This is truly the best daycare and preschool I know. Before enrolling my child at Paidea, I toured and interviewed 17 daycares in the surrounding area. Paidea stood out immediately for so many reasons. The staff is loving, caring, and deeply hands-on with the children, creating an environment that feels warm, welcoming, and like a second home. The school is clean, safe, and stimulating, with thoughtful activities that keep children engaged, learning, and excited to come each day. The teachers are kind, supportive, and genuinely invested in every child's well-being. What makes Paidea especially special is that every staff member is involved--it feels like a true community that is nurturing, helpful, and fun, always going the extra mile to support not only the children, but the whole family. My child has truly thrived here, receiving educational, emotional, and social support, and I feel complete confidence knowing he is in the best hands. In addition, my older son attends the summer program and absolutely loves it. It offers the same strong sense of community while giving him the chance to learn so much and have a wonderful time. I wholeheartedly recommend Paidea to any family looking for a place where their children will be cared for, supported, and encouraged to flourish. read more

Best place ever for our child. She is loved, safe, and learning SO MUCH. Everyone here is so wonderful and you can tell they LOVE THEIR JOBS! And love all the kids. We are so thankful to have found this place. Highly recommend checking them out! read more

Paidea is my daughters happy place. In short: this is a child-centered, kind, safe, and emotionally aware learning environment that has allowed my toddler to flourish despite a pandemic. 100% recommend to any parent, and am looking forward to sending my infant there when she is ready. Their incredibly experienced teachers, and the fact that paidea graduates who are grown now send their kids there is no stronger testament to the type of magical environment this is. read more

Paidea has been such a source of stability and joy for our family. When our daughter started there at 18 months, she had a speech delay and really struggled to manage her emotions or get along with other kids. In the last 1.5 years, she has grown into a precocious little girl who talks up a storm and makes friends easily. I credit Paidea's emotion-coaching approach to helping her cope with her big toddler feelings! She'll sometimes tell me she's in the "red zone" and will then take a few deep breaths to calm down. She asks her friends at Paidea if they want to play, and their imaginations go wild. The kids spend lots of time in nature/on the playground and doing the types of crafts that kids love (and parents hate to clean up after!) My kid's teacher has been with the school for 36 years, which is basically unheard of in early childhood education, but several of the Paidea staff have been there for decades or are alumni of the program. And the prices are transparent and reasonable. I can't say enough about how much we love it for our family. read more

Paidea has been a blessing in our lives. The teachers, environment, structure, activities all have made a positive impact on our daughter and on our parenting. We came to Paidea from a diff daycare so we know how awesome Paidea is when compared to other centers. During the admission process Sarah asked so many things about our daughter, we were impressed on the detail oriented approach and every step after that Sarah, teachers, Paidea policies structure have continued to impress us. They are a second family to us. read more

Hands down, sending our child to Paidea has even one of the best decisions we have made as parents. Paidea is not your ordinary child care center. The teachers have longevity, some dating back 25+ years to when they opened! This is unheard of in child care centers. How is this done? They are respected and paid well. At our previous daycare center our toddler was watched in the afternoon by teacher assistants who were high school aged, um, where are the real teachers? Never at Paidea. Always real teachers, all the time. They care about your child, and teach them emotional intelligence. What is that? Only one of the most important things a person can learn, how to monitor one's own and other people's emotions. How to talk about emotions and ensure your needs and others needs are met. Studies show that people with high EI have greater mental health, better job performance, and better leadership skills. Plus it's great to hear a two year old tell a peer, "I need my space" instead hitting them to get them away. :) They also respect the kids and their feelings. Maybe your child is having a rough day, they need their blanket, and want to bring it outside. Other day care center, "no, blanket is for nap only", child sobs and feelings are disrespected. Paidea - Easy solution, "you need blankie, here's blankie! You need to being blankie outside? Well let's put blanket in a gallon size ziplock, now it won't get dirty." Just one of many ways that the kids and their feelings are respected. Speaking of getting dirty, HELLO DIRTY. The kids spend TONS of time outside. TONS. It's great! Except for the layers of dirt and sunscreen to wash off every summer night. It's worth it. Though make sure you shake the sand out of shoes before getting in the car... we have bucketfuls in our entryway. ;) Monthly "parent nights" are ECFE style potluck dinners and then discussions afterwards (while the kids play with their friends and teachers) that are life savers. It's validating to hear that others can't get their kids through a Target shopping trip without whining, and Lynn steps in to assist with ideas for next time (that actually WORK! Seriously). Plus you actually meet other parents with kids the same age, we have made many parent friends! They also offer a Kids Night Out monthly, where kids can come have a fun night without mom and dad. (ie DATE NIGHT FOR MOM AND DAD!!!!). The teachers of the night always have fun activities planned and then a movie and snacks! This is the only time the kids can watch tv at Paidea so this is a HUGE DEAL to the kids. :) (this is also a huge deal to parents, at daughter's previous daycare the kids watched tv multiple times a day) (FYI - KNO is additional but reasonable payment to the teachers running that night). Our daughter has thrived at Paidea, and now is doing great at public school! As parents WE have thrived with Paidea in our corner, assisting us how to be better parents and respecting our needs as well. No regrets. Best CHILDCARE center ever. read more

