We feel incredibly lucky to have found this place! I really feel it's the best daycare/pre-K in the…read morearea, and I can't see how anyone could top them. Maria (who runs the center) just flat out cares. She is incredibly thorough in how she and her team look over the kids. She doesn't look at this as "babysitting", she looks at this as a proper school. She highly emphasizes education and constant broadening of the childrens' horizons, and she knows all of the kids in the school very well. Even more, as our son was starting their program she actively encouraged us to stop by with him after hours multiple times, to acclimate him to the environment before starting up. She did everything she could to make sure our child had the smoothest startup possible, and as a result he adjusted really quickly all things considered. I cannot recommend this school enough, it has been an entirely positive experience and I feel my child is being cared for so much more than at some of the local franchised daycares we visited. (Also regarding cost, interestingly they're on the better value side of tuition rates for the area)

I cannot say anything more than how happy and grateful we are to have found Ms. Maria (director of…read morethis school) and the school. My 2-yr old son was in another daycare for a few months and he was bitten by the first month. And then he started biting other kids the following months while that other biting kid was separated to another room. We tried our best to stop him, engaged a speech/behavioral therapist counseling to see what was wrong with him. The therapist said there was nothing wrong with him and was surprised to hear him biting other kids at daycare. The daycare basically gave us a two week warning, that if this happens again, we would need to find a babysitter. We were terrified! By then we were starting doing research around new schools. We visited this school, where Ms. Maria said "please never schedule to go visit the school. Come visit us at any time!!" We did visit unannounced, and Ms. Maria toured us around while hearing our story about biting. She was disheartened to hear about the biting and told us to "never let others label your child." I basically bursted out crying at this and Ms. Maria assured that that will not happen at her school, because she had other kids from his then current daycare have exactly the same issue and came to her school and the kid never bit others any more. There were other kids from other daycare also came because they were unhappy, and she said they were all doing great. I could kind of believe it because the school was so big and open inside, and they basically rotated the rooms throughout the day so the kids get different themed rooms throughout the day. The kids were limited in numbers, the teachers were happy and engaged at all times, and there were intellectual stimulations all around. Like one room was filled with puzzles and trucks, the next room was about music, and then the kitchen, etc. we were so impressed and felt supported. We took her offer to try out a week. As soon as he started going to this school, he never bit any kid or even attempted to do so. They told us he is having a great time and that he is smiling all day. It's been a few weeks now and he is still enjoying the school and he is much, much happier now than ever. I initially didn't look at this place because it was farther than other schools close to our house. But I have heard great stories on a private facebook group of our neighborhood and wanted to just check out how it is. And now I am blown away by the amount of personal, family like environment that the school carries. I am so so glad I got to know Ms. Maria and the crew. I did get to meet one of the other moms who had the same situation and they had exactly the same positive experience at this school for many months now. I highly recommend this place if you are looking for a nurturing, warm place for your kids to enjoy spending their time at the daycare. It is a hidden gem. They just recently opened a new building and my son is in it. I believe they have more openings because of thay

My daughter went to TLE in Waldwick for a little over 3 years (from 15 months old until 4 years…read moreold). It was a rollercoaster of an experience for us so I wanted to share a very honest review and include both pros and cons for those of you looking for a daycare for your littles: PROS - Hours: Households with working parents will find the long hours at TLE extremely helpful - Food: Lunch is included with tuition and the quality/options are decent - Location: Very conveniently located in the heart of Waldwick with a large parking lot; interior space and playground are very roomy and well equipped - Cost: Very fairly priced compared to other daycares in the area - Ms Val (Toddlers) and Ms Claudia (Preppers): These 2 teachers happen to be exceptional there, and their care for and attention to the children is unmatched CONS - Staff: With the exception of Ms Val and Ms Claudia, the rest of the staff we encountered seemed unseasoned and unmotivated; pre-school in particular was a revolving door of teachers, one lazier than the next (MANY times my daughter came home saying she watched Curious George or other cartoons during the day for long periods of time) - Curriculum: As my daughter advanced there, it became increasingly clear that TLE is a daycare first and a learning center second; workbooks were repetitive and unstimulating, and again, screen time was waaaaaay overused (the TLE brand had a big marketing push over the last year, with a constant barrage of emails flooding my inbox to purchase gear or plushies for my child, and a branded cartoon called "Bubbles and Friends" quickly became a teacher substitute in the classrooms vs an occasional educational aid) - Communication: Many times, parents were notified at the last possible minute of things that were due to the daycare, what Learning Bag (ie, Show and Tell) items for the week were, etc; the app that they use was very rarely updated with important notifications in a timely manner, and sometimes entire days would go by without any photos posted - Nepotism: The 4 main leads/directors at this location are sisters, so if you ever need to escalate a situation, it's useless unless you dig and find out the names of folks at corporate (which I had to do a few times--the corporate people I spoke to though were always helpful once you could connect with them); additionally, I never once met/saw the owner, LynnAnn, in our 3 years there, which I found very odd So, all in all, decent daycare, but once your child requires more than a babysitter, I would not recommend TLE.

