I've had two daughters start at Alice's Montessori infant center and continue on to the preschool…read morecenter once they turned 2. It's been a truly great experience. From the warm and attentive teachers, the fun and engaging environment to the other parents that we made friends with. Ms. Sam, who runs the center, is such an invaluable part of the whole operation. She's tremendously knowledgeable in the Montessori style and kids are just drawn to her. Our girls have loved their time here and have truly thrived and learned so much. PS their outdoor kids furniture is amazing!

Our son has been going here since he was 4 months old and just transitioned to the Walnut Creek…read morepreschool at ~26 months. We were sad to leave the infant center because they've taken such good care of him! He loves the teachers and we've been really pleased with the individual care they provide, putting together action plans to address specific behaviors when necessary and recommending timing for the transition to preschool based on his personal needs. The facility is clean and well taken care of, and we get email updates with photos occasionally, which we love. I've also been really happy with how well the infant center is integrated with the preschools. Older toddlers do circle time with teachers from the preschools a few times a week, so the kids get exposure to the Montessori curriculum as well as the teachers. This has helped the transition a ton, since our son already had relationships with his new teachers and knows what's expected of him in the new school. Overall, I'd highly recommend Alice's!

My daughter joined the Firetruck Room at OFS with Katie (her primary caregiver) and Maylis, and it…read morehas truly been a transformative experience for her -- and for us as a family. We came from a more traditional daycare setting where she stayed fairly quiet and reserved for nearly a year. Within just a few months at OFS, she was thriving. Now, after two wonderful years, she's graduating as a confident, empathetic, and wildly creative kid whose true personality was clearly nurtured and celebrated by every caregiver she encountered. One of the most impactful aspects of OFS is their primary caregiver model, which gave our daughter a deep sense of safety, stability, and trust. Their project-based curriculum, where kids vote on topics they want to learn about, empowered her to take ownership of her learning and develop a curiosity that astonishes us daily. She now teaches us about the world -- even how to take care of it! Sofia, her current primary caregiver, went above and beyond to support us with things like Kindergarten readiness. Through joyful play, she introduced foundational math and reading concepts that she now uses in everyday life. Her thoughtful assessment gave me clarity and made completing public school enrollment paperwork a breeze. Beyond the classroom, OFS fosters a strong sense of community. They host events that bring families and teachers together, and over our two years here, we've built lasting friendships and support systems that I know will extend beyond preschool. We are endlessly grateful to Katie, Sofia, Maylis, Judy and the entire OFS team. This school has been a foundational chapter in our daughter's life -- one filled with joy, growth, and love.

This is an overdue and very long but very well deserved review of the special place this is OFS…read moreWalnut Creek! We absolutely cannot say enough wonderful things about Old Firehouse School in Walnut Creek. We were on the waitlist for a little over a year and we are so glad we held out for our spot! It was beyond worth the wait! From the moment we first toured, we knew it was something special and that feeling has only deepened as our son continues to thrive at OFS. He is graduating from OFS this summer and will enter Kindergarten this Fall. One of the things that immediately stood out to us was the school's primary caregiver model. This was very important to us and to my knowledge OFS is the only preschool in the area with this special model. Each child is paired with a dedicated caregiver who truly gets to know them and builds a deep, nurturing bond over the years, not just with the child, but with the whole family. This consistency and emotional safety has made such a difference in our son's confidence, sense of security, and joy at school. It's clear the staff understands how essential these early relationships are for lifelong trust and emotional development. Our teacher, Maylis is a true gift! She is such a special person and is the epitome of a dedicated educator. In Maylis' care our son and his class have been encouraged to explore their own ideas and curiosities in collaborative, creative ways. The projects she has them participate in are so impressive. I don't know how she gets a classroom full of preschoolers to engage so deeply in each lesson with such passion, it is truly magical to see! Maylis has helped our son learn to stretch his thinking in beautiful, and creative, age-appropriate ways. Our son comes home full of questions, ideas, and stories from his day, proof of just how engaged he is. The rest of the staff at OFS Walnut Creek is equally as exceptional. The entire school environment is warm, joyful, and promotes independence while also encouraging classroom belonging and connection. We honestly wish every child had the chance to attend Old Firehouse Walnut Creek. We often say we'd send our son here through elementary and middle school if we could, that would be a dream! This school has given him the most magical, foundational start, and we're forever grateful and will be so sad to end our time at OFS this year. Thank you, OFS Walnut Creek!

