This is one of the best places to send your pre-school child. This family-run business has been in…read morebusiness for over 30 years with two other locations--Encinitas and Vista. Kathy is the head cheese and her daughter runs this location. All I can say is that the children are really loved here. The emphasis is on supporting the children as they explore art, learning and playing. There are no or only limited time on computers and the kids can even play in their bare feet. I sent my child to the other location and she still maintains friendships that she established there. At this location the school house is set on a couple of acres of land allowing the kids to really get a that dose of natural fresh air they thrive in.

This is an excellent preschool in Encinitas. All of the teachers are enthusiastic and caring, and…read morethe activities are engaging. We enrolled our daughter here after relocating to the area, and her transition was seamless! She loves the outdoor/natural school setting and all of the creative activities that they engage in. The children create an art project everyday, dance, and do theme-based play. In addition, the school also tends to the more traditional school curriculum (letters and numbers). I am sure that our daughter will one day look back on her time at this school with fondness.

My Daughter is 4 1/2 and started at this school with 23 months. She continues to attend the school…read moreand has turned into such a responsible, considerate, humble, focused, sweet and ultimately a very happy girl. I continue to be surprised at how much endless love, patience, guidance and support the teachers have for these children. The school is small but so vast in opportunities for a child to learn and develop. The teachers communicate with me daily and are VERY responsive since day 1 and always offered me a great deal of support from my separation anxiety! Communication is always taking place and everything they do is so consistent. From the moment I walked in I knew this was a home away from home and just the community I was looking for to raise my daughter. I highly recommend this school.

I love this small scale Montessori children's house. The space is cute and very organized and the…read morequality of teachers here are amazing. They are very experienced, knowledgable, patient and loving. They take only 12-14 kid total with age between 2- 6 years old. The school feels like a family compare to some other large Montessori schools in the area that is large, charges twice as much that felt like a money making corporate company with kids being shuffled around rooms like live stocks. Our son loves coming to school and had became so well behaved and communicative since coming here 5 month ago. We learn great tips from the teachers all the time and we have a peace of mind having our son learning here.

Absolute most wonderful teachers and staff, and such a special place. Both my boys went there…read more(newer Olivenhain location) and I can't recommend it enough.

Love this school. They take such good care of kids and meet kids where they are. They value play…read moreand understand that drive problem solving and long term success.

LCVPK is the absolute best! Our 2-year-old son attended M-F/full-time and was in the Caterpillars…read moreclass with Ms. Jackie and Ms. Lani. Our son loved his teachers and would often continue repeating their names when he got home lol. This was our first daycare/school experience for him (he was previously at home with grandparents), so we were a little nervous how the transition would go. He took a few days to acclimate to the new environment (especially at drop-offs), but soon started to blossom and play/interact with the other kids and teachers, especially Ms. Lani who we appreciated would calm him in the mornings. We always felt our son was safe, well taken care of, and learned a lot from socializing with his peers. I loved that the school was located in a part of Carlsbad with such a quiet and calming atmosphere, tucked away from the busy road and next to lots of trees and greenery. The staff was always friendly (especially Ms. Jeanne and Ms. Erika) and supportive of one another. I'd often see them all pitch in (including the front desk staff) to watch/play with the children whenever needed and rotate around the day to the different classes. Our son especially loved the play area and fun outdoor activities, from bubbles to building blocks, and would usually come home with lots of sand in his shoes, which meant he had a fun time! I would have loved to receive more photo updates (maybe one a week), just to have photos of him playing throughout the day. I understand this is because the teachers spend most of their time with the children rather than taking/uploading photos, which is nice to know they're focusing on the children. The only reason we had to leave was because my husband got a new job in Orange County, so we had to move out of the area. I really felt like LCVPK was more like a mini-family away from home for our son. On his last day, his teacher and classmates even made him a glitter poster saying "We will miss you" and took lots of individual photos together, which was so sweet! I wish I could just transport LCVPK with us. If you're able to get a spot here, it's completely worth the wait!

