My family could not recommend Wheelock Orchard more. Our daughter begs us to go to school on the…read moreweekends, and is bummed every day that we pick her up, because she loves being there so much. What we love: -Outdoor time everyday, regardless of the weather. Our daughter can really play, exploring her environment, climbing trees, digging holes, and playing in the mud kitchen. I like that she can get dirty, and that she gets so much play time! -Affordable and consistent -- this is the third preschool/childcare we've used in Watsonville, and is much more affordable than the others. And, they pretty much follow the PVUSD calendar, so there aren't a bunch of days or weeks off that we have to scramble for backup care. They are closed for the month of July, which is a bummer, but you don't pay for that month. -The teachers are so loving and caring. They know our daughter and they know our family. They are affectionate. Our daughter tells them she loves them, because she really, really does. -Lots of field trips -- Mt. Madonna, local farms, the beach, the library, local museums. -Age appropriate academics -- kids are totally ready for kindergarten, but there isn't a forced, regimented curriculum forced down their throats. In sum, this is the preschool I was dreaming of, and I am so happy that we found it. Teacher Anne and her staff are incredible.

We love Wheelock orchard, Anne and her staff are great. They are caring, kind, aware, and really…read morewant what's best for each child.

I cannot say enough good things about Little Friends Daycare. My son started there at just 4 months…read moreold, and as first time parents, Irene the owner and teacher quickly and so lovingly helped us with this transition. I felt my son was SAFE, and truly loved which allowed me to go back to work with confidence. Irene and the teachers have all been working there for a very long time, which meant a lot to me. Irene takes excellent care of these children as if they were her own. She is truly invested in each and every one of them. All of their food is provided and made organic, from scratch. It is a Spanish immersion daycare, and it's very sweet to see all of the kids take direction in Spanish. It is a very well run school. Throughout the pandemic, the health and safety of the kids, parents and staff have come first, and she has continued to run her school with the utmost integrity as she always has. This is not what I think of when I hear "home daycare". I have toured bigger schools that have more of a home daycare feel. This is a very well run, loving, clean and small private school.

We really appreciate the MCS community and would definitely recommend it. Our son has been…read moreattending MCS for 2 years, starting in the Nido room when he was almost 1. He's since moved up through the toddler room and is now in the primary/ preschool community. Our new baby will be starting there this January. Our son is thriving and remains consistently challenged and nurtured. The leads in his classrooms have been wonderful, showing a genuine interest in his development. Our son had a few normal but difficult behavioral challenges in the last few months when our second son arrived and the leads and staff have responded with grace and care, working with us to support our son. The space and setting is also beautiful!

All three of my kids have attended and some still do. They started at their Nido program and have…read moregone through (or still are) Toddler and Primary. The guides and aides are and have been loving and caring towards my children. Furthermore, they have helped provide more than simply a nice place to play and have fun. My kids have learned lots of skills that have translated to home and academics. They have helped support our kids in aspects of life we may have been working on at home (i.e. napping, toileting, and the like). My kids enjoy going and I feel good about sending them there.

Melissa and Victoria are incredible head teachers and role models. My husband and I have been able…read moreto thrive ourselves while the wonderful team at Family Network Preschool (FNP) nurture and care for our daughter for the past 3 years. They curate a play-based, thoughtfully-structured curriculum for students 2 through 5 years old. Our daughter started as soon as she was eligible at 2 years old. She's always smiling at pick up and never ready to leave, hugging teachers as they leave and requesting playdates with friends. Her day is filled with art, movement, songs, dancing, imaginative play, animals, insects, puddles, healthy snacks, guided risk taking, climbing, reading, writing her name, and more! The atmosphere is incredibly inviting, featuring an outdoor covered deck, play structures, and a warm, homey indoor space--plus seamless support for potty training. FNP does not advertise, as they fill their roster through word of mouth. I'm writing this for folks who are looking for a more recent review and encouragement to email, attend an open house and register.

We love Cathy and Marty who run the school, they appreciate each child and know how to encourage…read morethem to blossom! It's beautiful and was a great place for my daughter, she was greatly prepared for kindergarten and familiar with the activities that she was presented with in her kindergarten assessment since she was on the younger side. She loved it there and coming from a co-op it was a great and easy transition to a drop off school, yet I felt involved in their community. The price is amazing, truly a special place! This has now changed ownership and is managed by Victoria and Melissa! Some much needed updates and face lifts have been added and pricing has increased slightly. But it is still an awesome place for your child and I would still recommend it!

