Both of my kids went to West Marin Montessori before entering elementary school. Our whole family…read morecould not be happier with the choice to attend WMM. The social, emotional and academic education in a fun, engaging environment was just perfect. The school used to be located in Woodacre, but recently moved onto the campus of the Lagunitas School District. The move is ideal since most of the preschool kids will go on to one of the elementary schools of the Lagunitas District and the transition will be almost seamless.

My son is finishing his last year at West Marin Montessori, and we have been so thrilled with…read moreabsolutely everything about this preschool. Both teachers are true pros: attentive, humorous, friendly, firm, creative, always brimming with positivity even on days when I so tired that I can barely speak during drop offs, and devoted to the children. They know how to bring the best out in the kids. The school is beautiful, surrounded by hills and nature, and a hiking trail is right outside that they are able to use often. My son enjoys this school so much that he always asks to stay for aftercare so he will have more time there. The community of other families we have met through the school has also been great and we've heard nothing but positive feedback about other families experiences with this preschool.

Hello, friends! Popping into Yelp to let you know that, Emerald Heart Preschool Program moved from…read moreFairfax to Inverness/Point Reyes and has been renamed EMERALD HEART FOREST SCHOOL. We are now happily thriving in/with the forest on Inverness Ridge. If you are looking for a place-based nature immersion program in West Marin County CA for children 3 to 6, please look us up. We are happy to answer your questions!

I feel so lucky that I found this wonderful preschool. I was surprised by how few play-based…read morepreschools there were in Marin- the research that I did convinced me that socially and emotionally it was the only way to go. Emerald Heart is unique in that the children not only get a lot of free play, but they do it outside in a beautiful woodland setting (there is literally a swing under two ancient persimmon trees in front that makes my heart melt). Teachers Taira and her assistant Mercedes are amazing- kind, patient, and grounded. The program is Waldorf-inspired so the children eat together and sing together in an indoor space that is gorgeous. My son has thrived!!

I went to this center as a child as did my sisters. The Fairfax-San Anselmo children's center has…read morecreated so many great childhood memories for us. Even after we left the center, we stayed in touch with the teachers and faculty. They are still like a second family to us. When we started looking for childcare options for our kids, it was really hard to find a place that compared to the Fairfax-San Anselmo children's center. We found a great program and when we brought our parents by to see where their grandson was going to school they said "It is a great school but not as great as Fairfax-San Anselmo Children's Center". For someone to write a BS review and not even go into specifics is very cowardly.

Well if Ethel and Stan have been in business for 37 years, then I must have been in one of their…read morefirst classes to matriculate! To this day, I still rave to folks about my experience there, so obviously it was memorable. There was truly nothing like it, and that's probably still true today. We did the best field trips....Half Moon Bay pumpkin patch, Samuel P. Taylor Park camping trips. I was Bev the Cook's best assistant in the kitchen, and Jeannie Gable was a phenomenal teacher! Odessa, Class of '75-76

Little Mountain has been one of the most positive, nurturing, loving, and fun places we've ever…read morebeen a part of. It has become part of our family, and we have become part of theirs. The amount of love and effort the team of teachers at Little mountain bring on a daily basis is hard to put into words.  Our first child is currently in his second year at LMP, and his time there has had such a unique impact on him as a growing child. He has learned, changed, interacted and played every single day he attends. He comes home with new questions, awesome stories, and new lessons learned. One of the main things we have loved about little mountain is the play based curriculum. The team of teachers there have perfected this curriculum over years of teaching together. A few of the teachers have worked together in Marin for over 30 years at other area preschools before starting their own. They are experts at getting to know the nuances of each child, and helping them individually navigate their development both at school and at home. The teachers attend national child development/teaching conferences each year to stay current on research based teaching, which to me shows how dedicated they are to making sure the kids grow in a healthy way.   Another huge part of Little Mountain is the parent/family community. Together the teachers and parents foster this throughout the year with parent appreciation days, community work days in the school's amazing backyard, an annual fundraiser, and after school activities such as wheelie wednesdays. Pick up and drop off are always fun with lots of interaction between families and kiddos. Parent participation is encouraged and appreciated. Parents can stay as long as they want to and/or come read books, volunteer, or something like help cook a special meal. I can't recommend Little Mountain enough. Our second child will be attending the next two years. If you are looking for a great preschool with a small community feel, this is it.

From the owner: Little Mountain Preschool provides a play based learning program for 3-5 year olds. Our activities…read moreare open ended, filled with exploration and hands on learning. We have created a social emotional safe learning environment for all our children. Our team of professionals provides a nurturing atmosphere for all children. Please call for a tour and visit our website.

