NELC is a hidden gem that we discovered by mistake (we needed daycare right away, and they had a…read morespot). We are not religious, and many families are not. The school is also LGBTQ-friendly. Don't let the religious affiliation deter you either; it's a pro because the church will sponsor and subsidize cool events for your kids, like Easter celebrations with bounce houses, a fair, food, egg hunts, and Christmas celebrations. During Christmas Santa visited and took pictures with the kids for free. It's a small school where teachers worked for many years, and the community is close. Curriculum is well thought out and connected. Kids will go outside in the shaded playground; they have an indoor gym for rainy days, two meals and multiple snacks covered, and generous hours open. Moreover, the school has monthly special events and projects all free of charge, and the summer time features a weekly theme and special event each week (like reptile guy, tumblebus, etc). Even when there have been performances by the kids, the school will professionally record it to provide to the families for free after editing. What school does that? Over the two years we've been there, the school added weekly music class and weekly dance class by Seattle Dance Institute for the kids, all free of charge, and there's talk of adding language classes. The best part for us has been the diversity of the student body. We had a cultural night this year with foods from many different countries and traditional outfits modeled by the kids. Each kid gets individualized attention, and teachers will work with each family for concerns. Due to NELC preschool, our kid was accepted into a sought-after, highly capable private K-8 school this year (and it really is NELC because we did not do any teaching or letters or numbers at home). We mentioned having metal plates for the kids, and the school is looking into switching. The only con I can think of is the birthday celebrations with cupcakes and ice cream (sugar for your kid), which happen often. But it's a small thing. The admin and teachers are so sweet and worked with us for emergencies and went out of their way to make sure our kid adjusted and felt welcome and loved.

This place has been amazing for our kids growing up. the staff is so caring and nurturing, we can…read moretruly trust them as parents. the activities are plenty and a great mix of academic, creative and cultural learning. kids also have a chance to perform on stage three times a year and it's special to see them thrive and enjoy themselves.

This school was AMAZING for our 5year old son in his PreK year. Having just moved from Australia…read moreand not knowing the education system in Seattle, we were looking for a program which wasn't childcare and didn't want 5 days per week. We hopes for some social/ fun hours per week in a program & some academics also. We found an AMAZING PROGRAM at Illumination and our son loved every day. From Tap dance to yoga, sight words, piano, math and SO MUCH MORE, his days had so much joy, fun and academics. We were thrilled with the staff, the program, the honesty of his progress and the community celebrations throughout the year. Our son did so well in this program, he since was accepted into the HCC program in Seattle. It was an AMAZING year with Illumination, the staff were superb & we hope to send our youngest as soon as she is old enough!

We had a pretty underwhelming experience at the dramatics summer camp held by Illumination Studio…read more My daughter, who is otherwise a fast learner, and has learnt a ton in other 5 day performing art summer camps, came back home each day wanting to learn, and engage, but only to be left with random play stuff - legos, crayons, etc. Based on the website description, we hoped for an enrichment experience, but what we saw was mostly a child care center approach - if that's what parents should expect, setting the right expectation upfront is key. We did reach out to the administration sharing the same concerns, and we were told that the reason the dramatics camp could not do much dramatics related activities was the low student turnout. I do not think that's an excuse to not take accountability of not delivering what was promised and that I expected some kind of real teacher - student interaction and learning happening, which was not the case.

I keep feeling grateful to find this place for my boy. We ve been there for four months. He had a…read morevery smooth transit from home to daycare when he is 18 months. He loves there and makes friends there. The kids teacher ratios is 4:1 and less. Plus the fee is very reasonable. Feel grateful Orca is so low profile that there is no enrollment queue when we find them. It's a treasure during the pandemic to find a place your kid likes, you can trust, the kids teacher ratios is so good, plus the fee is very reasonable.

Orca is an absolute gem! Teaches are kind, knowledgeable, and very involved. My son's language…read moreexploded after he started here -- but best of all he absolutely adored his teaches and friends. He would scream "daycare" and run straight for his classroom everyday we dropped him off. We moved out of Seattle, but drove 45 mins each way for months because we were too sad to leave. A special school, with a great teacher to student ratio, and happy kids! Can't recommend enough!

