Our oldest son started at PP Glen Park and then transitioned to the Noe Valley campus when it opened in September 2023. We love the teachers, the community, and the location. My son is so happy to go to school and will often incorporate the concepts he's learned in school in his play at home. His favorite unit, so far, has been on the ocean and sea creatures. His teacher, Maestra Olga, is always bringing in new toys that complement the monthly theme and help to bring to life the ideas of what they're learning. The parent community is wonderful and very supportive. The school is on a slow street so most days there's a crew of parents and kids hanging out after school scootering and biking. Our son was able to develop his initial biking skills on the blacktop at school and then hone and expand them with his friends after school. read more

Primeros Pasos has been an absolutely wonderful preschool experience for our family! Our daughter has been at PP, both at Silver Park and Noe, for 2.5 years and will complete preK there prior to starting kindergarten in the fall.  The teachers are incredibly nurturing, patient, and dedicated. They have made such a strong impression on my daughter and have shaped her learning not only through unique projects, but also by helping her develop socially and emotionally. They take the time to understand each child's unique personality, helping them grow with confidence and curiosity. The bond that my daughter has developed with all of her teachers - as well as the broader set of teachers that form the PP community - has been amazing to see. I've been most impressed by the Spanish curriculum at Primeros Pasos. The teachers have helped my daughter truly learn Spanish and prepare her well for a spanish immersion kindergarten program. My daughter is constantly engaged  - whether it's through art, storytelling, music, yoga, or play and this has really sparked her creativity and thinking. Beyond the classroom, the sense of community among parents is something truly special. At both the campuses, there is a strong culture of families looking out for each other, being inclusive, and really being involved in the school community. My daughter knows her classmates and many of their family members and we've made some amazing friends through the community as well.  Lastly, I'll highlight that the school's administration and operations have been extremely reliable. There are no surprise days off and there is strong teacher retention. We've come to rely on PP as a really solid and safe environment for our daughter.  We're so grateful to be part of the Primeros Pasos family and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a preschool that truly nurtures the whole child! read more

My son attended Primeros Pasos at the Glen Park campus for a little over two years, and we had a great experience! We loved how warm and nurturing the teachers were. We would get updates through the app that included photos or short anecdotes, which helped us get a peek into his life at daycare since we were not allowed in due to COVID protocol. The kids spend a lot of time in their yard, which has lots of age-appropriate toys and a sandbox, dirt, etc. My son was always bringing home treasures like plants or rocks from the yard. He especially loved "proyecto time" as he got older, and was very proud to show off his art projects. Recently, they re-introduced an outdoor music class, which my son loved - I tried to pick him up early one day, and he wanted to stay through the class! They serve breakfast, lunch, and a snack to the kids too, which is a huge help. In our two years there, there was quite a bit of teacher turnover, which I suspect was pretty standard at most early childhood centers given the effects of the pandemic. In addition, parents should also request a school calendar before enrolling. The teachers receive quite a few paid professional development days in which the school is closed, which is wonderful for the quality of the program, but can be difficult when both parents are working. We had a wonderful experience at Primeros Pasos, and are grateful to all the teachers and staff who have cared for our family! read more

Primero Pasos is a sweet little Spanish Immersion Child care! Gabriella and the "maestras" are great. My son started when he was 4.5 months and he thrived there. I'm very grateful for the love and care he received, his "maestras" loved him as if he was his own child. We decided to switch to a different school because our needs changed and I only need half a day and a school closer to home. All in all an amazing center with a great curriculum and staff that care for your child with endless love. We highly recommend them. read more

Our daughter attended Primeros Pasos Noe Valley this past year and we had a wonderful experience! The teachers are warm, caring and engaged. The parent community is the tightest knit one I've seen around and it's wonderful. The location can't be beat (across from Noe Cafe) and, most importantly, our daughter looked forward to going to school and very quickly adjusted to a long day at her young age (she enrolled at age 2.5). read more

