We absolutely love Pilgrim! I was going to send my 3 year old son somewhere else, but decided to check out Pilgrim last minute before committing and I'm so glad we did! The entire staff are so calm and sweet, the playground is amazing, they have so many awesome toys, and offer art and activities for the kids everyday. They also make holidays so fun and special for the kids. I wish I would have sent my older son here too. There are so many preschools to choose from in Carlsbad, but this one is really centered around the kids and I am just so pleased with the entire experience. I will miss this sweet school when my son goes to TK next year. read more

We sent both of our children from the ages of 2 to 4 to Pilgrim and we cannot speak highly enough of the school. It is such a warm/homey environment, and the teachers are so incredibly loving and caring--Miss Katia, Miss Sarah, and Miss Karina have such special places in our hearts. The school is play-based so the kids have many opportunities to explore various activities at their own pace, to use their imaginations, to play outside for a significant amount of time each day. Though the school is at a church, there is no religious curriculum, which our family preferred. Our children loved the school and were always so happy at the end of the day. We can't recommend Pilgrim enough! read more

Honestly could not say enough good things about Pilgrim. They are so sweet, welcoming, and just awesome with all of the kids. Our son went from half days to full days which was a big change for a 2-year-old, but the team couldn't of been more helpful with the transition. Our son LOVES to go to school every day. They do fun theme days, rotate their play stations, and are always learning new things. My husband and I were sold on our first tour and so happy we found your little school. read more

I have nothing but incredible things to say about this preschool. We were at a different preschool in the area and it just seemed very weird energy and none of the teachers greeted us or seemed happy to be there. My neighbors recommended this place and I'm so glad we made the switch. You immediately can feel the warm and loving environment from everyone who works there. My son is greeted with huge smiles and you can tell how much the teachers care about the kids and really know them. My son is excited for school! I love that we get to see the schedule for the week and the classroom is space themed so my son loves the space-themed crafts. Not to mention the hours are perfect for two working parents. I can't rave enough about this place and how much my son has progressed just being there a few months. Thank you to Ms Sophia for bringing so much joy to my son's days! read more

Pilgrim Children's Center - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Nothing but great things to say about Pilgrim. Our daughter has been there for the last year and a half. We appreciate that she has plenty of outdoor time while also learning a ton about a wide variety of age-appropriate themes and subjects. She genuinely loves her teachers and they keep her engaged and busy with fun activities, free play, and kindergarten prep. We feel so thankful for Pilgrim and will send our second kiddo there when he's old enough. Highly recommend. read more

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We have been going to Pilgrims since the start of the 2021-2022 school year. I have an eleven year old and a three year old, so you can imagine I have been through quite a number of daycares/preschools. Pilgrims has by far been the best experience we have had as a family. I love that their educational emphasis is play based learning and that they are really connected to my child. My three year old has not only developed age appropriate skills like counting and color identification, but his emotional intelligence has made leaps and bounds. If you're looking for a place that will love your kids like you do, and nurture them in a positive way with plenty of access to outdoor activities- Pilgrim is the way to go. Miss Sarah and Miss Michelle have been wonderful additions to our family and I would be lost without them! Side note: they are doing a fantastic job with COVID. read more

I am so happy because my daughter is very happy to pilgrim. I'm a stranger, my English is not good. but they prepared turkish notes in the class, my daughter was very happy, Teacher Nidia is an angel, always laughing and like a mother. Pilgrim is our family here.. read more

Pilgrim Children's Center - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Our daughter has been at Pilgrim for the past 2 years, and LOVES it here! The staff are so loving, there are always so many amazing activities for the kids, and there are many outdoor spaces for the kiddos to play in. Communication from the Pilgrim Director is very clear, organized, and proactive. I cannot speak highly enough of Pilgrim, its staff, and how happy my daughter is here. read more

The prefect neighborhood preschool. Our son is at Pilgrim for the second year. We love it! These other reviews are so outdated. First of all, the teachers are extremely loving, kind and patient. Our son is so excited to go to school and has learned so much. I feel the director Dominique is invested in our child, and I can't imagine a more loving environment for him. read more

Teachers always on her phone when drop off and pick up. No supervision , just taking , music in classroom so loud you can hear from across playground. Will be pulling my children soon. read more

