We've been at Piper for 7 years now (both kids went to the school), and the reason I'm writing the…read morereview as we are about to leave, is to call out an incredible teacher - Ms. Rachel. We were lucky enough to have Rachel in our classroom for 3 years (as a teacher and then class coordinator). Her smile and laugh make you fall in love with her, but most importantly she is FANTASTIC at what she does. She knows how to talk to children, how to listen, how to engage them and draw them out. She manages situations with such expertise and kindness and I learned so much from her. Leaving your child for the first time can be traumatic for both the parent and the child, but Rachel makes you feel like she's got it; she's got them.... And they are loved, and cared for the same as when they are home with you. What more can you ask for? Just a wonderful human.

Let me preface this by saying THE TEACHERS ARE AMAZING. Hands down, excellent teachers. Love them…read more The admins? Not so much. When Covid hit, we lost everything as all my income was made from in person events. I begged for any kind of refund to no avail. Not only that, we had signed up for after school classes that never got a chance to start so I asked for refund so I could literally pay rent and buy groceries. They ignored all my emails. The extra classes included tumbling, which I said we cannot do because we had a one bedroom apartment. My 3.5 year old son never once logged on to any of the zooms- neither the regular curriculum nor the after school classes. It was the complete disregard that got me. Do better, Piper.

Our daughter started in the Seedling room at MyFirstPlace on 22nd St. when she was just 4 months…read moreold, and we've had a wonderful experience ever since. It's a full Spanish immersion program and they have very flexible options. We opted for full time M-F 8-5:30pm. Maria and her entire team are amazing: communication is clear and prompt, teachers are engaged and caring, and the school is clean, safe, and offers wonderful enrichment activities like soccer, capoeira, and music. We always feel listened to, and the teachers send updates throughout the day. One of my favorite parts of the workday is getting the cutest photos and videos of her and her friends engaged in all sorts of activities like outdoor play or reading books. The biggest testament to the program is our daughter herself. Now 18 months old, she's excited to go to school every morning, happily jumping from my lap into her teachers' arms, and she's calm and happy when we pick her up. Teacher Gabby V. has been incredibly caring and thoughtful. We feel so lucky to have had her help care for our daughter over the past 14 months. She consistently goes out of her way to provide thoughtful, individualized care, whether that means adjusting nap schedules or giving a little extra attention when needed. We couldn't recommend MFP more highly!

We loved MFP for our daughter and it truly was our daughter's first place. They were incredibly…read moreflexible, attentive, and caring for our little one. Being a first time mom, I was nervous to let go and have someone else take care of my daughter. But as I watched her start to get accustomed to the schedule there, I noticed how the staff is educated and friendly. It was emotional for me to watch her learn to be independent at MFP and Maria and Cinthia were very accommodating to helping my daughter transition from homecare to daycare. There's plenty of extracurricular activities dancing, music, soccer, including all the planned crafts to keep her engaged. I always found that they updated ProCare with plenty of updates and pictures to keep me informed of her daily activities. Cinthia, Teacher Karen, Teacher Veronica, Zohra are just some of the friendliest faces who helped take care of her. I also witnessed a very smooth transition between classrooms from the Cherry Room to Olive Room. Cinthia was always available to chat through any of my questions and provided input to best support her. We were so sad to have to leave MFP but primarily did so because of moving (needing to reduce the daycare pickup commute). What was also so sweet was how thoughtful they were to provide her a wonderful experience for both her first birthday at school and her last day. I would recommend MFP!

What an incredible school. Our daughters are thriving there and always excited to attend. The…read moreparent community culture is wonderful, as well as parent opportunities to be involved. We've met some wonderful families there who are now long time friends! Our daughters adore each teacher they've had. The admin and support staff are fabulous too. Cassidy is such a special place, I can't recommend it enough!

We could not recommend Cassidy enough. Our two boys are currently enrolled in the school and we are…read morecounting down to when we can enroll our 8m daughter! The school's approach is thoughtful and innovative. Our children have learned the academic fundamentals and the teachers have equipped them to handle all of the social and emotional challenges that present themselves with preschool aged kids. Luisa leads with compassion and is simply the best in her field. We are so grateful to Luisa, the teachers, and administrators for the most positive experience. They are truly what make the school so special. We feel so lucky to be part of the lovely Cassidy community!