As an Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant, both in the Bay Area & Mexico, and as a mother of two kids who attended Primeros Pasos (3yo and a 5-month-old), I am in love with Primeros Pasos philosophy, learning approach and staff members! Both my children loved their time there, Gabriella Judd and all her staff members are caring, detail oriented, fun and well trained to provide an amazing learning opportunity, including curiosity, diversity, respect and care for themselves and others. Plus, they will really fomented love and the desire of learning and continue improving my children's Spanish. We moved and still miss them so much. Karina Castellanos Marriage and family therapist read more

My son thrived here! I highly recommend Primeros Pasos to parents that are looking for a small, nurturing and home-based daycare in the Glen Park/Noe Valley area. A huge perk of the program is the outdoor time, children have easy access to the garden which has a play structure and pet chickens! read more

The quality of education and the community at Primeros Pasos are without equal. The hardest part of leaving SF was having to leave CPP. Both my daughters really blossomed here. Highly recommend. read more

We have spent a little over 3 wonderful years at Primeros Pasos (at their Glen Park location) and we couldn't be happier with our experience and time there. Our older daughter joined PP when she was about 16 months old and the phased in transition recommended by Gabriella and the teachers worked wonders - within a week my girl was running into school with the happiest of smiles. The Spanish Immersion along with the Mother Goose approach ensures the kids have structured lessons and activities in addition to lots of free play. They have well equipped backyard with slides and other play structures which has now become their play space post Covid. Healthy breakfast, snack and lunch are all provided at school which is just lovely. My older daughter tells everyone her Maestra Maria makes the best arroz y frijoles in the world :) More recently, our younger daughter also joined this happy place and couldn't wait to get to her escuela every morning! Life at PP prior to Covid included daily outings (weather permitting), exploring the neighborhood, community gardens, impromptu picnics in the park and various enrichment program instructors coming to the school (gymnastics, Little Artistas, yoga among others). The teachers have been so nurturing and kind and have helped the children adjust to the new life post Covid. Even during Shelter in Place, our girls looked forward to their zoom sessions with the Maestras and the teachers went out of their way to stay connected with the kids. The teachers are intuitive and helped encourage my older one's love for reading when she was an early reader. For a non native Spanish speaking family, my daughter is able to hold a conversation in Spanish for a decent stretch and even my little one's vocabulary has expanded manifold. Given where our daughter is with the language, we are now motivated to have her join a Spanish immersion elementary school so she can continue forward on this journey. We recently moved from SF to NY and leaving behind our beloved PP community was the hardest part. Thank you to all the teachers: Gabriella, Maria, Claudia, Cristian and Andrea who have been a part of our children's lives at PP. Muchas gracias! read more

Primeros Pasos is an exceptional preschool. Our 3-year-old daughter has advanced by leaps and bounds since she's been there, and in every dimension - her Spanish, of course, but also her ability to engage and collaborate with other kids; general gratitude, respect and politeness; letter and number recognition; her facility for arts and crafts; and much more. It's clear that she really enjoys it and loves her friends and teachers. It's a lot of fun to drive home with her after school and hear her stories about the day. The school is REALLY professionally run. Gabriella and her team are on it: communication is fast and clear, and you have the sense that they're a committed partner in the education and growth of your child. It's also a great space - large, safe, vibrant and well thought-through. Parking isn't too bad, either. Don't have a bad word to say about it. If you want to give your kid the advantage of language immersion while giving them a well-rounded educational experience, this is the place. read more

A preschool is all about the people, both teachers and other students and families that are as big of an influence on a child. we've been lucky to find a great fit in both for our daughter who has grown mentally and emotionally into an amazing person(obviously I would say that!) during last year while attending this school. It has not been an easy year with COVID, but we were lucky to have the staff at the school and a safe process to have kids go back. Thank you read more

Primeros Pasos is a sweet in-home daycare between Glen Park/Noe/Bernal. We were lucky enough to get a 2 day a week spot when our son was 7 months old, and have been so happy with it. We are lucky that he is truly loved by the caretakers, Maria, Claudia, and Christian. I can tell he feels safe with and comforted by them, which is honestly all I can ask for. He gets outside most days, which we love, and is constantly trying new, healthy foods. Highly recommended for local families. read more