La Costa Valley Preschool & Kindergarten has truly been a second home for our family since my son…read morefirst started back in 2020, and as this is our last year here, I'm more emotional about it than I expected. Both of my kids have grown up at this school, and watching them thrive in such a warm, loving, and nurturing environment has meant the world to us. The teachers and staff aren't just educators -- they are genuinely caring people who know each child personally and make them feel seen, safe, and celebrated every single day. When I see my kids run up to their teachers and hug them because they've missed them, it warms my heart. Ms. Jackie has touched both of my kids' lives in such special ways. Ms. Julie prepared my son -- and is now preparing my daughter -- for kindergarten with so much patience, warmth, and dedication. My son is even coming back to read to his sister's class, and Ms. Julie couldn't be more excited to welcome him. Ms. Denise and Ms. Maize are both excellent, and my daughter still talks about them all the time! And then there's the joy of Ms. Mandy and her vibrant personality that lights up the room. All the ladies at the front desk (Janice, Erica, and Jeanne) greet us with the kindest smiles every morning -- they truly start our day off right. As I prepare myself for our last year here, I feel incredibly grateful. LCVPK has shaped my kids in the best possible ways, and it has shaped me as a parent, too. This school will always hold a very special place in our hearts. If you're looking for a preschool/kindergarten that feels like family, this is it. We were lucky to be part of this community, and we will miss it deeply.

We are so happy our kindergartener had the opportunity to join native this year. She has grown so…read moremuch in her self confidence, exploration skills and we're in awe at how much she's learned in just a few months! The entire staff and all teachers are such incredible people and we couldn't have asked for sweater or more caring teachers for our learner.

My daughter is in her second year at Native School and we cannot say enough good things about it!…read moreUnfortunately there has been some bad publicity because a former employee (trying to steal students away to a competing school she was opening) fed parents misinformation that scared them, including launching a really personal attack against the amazing director, Shannon, who is an incredibly transparent and thoughtful preschool director. She hosts regular meetings for parents to talk to her and will also always be happy to hop on a meeting any afternoon to discuss any questions and concerns. The program itself stood out to me immediately for being a really good supportive model for development. The students are not playing "Lord of the Flies" out in the woods, they are guided and supported by amazing teachers who spend their afternoons writing documentation of the learning in their classrooms and designing emergent curriculum. We could not be happier with the school we chose and our daughter loves school passionately. We have even decided to keep her in Native School another year instead of moving to the free public TK because of how much we love the program and the teachers.

I have to highly recommend Little Thinkers Preschool! I have had all three of my children go…read morethrough little thinkers and it's been a great foundation to their success in school. Mrs. Heather and her excellent team of teachers give love, care and great early education to all kiddos there. We were so lucky to be at Little Thinkers and can't imagine my kids starting their school journey anywhere else. Also the art work they bring home is the BEST!

We love Little Thinkers! Our oldest attended from 18 months-4 years and we now have our 2 younger…read morechildren there. Heather and the crew do an excellent job providing an entertaining program of arts and crafts and learning about a variety of topics, so the kiddos are always excited when they are dropped off and sad to leave. We have also appreciated the socialization aspect of getting our little ones together with other kids, and thankful that Little Thinkers provides a great environment for this at a very early age. This school has been an incredible blessing for us and we've happily referred them to all of our friends!

This school is so sweet and the staff is caring and attentive. When you walk in class it feels…read moreincredibly peaceful and calm. My kid is given the opportunity to learn and grow and gain confidence in so many aspects of daily life. Plus she learns Spanish. The teachers Ms Ely and Mrs Yvonne are kind and make the kids feel special. Josue who manages the front desk/operations is also so kind, flexible and communicative with parents. It's a sweet, safe and confidence-building environment and I would recommend to anyone looking for a Spanish immersion preschool. We love it here!

My family and I are so thankful we found this little gem…read more Our son is 4 and is on the spectrum I had previously called 12!! Yes 12 preschools in the area the moment they heard the words autism or on the spectrum, some never returned the call some would demand he had a full time aid some wouldn't even give us a tour and some just said no. As a mom you could imagine how that felt. Until we came across bloom house instantly the teachers gave off a great vibes. But even better they welcomed us with open arms it's been a huge change compared to the previous school my son was in. It just goes to show the right environment can make all the difference. He's so happy he has friends and loves school again! I would highly recommend bloom house!