After having three of our children attend Kidz Planet Preschool, it's hard to put into words how…read moregrateful we are for the love and care our family has received. This week, our youngest two are leaving for elementary school, and it's truly the end of an era for us. From day one, every teacher and staff member has treated our children like family. They created a safe, nurturing, and fun environment where our kids were not only incredibly loved, but also so well prepared for kindergarten. The growth we've seen in all three of our children--academically, socially, emotionally, and in their confidence--is a true reflection of the passion and dedication this team brings every single day. A very special thank you to the amazing teachers who have played such a huge role in our children's lives: Miss Sylvia, Miss Sasha, Miss Jenny, Miss Jasmine, Miss Mackenzie, Miss Tammy, and all of the other wonderful teachers who have loved, encouraged, and believed in our babies throughout the years. Your patience, kindness, and genuine care have meant more to our family than you'll ever know. And an extra special thank you to the incredible Miss Karla. Your leadership has created such a special place for families. It's clear how much your staff loves what they do, and that starts with the environment you've built. We are so grateful for everything you've done for our children and for making Kidz Planet feel like a second home. We will miss our daily drop-offs more than we can say, but we'll always be thankful that our babies spent these precious early years at Kidz Planet Preschool. Thank you for loving our children so fiercely, helping them grow into kind, confident little humans, and giving them such a strong foundation for elementary school. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. We will forever recommend Kidz Planet Preschool to any family looking for the very best place for their little ones.

We are incredibly grateful for the wonderful experience our daughter had at this daycare over the…read morepast 2 and a half years. From the very beginning, everyone was so caring, kind, and supportive. It was clear that the teachers genuinely cared about the children and their development, while also providing a fun and educational environment. A special thank you to Ms. Karla, who was always there to support us and went above and beyond to make sure everyone was happy. Her kindness, dedication, and willingness to help truly made a difference, and we always felt that our daughter was in good hands. We will always be thankful for the care and education our daughter received here. We highly recommend this daycare to any family looking for a loving, caring, and educational environment for their child!

KinderCare review…read more My daughter has been attending KinderCare since January 2025. She is 3 years old. Prior to enrollment, my daughter was home with an au pair so this was her first experience attending a daycare or preschool. KinderCare on cherry has exceeded my expectations. I originally picked KinderCare for three main purposes 1) a safe environment 2) care that would cover my work schedule. I am a working parent and needed a daycare that was open all day, and had very minimal closure periods.3) quick access to BART after drop off since I commute to the city for work. While KinderCare checked those boxes, I have been pleasantly surprised by the high quality of education that my daughter is receiving. My daughter is only 3 so I wasn't as concerned with the educational component of the school. They have different themes every week and she has learned and grown so much. Other Strengths: - KinderCare sends loads of photos. I was shocked how many photos I receive during the day. - Drop off is quick and painless. Some kids do cry but the teachers are quick to comfort them. - My daughter is genuinely excited to go to school every day. I've never once needed to persuade her to attend in the 5 months she's attended. The teachers that she interacts with (Ms. Kathy, Ms. Rose, Ms. Nikki, and Ms. Mariana) all seem happy to see her every day and make her feel welcome. It has become like a second home to her. She comes home every day and talks about how much she loves her teachers. - Clean with minimal sickness. I was expecting my daughter to have to stay home sick pretty frequently for the first year. To date, we have not had a single illness other than a rouge runny nose with no other symptoms. I'm not entirely sure how it's even possible that we survived flu and cold season at a daycare with no sickness, but I'm guessing it's the high level of cleanliness here (also, I'm knocking on wood as I type this) - Food is good - my daughter has some dietary restrictions and they've been able to work around it. She likes the food there and seems to eat all sort of things that I can't get her to eat at home haha (they send pictures so I know she's eating at school!!) - Safety first - we haven't had a single incident of injury. My son is in public school TK and has them frequently so I'm sure this is due to the high level of supervision. Opportunities: - the only thing I can really think of is that I wish there was more of a community amongst parents. This isn't really a KinderCare issue, but it would be nice to get to know the other families beyond passing in the parking lot.