We adore Discovery Midtown! When our in-home daycare unexpectedly closed, we were lucky enough to…read morefind a spot for our youngest daughter (aged 2) at Discovery Midtown. Their warm, supportive environment fosters experiential learning and loving growth. From imaginative play, to outdoor, hands on exploration, our daughter thrived under the guidance of Discovery's caring and dedicated teachers. I'll also add that our daughter is very introverted, but within days, she felt right at home--making friends and engaging in the many inquiry-based activities curated by her teachers. Children have ample outdoor time, exploring garden beds, participating in water play, as well as climbing, sliding, and watching monarch pupa transform into butterflies! The educational team is outstanding and thoughtfully created each fun, hand on activity to support the developmental stages of the children. Teachers communicate regularly with parents about what our children were doing each week and share pictures of them in action. As a parent of 4 who works full time, feeling this connected to what my daughter is doing while I'm at work is amazing! Last but certainly not least, Midtown offers parent education meetings. These meetings not only support parents with actionable information, but foster community between parents in a wonderful, welcoming way. Discovery Midtown is one of the absolute best preschools in Santa Cruz County and we are so glad our daughter has been able to grow in this loving, creative, and nurturing community.

Under the Mighty Oak is a great daycare! I am sad to read the very negative review written last…read moreyear because my experience has been completely opposite. That person seems to give only diatribe reviews which is unfortunate. We are SO happy to have Under the Mighty Oak daycare in our neighborhood! They offer some of the most affordable rates and flexible hours (start early and work late) I have ever seen in a daycare. Our son loves going! Kay and Minnie are so great with the kids and follow all of our dietary instructions we give. UTMO was recommended by close friends, and now we see why it is such a great daycare! We are very thankful to UTMO!

I tried out 2 other home daycares before I chose Mountain Monsters. The first thing that struck me…read morewas that it was really clean. You would think all daycares that are legit and have children running around would be, but not the case. Sonya's home and yard is immaculate. There are endless toys and play structures which is great because my son is a super climber. Sonya has one of those natural connections with children which again is not the case with a lot of daycares. How do they get their licenses??? That's another topic. My son is crazy about her. I was really worried when the first 2 days he cried a little when I left him, but now when I pick him up, the first thing he says is "Awwww, I don't want to go."

We love Sonya and consider her a friend and extended member of our family. My son, who is now…read morethree and a half, has been going to her since he was seventeen months old and we now also have our fourteen month-old daughter there as well. I always know that they are safe, well-cared for, and have a range of activity options throughout the day. The small, in-home setting works very well for us and eases the burden of having to leave them during the day. Drop-off is easy because they are so happy to be going there, but pick-up can be a bit more challenging because they are not always ready to leave. =) Sonya's own two children and her husband are also very loving and engaged with the kids and it feels like an extension of our own home. In addition, Sonya has been very flexible in attending to our needs as a vegetarian, cloth-diaper-using family, which was not the case with all of the childcare options that we explored. I highly recommend Mountain Monsters Daycare and am so happy that we found it for ourselves.

We transferred our child here after her previous daycare had reliability issues, and we're now sad…read moreto be leaving after two wonderful years because it's time for kindergarten. We appreciated the Building Kidz curriculum so much that we opted to keep our child enrolled rather than enrolling in TK when we had the opportunity. The teachers are outstanding -- warm, compassionate, attentive and responsive to every child and parent. My only minor gripe is that I wish there was a parents contact list! Fortunately the school invites parents in regularly for late afternoon parties which are adorable and allow parents to meet. And the plays are so much fun and such an amazing thing to expose these littles to at such a young age. If your kid likes to put on shows at home, they will especially love BK.

Has gone incredibly downhill in the past year. They used to be amazing but significantly ownership…read moreand staff turnover has destroyed it. Every ounce of me regrets sending my child here. They send kids home for no reason with fake illness, have zero classroom management skills, do not understand normal child development, and have the most unreasonable expectations of young children. Literally my biggest regret as a parent.