My son started at Primeros Pasos when he was 2 and a half years old. Prior to that he was in a share care with one other child where the nanny would take them on daily outings to the park and bring them to weekly enrichment classes. When he transitioned to Primeros Pasos, it was as if nothing changed! Gabriella, the director, and her staff have a great and well thought out program that keep the children engaged! Not only are there always daily outings to the park, weather permitting of course, but they bring enrichment classes to the children. Every week they bring outside programs such as art, music and basketball to the children to enjoy. They also provide weekly materials and updates about what the children will be learning for that particular week. These are great as it gives you something new to talk about with your child during the week. And did I mention the meal program? Primeros Pasos cooks and prepares wholesome and healthy breakfast, lunch and snacks for the children. Our son loves being in the kitchen, so it was added bonus that he would occasionally assist with this task and feel like a big part of the community. When you consider all they offer, including learning Spanish, Primeros Pasos is such a great value! Our only regret is that didn't enroll him sooner! read more

2.5 years later and it's time for an update. Primeros Pasos continues to be a delightful place and both of our girls had an amazing experience. The new location, at Silver Park, is an excellent addition to the SF childcare/preschool scene with large open indoor and outdoor spaces, stimulating activities and meals provided (such a bonus for working parents). The strength of the school continues to be the teachers. Patient and kind, they create a loving and safe environment for newborns through preschoolers. We are forever grateful to Gabriella and her team for helping to shape our girls into the little people they've become. read more

This is a very sweet little Spanish Immersion Child care/pre-school center. Gabriella and the teachers are great. Gabriella often has extra curricular activities planned for the children such as Art class and Music class in Spanish and Basketball and Yoga. I arrived early one day and saw the tail end of a Yoga Class - cutest thing ever! They also have chickens and a plum tree in the spacious back yard. We decided to switch to a different school because our needs changed and I only need half days. All in all a wonderful center and we highly recommend them. read more

We love Primeros Pasos, our daughter started at PP when she was 18 months old. The teachers, director and the environment they create for the children made the transition into daycare easy for the whole family. Our daughter loves her teachers, her friends, and is always very excited to go to the 'escuela'. She is learning Spanish, and having lots of fun. We love that PP provides varied and nutritious breakfasts, lunches and snacks, and that our daughter is exposed to a wide variety of activities from music to gymnastics to yoga! PP is an excellent home based daycare, with caring, professional and creative caregivers. PP has been a perfect place for our daughter to learn, play and grow. read more

Nice facility with great security! The ladies there, Claudia and Maria, were great with the kids not to mention the director took great care of scheduling and accommodations. read more

I can't speak highly enough of Primeros Pasos and the team there. We were so sad to leave the community when we decided to move to the East Bay. We found Primeros Pasos through our friends who have sent both of their kids to PP in the last 4 years (and still do). The teachers during our daughter's 6 months at PP were Maria, Claudia, and Xochitl. In the 6 months that she attended, our daughter's Spanish went from knowing a lot but not speaking much, to singing full songs in Spanish, and using the words and phrases in her life. She had been with a Spanish-speaking nanny before PP so this was likely in part her age and the time when language really starts to come together. We were just lucky/happy that it did in both English and Spanish at that time. The curriculum was the right blend for us of encouraging age appropriate learning of colors, numbers, songs, but in a fun and play-based environment. And the mixed age group and "in home" set up was a good introduction to daycare for us. They use the full in-law unit of the owner's condo complex for the daycare, so it's nice that it has the in home feel, without actually being in the owner's living space (and is no doubt better childproofed than a regular in home daycare). Our daughter had previously been in a nanny share during her first 2 years and spent a lot of the day outside, so the fact that there was a spacious backyard and they went on outings to the local parks often was important for us. Her little legs need room to RUN! We also loved the rotating external instructors that would come in for additional activities- music class, basketball, yoga, and a more advanced art class (although they'd do art with the PP teachers too multiple times per week). And the cost for those activities is included in your tuition. A few other things that were very nice for working parents- all meals and snacks are included (and follow a State-run healthy meal plan program) and the hours are 8am-6pm. Primeros Pasos is the best and I (and my daughter) miss it already! read more