This is a small school with a big heart…read more Crystal Barrett, Center Director, is on top of her game, she's the heart and soul of the school. She took on this role in Fall 2018 with rock star enthusiasm, completely revamping the program giving it fresh energy. She takes care of everything, from payment issues to party planning, and she does it with grace, class, and impeccable organization. If there's an issue, she's approachable and genuinely concerned. My son was having difficulty getting along with another student, she worked closely with the staff to address the problem and brainstorm solutions. She made it a point to follow up with us assuring that my son has a positive preschool experience. Also, my son has a life threatening food allergy, if you're a food allergy parent you know how stressful this is. Crystal doesn't allow any outside food, and if there is outside food, she examines it closely, keeps it in a separate room, and keeps safe treats for my son readily available. There are NO mistakes under her watch. Crystal runs this preschool like a well oiled machine, a stark contrast from previous directors. Nicole Neely, Assistant Director, is also an incredible asset to the preschool. She's professional, friendly, and intelligent. She teaches phonics in such a fun way that my son thinks it's a game. I was floored when my four year old sounded out words that he read off a sign. Nicole also teaches the Friday cooking class, my son is a self-proclaimed "expert" at breaking eggs. (Haha) We get to take the food home and as my son serves it to our family, he explains to us how he made it and lists the ingredients! My husband and I are extremely impressed, we love to see our son beam with pride and confidence as he learns valuable life skills! Nicole's always smiling and joyful, she's got a natural positive energy which makes preschool fun. Miss Halimeh, (pre-kindergarten teacher) is warm, kind and patient, my son absolutely adores her. She's everything you'd hope for in a preschool teacher. She greets us everyday with a warm smile and compassionately asks how we are doing. She cares for the kids as if they were her own, she's calm and compassionate and the kids seem to respect her for it. My son is in a class with almost all high energy boys which does not seem to rattle Miss Halimeh one bit. My son has learned so much from her; yoga, MATH, language and literacy skills, sight words, the scientific method, they play games, garden, arts and crafts, they listen to music and sing songs, learn some basic words in Spanish, discuss the importance of kindness, and so much more. They also have a "What if" Monster that they take turns bringing home. It was very sweet how kindly my son treated this "pet monster" when it was his turn. He even made the "pet monster" a bed and tucked him in at night. Miss Halimeh has been able to bring out a softer side in my wild and crazy child. We're very happy with the education my son is receiving from Kindercare and we think that Miss Halimeh is the best at what she does. Now let's talk about lunch, which is PROVIDED by the school! Yes moms and dads, you don't have to make school lunches in the morning (doing the happy dance). Before we started Kindercare, my son would only eat cheese! Since he's been eating lunch at Kindercare, he's requesting green beans, chicken, tuna, oranges, black beans, broccoli, bell peppers... he absolutely loves trying new and healthy foods with his friends at school. Kindercare has transformed my sons eating habits and I couldn't be happier! The school parties are a blast, We celebrated Halloween with a "Trunk-or-Treat" event, there also was a "Thanksgiving Feast", there was a Winter Holiday party, Easter Egg Hunt and more. The holidays have been a fun time to get to know other parents in a silly and casual environment. This school requires no additional parent participation, nor are there fundraisers. As you can see from my glowing review, this is a well rounded school that genuinely cares about the children. Each child is treated like an individual and not a dollar sign. I highly recommend Kindercare on Cherry Ln. With Love, Christine

There's not enough I can say about this amazing preschool. Both of my kids went to Northgate…read morepreschool when they were younger and it was an incredible experience. I always knew that my kids are well fed, well cared for, and receiving a well rounded education. This preschool is always clean and safe. So creative with activities for kids that stimulate their growth. Kids feel special every day they are there. The teachers are the best and really care for each child that goes there and joins the Northgate Preschool family. We made lifelong friends and our kids still talk about how much they miss their preschool and teachers. Thank you Northgate, you dont even know how much you are appreciated!