UPDATE: A parent I know just called me and told me the Teacher who was the one who was HIGH on…read moreDRUGS is calling people telling them this isn't true and for people to write good reviews I HAVE PHOTOS AND VIDEOS from this incident from my phone and home cameras PLUS a text message from her saying how sorry she was ... I am MORE THAN HAPPY to share these just message me! ***They haven't had a review in YEARS (take a look at the dates it's true) .. So I'm sure they will now get some positive reviews from their friends & to be honest it doesn't faze me .. as long as PARENTS know the TRUTH on where they are sending their child*** I have been unsure of writing this review for well over a year. Years ago this school was great (I sent both of my children there) But this year I had to pull my youngest child out of that school. I had a problem there with a teacher who was on drugs (and STILL works there) .. she watched my children at our shore home (which is on the bay/water) while we were out she got HIGH on either heroin or prescription drugs (I STILL have videos and photos to prove this if this school DARES to argue).. we came home early thank GOD and my daughter who had access to our filled hot tub on our deck and the open bay ... my daughter could had fell in and died if we didn't get home when we did.. I noticed with this "teacher" when she feel off the chair holding my child I told her to go lay down (I didn't realize yet) then she put my daughter in the tub with her clothes ON with the water RUNNING... I stopped it quickly as I was getting her out of the tub she went to my little one who had a donut. She took the donut from her & began to smear it on her face. My little one began screaming & I ran to her. I asked her what did she take she began to slur her words and said "I just did a teaspoon" (so I'm believe it was heroin .. I even looked up videos on how people act and it was EXACT). then said her ex-boyfriend stopped by (but we checked our outside and inside cameras and no one showed up) then she quickly she passed out.. (again thank god we got home or my kids would be alone and her passed out) My oldest saw it all and scared the hell out of her. The girl told me the next day she was sorry that she had 8 shots of tequila (I don't even have tequila in the house & she did not smell of any alcohol) ANYWAY the school was aware of this and did NOTHING. Now ACADEMICALLY ... I just recently had my daughters new school teacher conference & she has made SUCH a progress in just 3 short months .. I was worried she might have had a learning disability it wasn't that at all it was because that school was a place to just play NOT LEARN. She did not learn ONE thing the last year she was there. The books they sent home of the children's work was never complete.. because they never did work with them. And the teachers are always swapping or getting pulled there & the classrooms have ZERO constancy or classroom management which makes the children out of control. Parents this place is a disaster .. so sad because they use to be so wonderful... & pulling my daughter was the BEST decision I could have made for her... please watch your children for their safety & learning... and most importantly NEVER let them watch ur children in your home! ***RESPONDING TO COMMENT BELOW*** ... this is beyond untrue ... when this incident happened the front desk WAS notified (the girl at the desk even told me how that teacher got similar at their past holiday party) .. they promised me they would keep her away from my daughter ... so we stayed stayed in the school because my daughter was comfortable & we've been going there for 7 years between both my kids ... there were 3 times I found her in the room with her and flipped out.. then one day my daughter was sitting in the front by the sick room when I picked her up bc this PERSON took her class outside to play (when it wasn't this teachers time to be in the playground) so my daughter was removed from playing with her friends & had to sit alone at the front desk. This teacher was then promoted to more responsibility in the school and I said I was not comfortable because she would see my daughter everyday and when I told Lynnann about it many months after she had NO IDEA of what happened ...... then Lynnann didn't return my calls or text messages but instead she pushed the responsibility of handling it to the girls in the front! Again, best decision because my daughter is now SAFE without me worrying and actually LEARNING

littlecrane is a tiny gem of a school , my two young grand children go there ,they are both eager…read moreto go each day and show a big improvement with their ability to play /work on their own and with others. Ms Chizuru and staff are wonderful caring and nurturing. What a wonderful start for young minds.

I am surprised that this diamond in the rough hadn't been reviewed yet. Montessori education is…read moregenerally expensive but, if taken at Little Crane, it is well worth it even more. One of the most impressive characteristics is that the principal actually teaches in the classroom! At first I was hesitant about a school that was conducted in the basement of a church, but I ended up realizing that it's secretly an advantage: it means, as the staff stated during orientation, that toys are disinfected at a minimum once a week. The third policy that impressed me was the weekly take-home "library" book; it's a real convenience not having to run to the public library. School instructs in English, Spanish (one class per week), and Japanese (voluntary). My son no longer attends this heartwarming school as we've moved out-of-state but my wife and I often reminisce about & miss this school!