Our son has attended Primeros Pasos for the past 2 years. Nothing but positive feedback: - Our son is always excited to go, which is perhaps the best gauge of a program. - The teachers* prepare healthy meals and encourage the kids to eat different foods - The teachers are always upbeat, friendly, and obviously enjoy the kids - There are lots of "classes" like yoga, basketball, painting, and music - The hours (8am - 6pm) are ideal for working parents - The space is warm, inviting, and centrally located for neighborhood explorations - The school director, Gabriella, organizes occasional socials so parents can catch up *Teachers at the time of this review are Maria, Claudia and Xochitl read more

Our daughter enrolled at PP Glen Park right after her second birthday in January 2020. Gabriella and her team worked so hard to make her transition to her new "escuela" as smooth as possible. She loved going to school each day. Seven weeks later, COVID forced all schools to close down. The school kept in close touch, sent sweet videos to give us updates on the school pet, Lola the chicken, and read stories and sang songs in Spanish. When they reopened in June, they were so understanding about us having a high risk elder in our family that they held our spot for two more months until we were ready to return. When we returned, we felt incredibly safe with all the precautions they took and all the communication. They set up weekly PCR testing during the omicron surge and moved all meals outside on the deck when parents asked. They also provided all meals and snacks which is so rare! Now at age 4.5 our daughter is getting ready for her TK year and we will sadly be saying goodbye to her second home. We have loved our time at such a special place. Of course the added bonus is that our daughter is highly proficient in Spanish! The only caution I have to give is for children who have already dropped a nap. There is a quiet resting time each day that has been harder for our daughter as she gets older and needs less sleep. read more

Mirna, the main caregiver at Primeros Pasos, is dependable, loving and a consummate professional. Most importantly, she is a loving, honorable person who treats her responsibilities and her charges with great respect. She is also dependable, kind and scrupulously honest -- I have never once worried about my daughter's safety or well-being while in her care. When I drop my daughter off, she is all smiles and runs right in. Mirna has been taking care of her since she was four months old, and somehow manages to get my picky toddler to eat more than I ever can. My daughter learned how to say "please" and "thank you" with her, and is learning Spanish as well, another bonus! read more

We are so grateful to be able to send our son to Primeros Pasos. He has been with them for about a year and a half and is thriving in their warm and loving environment. He has been learning so much through all the wonderful activities they provide like basketball, yoga, art and music. He also fluently understands Spanish and points out when people are speaking it while we are out and about - even though we do not speak Spanish at home. Amazing! The teachers are all wonderful and have really taken the time to get to know our son. They always have lots to tell me about his day, gently report behavior issues when they arise and expertly identify when its time for a new milestone like potty training. We couldn't imagine a better environment for our son and plan to send our second in a few months. read more

My wife and I were looking for a Spanish immersion preschool program near Noe Valley. We toured Primeros Pasos, met with Gabriella and her wonderful teachers, and came away very impressed. Gabriella has clearly put a great deal of thought into her program. The teachers follow a professionally-created academic program, which additionally comes with daily recommendations for the parents (like a book you can read at night that ties in with the day's learnings). The kids go out to one of several nearby parks every day, and also get to play in her backyard, and even feed the resident chickens. And she provides healthy food every day, which is a *huge* benefit for parents. Although we ended up at another center (for unrelated reasons), I just wanted to leave this review because we liked Primeros Pasos very much! read more

Our experience at Primeros Pasos could not have gone better. Our son joined the group at ~4 months and was well tended to from the start. As he got older, his development accelerated at an incredible pace as a result of the great curriculum and very attendant staff. The hardest part about moving from the city to the suburbs was leaving behind such a wonderful childcare setup. We will forever be grateful to the folks at PP and wish them all the best in the future. read more

Primeros pasos is a fantastic family daycare! The caregivers are warm and caring and if you are looking for immersion into the Spanish language with native speakers this is a great place. They do a great job of incorporating external teachers for yoga, art, music and sports which is a great bonus. The space is clean and there are lots of activities including a great outdoor place to play. Also, they take the kids to local parks in most days! read more