When I first saw this place, I was like oh it's just old school, California earthy. I liked earthy…read morewhen I was young this will be great. Mistake number one on my part. I am sure this was a great place and idea in the 70s. I don't know the exact history, but it was probably more of a small neighborhood school for the neighborhood when it began. But truth be told, it isn't what it used to be. I don't know maybe it was always like this and nobody expected anything better or thought that they would need to evolve. We have evolved as parents, teachers and guardians of how to raise a healthy secure child and how to really help them thrive and feel safe in a pre-school/school environment. There are too many incidents to mention and too many red flags to mention of what my child witnessed and I myself witnessed and other parents witness but I didn't know any better. Your young child will not be in a physically safe environment in the outside area, there are hiding spots for children of all ages to wreak havoc and harm each other. Despite what you're told, the bigger kids are definitely mixed together with the younger kids without proper supervision and it's basically a free for all. "It's a kids will be kids and boys will be boys environment". That said, they also have them watch tv if they aren't allowed to nap. Yes they can tell your child they can't nap, there is not room for everyone. The teachers feed them candy without asking your permission and your child will be totally filthy when you get them, unless it's raining, then they have to block the whole dirt/Sand back off because it will be totally muddy with pools of water. The bathrooms are also a free for all. If your child is potty training, this is not the place you want them. Although the 2 tiny little potties and sinks are cute, they have zero privacy. Children are allowed to open the doors and crawl under the doors while other children are going potty. I saw this more than once and nobody did a thing. Things such as big boys were slamming the doors back and forth bothering a little girl who was going to the bathroom. My kid who was learning said that he didn't want to go at school because the big kids bothered him, so he was terrified. Maybe they get to eat a proper lunch without being harassed. The children with emotional or behavioral issues are not helped properly and are left to do as they please to the other children if they are not constantly supervised. Even during lunch or snack time. My child literally begged me not to take him to school on several occasions and I just thought he was being a toddler but now I know better. I have also witnessed children climbing the fence begging parents not to leave them. Again, I thought this was normal. It is not. He and his friends were being bullied and tormented by other older children and he was emotionally stressed, time has passed and he STILL talks about it. When I had to address an issue and asked to discuss it, I was heavily dismissed and ignored. Security-They leave signs for delivery people on the front latch gate to leave packages in the outdoor hallway. Which means if your child is hanging around alone someone could easily snatch them. Granted it has probably never happened but it's not actually secure. Anyone can walk in through the two old iron school gates and harm the kids if they wanted to. This place in theory could be great if it were updated, cleaned up, painted, managed and staffed properly and not a total fire hazard. If you let your child go and he or she thrived, great for you, but if your child showed or shows signs of being abnormally stressed, hopefully they will be able to express that to you and hopefully you listen to them. My son was sad and stressed after only a short few months and my heart broke. I felt like the worst parent ever for not noticing it wasn't his age but the environment I placed him in. PROS-great art projects and Ms. Lara One teacher Ms. Lara was always kind and gentle and basically had to protect some of the children and she knew it, but even she was afraid to have a voice. I felt like she was pretty intelligent and should probably be in a better place herself; but Ms. Frankie, Ms. Cathy and the other teacher(s) were not that smart and I am not even sure if they have degrees in child development, If they do, I am shocked and I didn't ask and that is my fault. Cons-Everything else Please do your research, there are much much much better/safer options for your child and you only have to pay as much as this place costs or a few hundred more for a quality education in the area.

This is one of the best places to send your pre-school child. This family-run business has been in…read morebusiness for over 30 years with two other locations--Encinitas and Vista. Kathy is the head cheese and has guided many children in this space many well-ahead of the game when entering kindergarten. I can honestly say is that the children are really loved and looked after here. She has had the same employees for many years as they also truly love the experience. The emphasis is on supporting the children as they explore art, learning and playing. There is none or only limited time on computers and the kids can even play in their bare feet. My child attended this awesome school for 2.5 years and she still maintains friendships that she established there. Just a note, the location has never been renovated so be prepared.