We absolutely love Noah's Ark! From day one, it felt like such a warm and caring place for our…read morechild. Heather, the preschool director, is incredible. sShe truly cares about each child and it shows. She's so kind, attentive, and creates such a loving environment where kids feel safe and happy. Our little one comes home every day excited to share what they learned and the fun they had. The teachers are wonderful too -- patient, creative, and always smiling. We're so grateful for this preschool and the amazing team that makes it feel like family!

Update: Noah's Ark has been cited and fined by the State Department. This organization created…read morefalse documentation in our family law custody dispute. Marin Christian has been fined and admonished by the State Department for failing to support parental rights and for false reporting. Marin Christian/Noahs Ark administration got inappropriately involved in our custody case by being a trial witness for dad and made meritless claims. Their school administrator complained to the family law judge that I was a demanding parent by making a ONETIME request for my daughter's student file. All parents under the State Department have a right to request for their child's students file without being penalized. The administration also created false statements and willful misleading reports for our custody case filled with meritless speculations. I'm glad to say, my daughter no longer attends this poorly managed school since I am now the primary caregiver to our child resulting from the school's biased witness statements in our custody trial. Despite providing the administration a copy of our custody order, Marin Christian failed to provide me any information for my daughter for over a year. I had reached out to management and the board for early resolution but was blatantly ignored because the dad was on their PTA and had personal relations with Marin Christian organization. My recommendation is for Marin Christian senior leadership and board members review its policies and procedures to ensure their organization and the school administrators are adhering to State Department policies and guidelines to ensure the school is abiding by the law, not making baseless accusations, not getting inappropriately involved in custody matters and not having parental bias. Very disappointing actions from a Christian-based institution.

I've put off writing this review for quite a while now, b/c DC'ing is such a beloved institution,…read moreand also, there are so few daycares in Marin, that even if not a good fit, you may not have a choice. I ultimately decided to throw down my two cents, in case it helps a family, with similar ideas and priorities as ours, in deciding where to spend their hard-earned money and time (because this is a co-op you will be expected to dedicate work hours, too). If you commute from SF for work, good luck getting there at 6pm. I think more than a few parents hire nannies to pick up their kids or one parent only works part-time or not at all, which is how they manage it. And don't let the relaxed vibe there fool you. Even being a minute late will cost you $5, plus a few very nasty looks. Do it twice, and they threaten to expel your kid. It's a nonprofit, but they charge nearly as much as any other daycare. They have a fundraiser too that you are expected to contribute to. I raised $500 my first year there (Didn't get so much a thank you note. Makes me sorry that I traded in my "mommy capitol" among my friends and family to get them to donate, when I really could have used that effort and my friends cash for a nonprofit that would have truly appreciate it.) When you tour the place, you will see the rows and rows of diapers in the one small bathroom. Thats because easily 80% of kids are not toilet trained, including the ones who are going to start kindergarten next year. They only take the kids to the bathroom twice a day. The bathroom is hidden off in a side room, very far away from the play area. Trying to potty train your kid in this set up is a losing battle. (My kid was potty trained w/in 4 weeks at a new daycare, without me changing anything else about our routine. The new place takes the kids every hour). Initially, I thought the place had a sort of casual chic. $1300/month later, I wondered where my money was going, with the dirty toys, broken furniture, peeling paint, and all the delayed maintenance, including plumbing / drainage problems that shut the place down for a few days, that left us scrambling for daycare. Once again, they rely on that "relaxed" vibe to be what I would charterize as disorganized. If you have any questions or issues about your kid, you are supposed to write it in this notebook at the front. I don't think anyone reads that though, so I wound up spending a lot of time buttonholing teachers and telling them personally anytime I had info to convey. Meals - as you probably know if you are touring the place, you provide meals. That's fine, however, they are supposed to help your kid find, open, and eat their food. The very small kids, 3 - 5, have trouble with this. Example - my kids lunchbox had front and side compartments. I discovered that no one was bothering to open them up, and get the food out for my toddler. Meals wasted, kid hungry. 3 years old is just too little for kids for to be expected to feed themselves. My son is a picky eater as is - but even for a good eater, expecting them to find and open his own food? Like the potty issue, it comes down to staffing - too little of them. Staff - some are nice, some are less so, most of them seem overwhelmed. The owner only works 3/4 time (not there on Friday). I'm not one of those parents who minds if their kid gets dirty. My son is a very active child and loves a good mud puddle. However, I have my limits. He would come home, absolutely filthy, just about every day, including permanent stains from nonwashable markers and paint. I asked them if they could either switch to washable paint ("no, these are the paints we use") or put a smock on the kids ("no, we don't have time for that"). So, I had to add soaking and treating my son's clothes to my To Do list every day, or else have every picture ever taken of my kid in clothes looking like I dug them out of the trash. Or have an entire other wardrobe for weekends, with all my extra cash. And call me a bad person, but I would have liked to be able to go at least one day without having to give my kid a full bath. Overall, I don't think this place is understanding or responsive to the needs of working parents, particularly moms. It probably started as little coop for mommies to take the kids to a few hours a week, so they could socialize, but not as a real daycare, for working parents. Example - my kid was having a tough week, and kept asking for me. The teacher asked me if I could "spend some time with him. Just 15 minutes a day." She actually believed that I literally never spent more than 14 minutes a day with my kid - probably less! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but I calmly explained to her that despite having a jobs, my husband and I spent breakfast, and 6 pm to bedtime every night with our kid, not to mention of course weekends. She honestly looked flabbergasted. Then said "oh. ok. I guess you do see him." SMH. Like I said at the outset, I know I'm the outlier here.