The absolute most caring and considerate staff, I'm so lucky to send my child here! He is thriving…read moreand the teachers are involved every step of the way. Everyone in town loves this place for good reason! Thank you for taking care of our little ones so we can feel confident while at work. Norma the Director runs an impressive program and is a dedicated teacher herself. Also very clean, has fun extra programs for all age ranges, awesome outdoor playground. Just can't say enough good things!

I sent my daughter here last year for the Pre-K 4. She and I both LOVED it. It's a Christian based…read moreeducation, which wasn't a big deal for us but I do think it helps in laying down morals etc with the children. She learned so much and is so ready for kindergarten. My only regret is that I wish I would have been able to send my son there as well. They were really good with covid protocols and she learned so much. Best decision!!!

Outstanding nursery and pre-k school. We have had 2 children come up through these halls and they…read moreare the best in the area. Our kids have received top notch care and leave positioned to excel as they make their transition to the elementary school. The owner Mr Jim runs a very professional organization, is fair but firm and we are thankful to to have this wonderful establishment we have continued to count on.

My daughter attended Lollipop for almost a year (due to COVID, her time was cut short). However the…read morestaff is phenomenal, the facility is clean, and there were many opportunities for parental involvement. With such a great establishment, I think they would greatly benefit from diversity outreach- both staff & students.

Enrolling our two daughters at MLC has been one of the greatest parenting decisions we've made so…read morefar. My oldest daughter, now almost 5, started at MLC in the toddler room in 2020 and just graduated this month. She did not cry that first day--or any school day in the three wonderful years she has spent there. The school environment is small, nurturing, safe, and fun. The daily routine is soothing and consistent, as you'll see during many parent/teacher conferences, back to school nights, and classroom celebrations. True to the Montessori philosophy, the children are given a balance of both structure and developmentally appropriate freedom in the classroom that has allowed my daughter to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically. The academic curriculum is both supportive and challenging. Despite her summer birthday, my daughter is well prepared for Kindergarten. She has felt inspired by her teachers every single day, who have lovingly guided and celebrated her development in math and language. The director, who also teaches at the school, is incredibly warm, responsive, and professional, as are all the teachers at the school. The teachers here are masters of differentiated instruction and classroom management. They communicated with me about my daughter's progress every step of the way. My 2.5 year old recently joined MLC. Her teacher personally reached out to me throughout her first week to let me know how well she was adjusting. MLC is a treasure and we highly recommend the school

We had looked at other preschool options in Ridgewood and really felt the Ridgewood Co-op stood out…read moreamong them for us. We were very impressed with the staff and the encouraging and positive environment for our child. The staff is very dedicated and, since it's a co-op, there's also a very involved community of families which give the co-op a supportive community feel. You also get the opportunity to be involved in your child's education and the teacher's do a great job updating you and sharing pictures so you never feel like you're missing important developmental milestones. I'll also say, although I might be generalizing, that the parents really care about the overall wellbeing of the school and the children; in other preschools that we've viewed we got the impression that the parents were competitive with each other instead of collaborative which was a differentiator for the co-op. We've had our son in the school for two years and the school has helped him to develop socially and academically. The teachers pay special attention to our child and have helped him to build his confidence and independence. I highly recommend this school.

I have nothing but positive things to say about the amazing staff at the Ridgewood Coop Nursery…read moreSchool. All of the teachers are seasoned professionals who truly care for the wellbeing of every single child. The staff is caring, thoughtful and kind! Many have been there for a very long time with exceptional experience in not only teaching the building blocks of early education, but thoughtful life lessons of kindness, inclusiveness, and friendship. The music teacher, Mrs. Pillow, is also a talented and dedicated artist who has well prepared and interesting classes. The concerts are great! Everyone has demonstrated so much positivity. I would highly recommend for anyone seeking an educational, learning environmental based on play and friendship for their young child.

Bethlehem is a preschool that stands out amongst many other preschools! If you want a unique…read moreconnection educationally ,spiritually & socially for your child & family this is where Bethlehem shines.

My three-year-old son is a student at BELC. I am thrilled with our experience so far (five…read moremonths). First, the teachers are phenomenal. My son is in a class with eight children and two teachers (one teacher, one assistant teacher). Both teachers are kind, nurturing and caring. They are always available and willing to address any of my concerns (i.e. potty training, separation anxiety, etc.), and offer feedback as to how my son is behaving/progressing. Second, the staff (front office, director, pastors) of BELC are warm and receptive. It makes our experience such a positive one. Third, the facilities are ideal. Great gym, classrooms and chapel. I recommend to parents who are looking for an excellent early education experience for their young children.