We're in love with Mustard Seed! We can't overstate how grateful we are for this incredible team and community. It really feels like there's a village helping to raise our family. Our eldest transferred to MSP from another daycare / preschool center during the summer term when she was 2 1/2. It was a difficult decision because there were things we loved about her first school (where she'd spent almost a year), but the switch felt right. We liked that MSP's physical space, level of enrollment, and staffing strategy provided more structure: with same-age classrooms, age-sensitive schedules, age-sensitive teaching approaches, and opportunities for mixed age play outdoors several times a day. We liked that our daughter would always have a primary teacher team focused on her, as well as opportunities throughout the day and week to build relationships with other teachers. We liked that she'd have a dozen peers close to her age, for a nice variety of personalities to befriend and grow with. And we liked that the outdoor space supports a variety of play types under a beautiful leafy canopy. It's all turned out beautifully. Judging by our daughter's energy at drop off and pick up, her transition to MSP was immediately easier than her previous transitions. Even in her first weeks there, it was clear that the structure made it easier for her to get through the day than at her previous school. In the past year and a half it's only gotten better. The vibe is relaxed and confident; they really know what they're doing and everything about the program feels intentional. The teachers are very thoughtful about helping our daughter navigate socio-emotional development and challenging social dynamics, and are happy to discuss strategies with us when we ask how we can support at home. Although her classroom teachers are primary, she has great relationships with all of the teachers in the play yard and they all know her well. She is developing strong social skills and has made wonderful friends. The community of families has been warm and fun for all of us: we regularly meet classmates at King School Park after school, the staff organizes incredibly fun family parties for holidays and more throughout the year--usually featuring Music Man Chano and his band, total celebrities for all ages!--and there's a meal train organized every time a new baby arrives. Lunches by Chef Miguel are expanding our daughter's palette and simplifying our mornings at home. We can't wait to start it all again with our newborn when she turns 18 months old! read more

Both my children attended Mustard Seed preschool. It's a really wonderful place run by people who truly care about children. Candace, the director, treats everyone like family. She's also a very insightful and creative educator. The administrative side of the school runs very smoothly and they are very accommodating of different schedules and constraints. My kids, now 10 and 12, still remember Mustard Seed fondly as a place where they were surrounded by loving teachers and great friends. read more

As a first-time mom with a baby born during the pandemic, I was very nervous about sending my child "out into the world." Mustard Seed Preschool (MSP) made the transition so much easier than I anticipated. Our child started in the Piglet class when she was 2yo and we were so amazed by her development after starting school. Her language exploded and she became very confident with climbing and jumping. We're grateful for the personal email updates we received from Teachers Emily and Ruth full of adorable photos and anecdotes from the week. They were a great support and very patient in the potty training process. As she's entered her second year as a 3yo, the teachers have been a great help in navigating big feelings and relationships with peers. They've really fostered an environment that encourages kindness and compassion for yourself and for others. Other highlights: - I was put at ease first by the layout of the school - I liked that the kiddos had a courtyard space to play outdoors without being exposed to the passersby on the street. - I like that there is opportunity for my child to interact with kids and teachers from different classrooms during outside play - I hear about how nurturing she is with the younger kids and how she learns how to play games from the older ones. I can talk to any teacher about my child and they're able to tell me how she's doing--I can tell they all take the time to get to know each and every child. - We are incredibly lucky that they have a chef and kitchen so the kids get delicious snacks and meals prepared on-site. Our family has had the best experience with MSP and we highly recommend it! read more

We couldn't be happier with Mustard Seed. Both of our children will have attended from the youngest class all the way through to their pre-k program. The director, teachers, food, location, facilities, and community of families are all incredible. We are so thankful, both for ourselves and for our children, that we found Mustard Seed. read more

Mustard Seed is a real gem. Candace and her team of highly skilled teachers have created a warm and nurturing environment where social-emotional skills are prioritized alongside the pre-school basics. Our kiddo was relatively shy and clingy when she first started. By the time she ended her first month at Mustard Seed, she was running through the gates every morning and reluctant to come home at night. The teachers know how to meet each kid where they are, and guide them in their development no matter the starting point. The Mustard Seed community has also been an incredible benefit for our family. Candace intentionally fosters community by hosting evening events and highlighting ways for families to support each other. As a result we've become friends with many of the parents in our kiddo's cohort - friendships that have continued even after graduation. As a bonus, Mustard Seed is just next door to King Park, and a hop and a skip to Monterey Market. We loved pairing our drop-offs and pick-ups with a visit to the park or a quick grocery stop - and often would run into other Mustard Seed families when we did. On top of that, Mustard Seed has made it so easy on us as a dual-working parent family. They provide a wholesome lunch and snacks every day, offer extra-curricular activities (e.g. cooking, yoga, soccer) so your kiddos get enrichment without the extra drop-off, and they have adjusted their offerings (e.g. adding before-care) in response to parent demand. Any time there is an evening event or parent-teacher conference, they provide childcare as well to make it easy for you to attend. We are so incredibly grateful to Mustard Seed for holding our hand through the transition to care outside the home during COVID, and we can't wait to send kiddo #2 there next year! read more

