When we moved to Ballard mid-summer, I was sure that we wouldn't be able to find a pre-K spot for…read moreour daughter. Somehow we lucked into a spot at Ballard Pre-K, though! I can't say enough nice things about Ballard Pre-K and the teachers Patty and Kim. My daughter adored going every day, and she learned so much. The teachers created a wonderful environment in the classroom--I've never seen a bunch of kids who were so kind to each other. They also struck a great balance between play and learning things like the A, B, Cs. After such a great preschool experience, the kids left well prepared for kindergarten and very excited about the idea of school. Added bonus: It is super affordable!

What an incredible program! Both of my children attended this program and loved it! They were…read moreready for kindergarten and love school. I really think it is because they had such a fun and positive experience in Pre-K (previously called Jumpstart). Teacher Patty is awesome!

We love Teacher Marissa and the warm and welcoming community of families and friends. The classroom…read moreis such a fun space filled with so many inviting play stations. The indoor gym is a great space to use on extreme weather days. Trips to the playground just a short walk away is always fun. Exciting field trips, engaging learning experiences and taking care of the school garden are just a few reasons we love this school.

We are loving Loyal Heights Coop! Such a special, supportive community. Teacher Marissa is…read morewonderful, engaging and warm. This has been a really positive early learning experience for our kiddo here.

As both a parent to children who once attended Little Feats and a current teacher, I can…read moreconfidently say this pre-school is a great example of what early childhood education should be. The teachers are incredibly dedicated, creating a nurturing environment that fosters learning, and social emotional development. We're a play based Christian preschool, incorporating themes, and creative play. If you're looking for a preschool with a sense of community and family please come visit!

I Love working at Little Feats! Amazing comunity! Caring teachers and great kiddos!…read moreWe are a Christian preschool but we are theme and play based and work on Kindergarten readiness.

I keep feeling grateful to find this place for my boy. We ve been there for four months. He had a…read morevery smooth transit from home to daycare when he is 18 months. He loves there and makes friends there. The kids teacher ratios is 4:1 and less. Plus the fee is very reasonable. Feel grateful Orca is so low profile that there is no enrollment queue when we find them. It's a treasure during the pandemic to find a place your kid likes, you can trust, the kids teacher ratios is so good, plus the fee is very reasonable.

Orca is an absolute gem! Teaches are kind, knowledgeable, and very involved. My son's language…read moreexploded after he started here -- but best of all he absolutely adored his teaches and friends. He would scream "daycare" and run straight for his classroom everyday we dropped him off. We moved out of Seattle, but drove 45 mins each way for months because we were too sad to leave. A special school, with a great teacher to student ratio, and happy kids! Can't recommend enough!

Our daughter, Aviana, joined Willow Tree in 2021, during COVID, as part of the first Tiger class…read morewhen she was three years old. After a wonderful nanny-share at home--where we could closely observe and control every aspect of her day--my wife and I were understandably nervous about transitioning her to preschool. We did extensive research and toured nearly ten preschools and daycares. Willow Tree immediately stood out. From the very beginning, it was clear that the director, Liu, and the entire staff were genuinely loving and attentive caregivers. From her first day, Aviana loved going to school. Her development accelerated noticeably--she made friends, gained confidence, and even happily ate the school-made lunches. We initially had questions about the Mandarin immersion program and whether it might delay Aviana's English development. Liu reassured us that the opposite would be true, explaining that children's brains at that age are "like sponges," capable of absorbing far more than we often realize. She was absolutely right. Aviana's English continued to flourish, and her Mandarin grew from zero to a working knowledge of the language--truly incredible. To sum it up: if we had to do it all over again, we would choose Willow Tree without hesitation. Two years later, we enrolled our younger daughter, Amelia, when she was just a year and a half old. She began in the Bunny class, moved on to Penguin, and is now in Tiger. She loves it. Her Mandarin is now as strong as her English, even though we speak only English at home. On more than one occasion, I've caught Amelia dreaming in Mandarin--a constant reminder of how much she has learned in such a short time. Willow Tree has provided an exceptional academic and developmental foundation for both of our girls, along with a truly welcoming and supportive community. As Amelia prepares to graduate, we know we'll remain connected through the friendships our daughters have built and the families we've come to know beyond the classroom. We couldn't be more grateful for Willow Tree.