My child has made leaps and bounds in his development with the support of this loving and talented team. As a K-5 educator myself, my sons experience was of utmost importance. Pilgrim Children's Center has far exceeded our expectations. Every day my son looks forward to school and that means the world to me. Any working mom can rest at ease with this consistent and caring team of early educators. read more

Unfortunately, Pilgrim became the worst decision for child care for our family. My family and I relocated from the Bay Area to Carlsbad and needed child care for our 2 year old since we didn't have any family around. I thought Pilgrim was going to be a great choice when I first met with the Director. I think all parents can agree that finding your child's very first Preschool is one of the hardest things in their early years. We are scared, nervous, and need to know that the people we choose are people we can trust. Coming from a background in Child Development (studied in college and was a prek teacher for a few years), I thought I would have all of the boxes checked when checking for a preschool. It was my fault that I chose to ignore the red flags such as violations on the school's reports (which can be found on the state's child care facility database online), the lack of training in the teachers (which was later on admitted to me by my son's teacher), and the carelessness in paperwork. I thought since they had a new director, Jen, things would be under new management and work out just fine. I was completely wrong. My son only attended Pilgrim for 2 months before I decided to pull him out with no hesitation. In the two months that he was there, the following happened: - His first week, he came home with a scrape on his elbow the size of a quarter. Yes, I understand that scrapes and cuts happen, but the worst part was that absolutely NO teacher knew what happened to him. I asked several teachers, even the director, and every single teacher had a guess, but not a definite answer. This should have been my decision maker in pulling him out, but I decided to give them a chance. - His second week, he had a bruise and a bump on his forehead. I wondered what happened, asked a teacher, and they again, had no idea. - A month in, I pick him up and he's cradling his arm/elbow. I asked him what's wrong, and he seems fine. We get home and he can't move or unbend his arm without crying. I take him to the doctor and we are told he has nursemaid's elbow. Again, common at this age, but AGAIN, nobody could tell me what happened to him. - The last and final injury was about 2 months in - I picked up my son to find a HUGE BUMP with scrape on his forehead. Mind you, I only got a phone call/voicemail from the director about 10 minutes before I picked him up from school. I asked the teachers what happened and was told that he slipped while running around outside .... because of the sand. THE SAND THAT THE TEACHERS SHOULD HAVE CLEANED UP or at least supervised children with enough common sense to know that children will slip when running on pavement with sand everywhere. The worry, stress, and unbelievable LACK of supervision at this school is something I hope no parent should ever have to experience. The teachers never had an answer regarding how my child's day went. The teachers admitted that they were not trained, the teachers admitted that management did not provide any type of assistance, and the teachers also openly talked about the classroom drama they had with each other (for ex, my son's teacher did not like their floater). Petty, unprofessional, and ridiculous. One day, after picking my child up, the teacher said "I told the floater, even if you have to lie, you have to tell the parents SOMETHING - Anything about their child's day". Excuse me?! Also, while my son attended this school, he did not eat his lunch and someone stole his HydroFlask. I don't know what kind of preschool can go on like this, but please make the right decision and don't enroll your child in this school. My son ended up moving to Big Future Preschool down the street and it was the best decision we ever made. Good luck! read more

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My two year old attended this school four days a week for a full season and we have been very happy with Pilgrams. It is such a charming school, I love their outdoor play spaces and play centered teaching. The teachers are very sweet and genuinely caring. The administration is very helpful and responsive. All the staff I've encountered was friendly, professional and diligent with their care of the kids. I looked into several preschools and Pilgrams is the most flexible with scheduling and also very affordable. I know of two Carlsbad teachers that send their kids there too so you would think if teachers send their kids there, it must be a good school. My daughter loves going to school and has learned so much. read more

Affordable, Reggio style program, more of a "day care" than preschool. They give a discount to families that attend the church. The person we talked to when we came in to pick up information, was not really interested in presenting the school to us and didn't have answers to a lot of our questions. read more

I have been visiting this school and other schools to research the school. One my last three visits the school looked unorganized. There were teachers moving from room to room and when I was asking questions nobody seemed to know anything. The children run around while the teachers talk and don't seem to be paying attention to the kids. One of the teachers was talking to the children as if the child was an adult. The school does not seem ideal place to leave my only child. This school could use some professionalism all around, from the front desk person to some of the teachers I encountered. read more