We have had a great experience with this school and would highly recommend it. The school is warm, loving and caring and the perfect environment for our 3 year old. Our daughter is always eager to go to school and loves her school, teachers and fellow students. This is a great great school. read more

We sent both our kids to Mustard Seed, and they are happy. They look forward to playtime, show-and-tell, and other activities. The teachers are kind and attentive. read more

I love EVERYTHING about this school! Down from the director to all the teacher in every classroom, this is the best school I ever have seen. The kids are happy and run around in their amazing inside playground. Lots of sand and even space for the kids to ride scooters and bikes. If you want to get your child the best care, this is the school for it. Get a tour with the director Candace and you will experience it yourself. read more

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We have loved our experience with Mustard Seed. The teachers and staff are highly skilled professionals and also incredibly warm and caring. I trust all of the teachers we've interacted with and can't speak highly enough of Candace and Linda. Our daughter started as an 18 mo. old Roo and has been there for 3 years. She comes home so happy every day, the teachers and staff support her where she is and also help her grow in new ways. Our son will start this month as a Roo. We live right in the neighborhood and have loved getting to know the neighborhood families. The space is wonderful and it feels like a great mix of play and learning. We've been impressed at their approach to dealing with adversity (COVID, power outages, storms, conflicts with kids, our daughter's biting phase). They are flexible and open to finding ways to support families and it's felt like an extension of ours. Your whole family will be happy at Mustard Seed! read more

Both of my daughters have attended Mustard Seed since 2020. We've had a wonderful experience and highly recommend this pre-school. My two daughters are highly different and have both thrived and been welcomed at Mustard Seed. Some highlights have included: Amazing food made by the in-house chef; Big outdoor space and a lot of outdoor play time; well staffed tenured nurturing teachers; and electives like yoga, soccer, Spanish, STEAM, and cooking! read more

We LOVE Mustard Seed. The whole staff is warm, wonderful, attentive, engaged, and highly skilled. The rooms and outside play spaces are ideal for little people to navigate, discover, explore, and gain independence. Plus, there are regular enrichment programs for the whole family, including parenting classes, playdates, extra-curricular activities, and festivals. (We still use techniques that we learned in the "Parenting a Spirited Child" series to calm the chaos and build consensus in our family!) PLUS, Chef Monica's food program is fantastic! It is helping to expand our picky kiddo's palate, exposing her to healthy eating and cooking, and it makes our mornings a little easier (no packing snacks and lunches). Other highlights: - The music program! MSP has several musically gifted teachers and we still sing several songs that our oldest child learned when he attended. - The focus on free play and social-emotional development. Our youngest loves to share what she's been learning about treating friends with respect and generosity. It's lovely to see and hear. - The support and encouragement given for developmental milestones like potty training. We didn't feel rushed at all, but definitely saw the growth that was happening at school. - The lovely neighborhood! A great place to explore and convenient transit connections. read more

I feel beyond lucky that my two daughters have had the chance to be at Mustard Seed Preschool (MSP) since they were little ones. It is a truly special place. The teachers are all warm, creative, smart, kind, and fun. They have taught my children so much about how to navigate emotions, friendships, and the world at large. Every day, the girls come home bursting with new info, saying things like "Mom, did you know Saturn has rings?" "Dad, there are seven days in the week and I have a song to sing about it!" "Hey, check out my latest yoga move--it's called 'dog down'." The girls' fingers are always stained with paint from their latest art projects and their pants are dirty for the best reasons--storming the jungle gym, playing outside, and hanging in the tree house. From an administrative perspective, I appreciate that Candace, Linda, and the team helping to run the show are excellent and responsive communicators. And the incredible lunches and snacks that the school prepares could possibly be the only time that my children willingly sit down to eat for more than 4 minutes. Lastly, the parent community at MSP is wonderful, supportive, and engaged. Like I said, MSP is just a very special place. read more

