Love this school! My first child is going into year 3, and my second child starts in a couple…read moreweeks. (Ashland campus) Large grounds, long tenured educators, balanced curriculum, great hours for working parents, and an amazing community. Snack, milk, water provided. I do have to make lunch everyday, but it was only hard to adjust the first week or so. Campus/Grounds: They have an upper and lower yard, literally 4 blocks from the beach! It's huge! The classrooms are also generally large and spacious with lots of fresh air and light. The bathrooms and campus are cleaned everyday and there is a "Pitch In" clean up day multiple times a year where the entire community chips in to do a serious deep cleaning. There's even a parking lot and 1 block of 15 minute parking zone for pick up/drop offs too! Teachers: Serious tenure at this school! The teachers have been here for years. They are aware, listen and react to your needs and very caring. The school also supports and provide continuing education courses to allow their teachers to keep growing. Learning/Playtime/Conflict: Lots of balance between playtime and education. The teachers don't force memorization of numbers and letters. They teach the kids to understand the foundations of math, science, literacy in a way that is fun for children. It's like when you sneak broccoli into your kids pasta sauce! They love eating it and get their nutrition too. (Side note: my daughter is 4-1/2 and she's starting to read, can write her name and do some simple addition). Regarding conflict management, I'll only say this "The Talking Chairs". It's a way to get the kids communicating about what happened vs punishing anyone. It's magical. Hours: Great long hours for working parents (both my husband and I work full time). We do an 8am drop off and 5:30pm pick up. There are several families on this schedule and it's a great time catch up with the teachers and share moments with your child. Mine always wants to show me around her classroom. Community: amazing community of current and alumni families who keep giving back to the school through volunteer hours and projects! The faculty also does a great job of connecting families and providing resources for parents. Is there a con? Yes, the school doesn't provide lunch (they do provide milk, water, snacks). It was a hard adjustment at first. But at least I know what's going in my kid's mouth!

Be sure to read all of the reviews. For some unknown and arbitrary reason, YELP has filtered the…read morelukewarm reviews of this school. There is important information for working parents in the reviews YELP is dishonorably filtering. This review pertains only to the Ashland Campus. Definitely friendly teachers that welcome the kids in the morning. Pros: nice big play yard, garden, lots of play outside, kids have an active say in what their plan for the day is. Cons: damaged asphalt covers most of the playground, can not drop off throughout the day, no meal program, bathroom is dicey Definitely friendly staff but the parent population is a little self aware and snooty. If you are a working parent family, this school is workable but takes extra effort. If you have a dr appt in the morning, chances are your kid will be home for the day and you will not be at work. The school provides snacks but no lunch service which is tough on working moms who don't have a nanny. Most kids are headed home by 4pm so if you work until 5, you can count on your kid being one of the last at the school. For sure friendly, eager staff but there are many aspects that make this a tough school choice for working parents.

My son went to this school for two years and I can't recommend it enough. We searched and toured…read morepreschools while I was pregnant and after discovering the first school we knew we had found the perfect place for him. The teachers and staff are all so wonder and caring. (Especially Teacher Lucy) This school is a loving, safe community for parents and children. They even helped guide us into the right elementary school.

So, it's been almost two decades since I was a student here, but I still have such fond memories of…read morethe First School. Everyday was a different activity (from gardening to learning about dinosaurs) and the teachers were incredible. Every afternoon we were sent home with a piece of masking tape on our shirts stating what we'd done that day so our folks would know. --- Take Big Blue Bus #8.

Mt. Olive Preschool is absolutely amazing! I have sent both of my daughters here and they have…read moreloved their time at Mt. Olive. Each day is always filled with fun and learning with caring and dedicated teachers, and has created great foundations of friendships and community they will keep with them to begin their journey in elementary school. When my oldest daughter went off to TK at a local public school, the teacher at her new school mentioned that she can always tell when a kiddo went to Mt. Olive because they already know how to write their name. Our girls have learned independence, social skills, and have been instilled such a love of learning. We have been blessed to attend and are forever grateful for all the love, memories, and support throughout the years and highly recommend them!

Our kids absolutely love this place and we do too. The teachers are all so loving and caring, many…read moreof them have been there for 20 years or longer so you k ow they are taken care of. The monthly group babysitting on a Saturday is the highlight of our months and the almost daily artwork they send home is a highlight of each day. It's just such a wonderful place perfect for two working parents who can't pick up kids until after work. I can't recommend it enough.

Amazing staff and grounds. Great hours for working parents as well. Teachers keep you updated with…read moreweekly or even daily updates and photos. Kids are happy to go and learn a lot.

I truly love this school for my toddler. The teachers are all so welcoming and engaging. They have…read moreso many activities with the kids. I felt safe immediately sending my daughter there and recommend for anyone looking to send their toddlers to a preschool where they will grow and be loved and cared for.

We absolutely loved Ms Bana and the entire staff at Westside Montessori. My daughter still to this…read moredays thinks about her years here saying they were her favorite teachers. Everything about this school was just perfect for us.