I wish I had more stars to give. We love this community. The teacher, parent educator, kids and…read moreparents make this such an amazing place to bring your child. We've attended for two years now and watching my daughter's growth has been such a blessing. Thank you teacher Aria, parent educator Helen and all the parents at Victory Heights co-op!

This coop preschool has an amazing location with an outdoor play area into the Victory Heights…read morepark, super cute brick school house with big windows, and best of all the wonderful Teacher Marianne. My daughter has really loved coming here this past year and I've enjoyed the community the other families have created. The play is set up in sections of the classroom and there are areas for dress up, a play house, library, puzzles, blocks, art, science table, sensory box, and a daily changing station. The kids do seasonal projects and field trips.

The co-op holds a special place in our hearts. Both of our kids attended this daycare until we…read moremoved to Bellevue. We moved from CA and didn't even tour the school and decided on the phone that this was a great fit for our family. Yes this is a co-op, but the parent hours required are minimal (up to 2hrs/wk) compared to other coops. It also gives you a chance to know other kids/families at the school. The staff really cares for the kids and plan really great lessons and even field trips!

My 1.5 year old started a few months ago and we absolutely love it so far. She had a difficult time…read moreadjusting (we had also just moved from out of state so lots of big changes) and the teachers were so patient with her and tailored the toys and activities to things she loved to help get her engaged. The co-op is also much less "corporate" than our previous daycare and I was encouraged to spend time hanging out with my daughter at the center to get her comfortable. Now she often doesn't want to leave when I come to pick her up! The teachers are all amazing at working with toddlers and it's been helpful for me with my own parenting to observe how they deal with various problems, get the kids engaged, etc. during my parent volunteer hours. The co-op aspect is also great for meeting other families!

My now 5 year old and 3 year old absolutely adore this school! We've been apart of this community…read morefor 2 years now I will be sad when they grow out of it. Teacher Claire and Teacher Audrey have set my oldest up for going to kindergarten this fall so well. She struggles with transitions sometimes and they are so kind and calming and knowledgeable on how to help her. The Parents Night Outs and Summer Camps have been an extra blessing of fun as well!

Whittier Heights Preschool has been a great first school experience for my son and our family. The…read moreteachers (Heike, Claire and Audrey) have all shown such warmth and care for my son. I love the school's (and teachers) relaxed and calm nature, the access to outside time and meeting my kid where he's at. Also added bonus they are open for camps (almost) all summer so I don't have to figure out the nightmare of summer camps. It's been great seeing my kid grow and learn so much while at WHP!

What a gem! We have been at WCCC for over 4 years. My younger kid started in the baby room and is…read morenow in the pre-K classroom. The staff are friendly, warm, and dedicated to our children's development. The parents get together for nights out and play dates, it has been such a wonderful community. And I'm particularly impressed with how the play-based approach to education prepared my older child for Kindergarten.

We've been part of the Wallingford Childcare Center community since July 2022 and are very happy…read morewith the daycare. We have great interactions with teachers, staff, and other families. Our little guy is excited to go to school and is all smiles when we pick him up!

I wanted to share a review as I remember reading these mixed yelp reviews before my son (almost 2)…read morestarted 4 months ago and being concerned. Our family has had an extremely positive experience with Our Beginnings. They reacted well to COVID for families who still need and want care. They remained open and were very communicative with parents- asking for input on a variety of topics. My son is happy at drop off every day and learns so many new words and skills. The teachers are all wonderful people with so much energy and individuality and it brings all the little ones out of their shells. They do lots of music, art, reading and have 2 playgrounds so the kids get some outdoor time when it's not raining. The menu is vegan which I don't particularly care for but my son eats most things offered and has become a more adventurous eater through the culinary creations of the chef team. If you are a laid back parent who doesn't need to know every detail of their kids and teachers' each day and doesn't care to control how the school is run I'm fairly sure you will be happy with how they are doing at this daycare.

Our two girls both started at OB from the time they were 8 months old. We've been so extremely…read morefortunate to have found OB and love the teachers and staff. Claudia who teachers in the Evergreen is a highlight of our oldest's day, and we can tell so much thought and care is put into the lesson plans. Heysil and Dinah who look after our youngest are so amazing and kind.