My family loves Mustard Seed Preschool! My daughter attended the school from ages 2.5-4, and would have stayed until kindergarten if we hadn't moved out of state. My dcan sometimes be shy and introverted, but the teachers at Mustard Seed are so warm and caring that my daughter felt comfortable almost immediately...which made me feel more comfortable having her there for 9 hours each day. I knew she was in good hands, quickly learning new things, eating good healthy food, and being nurtured by teachers who truly cared about her. She also made some great friends and didn't want to leave most days when I went to pick her up! If you're considering Mustard Seed for your kids, I wouldn't hesitate to check it out. read more

How much do we love Mustard Seed? Let me count the ways. The Director, Candace, is a very kind and thoughtful educator. When you bring up a problem with her, her first thought is to frame it in the context of childhood development, and how to help the children learn and grow from the experience. She is ready to hear about problems without an ounce of defensiveness. She's always easy and fun to talk to. The teachers are all energetic, playful, and kind. They hug your kids when they cry, come up with creative crafts, and take them outside for lots of play time. This is ACTUALLY a play-based school. Many, many schools out there claim to be play-based, but the teachers don't actually follow play-based principles. I've seen schools call themselves "play-based" that were extremely regimented, and schools call themselves "play-based" that had few toys and little teacher-child interaction. The teachers here allow the kids an extraordinary amount of freedom, while teaching kids how to regulate themselves to be safe and considerate. They offer lots of fun activities that the kids choose to engage in... or not, depending on their mood. The kids are always free to wander off and play on their own or with a friend, if that's what they want to do right then. Most of all: my daughter runs in happily every day, and my son misses it since he started T-K. read more

We had a wonderful experience at Mustard Seed! All of the teachers are incredibly kind, loving, gentle, and good with kids. My son loved going to school, and made several wonderful friends. I attribute my son's smooth transition to kindergarten largely to Mustard Seed. Mustard Seed's play-based approach is so age-appropriate; my son learned so much about how to play well with other kids, follow the teachers directions, and be part of a class. I really appreciated how the teachers communicated with the parents. The Director and teachers sent home frequent emails, as well as occasional photos and videos. They did a great job talking to me anytime there were issues with my son at school or something to be aware of. The school also did a good job fostering community. The teachers led the kids in wonderful craft projects, including some fabulous group art projects. They have a good balance of giving the kids the supplies and instructions to make something specific, but also gave the kids freedom to make it how they wanted. There's a wonderful outdoor play area, as well as beautiful indoor spaces with lots of toys, games, and activities. Mustard Seed is a safe, nurturing, and wonderful place for children to grow. I highly recommend! read more

Mustard Seed Preschool (MSP) has been a wonderful place for my son to grow, learn, and play. The teachers are amazing - they are motivated and are thoughtful in the way in which they engage the children. There is a balance between play and learning - for example, there's an alphabet of the week and many of the activities of the week around centered around that letter. For the letter, P, the class made pancakes one day. The environment is nurturing but also gives lots of opportunities for the children to explore and learn. The staff is very professional and responsive. My son is moving on to kindergarten this fall and we know already that we will miss MSP. read more

When we first toured Mustard Seed we were taken by the beautiful courtyard where the children ride bikes and run around under the trees and play in the giant sandbox. Our son has been attending MS since he was 18 months old (the warm and welcoming environment made for an easy and seamless transition from his former daycare). He's four now and continues to love school. We love that there is minimal turnover with the teachers. All the teachers are warm and engaged with the children and parents. There are so many great activities for the kids to participate in. We're always impressed with the art and crafts that our son makes there. It's an enriching environment, including a pet turtle and pet lizards, and herb garden. They offer a nice variety of elective classes, the one's which our son has done are capoeira, cooking, soccer and Spanish. He has loved all of them! We are a non-religious family and we fit right into this diverse preschool. We're so happy with the Mustard Seed community. read more

Both of my sons have/ are attending Mustard Seed and we love this place. We checked out numerous options and Mustard Seed was like none other: - A big place to allow our kids to run around in? Check - Wonderful loving teachers? Check - A fun, enjoyable place your kids' will love that secretly gets them more than ready for kindergarten? Check - Great staff, great director, easy communication with all who work there? Check - Flexible schedules? Check Our only hesitation was the religious affiliation as my wife and I are mixed religions and neither of us practices it much anymore. However, after going through the program with our first son, the important non-religious values that religion can bring: caring, respect, thankfulness, are all focused upon. There were a few mentions of religious aspects, but few and far between. You couldn't be any happier in selecting this school! read more

Oh, Mustard Seed. One of the hardest parts of my son graduating to kindergarten was the fact that he had to leave this loving, enriching school. Thankfully, my daughter (who started at 18 months, which was extremely convenient) will be there for the next three years! This school is accommodating (hours 730am - 6pm, if needed), educational, encourages social growth, and fun. The school is also large, with lots of space for the children to play, ride bikes, and explore. Don't even get me started on the incredible teachers and support staff who are kind, and generous, and take the children under their wings. Cannot recommend this school strongly enough. read more