We sent our son to Primeros Pasos for 2.5 years, from when he was just 6 months old to just after his turning 3 years old. By the time he left, he was, by a significant margin, the child who had been there longest. PP provides wonderful care and we are very happy our son went there. When he was about 10 months old, the caregivers switched from a mother/daughter pair (Mirna/Silbana) to the trio of Maria, Claudia. and Xochitl. At time of writing, Maria, Claudia, and Xochitl are still there. As other reviewers have noted, PP gives the kids a variety of fun activities, home-cooked healthy meals with a variety of foods, good outdoor space, and fun outings to parks. Our son isn't very physical, but by the time he was 2.5 he was showing us his yoga poses, which seemed to him mostly be balancing in a slightly challenging way, giving it a fun name, and laughing, which we thought was great. The cooked meals are an excellent touch, because it introduces the kids to different foods, but also, since everyone is eating the same thing there's some social pressure to try it/eat it. The two strongest things about PP are the kids and the teachers. Gabriella does an excellent job in picking families and kids, such that all of them get along very well and are friends. Our son always wanted to invite everyone over for play dates, there was no "I don't like him/her" or "He/she's not my friend." And while of course no kid is perfect, in my experience all of them were friendly, kind, and playful with one another. They of course sometimes got into tussles as they figured out boundaries ("don't bounce a ball on my head!"), but these were always tiny hiccups in otherwise warm friendships with each other. We've kept up play dates with several of the other kids, they ask about our son, and he asks about them. The caregivers are excellent. Maria, who kind of leads the team, though, isn't just excellent. She's phenomenal and dearly loves the kids. She's an amazing resource for the parents. For a lot of us parents, who don't have our own parents nearby to ask for guidance on raising kids, she fills that role fantastically. I can't tell you how many times I've heard her talking with a parent (not just me!), giving advice on how to handle a situation that's coming up with their kid, whether it's being a picky eater, bedtime, using the potty, biting, or whatever. She's the sage resource everyone turns to. When we were thinking about starting potty training our son, we asked Maria and she recommended we hold off for a month or two, because he was just starting to see how the older kids did it. Two months later, she said he was ready, and sure enough, it went extremely smoothly, with small accidents every few days for two weeks and then smooth sailing. And her one-on-one work with individual kids can't be beat, whether it's teaching them not to throw things, help them with sounding words/speech issues, or encouraging them to read. She also has a great sense of when to try to solve a conflict, or avoid it or table it for later. For example, for a little while our son was the only kid interested in riding the toy cars, then a few kids joined and suddenly they became highly contested, especially the one our son liked best. Maria simply hid that car for a few weeks, so the kids could sort things out with the other, lower-stakes, ones, then reintroduced it and everyone got along, knowing they'd all get a turn and could share. Maria recently took care of our son one day when we went to a local wedding. He was so excited to see her, and fell asleep holding her hand with a big smile on his face, saying "I love you, Maria." Our son never took to speaking Spanish with us, except an occasional phrase. However, he absolutely picked it up. One day my sister (whose husband is Colombian) took care of our him, and very quickly found out that he was much more likely to do what she asked if she asked in Spanish, which we all thought was hilarious. Kudos to Claudia, Maria, and Xochitl! Gabriella has been very good about helping our son keep his friendships from PP, whether it's been always saying yes to our son visiting, or inviting us to the Halloween pumpkin picking with the current PP kids. Talking with some other parents of kids who have moved on from PP, they've said Gabriella has also been very open to drop-in days when their new preschool is closed but PP is open. read more

Our son has been at Primeros Pasos since he was 3 months old (he is now almost two). We absolutely love the center and the team behind. Claudia, Xochitl and Maria are warm, loving, knowledgeable about childcare and great with kids & parents. Our son jumps happily at their arms every morning. The center is well run: clean, well equipped, and great parent communication through emails and daily diaries the educators keep every day with meal and nap times. It's easy to park to do drop-off and pick up. The center is open for 10 hours which is super convenient for working parents and they prepare the meal for all kids with organic ingredients. They have a beautiful backyard where the kids enjoy several days of outside play and also go to the park several times a week. I know that for the older kids they do yoga and music classes and other great stuff we'll be able to participate in as our son grows up. Thank you Gabriella and team for creating such an amazing place for our family. We'll soon be sending our second one! read more