We LOVE Paidea! Both of our children currently attend and Have been since about 18 months old. They are now 5 years and 3 years old. The teachers are caring and supportive. My kids are happy and come home full of stories of the fun activities and things they learn each day. I love the emphasis on emotional maturity, play and sensory development. They have indoor and outdoor play areas and lots of time is spent outdoors engaged in nature if weather allows. Plus, they provide parent education to help everyone with developmental stages and struggles. read more

Paidea met a very specific need for us of a private Kindergarten for our "tweener" boy whose birthday was on the borderline of start early or wait a year. We decided that waiting a year made more sense but couldn't imagine sending him back to preschool for a third year. Paidea Kindergarten was a godsend for us. Julie is perhaps the best teacher I have ever encountered. She is fantastic. read more

Ditto everything the previous reviewers said. This is hands down the best preschool around. We have been involved with Paidea for three years now with two girls in the preschool program and now enjoying the summer school age program. The teacher longevity is nothing short of amazing. And I think of Lynn as a "child whisperer". She truly has a magical way with children. I interviewed four child care centers in the Oakdale/Woodbury area when it was time to enroll my two girls in preschool. I knew Paidea was the right place as soon as I spoke with Lynn. Her first question was to ask me to tell her about my children. All the other centers had immediately tried to hard-sell me on why their center was the best. Lynn's simple question showed me that she valued the children first over anything else. As we discussed my girls personalities, Lynn's responses and questions told me that she already understood my children and their unique needs. She even provided insight that I found extremely helpful in my own daily dealings with my girls. And all in a brief introductory meeting! I will admit that I was nearly won over by the shiny new facility at another school. But when I toured Paidea, I watched children using their own creativity and supplies from a recycling box (fondly called Oscar) to make amazing and unique art work rather a structured art project led by the teacher. I saw children working together to build forts with sheets and tape and then pretending to be knights and princesses in some far away land. It was the kind of play that I remember experiencing as a child - open ended, creative play that encouraged a child's imagination. Paidea has been an amazing experience for our whole family. My girls are now both in elementary school and are excelling both educationally and socially. Their teachers often comment on what good citizens and good friends they are and I know that strong social foundation comes from their time at Paidea. read more

Love this place, my son has been here for almost two years. Incredible staff and teachers, the social emotional coaching is unmatched by any other facility we toured. read more

Paidea has been incredible for our boys and our family. The director and the teachers make it a wonderful community where all the kids are known, encouraged, nurtured, and held to Paidea's standard of being "safe, kind, and respectful." I echo all the other positive reviews. The longevity of the teachers not only means they are experts, but it means they are all on the same page for how to help the kids become socially and emotionally ready for school. We trust and rely on them. As a business, Paidea is very family friendly as well with their policies and flexibility. They're rockstars all around, we're very grateful (even/especially during this difficult COVID time). read more

Paidea has been the best decision we have made for our son. The teachers are experienced and amazing with the children. There is very low turn-over with the teachers. The owner/director is very dedicated and passionate about their mission. They truly care for the well-being of every child, and we cannot say enough for how grateful we are to have them. read more

We absolutely love Paidea. Staff is talented and caring with very low turn over. The curriculum is research based and innovative. Most importantly, our daughter is always excited to go in the morning! read more

As all the other reviews have stated, Paidea is the ideal place to bring your young children for care and education. We currently have 3 children under the care of Lynn and her incredible staff. Every day is filled with age-appropriate activities and interactions and the communication with parents in impeccable. I urge anyone looking at early child care options to place Paidea at the top of their list. read more