We have been sending our soon-to-be 5-yr-old son to Westside Montessouri School for three years…read more Ms. Bana and her staff are the exact people you want spending most of the waking hours with your child. She treats all the children like her own. She is warm and loving. She gives children space to grow and explore within a healthy framework with gentle guidance. She imbues her entire team with this mindset, and they follow her lead. We did exhaustive research and sent our daughter to BrightHorizons for three years because it was closer to work. We seriously regret not sending her to Ms. Bana, because our son is more advanced socially and academically, and as a result scored in the top .001% on a cognitive exam and was accepted into a very elite private elementary school. We attribute most of this achievement to Ms. Bana's approach and style. We have no connection to Ms. Bana or Westside Montessouri other than professionally (there is no underlying bias here). We just know how frustrating it is to look and look for the right place for your child. Well, look no further, you've found the right place.

Our oldest just graduated from Piper, and we couldn't be more grateful for the time she's spent…read morethere! Every teacher and admin we've had/worked with has been so kind, encouraging, funny, and caring while still being clear in their expectations. Our daughter loved going to school, made great friends, and is such a wonderful kid - and definitely this is in part to the care and example-ship she received at Piper. Our younger still attends and is having the same, awesome experience.

We love Piper Preschool, the teachers are amazing, the campus is adorable, and all of my kids have…read morebeen happy going to school there we started in 2020 when many preschools were still closed due to COVID, and we were so happy that Piper opened its doors, small the classrooms smaller and created pod like groups. My 2 older kids who have graduated from Piper now and my youngest is still there now. In the last 5 years that we have been here as a family, I've noticed that the admins are very responsive to feed back, what the parent community needs, and most importantly what is best for the kiddos. They have very flexible hours (8-5 if you need, 9-2 is the base) which is a bonus. You can be a parent that volunteers a lot or a parent that shows up for the big moments, there are plenty of opportunities in either case.

I cannot say enough good things about Maple Tree Santa Monica. Our oldest was with MTA from 4…read moremonths to 3 years old, and our youngest was there for a few months in the infant classroom before we moved away. We always felt safe leaving our kids at MTA, which is so invaluable for two working parents. The teachers are warm and caring, and were always flexible to work with us on things like naps, feeding, and potty training. Our oldest made so many friends and grew into a wonderfully inquisitive child, no doubt thanks to the curriculum of child-led exploration and learning. We will miss MTA dearly and will be forever grateful to have spent some time there!

Our family feels very fortunate to have had 3.5 wonderful years at Maple Tree Santa Monica. Our…read moredaughter started in the infant room when she was 5 months old during the height of COVID and our son started when he was 6 months old. Some of the things we love about Maple Tree include the convenience of having an infant room and preschool at the same location. We're also grateful for the infant room director Yoli and the School Director Tina. They are very kind, helpful, and easy to work with. As our daughter got older she got to experience the preschool environment at Maple Tree. The teachers are all very sweet and caring. They make sure to provide updates throughout the day via an App that includes updates on meal times / nap times / potty times / and a summary of what they did that day. Both of our kids really enjoyed their time at Maple Tree, they loved their teachers and have made so many friends (as have we!). They create a nice community among the families with a Spring and Fall picnic throughout the year and the hours are also very accommodating for two full time working parents. We feel very lucky to have had both of our kids at Maple Tree and would recommend to anyone looking for a clean, safe, professional, kind & loving daycare and/or preschool.

Our daughter started in the Seedling room at MyFirstPlace on 22nd St. when she was just 4 months…read moreold, and we've had a wonderful experience ever since. It's a full Spanish immersion program and they have very flexible options. We opted for full time M-F 8-5:30pm. Maria and her entire team are amazing: communication is clear and prompt, teachers are engaged and caring, and the school is clean, safe, and offers wonderful enrichment activities like soccer, capoeira, and music. We always feel listened to, and the teachers send updates throughout the day. One of my favorite parts of the workday is getting the cutest photos and videos of her and her friends engaged in all sorts of activities like outdoor play or reading books. The biggest testament to the program is our daughter herself. Now 18 months old, she's excited to go to school every morning, happily jumping from my lap into her teachers' arms, and she's calm and happy when we pick her up. Teacher Gabby V. has been incredibly caring and thoughtful. We feel so lucky to have had her help care for our daughter over the past 14 months. She consistently goes out of her way to provide thoughtful, individualized care, whether that means adjusting nap schedules or giving a little extra attention when needed. We couldn't recommend MFP more highly!