I have updated my review, as the school is no longer what it was 4 years ago. Almost all the teachers have quit, and the school is very poorly run with children shifted between classrooms depending on how many children show up that day, and how many teachers they have. The children have no consistency with teachers being switched from room to room. It's very sad to see this place change so much for the worse. read more

We have put all three of our kids into Pilgrims and have enjoyed it. The transition from the old to the new leadership was smooth for us and we have always had a positive interaction with the staff. The improvements and curriculum updates have been welcomed and you can tell the staff really listen and care about the well being of the kids and are capable of handling a lot of challenging situations. read more

I use Yelp a lot and thought it would be helpful to add to the cause as well. I believe I noticed that there had not been a review on Pilgrim since '10. It's about time for 5 stars and something more recent :) We have had a temporary arrangement at Pilgrim for our two sons ages 3 1/2 and 6 this summer but we are well into month #2. We slowed down the start of Kindergarten for our newly turned 6 year old and needed help for both guys, as our regular preschool was closed this summer. From the very start, Dominique the Director, is very professional, kind, accomodating, personable and made this transition very smooth for the guys and us, the parents too! In addition, our 6 year old is going to a Charter school that is starting very late this school season and Dominique and her staff at Pilgrim are adjusting their classes to allow our guys to stay for a few more weeks. We are excited about being able to be part of the Pilgrim Family. I choose the word family because every day we are greeted with smiles and truly feeling welcomed. The teachers such as Miss Sharon, Miss Sabrina and Miss Natasha really go out of their way (even though they never make it feel that way..) to tell us about our kids' days and stories that include us in their journey at preschool while we are away working. Some extra perks are all the programming options that Pilgrim presents for your kids to do - such as soccer and learning Spanish. Pretty neat to have those implemented into the place they spend ~40 hrs. a week, one less thing for you to take them to or to have to try to squeeze in with the little time it seems that we have with them. In addition, they had the camping theme at school this summer - the kids were stoked on all the things they learned and it really seemed to be fun for them. We were excited when Pilgrim offered the parents a free late pick up night to have a "camp out" there at the school for the kids while we had a date :) Pretty unique and very appreciated. Just thought I would mention a few of the touches they put on their school that stand out and make us really pleased with our experience. We just wish we had known about it a bit sooner :) Hoping many of you explore this fabulous place to see if it's a fit for you and your family. We feel sincerely happy about the care and a sense of peace of mind knowing your most precious beings are having fun, loved and treated with genuine kindness at Pilgrim! read more

I worked at this school while getting my child development certificates and through getting my elementary credential. Now my daughter is three and attends. The school and the staff match our expectations and always make me feel like my child is safe. That is all a mom can ask when she leaves her child at school every day is that they are loved and safe. There is great communication, service learning projects, fun art, school parties, and lots of extra curricular activities. Pilgrim has always and will continue to be North County's best preschool and child care center!!! read more

Pilgrim went through a transition a couple years ago while it was switching directors...and boy have I seen a difference now. I just recently came back to this preschool with my 2nd daughter, because the scheduling was better and more flexible with my work. It is fantastic! The teachers and admin care about how your child is doing, and accommodate any schedule you need! They even have drop-ins, which is SO helpful in a pinch. As for the physical environment, they've improved it step by step for the better, and it's always so CLEAN and organized. Soon they'll have a whole dedicated art area outside, and they are taking full advantage of the indoor/outdoor life of California by even having class time outside. There are new chickens on the premises, and it's a form of life my daughter loves watching for a break. I can't say enough about how it's changed, and how organized it has become because of Dominique. I was pleasantly surprised, and am even now enrolling my daughter for Fall also. read more

Both my children went to Pilgrim. I loved the fact that the program was designed for the children to learn through social interaction and that the teacher's did discipline the children when needed. The grounds are 'playful' with lots of color, activities and gardens. The teachers all are loving and affectionate to all the children. The staff was always flexible with our family's needs and when I went through cancer treatment, they were right there; adapting schedules and watching over my daughter. I'm still sad that we are all 'graduated' from Pilgrim and that I don't have other kids to put through the program. I recommend the preschool to everyone. THANK YOU PILGRIM! read more