We LOVE LOVE LOVE MSP!! Our little one joined the 'Roo Room' this summer at 18 months old. Our LO had never had a carer other than his parents and our nanny (who he has known since he was 3 days old). I expressed my anxiety to the wonderful director of MSP -- Candace -- she laid out a suggested plan for making the transition. Of course it wasn't easy at first but it worked beautifully! The teachers in the Roo Room are truly talented. Our LO is excited to see them every morning. And they come up in our son's play all the time. When he is pretending to drive somewhere he says he is driving to Teacher Nai's house. When he is sharing carrots he asks me to give one to Teacher Hannah. But he has come to know all the teachers, of all the classes, well and he clearly loves them all. Also, since started at the MSP he has started singing songs, dancing and speaking. They help him to do super fun and interesting things. The play area is interesting and varied. The food is terrific and we can check in with teachers via email as needed. We were recently worried about an aspect of our LOs development - Teacher Zoey gave us wonderful help and guidance via email and offered to meet too (we didn't feel the need to take her up on this). I HIGHLY recommending the MSP! I am so glad we found them! read more

We love MSP. The teachers are so warm, and they follow the students' interests while also helping them to learn to be polite and caring toward each other. My son's teachers are always there, and there seems to be very little turnover. When one is absent, they always have the same sub who seems terrific. And all of the teachers for the other classes know and greet him as well. Parent communication is great, we feel in the loop about our son's needs and experiences at school. When we first enrolled, we thought we might eventually move our son to another school that everyone seemed to recommend when he got old enough. But he is thriving so we are staying put. This is also a great school for families with two working parents. The hours are flexible--7:30 to 6:00, which is wonderful when we need it. About half the kids seem to stay for the extended day, which is mixed age and a nice compliment to the morning program. Last, since I was concerned about this myself, I thought I would add that we are a mixed religion family and were initially apprehensive about the religious aspect. There are Christian stories at Christmas and Easter and a blessing song before meals. But nothing judgemental or heavy handed--the overall environment is one of kindness and acceptance of diversity. It hasn't been an issue for us at all. Really grateful for mustard seed! read more

When your child is at home and says to YOU, "come on, mom I want to get to school already!" and "I love my school, its the best!" you know you're at a good one. Mustard Seed has been a god send to us after our son was not at a very good preschool. They have been the school of dreams to be honest. The environment there is so supportive and encouraging and my son is now thriving in social and emotional situations as well as learning a ton. They really take their time with the children and help them navigate through safe play while keeping all the fun in tacked. There is plenty of outdoor time which is really important to us. Whenever I've had any concern every teacher and the Director Candace have been so approachable and eager to communicate. For those that are hesitant with the religious aspect, they are very mild with it all. its more a focus on the values of kindness and sharing and empathy that are stressed & Who doesn't want that?! We also realize that there are many different religions in the world and my son is just learning a little about one right now like he will through out his lifetime and we like that. We could not be happier with The Mustard Seed! We totally recommend it read more

Over the past five years in our time in Berkeley, three of our kids have attended Mustard Seed. It has been the most amazing experience sending our kids to this neighborhood preschool. I've always had anxiety thinking about sending our kids to somebody else to be cared for, but I never felt that at Mustard Seed. The teachers love the kids and it feels more like a calling to them than a job. The building and play yard are clean, beautiful, and organized. The classrooms are bright, creative, and peaceful. The administrative side of the preschool is quick to respond, kind, and organized. With the new sign-in and sign-out software, it's a lot quicker to pick up and drop off. I also love that you can pay online. We took advantage of early drop off times and summer care (Which goes up to age 6 I believe!) Oh, and I can't forget the end of year graduation ceremony where the kids wear graduation robes, sing together, and are awarded superlatives. It's mindblowingly cute. Highly recommend to anyone in the Berkeley/Albany/El Cerrito/Oakland area looking for great childcare! (Oh and it starts at 18 months!) read more

This has been a wonderful, safe and clean school for my son. He started in September and it only took him a few days to get acclimated. He loves going to school every morning and he started the program at only 19 months old! He is learning to talk, do art projects, paint/color, share with other children, and genuinely looks excited to see the teacher every morning! LOVE this preschool! read more