We loved MFP for our daughter and it truly was our daughter's first place. They were incredibly…read moreflexible, attentive, and caring for our little one. Being a first time mom, I was nervous to let go and have someone else take care of my daughter. But as I watched her start to get accustomed to the schedule there, I noticed how the staff is educated and friendly. It was emotional for me to watch her learn to be independent at MFP and Maria and Cinthia were very accommodating to helping my daughter transition from homecare to daycare. There's plenty of extracurricular activities dancing, music, soccer, including all the planned crafts to keep her engaged. I always found that they updated ProCare with plenty of updates and pictures to keep me informed of her daily activities. Cinthia, Teacher Karen, Teacher Veronica, Zohra are just some of the friendliest faces who helped take care of her. I also witnessed a very smooth transition between classrooms from the Cherry Room to Olive Room. Cinthia was always available to chat through any of my questions and provided input to best support her. We were so sad to have to leave MFP but primarily did so because of moving (needing to reduce the daycare pickup commute). What was also so sweet was how thoughtful they were to provide her a wonderful experience for both her first birthday at school and her last day. I would recommend MFP!

The Early Years School is truly a special place. We have had the absolute best experience with them…read moreand couldn't recommend it more highly. One of our sons has already graduated, and our younger son is still happily attending, which really says everything about how much we trust and love this place. TEYS' approach sticks out in how much they listen to and respect the children. It has never felt like a place where the kids are dropped off and left to figure things out. Rather, the students are encouraged to make informed choices and ask questions about why and what's next. Their individuality and independence are front and center, but they're also learning to coexist with their friends in a productive way. Conflict is always resolved from a place of respect and understanding. The teachers and staff are incredibly caring, attentive, and truly invested in each child. I could write a paragraph about each teacher individually and the bonds they've created with our kids. In addition, they are extremely thorough in their approach and go to great lengths to deep dive into anything related to early childhood development. It feels like they have researched everything on the topic to the benefit of our children. Our older son thrived here both socially and emotionally, and we saw such beautiful growth in his confidence, independence, and love of learning during his time at the school. When he first started, he was timid and insecure, because we unfortunately had tried attending two other schools that were nothing like Early Years. Watching him graduate felt like watching another person from who he was walking in. Now seeing our younger son walk in excited every day reassures us all over again that this is a truly exceptional environment. At the time of writing this, we are traveling, but our son still asks to go to "yellow group" every day. Now that our daughter has made her way into the world, there's no question about where she'll be spending her early years *wink* The communication with parents has always been supportive and the classrooms are warm, clean, nurturing, and thoughtfully structured. It's worth noting that one of the teachers is an art teacher, so their art room alone makes me as an adult want to go back to preschool. I heard another alum mom say "maybe they don't have a ton of jungle gyms, but they helped shape my child into a good person" and that's what we all want, right? Early Years feels like a community, not just a school. We are so grateful for the foundation it has given our children and for the love and care they receive every single day.

Both of my children attended The Early Years School and are now 31 and 28. Looking back, I can see…read morejust how profound the school's influence has been. Beyond providing an outstanding education, The Early Years helped them develop self-awareness, confidence, empathy, and resilience. They learned to navigate conflict with respect, communicate thoughtfully, and build strong, lasting personal and professional relationships. Those skills have served them well throughout college, their careers, and adulthood. They also left with a strong sense of curiosity, integrity, and trust in themselves that has given them the confidence to pursue meaningful work and fulfilling lives. The teachers and community created an extraordinary environment where children were truly known, valued, and encouraged to become their best selves. I remain deeply grateful for the lifelong foundation The Early Years gave our family.

Yelp criteria for five stars is "Woohoo! As good as it gets!" Our son has been attending for 8…read moremonths now, ever since he was eligible (at four months) and our experience with GP is very much "as good as it gets!" GP runs on the idea that kids are investigating the world and the teachers there are the ones that facilitate their interests. In practice, that translates into highly motivated teachers, kids who learn and grow, and an atmosphere that is more like a school rather than a place to plop your kid off for eight hours while you work. Nothing hectic, not a TV or battery-powered toy in sight, and plenty of time and space to explore their natural surroundings. Yes, appointments are difficult and the waiting pool is nerve-wracking for any parent. But that is the nature of the beast really, not GP itself. The administration is top-notch, the teachers are professionals in the truest sense, and the community is wonderful. GP really is "as good as it gets!"

My son has been at the Growing Place Marine Park campus for 4 years and it has been a wonderful…read moreexperience. The school is based on the Reggio Emilia philosophy and provides a very high level and thoughtful curriculum for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. The curriculum is focused on the interests of the children and they emphasize a lot of peer to peer learning and child-led learning, which allows children to learn collaboration, negotiation, and problem solving as well as building the foundation for them to be critical thinkers as opposed to passive learners. The teachers for the most part are trained in this philosophy and are extremely competent. They see themselves more as facilitators to encourage active learning rather than instructors that need to fill children with specific knowledge. The program is almost entirely play-based, recognizing the fact that children at this age learn best through play! My son has experienced everything from manipulating clay and watercolor as an infant, to cooking, gardening (they have a thriving vegetable garden in the preschool that the kids tend themselves), woodworking, sewing, story telling, painting and much much more. They emphasize natural materials and the children often build projects from "raw" materials rather than using a lot of ready-made or battery operated toys. There is a very active parent community as well and it feels more like a family than a school. It will be a hard place to leave!