helped her feel at home. My daughter eats independently, sleeps everyday and is speaking Spanish to me more often! She enjoys going to school and she knows the routines so well that she has made progress in all aspects. I'm so glad and fortunate to be part of the Lulu's family and will recommend to anyone who is interested in giving their child the gift of language and a fantastic school to help all students learn!

We absolutely love the Lulus Montessori! The staff is amazing with the kids and they get an amazing…read moreeducation. We are always surprised by how much they learn and how much fun they have. Also their meal plan is great. We are very fortunate to have our son there. We looked at around 10 different places and it gave us anxiety because we really wanted our son to be at Lulus which was much much better than all the other places we saw all over San Diego.

Fleur De Lis is a magical wonderland. My two daughters are currently students at FDL and one of my…read morehappiest days was finding out my oldest got a spot in the Early Learners program. They both started in the EL class and my oldest, who we kept an extra year at FDL, rather than sending her to TK, is finishing up her last year. We've loved our entire FDL experience. The teachers and staff are like family. We love the play based learning and the huge outdoor play areas that encourage kids to explore. My kids have so much fun that they get upset when we pick them up early! FDL also creates a great community environment within the school and each classroom. I've been fortunate to be a room parent for both of my kids and there are many opportunities for parents to get involved in class (reading books, sharing family traditions and cultural holidays, class parties...). We've had fantastic teachers over the years. Ms. Autumn, Ms. Blanca and Ms. Sandra were perfect for the Early Learners class, so loving and nurturing with the 2 year olds. Ms. Kiara and Ms. Amber are great preschool teachers. In preschool, there are "jobs' assigned everyday and it's great to see the 3 year olds learning independence and responsibility through play. Ms. Tina, Ms. Sam, Ms. Sandy and Ms. Chelsea's Pre-K programs are fun and engaging - my oldest was reading by 4 years old. It's truly amazing. The playground has a nature lab, a garden, a "construction site," bicycle paths. The classrooms have a STEAM center, dramatic play, circle time. The kids that leave the Pre-K program are more than ready for Kindergarten...they could probably start first grade! Ms. Bev and Ms. Kira are so involved in the school's operations and truly care for each child and family. They are always open to questions and feedback and have been invaluable during this past pandemic year. While we are incredibly sad that Ms. Tina is leaving the Pre-K program, we know she will also be a great director. We love FDL and recommend the school to all parents.

Fleur de Lis School provided our son and our family the most incredible experience we could have…read moreever asked for. In our 2 years there, we watched our son grow immensely in his confidence, relationships, and overall love of learning. He was sad to leave school every day and excited to wake up and start the day with his amazing friends and teachers. The approach and philosophy that Fleur de Lis takes truly allows each child to blossom in their own unique and beautiful way and we not only got to experience this with our son, but saw it with his classmates as well. We saw our son make presentations to his class about a science or art project he did with us at home or proudly present his show and tell Spider-man toy to his classmates - we are so grateful to the entire Fleur de Lis community for encouraging this level of self-esteem and individuality.  The staff at Fleur de Lis is truly one of a kind -  the professional, yet individualized attention of Tina Smith and April Kozelh as directors is amazing. They know your child personally and do everything in their power to make your child's experience at Fleur de Lis enriching and creative. Our son still talks about Ms. Tina coming into their classroom and reading them special books (his favorite was about an owl in NYC) and Tina consistently shared specific memories of our son's social and emotional growth during his time there. The teachers we had at Fleur de Lis (Ms. Sandy, Ms. Chelsea, Ms. Amber, Ms. Kiara and Ms. Diana for Spanish) were incredible in every way - we appreciated the attention to the holistic needs of each child - the cognitive, physical, and emotional were all given attention and we saw our son blossom in each area. The day our son "graduated" Fleur de Lis School was a bittersweet one - we were thrilled to know he was ready for kindergarten, but also so sad to say goodbye to the daily moments of this special community. Our son couldn't stop hugging his amazing teacher Ms. Sandy at the singing show - clearly showing the same emotions we felt as parents.

I can't say enough about the school. Both my kids have attended. The owners and teachers are…read morecaring, knowledgeable and empathetic. Any negative comments/reviews regarding the wait list come from those that are out of touch with the high demand and limit space available. Absolutely recommend 100%!

In response to Howard, when we added our newborn to the list, we had no intention of enrolling him…read moreever at Hillcrest, as we are aware it starts at age 2 (our application indicated a requested start age of 1-1.5 years). Second, we have a few friends who attend NP and told us there was new enrollment in the class, even after Bridget told us our son was next after currently enrolled toddlers trying to add days. Third, I emailed Susana on 9/28 to check his status and she replied a month later (after this yelp review). I think Howard's intentions on his responses on Yelp are quite evident. His choice to write down my family's name, history and assumed "experience" instead of address the waitlist structure really makes me question his ability to lead an organization which cares for children. I never mentioned ALP summer camp because it had nothing to do with this location, and left my child's poor experience with summer camp off the other location's yelp as well. I wrote strictly about my experience with North Park, and I stand by it.