I cannot say enough good things about Maple Tree Santa Monica. Our oldest was with MTA from 4…read moremonths to 3 years old, and our youngest was there for a few months in the infant classroom before we moved away. We always felt safe leaving our kids at MTA, which is so invaluable for two working parents. The teachers are warm and caring, and were always flexible to work with us on things like naps, feeding, and potty training. Our oldest made so many friends and grew into a wonderfully inquisitive child, no doubt thanks to the curriculum of child-led exploration and learning. We will miss MTA dearly and will be forever grateful to have spent some time there!

We love MTA! My baby has been going there since he was 7 months. As first time parents, we were so…read morenervous. But MTA is great. Before you start, the administrator personally come to your house for a meet and greet, and goes over everything, explaining what to bring etc. All the teachers are super sweet, I don't know how they remember each kids' parents, even when the non-primary parent picks them up, but they do. They ask you every morning if there's any specific instructions for the day. My baby had eczema and they were good about applying the lotion we gave them. Because they also speak Spanish to the kids, he was saying 'agua' before he could say 'water'. I like that they don't only do play, but they have a curriculum and teach the kids too. They're really good with communicating through the app. One day, he saw another kid eating apples and he said he wanted some, so the teacher msged us "he wants apples". My baby really loved all his teachers. Whenever there are situations such as when there was a earthquake, or the Palisades fires, they were really good at communicating and giving us updates on how the kids are safe. The owner is a fire chief and designed all the emergency protocols. We really really love MTA, the only reason we left is because we moved to a city that's 2 hours away, otherwise, we would've stayed. On his last day, they gave us a booklet where they printed out pictures of his time there, and all the teachers wrote a little message. It's so sweet and you can tell they truly care about the kids. Thank you MTA for taking care of our lil one, and providing such great early education and fun. Definitely enroll early as the wait list can be long.

My son went to this school for two years and I can't recommend it enough. We searched and toured…read morepreschools while I was pregnant and after discovering the first school we knew we had found the perfect place for him. The teachers and staff are all so wonder and caring. (Especially Teacher Lucy) This school is a loving, safe community for parents and children. They even helped guide us into the right elementary school.

So, it's been almost two decades since I was a student here, but I still have such fond memories of…read morethe First School. Everyday was a different activity (from gardening to learning about dinosaurs) and the teachers were incredible. Every afternoon we were sent home with a piece of masking tape on our shirts stating what we'd done that day so our folks would know. --- Take Big Blue Bus #8.

We were a hired vendor for one of the preschooler's birthday party who is enrolled at Montana…read morePreschool. My company is Smile for the Birdie. Upon my arrival I met the Director, Miss Sigal. She was very welcoming and the preschool extermely clean. I expressed my thanks for allowing one of the parents to provide our services for her son's birthday. Once we had our birds setup, the preschoolers and the staff came out to meet and greet our friendly exotic birds. Each child was able to come up one at a time and have a photo taken with our birds on them! They were all very brave! We even had the staff come up for photos. I have to say, we have worked with many preschools over the years. The staff was extermely professional and the kids were well mannered. I was amazed by the self-confidence each child obtained at such a young age. Credit the pre-school and credit the kids and their parents, the kids were great! I have to give Montana Preschool 10 stars!

After a long search we finally settled on Montana and it's been one of our happiest decisions for…read moreour son. With warmth and kindness, and utmost care, our son is looked after by all the wonderful teachers. His days are filled with enriching activities like yoga, soccer, music, theater, and etc. I highly recommend this establishment to any parent of a young child.

Both my son and daughter spent 2 years at Mt Olive from 2021-2024. They were in room 2, room 6 and…read moreroom 8. I could not have appreciated the staff, teachers and parents in the community more. My kids felt safe, had so much fun, and learned everything they needed to know to set them up for Kindergarten and TK. Their teachers were so impressed by their knowledge and ability to transition to the new school and classroom. While I would like to take credit, I know it is because of the care that Mt Olive gives to all their students. The balance of play and learning is perfect. My kids have made friends that are still with them, even though they do not go to the same school anymore, and I made friends that continue to create a village for our kids post Mt Olive. As a parent, the hours are fantastic, and the performances, art shows, field trips, and fun events made it even better for us. They are flexible and allow parents to contribute time, and volunteer as they can!! This was one big reason why we went with this school to begin with, others had so many requirements for working parents. We love Mt Olive, and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for preschool care for their kids.