My daughter attended Pilgrim Children's Center from age 2 through 5. She loves this school and so do I. The staff is friendly and they do a wonderful job with the children. The school offers gymnastics, yoga, soccer, science classes (at an additional fee), and most of the time these add ons are from outside programs from Pilgrim, but held on campus. I really liked having these "in addition" options for my daughter. Our experience at Pilgrim Children's Center was wonderful. I highly recommend this preschool/kindergarten. My daughter is now attending a K-8, and we miss Pilgrim! read more

All the staff at pilgrim are always sweet to my daughter and seem very genuine. I just want her safe and loved and I feel I get that at pilgrim. I would recommend the school to friends and family. read more

We love Pilgrims! Our 4 and 5 year old boys have been at PCC since the oldest was 3. My oldest started out with Ms. Colleen and Ms. Carol, the sweetest, most-loving teachers he could have had. My oldest is very active and all of his teachers have shown him love and patience and he has progressed SO much academically and developmentally since being in school at PCC. Even his swim teacher noticed he was able to respond better to instructions and show better body control after being in school. During Pre-K my oldest was in Teal room with Ms. Selah, who was also very kind with him. I like how both the Purple and Teal rooms combine and work together and switch between rooms each week for naps. This year we were so excited when PCC opened up a full-day Kinder option with Ms. Kristen in the Red room! This class provides lots of 1:1 attention with only 8 students in the class and Ms. Kristen and an aide as well. My son is now reading, writing, and drawing up a storm! More importantly, he enjoys school and likes being there. He is confident socially and academically, and we will be sad for him to leave PCC next year when he transitions to 1st grade. My younger son also had Ms. Carol, then Ms. Jonna this year. Both teachers have been amazing for different reasons. This year Ms. Jonna is teaching more structure and social skills, as well as lots of project-based learning. There are lots of hands-on opportunities for learning, like the volcano project they completed last week. We will be keeping our younger son in the full-day TK/Kinder Red room next year :) Other things I appreciate about Pilgrims are the extracurricular opportunities (though there is a separate cost). The boys have participated in yoga, gymnastics, soccer, and Spanish classes at different times throughout their experience at PCC. Also, because it is located at the Pilgrim Church, there is a nice community connection (though the church has no religious influence on the school-we do not attend Pilgrim church). But, for instance, the canned food drive we did last week benefits the church and goes directly to their outreach program. Also, the graduation ceremonies occur in the sanctuary, which I think is nice. In addition, generous volunteers from the church keep the school running well physically and the ground nice and updated. In addition, some volunteers from the community, school families and church come in to do things like "career day" where they meet a police officer, librarian, etc. Mr. Ray does music, which is a lot of fun! :) In the Red Room, we have done field trips to Bates Nut Farm, Ohana's cupcakes, and are going to have a park picnic soon. Thank you Pilgrims for the influence in my children's lives :) read more

This school was once a great little neighborhood place to send your chlld. It is a "play based" environment so accept that and do not expect any real learning. THe director really is the worst part of the school. She is unprofessional, not helpful, irritated easily and does zero to enhance or improve the schools atmosphere. There are other schools that would serve you better in terms of academics and responsiveness. We moved our girl after her first year, as PCC was a disappointment. read more

This is my 3yr old sons first year at Pilgrim and we love it! His teacher has been amazing and very attentative. He gets so excited to go to school and talks about all the new friends he's made. His teacher has implemented a great curriculum that you can tell the kids enjoy. All the other teachers and staff are always smiling and genuinely care about the children. I would recommend Pilgrim Children's center to anyone looking for a safe, loving preschool. read more

My daughter attends this preschool 3 days a week. She loves it! She comes home knowing new things and talking about her friends and what they did. Ms. Dominique the director is very good at communicating with the parents. She sends out weekly bulletins and posts boards and fliers of upcoming events. Both of my daughters teachers are wonderful. One of them my son had when he went to Pilgrim. I am very pleased. read more