Willow Tree preschool has been a great experience for our daughter. She joined the Penguin class…read morejust after she turned 2 years old and her Mandarin Chinese has blossomed from the exposure at the school. I'm so surprised how much Chinese she can understand and speak and she can even sing songs in Chinese. While I can speak Chinese, I usually forget to so it's great to know she's able to learn it at school. The teachers we've been exposed to at WT have all been warm and inviting. Our daughter doesn't warm easily and the transition was long and difficult but the teachers embraced her with love and care. I was a little skeptical at first to hear there were 20 kids, such a big class, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Because there are 20 kids, there are also 3-4 teachers. By having extra teachers, this helps when a kid or two are having a meltdown or just need a little extra love and attention. With some of the kids in the class being older and being able to better regulate and play with themselves, this left the extra teachers to help with the younger, new kids who needed extra help. We attended a different preschool briefly before WT where there were 7 kids and 1 teacher and that teacher seemed to just be in survival mode because they couldn't get to all the kids that needed attention or assistance. Whereas the WT teachers always seemed happy and had good energy. We also love Liu, the director. She cares deeply for the kids and brings amazing energy. It's always a joy to run into her and catch up. Your kids will be in good hands at WT!

It is important for families to understand that if you enroll your child at Pacific Crest, you are…read moresigning a contract obligating you to pay the full year of tuition and forfeit your deposit regardless of how the school handles communication or concerns prior to enrollment. I believe it is important for prospective families to have a clear understanding of what they may encounter before making such a significant financial and emotional commitment for their child. We first attended an information session in 2025 and later met with the school with the intention of enrolling our four-year-old daughter for January 2026. During the admissions process, the director was attentive, responsive, and reassuring , effectively an excellent sales lady. We were repeatedly told that the school valued communication, community, and a child-centered approach, which strongly influenced our decision to enroll. Unfortunately, once we signed the contract in August and paid tuition, the level of communication changed dramatically. In November, I reached out to the school seeking guidance regarding our daughter's upcoming January start date, including next steps, meeting her teacher, and understanding what supplies or preparations were needed. I received no response. After following up a second time and again receiving no response, we finally heard back nearly three weeks and three emails later with a generic reply stating that the classroom teacher would contact us within two days with additional information. Unfortunately, that follow-up never came. By this point, we were becoming increasingly frustrated by the ongoing lack of communication and professionalism. Over winter break, the continued absence of communication led us to seriously reconsider whether this was the right environment for our daughter. It became difficult to feel confident placing our child in a school that struggled to provide even basic communication and follow-through during the enrollment process, especially after emphasizing those values so heavily during admissions. We eventually met with the director the same week our daughter was supposed to begin attending. She apologized for the communication issues and at that point, the alternative presented to us was a meeting with the financial department regarding our contractual financial obligations to the school. Wanting to remain open-minded and hopeful that the experience itself might ultimately be different than the enrollment process had been, we decided to move forward with a classroom observation before making a final decision. We decided to complete a classroom observation so we could better understand the environment and meet the teacher, whom we still had not heard from directly prior to our daughter's anticipated start date. Although the observation was brief, several aspects of the classroom gave us pause. Most concerning was the aloofness and emotional coldness the primary teacher exhibited toward the children. She appeared disengaged and minimally interactive with the students throughout our visit. More broadly, the classroom atmosphere itself felt unexpectedly disconnected. There seemed to be very little sense of joy, warmth, friendship, or community among the children -- something I would have expected to see naturally develop among four- and five-year-olds who had reportedly spent anywhere from six months to over a year together. As a parent, it was difficult not to notice how emotionally disconnected the environment felt overall. Frankly, the children did not appear especially happy, engaged, or socially connected. After the observation, we briefly met with the teacher. The director was not present at the school that day and was unavailable to speak with us. What ultimately solidified our decision not to move forward was the teacher's statement that she generally does not communicate with parents outside of scheduled conferences, though she could "make an exception" if necessary. As parents preparing for our daughter's first school experience, we did not feel it was unreasonable to hope for occasional communication regarding how she was adjusting socially and emotionally. Following the visit, we sent three follow-up emails to the director requesting communication regarding our concerns and asking whether our deposit could be refunded. We never received a response. Regardless of contractual policies, the continued lack of follow-through, responsiveness, and professionalism throughout this process was deeply disappointing and ultimately very upsetting for our family. On a positive note, our daughter is now thriving at a neighborhood preschool with warm, engaged teachers and a classroom culture filled with genuine connection among the children. The experience has only highlighted for us the stark contrast between the sense of warmth and community we now see daily and the emotional coldness and disconnection we witnessed during our experience at Pacific Crest