Mirna, the main caregiver, is a warm, loving, nurturing and responsible person. She was our nanny for four years, and I always felt completely confident when our children were with her. Our two highly engergtic and very different children were always well attended to, learned great eating habits and Mirna could always help settle a dispute between them with kindness and calmness. She gave them a great foundation. read more

I found Primeros through internet searching and feel like we really struck gold. Our son has been at Primeros for a year now (he started when he was 17 months) and he has developed so beautifully there. He is learning spanish, he tries new foods there, he learned how to nap in a crib thanks to his experience at Primeros. I also love the meal program - breakfast, lunch and snacks throughout the day, plus the outings and activities - art and crafts, basketball, playing in the backyard with the chickens and all the toys. The mixed ages of the kids at Primeros is also extremely beneficial. Our son looks up to a couple of the older kids and has learned how to be gentle with the little ones. The "Mother Goose Time" curriculum is just fine for kids this age. Researching it, I realized there are a multitude of programs like Mother Goose out there for daycare providers to subscribe to. Here's one comparison website in case you're interested: http://www.childcarelounge.com/curriculum/compare-programs.php Eventually we came to the conclusion that pretty much any of these would be perfectly fine. They help daycare providers bring some structure to the days without being overwhelming. And I like that Mother Goose has a method for tracking kids' progression through developmental milestones, which not all of the other formats have. For our extremely active and curious boy I think it has been great and I am glad Primeros has chosen to use this programming. I'd also note the partnership that Primeros engages in with families, they are very focused on our child's personal development and needs as he grows. A great example comes from our potty training experience: we tried at home, and our son did great. But then when he went to school he refused to use the toilet, and was crying and upset about it. Maria and the team at Primeros suggested we put it on a hold for a couple months and come back to it. Gabriella called me a couple times to discuss our approach to make sure we would be in sync. Then, as he saw the older boys at school using the potty, he was eventually ready again. One day Maria let me know that they were trying all day not using the diaper and that our son was doing great. She encouraged us to skip the diapers at home too and lo and behold, we are potty trained! Our son is so proud of himself and we feel like we had great support, guidance and reinforcement in this. I love the ladies here - Maria, Claudia, Xochi, and Bettina are wonderful, loving, sweet professionals. Our son loves them and all his Primeros friends. I can't believe I was worried about putting my son in a daycare environment. He loves it, we love it, we should have done it from 4 months is what I think now, looking back! read more

We love Primeros Pasos! We have been part of the PP family since our daughter was four-and-a-half months old. It's a warm and happy learning environment with supportive teachers who love all the kids in their care. One of the best parts of my day is the few minutes I spend picking my daughter up: I can smell what's cooking in the kitchen and see how nicely she's learned to play with the other kids. Most of all, I can see the incredible bond she has with each of her teachers. Before we joined PP, I dreaded the transition back to work, but PP has made it a nurturing experience, with teachers who offer a lot of love and just the right amount of support and advice for first-time parents. Gabriella, the director, runs a wonderful "escuela": she's always engaged and available, and she keeps parents engaged with a Facebook group and events like the PP holiday party. She also makes continuing education a priority for herself and the teachers; she posts about courses she attends and she supports the teachers to take offsite classes and strengthen their skills. It shows in the classroom and at home when our daughter shows and tells us what she's learned, even at eleven months. We can't say enough good things and we'll be part of this extended PP family for many years to come. read more

Primeros Pasos is wonderful. We started taking our youngest son there when he was two. All the caregivers who work there are gentle and loving and patient. They always manage to be bright and cheerful and it's obvious that all the children are very happy with them. Our youngest loves pressing the buzzer and pushing the door open in the mornings; seeing how excited he is to go there is all we need to be 100% confident that he's getting the right care. Thank you Primeros Pasos! read more