I cannot say enough about this wonderful school. I credit my two-year-old son's happiness, growth…read moreand (decent ;) behavior at home to all of these absolutely wonderful providers. They have shown my son incredible patience and love (He has grown especially attached to Eva ;), and, as a single mom, it means a lot to me that they charge very affordable prices compared to other schools.

We've been part of the Montessori of Central Marin community for over three years, and it has…read moregenuinely transformed our family. From the moment our children walked through the doors, the warmth and intentionality of this school was unmistakable. The teachers here are exceptional -- deeply committed, observant, and passionate about the Montessori philosophy. They know every child individually and meet them exactly where they are. We're especially grateful to Mr. Chris, who has shown extraordinary patience and insight. Watching him guide our child through challenges with such care has been nothing short of inspiring. The curriculum is thoughtfully designed and truly works. Our children have grown into confident, curious, self-directed learners -- qualities we see every single day at home. In fact, our older son just completed his transition to kindergarten last year and is now heading into first grade. The transition was completely seamless -- he stepped in with confidence and ease, and we credit that entirely to Montessori of Central Marin and the incredible teachers who shaped him. The environment is beautiful, calm, and purposeful -- exactly what children need to thrive. And the parent community is one of the most supportive and engaged we've ever been part of. We can't recommend this school highly enough. It hasn't just been great for our children -- it's brought our whole family closer together and shaped how we think about learning, growth, and community.

Wonderful teachers in a cute school. Full Curriculum is rotated monthly and teachers are friendly…read moreand caring. Spanish is also taught

We are so lucky to be apart of the RCNS family. Our daughter attended two daycares prior to…read morestarting here and this has been by far our favorite program. We have really enjoyed meeting the other families and get together regularly outside of school. Michelle, June and Mimi are all such wonderful teachers. Our daughter has already learned so much from them and even asks to go to school each morning. We really appreciate the daily communication from they provide and feel more than comfortable with them caring for our daughter. We really feel so grateful to have found this program and I can't recommend it enough!!

I did a petting zoo event here today and I have to say I could not believe how well-mannered and…read morewell-behaved the kids were! This little nursery school is very clean while still being incredibly fun and interactive with plenty of outside play. Miss Michelle and Miss June are both GREAT with the kids- I was even taking mental notes on how to parent me own future children! You can tell that they keep the kids active, involved, and encourage creativity. The amount of parent communication and involvement in the school is also something that just warms my heart. I absolutely cannot wait to be a part of Miss Michelle's upcoming Wilderness Cubs nature learning program!!

I can't even put into words what a magical and wonderful experience Tender Tracks has been for my…read morefamily. My daughter did the three program last year and is in the four year old program this year. They spend the entire day outdoors, exploring nature, connecting to the natural world, building social relationships and learning to take risks and trust in themselves. Wendolyn retrofitted an old bus to have safety harnesses, which allows them to explore many of the wonderful outside offerings Marin has. The mix of nurturing and rhythm from the amazing teachers and the experience adventuring outside makes this a one of a kind program that can't be beat. I can't recommend it enough, and my younger son can't wait until he can join the Tender Tracks family.

There's a reason why parents drive across the county to get their kids here. This is a truly…read moremagical program with a gifted teacher. Wendolyn knows how to connect on a very deep level with each kid, meeting them where they truly are. This is a Waldorf-inspired nature education program and it's 100% outdoor rain or shine for 3-5 year olds. I can't think of a better place to build life skills, self esteem and grow. I feel so fortunate to have found this.