We believed Pacific Crest would be a strong fit for our daughter because of her independence,…read morecreativity, and love of learning. During the admissions process, the director presented the school as warm, welcoming, communicative, and child-centered. Unfortunately, our experience was the opposite. The communication from the school became extremely poor once we enrolled. After observing the primary classroom and developing serious concerns about the emotional environment, we reached out multiple times to discuss what we had witnessed. Despite several emails, the director and primary teacher never responded. I ultimately had to go to the school in person to address our concerns. During our 45-minute classroom observation, we saw multiple troubling interactions. One young boy sat isolated in a chair by himself for the entire observation without engagement, support, or invitation from the teacher to join activities. Another child arrived late and was completely ignored by the teacher -- no greeting, acknowledgment, or warmth. The overall classroom atmosphere felt emotionally cold, separated, and institutional rather than nurturing or interactive for primary school-age children experiencing their first school environment. When I raised these concerns in person, the director dismissed them and suggested that ignoring the child who arrived late may have been part of a "behavioral plan." We found that explanation deeply concerning and inappropriate for young children. What was most disappointing was not only the classroom environment itself, but how our family was treated afterward. Our concerns were ignored, communication was nonexistent, and the school refused to return our deposit despite the circumstances. I genuinely worry about the emotional impact this environment may have on children and whether prospective families are receiving an accurate picture of the school experience before enrolling.

I absolutely adore Woodland. Since my son has been attending he has flourished and has grown a lot…read more I like that the staff is diverse (race, sex, age), each classroom goes out twice a day (they have a designated play ground with cover for rainy days), they are teaching them in an authentic manner, and the communication is great. They also tend to have the kiddos wash their hands frequently reducing the amount of germs that spread. Hands down recommend this preschool

This is an excellent childcare facility. My daughter loves going here. Kids wash their hands. They…read moreplay outside every day, twice a day, rain or shine. Communication from staff is excellent, every one of our concerns (very few) has always been addressed promptly. Every teacher seems to know every child's name. Although the assistant teachers change, the head teachers do not and this seems to keep continuity with no interruptions. There are more teachers than required by law and this really makes a difference. We've come in at all kinds of odd times of the day and in contrast to other childcare facilities (kid has gone to two others), the staff never seem to be struggling, it feels like a low stress environment, and the noise in the classroom is notably low. I would have loved this school as a child.

Orange Tea has a very special place in our hearts! After my toddler went to another local daycare…read morecenter for 9-months and we were very unsatisfied, we found Orange Tea and have been there ever since. My now 5-year old is graduating to kindergarten but his little sister has been here since she turned 2.5. Teachers Kerry and Andrew run a compassionate preschool with lots of exploration play, unstructured time outside, weekly themes, art, healthy food, and so much emotional intelligence education. The school is small (one mixed-age class), which means the big kids learn to care for the little kids. My kids are delightful, polite, and caring humans and I credit this school with almost all of that influence. If you're reading the reviews (which are old), know they are no longer drop-in, and masks are only worn after a community exposure event, though they were previously worn 100% of the time for almost 2 years of covid.

My 2-year-old son loves this preschool. We initially heard about OTS when they moved to our…read moreneighborhood. We had been on the waiting list for another daycare for over two years already, and when our second arrived three weeks early, we decided to give it a try. At the time, our son was acting out and very jealous of his new sister. His enrollment at OTS has really helped his transition from only child to big brother. While it's always difficult sending a child to school for the first time, I couldn't imagine a more nurturing environment for him. Teacher Kerry and Teacher Andrew are absolutely wonderful with the kids. I love their focus on emotional intelligence because it was what my son needed at the time--and truly what any child this age needs. I also noticed that his manners have improved tremendously since he started attending their school. Although we had been working consistently with him on manners, he would often need reminders. After a few months at OTS, everything finally clicked, and he even asks to be excused from the dinner table. Aside from good manners, his imagination has really taken off and he engages more in pretend play. Prior to his time at OTS, he was very needy and always asked one of us to play with him. Now he exhibits more independence and takes the lead in pretend play. I believe the small, intimate, home environment of OTS has really enabled him to thrive. It's like his home away from home, and I know he thinks of Teacher Andrew, Teacher Kerry and the other kids like family. I'd highly recommend OTS to any parent, but particularly to those whose kids are leaving home for the first time. What a wonderful find.