Our son had a bad experience at another preschool in the area. It was a great preschool but he didn't have any friends and loathed going to school. We took a 6 month break and decided to start different school. We decided to give Pilgrim a try. He came home on his first day RAVING about his new school and all of his new friends. We love that it's on the smaller side so all the children seem to get to know each other. Now the only fight about school we have with him is that he is only going 3 days and he wants to go 7! The director, Dominique, is very approachable and from my experience invites parental input. I've found Pilgrim to be a warm inviting place for kids to be kids while also learning in an enriched environment. There are many bonus programs like the little kickers soccer program, gymnastics, and science program that my son can do for an added fee. He has decided to do the science friday club with his new besties and comes home ready to teach us all about science! It's also very reasonably priced for the area. I'll be sending my daughter the day she turns 2! read more

We love Pilgrim! The loving environment and fun curriculum make this a great place to be!

i think this is an exceptional preschool. My daughter went here and she had an amazing experience. The teachers promote age appropriate independance while guiding them as needed. Since it is a developmental program they present material in a varriety of ways but do not force children to learn material they are not ready for. The classroom environment is set up to promote success. Toys, books, decorations and even furniture is changed out as necesary to prevent unwanted behavior due to boredom. My daughter came away from this program with the independance and learning skills that she needed for elementry school. I dont think she would have learned these skills if the teachers were constantly solving her problems instead teaching her the skills to solve them on her own. read more

My husband and I have a two year old and a three year old and we spent a good amount of time researching pre-schools in our area. We went with our gut and enrolled them at the Pligrim Children's Center. SO GLAD WE DID!!! All of the teachers are amazing and our children come home very happy. They are always talking about what they did in school and what they learned. We friends that enrolled their children here as well and I know they feel the same way. Great pricing and great school!!! read more

Fantastic center, teachers and admins who know and care about every student, overall a great experience for my son. I wish they went beyond Kindergarten! read more

Everyone told me how great this program was, but I found it to be less than great. Some of the teachers are very nice people and good teachers. From others you don't really get the sense that they love the kids much, and it's just a job. Teachers plan typical preschool activities and have cute classrooms, but what bothered me was that my son's teachers didn't really interact much directly with the children. I saw teachers chatting a lot amongst themselves while the kids did their own thing. This program is fine for a preschool experience for a child who goes part time and needs to learn independence, but I deeply regret leaving my son here full time. It was not a good fit for a child who needed to be nurtured and loved while I was at work all day. Also, he came home with scratches on him all the time- I think the kids were left on their own too much and not involved in enough structured activities- which led to fighting. At age 4, my son did not learn a single letter and had no clue about other important preschool skills such as rhyming, opposties or patterns. I moved him to another preschool where the teachers are very loving, and he totally blossomed after leaving Pilgrim. I didn't realize how lacking the program was until I moved him somewhere else. The teachers at his new school tell me every day what a great kid he is, how much they enjoy my son. I never heard that once from a teacher at Pilgrim in 1 1/2 years- only negative comments which left me feeling like there was something wrong with him. No more scratches, either. Within a week, he was chatting to me in the car about rhyming, opposites, letters, etc. I wish I had moved him sooner. Fine for a part-day program if you don't care about academics and you have plenty of chances to hug your own child, but not the place to leave your child all day. read more

I'm writing this review nearly a year after removing my daughter from this school. Clearly, this school is a great fit for many people, but our experience was pretty negative for the most part. My daughter attended this school from age 3-4.5 years of age. One of her teachers was truly amazing, so no complaints there. My first issue is that there was a ton of turnover - new employees coming and going, as well as throughout the day, the 8-6 schedule saw many diff providers. It was very difficult to hear about her day because the person at the end of the day only knew about the preceding hour. My kid started exhibiting some behavioral concerns with some of the teachers who, in hindsight, weren't capable or willing to handle my child. Ultimately, I believe she was truly mismanaged. She was sent to the director's office frequently and condemned in such a way that, a year later, we are still working on overcoming. The director was typically abrasive and unapproachable (to paying parents!) and said a couple of off-color statements about my child. After therapist intervention, we finally removed her and changed preschools. We had much success elsewhere. I think a school has to be a right fit, and I don't think this school is good for a full time schedule or one where the director/teachers are expected use appropriate behavioral modification without getting emotional themselves. read more