This "daycare" is much, much more. My son started when he was 20 months old in the toddler room and now is almost 5 in one of 2 preschool rooms. I plan on keeping him there for kindergarten next year. I am an elementary school teacher and I looked high and low for a daycare center for my son, and I believe that this is hands down the best program to be found in MN. They look at the whole child when they are planning curriculum and take note of all the social and emotional needs of their students. If you have a child with any sensory needs, this is the place for you. They also offer speech/language and OT services if your child qualifies. The teachers are amazing and have been working there for many years. They also offer Spanish, weekly field trips, and a summer camp. Lynn (the creator and director) is a child needs guru. I can go to her with any concerns about my child (sleeping, potty training, tantrums, etc) and she gives practical and easy to apply knowledge and guidance to help my family be happy and healthy together. They also host a variety of helpful family and community centered opportunities--Parent Night (you eat dinner with other families that go to Paidea and then attend a class led by Lynn a pre-determined topics like discipline while your children play together with the teachers), Play Dates (families meet at a pre-determined location-bowling alley, children's museum,etc.) Kids Night Out (the teachers watch your kids while you and your partner go on a date---imagine that!) and a yearly Gala Fundraiser (Just for parents to get together, eat great food, silent auctions, comedy, etc.) My husband and I look forward to attending every year. This has been a great choice for our family. I never feel "guilty" dropping my son off and leaving him there all day (my husband and I work long hours). Our son is happy, healthy, and has learned so many great skills. I am so thankful that I found Paidea!! read more

There aren't enough words to describe how much I love Paidea! If you are taking the time to read this review, let me tell you that Paidea is an absolute gem. Three years ago, my nanny situation came to an unexpected end and I decided it was time to introduce my then 18 mos old son to a structured center format. In the quest to find the right fit, I visited every center within a 10 mile radius of our home .Paidea was one of the last centers I visited and it was immediately a different feeling. Instead of a rundown on hours and payment schedules, the owner/director, Lynn, inquired about my son! She wanted to know about his likes/dislikes, how he interacted with other people, what made him happy, etc. She went on to share with me the philosophy behind Paidea, their history, their teaching style. I was impressed the day I went for my first visit and three years later I'm still equally impressed. There are so many things about Paidea I love, but the best part for me is incredibly deep foundation and commitment that Lynn and the teachers (who are the best!) have to emotional coaching. Every activity and interaction that my son has at Paidea is permeated with emotion coaching. Being able to express his emotions and being able to read those cues in others is a skill that will serve him throughout his lifetime. Plus, once a month Lynn hosts Parent's Night where my husband and I learn to emulate in our home what my son learns at school. The result so far? I have a happy, super communicative, flexible thinking four year old. Paidea is to thank. read more

Couldn't recommend Paidea more enthusiastically. We are planning to move to St. Paul and will continue to drive to Oakdale because I so strongly believe in Paidea's vision. I look forward to our monthly parent meetings to get new approaches to learning, discipline and a better understanding of my children's development. Each child has a temperment and this shapes how they view the world. Paidea helps parents understand each child's natural tendencies and then discusses the strengths and challenges that accompany the temperment. It is much different than the approach of the generic Kindercares and other commercial daycares. From the toddler room and up the activities, space, language is deliberate and thoughtful. For example instead of having 18 kids in one room with 3 teachers and staying there all day (all the state mandates is ratios), Paidea understands how hard that can be for a 2-year-old. Instead there are 3 teachers in three separate spaces and they rotate throughout the day. My children have thrived there and I have also received alot of support and encouragement. read more

My family started at Paidea in late 2006 when my youngest was 15 months and my oldest was 4. We recently had our last day ever because my youngest enters middle school in the fall and we no longer need any care assistance. Paidea has been the absolute BEST place ever for my kids. I was very wary of putting my kids in daycare but circumstances demanded it. My children flourished while at Paidea. The teachers and staff are so loving and nurturing. I was one of those nervous Moms and they helped to alleviate my concerns. Besides that, my children were so happy to be there that it made my nerves go away immediately. Paidea offers Kindergarten and it is well worth it to keep your kids there for that extra year before they move onto the school system. Julie, the Kindergarten teacher, is AMAZING. She's wonderful with the children. The life lessons and emotion coaching taught at Paidea shows up in how my girls interact with other kids and approach the world. They are kind and caring and know how to work with other kids and also take the time to figure things out on their own. Their teachers continually point them out as being amazing kids in their classes. I love Paidea and would highly recommend it to anyone! read more