Mt. Olive is such an amazing school that welcomes everyone with open arms and makes you feel like…read morefamily! I had looked at so many different preschools before getting a recommendation for Mt. Olive from another mom, and I can't imagine sending my kids anywhere else, because we have always felt such genuine warmth, kindness, and compassion. My oldest daughter has learned so much while attending and has loved showing off her new knowledge and skills with us each night, and truly loved and looked forward to school each day. It's been amazing to see her progress in her emotional growth as well, through growing close relationships with her classmates, as well as through the teachers' willingness to go above and beyond to work with your child if they are having a difficult time. There is always something special my daughter talked about on the way home, whether it being a nature walk, celebrating birthdays and holidays, and fun learning projects. The playground is also a huge hit! It's also been such a godsend for working parents for the school to be open from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, and they even have part-time schedules available. I have always felt reassured that my daughter has been safe, happy, and cared for during the long hours I work, and I am looking forward to sending my youngest here as well! We will forever be grateful to Mt. Olive for such an amazing experience to look back on fondly.

My daughter started at this preschool when she was just one year old, and now that she's moved on…read moreto elementary school, I can truly say this place helped raise her. What makes this school so special isn't just the curriculum or activities it's the love that fills the building. The teachers didn't just look after my child; they knew her. They celebrated her personality, comforted her on hard days, and treated her like family. Over the years, this school became more than just a drop-off and pick-up place it became a community. The kind where parents support each other, staff know every child by name, and every milestone feels shared. Leaving was bittersweet, but I'm forever grateful that her early years were spent surrounded by people who made her feel safe, confident, and deeply loved. If you're looking for a preschool that truly becomes part of your village this is the one!

We love Beginnings. Our son has been there around 6 months, in two classrooms. The facility is…read morevery clean and safe, with a lovely outdoor play structure. The teachers have all been wonderful, so caring, and adaptive to our child's needs. It really feels like a partnership. Our child is high functioning but on the spectrum, and has come on lightyears in development since starting at this preschool. He is so happy to go in, and has actual friends now, 6 months ago he could barely talk. There is a feeling of real nurturing here vs the much bigger center we were previously at. The prices are extremely reasonable for full time care, meals are included, and for a slight amount extra there are additional classes available like soccer/gymnastics, which is really great. They are fairly strict on sickness policy, but it feels like a good thing. I wish we had found out about this center earlier in our search, it feels like a hidden gem.

My oldest went here briefly until we moved to Carlsbad, Montessori Schools are always worth it…read more Article in science magazine says it all -Evaluating Montessori Education Science 2006 Lillard et. al. I've attached a screenshot of the best graph on Montessori education.

We have had a wonderful experience at this school. We love the teachers and the program and we feel…read morelucky to have found this place. Our son had learned so much in his preschool program here, and we've loved it so much that we are keeping him at SMM for another year for pre-K (and the summer program!) Shout out to Mrs Froelich and Mrs Gonzalez who are wonderful teachers!!!

We feel incredibly lucky to have found Garden of Angels for our daughter (3 years old). It has been…read more such a warm, nurturing, and joyful environment for her to grow and learn. She's been there for over a year now, and she's truly thriving. It's affordable, the hours are fantastic for working parents (8:45am-5pm), and we truly value the curriculum. The teachers are wonderful (Ms. Alexis, Ms. Brisa, & Ms. Megan). They are kind, attentive, and care deeply about the kids. It's obvious that they put a lot of thought into creating a loving classroom where the children feel safe, encouraged, and excited to participate. One thing we especially love is how creative the program is. My daughter comes home with the cutest crafts and projects that show how much care goes into their daily activities. The school prioritizes creativity and hands-on learning, which has been so fun to see. And getting pictures of them engaged in their activities throughout the day is truly a highlight! The playground is huge (one of the largest in Santa Monica) and I always catch my daughter running her little heart out at pick up haha. Garden of Angels also does such an amazing job with their events and performances. The school performances are absolutely adorable -- there's costumes, music, and dancing. Overall, Garden of Angels has been a wonderful place for our daughter. We're so grateful to the teachers and staff for creating such a loving and engaging community for the kids.

My daughter has been with Garden of Angels for over a year and we are so smitten. we found the…read moreschool when we were moving to Santa Monica from the Bay Area and were having some trouble finding a school comparable to what we had up there. we wanted indoor-outdoor education, a mix of play based and sit down learning, and nothing too strictly montessori. We're so so happy to have found Garden of Angels. Everything is so wonderful; the staff, the curriculum, the fun. Everyone is so dedicated from the teachers and director to the other parents and even the alumni! If you're looking for an incredible school I cannot recommend GoA enough!