So thrilled to see Northgate preschool finally on Yelp! A couple years back, both of my children…read moreattended and graduated from there, and our experience was nothing but amazing. The teachers are truly wonderful and caring, thoughtful and always ready to accommodate. The daily routine they had in place ensured my kids were more than ready for kindergarten. Would recommend it to any parent in a heartbeat.

An absolutely wonderful school. Both my kids have gone through this school, and by the end of this…read moreI'll have spent nearly 8 years interacting with the staff - all of whom are truly amazing. A huge part of who your kiddos become is influenced by the people who are teaching them that early on in life, and the JKA teachers really drive home kindness, curiosity, and being thoughtful, helpful kiddos. My son is going into elementary school already ahead of the curve, and I could not be more grateful for the love and support these amazing teachers have shown our family over the years. As for the logistics: easy drop off/pick up, great communication with parents through the brightwheel app, lunch and snack provided so takes the stress off, and staff is really open and communicative about safety and any other issues (we went through Covid here with an infant, which they handled really well).

Our two boys (4 and 1) have gone to Parkside for over a year and we are very happy. First of all,…read moreduring the pandemic, Karen (the director) and her teachers have done an amazing job of keeping our kids happy and safe. Our older boy has struggled with the realities of not seeing family, not being able to go playgrounds, and being afraid to go near people. Ms Pat and Ms Lisa have done a great job providing him with a sense of normalcy, while teaching him to read and write. Our little one thrives in an environment where he gets to draw and play outside with friends every day. As a scientist who work woks with covid, I really appreciate how hard Ms Karen has worked to follow all covid-safety regulations, reduce capacity, and keep our children safe. Additionally, we have moved around quite a bit and for our older son, this is his third preschool and it's by far the best one we have experienced. They do a great job combining play with learning. Both of my kids are excited to come here every day. Also, Ms Karen made the kids a full thanksgiving meal so that they could all experience it together, which is objectively amazing. I would recommend this preschool to all parents.

Toured this facility on a Friday, expecting a call on Monday to discuss enrollment options. Never…read morereceived a call and it has been about 3 weeks. The staff members in the infant room barely looked up at me or my child when being introduced and didn't even smile. One of the staff members was playing with an infant holding a toy with zero facial expressions. The facility is very nice and clean but the staff lacks warmth. After the tour I would not consider leaving my infant there.

My 4 year old and my 1 year old loved it here! The admin…read moreteam and the teachers are all so wonderful and caring. They really care for the children and the classes are very engaging. I highly recommend this daycare!

My older child attended CVPP for three years and now my youngest is starting this year and we…read morecouldn't be happier with Clayton Valley Parent Preschool. While a co-op style school is a BIG commitment, it truly has improved my parenting skills and I have loved being able to observe my kids in the classroom. We briefly switched to a traditional preschool for about 6 months and while the experience was not negative, I definitely did not like how I wasn't really sure what exactly was going on in the classroom on a daily basis. And while a co-op is overwhelming at first, everyone has been incredibly welcoming and willing to address any questions or concerns I've had over the years. Teacher DeeDee is an amazing educator and really knows her stuff! We love this school!

My family is about to finish our second year at CVPP. It is a wonderful parent cooperative…read morepreschool. Not only my son but I also have learned a lot from our amazing teacher 'Tacha and all other caring parents at CVPP. It gave me the opportunity to see my son learn and flourish in the loving school environment. You get to see how excited they get, and you get to be part of that excitement. Sharing the excitement of preschool with my son has been priceless.