Our child has thrived at Mustard Seed! We have been a Mustard Seed family for three years, and our child has grown tremendously due to the warm, caring environment at our school. All of the teachers we have worked with have been absolutely wonderful. Our child feels known, taken care of, and loved every day. We are always impressed that every teacher knows the names of all the kids, even those that aren't in his/her class. We have so appreciated Mustard Seed's support in helping reinforce the potty training that we began at home; this made a huge difference in expediting the transition out of diapers. We also love the play-based philosophy, which provides lots of time just to be outside in the very pleasant outdoor space or doing tons of fun activities, like cooking, soccer, and dance. Our child has made fantastic friendships with other children at Mustard Seed, and the ability to play and explore with kids of multiple ages has helped developed a sense of responsibility and improved his ability to navigate tricky issues around sharing and compassion. The teachers are always present with the kids every moment of the day to guide them through these challenges, and the teachers are always sharing a laugh with the kids during non-stop opportunities for drawing, crafting, read-alouds, and group games. We think Mustard Seed is a wonderful place for children to learn and grow, and we highly recommend it as a preschool. read more

Mustard Seed has fostered amazing growth in both of our sons for two years... We have found the teachers to be loving, creative, truly kind-hearted, and passionate about providing the best experience possible for the kids. We are not practicing Christians (buddhist... agnostic...) but have found the (very non-invasive!) religiosity to be sweet; it is grounding in that it provides some routine, and the core values are essentially universal kindness and compassion - works for us! :-) The location is wonderful, with Monterey Market and other markets so close, and the facility is great for lots of outdoor and indoor activities. This spring and summer the basement classrooms (below the Berkeley Covenant Church) will undergo a complete retrofit, which is in response to parents and families inquiring as to the safety of the basement classroom (this parent included!) - after some meetings and planning the preschool and church directors have provided extraordinary leadership to plan and eventually realize this project. All in all, we have been very satisfied with this school for our very active 2 and 4 year old boys! (There are classes ranging from 18 months to pre-kinder, which is another bonus to this preschool, it is rare to find such a wide range of age groups accommodated with so much consideration.) read more

This is a wonderful school! My son has been going here since he was 18 months, he's now 4, and we could not be happier. It's a loving, play-based environment, that is flexible enough to accommodate each kid's unique needs. The director and teachers treat the kids with respect and compassion and foster a strong community with parents. Highly recommended! read more

We love this preschool!! My youngest daughter still attends and I cannot say enough good things about it. My two children absolutely thrived in the calm, happy, and stimulating environment that is provided here. The teachers are so thoughtful and intentional about how they structure the day for the children in each age group. The teachers are attentive and engaged with the children. They encourage kindness, good manners, and an awareness of others. It is particularly noticeable how content all the children are at the preschool. Children of all ages are happy, energetic without being frantic, engaged and enthusiastic about the variety of learning and play opportunities which are available to them. The families at the preschool are involved and are all so nice. read more

We are in our third year at Mustard Seed and love it. Our daughter has had only wonderful, warm teachers in her classrooms every year, all of whom obviously cared deeply about her well-being and personal needs (as they did for every child). I have been so impressed with the engagement the teachers and all staff have at the school--they know all children well, collaborate to provide a warm, friendly, and constructive environment that works for kids at many stages of development, and they regularly offer support to parents too, in the form of notifying us about parenting workshops, cultural events, and just generally checking in with us about our kids' progress and happiness. Candace is a wonderful director and it's clear that much of the reason the school flourishes so well is because of her great leadership. I'm also VERY impressed with how well MSP has done with fostering a diverse student body. Many schools seem to self-segregate (whether because of neighborhood or price or style or word-of-mouth recommendations...), I have noticed, so we feel especially lucky to be in a place where students have a huge diversity of backgrounds. It's great for the kids, obviously, and for the parents--because it broadens all of our communities--as well. We'll be very sad to leave! read more

Such a sweet little school! My son started attending when he was 18 months, walked right in the door, and never looked back. The teachers are very loving and compassionate and offer kind, age-appropriate guidance and direction. There are new art activities daily, as well as new hands-on activities. For example, there is always a new bin filled with different tactile material--oatmeal, water, sand, etc, with cups and objects for the children to dig and pour with. Amazing to me that they take the time to change the activity and materials so frequently and that they are happy to see the kids get messy! I was sold when one of the teachers reminded me to bring a change of clothes because "when they are out playing we will change them one or sometimes two times a day!" This pre-school wants kids to have fun, explore, and be kids. One thing to know is that the school has a religious component, so ask questions if this is an issue for you. Also, the play yard is very nice, with two separate sandboxes, swings, a slide, very nice bikes and helmets, tactile activities, nature and a cozy space for outdoor reading. I highly recommend Mustard Seed Pre-School and its dedicated, delightful staff. read more