I can not say enough about the wonders and magic of Mountain School! Our family attended with two…read morechildren across five years, ages 2-5, and experienced all the different and unique classes and AMAZING teachers. Mountain School helped me raise adventurous, confident risk-takers who are emotionally grounded and comfortable in various social settings. The school's nature-focused, child-led, and play-based philosophy follows the science that PLAY is our children's work and that there is no better place to learn than outside! The tire swing, zip line, canyon classroom, creek play, field trips, sensory activities, and materials are all favorites for our family, but more important is the carefully crafted curriculum that ties all of these pieces together. Each class, teacher, and school year is a little different because the teachers ebb and flow with the children's rhythms. Every piece of Mountain School is done with intention, integrity, and gratitude. Aside from my children's growth and experience, I was also a student in the community with Mountain School. The school philosophy that training parents in child development is education's most important job is the most valuable piece of the entire Mountain School experience. Learning from the fantastic, experienced, and loving teachers is the greatest gift you'll give yourself. I am the parent I am today because of what I learned at Mountain School!

Each teacher is as phenomenal as they are devoted. They truly stand out and we are so grateful for…read moreall they and the school have given our family. My child attended from ages 2-5, each year growing, exploring, and learning through first-hand experience and play. An amazing foundation as she started kindergarten. Founded in 1956, Mountain School is built on a wonderful, unique philosophy that training parents in understanding children is education's most important job. The school is a gift to parents as much as the children. With a Parent Board of Directors, there are many opportunities to get involved with an amazing community.

Calling out to the parents of children with special needs, helicopter parents, or just any parent…read morewho has the time, flexibility, and/or desire to spend a little more time with their children during these precious years, this school is definitely the one for you. The program is play-based and parents take work shifts to help out during the day. It could be providing the snack or helping with art activities. It's usually during the first and last 15 minutes of the class. Their playground is a legit and sturdy old-school one that you would never find nowadays. It's just amazing. This review is long overdue. I had been looking for a school/program for my daughter. We suspected that she might be on the spectrum so we wanted to find a place that provided the social environment and interaction with other children as well as accept her as the special girl she was. During the year, it was a rollercoaster of a ride. She had her own difficulties adjusting, and there were numerous moments when I wanted to take her out of the program thinking she just wasn't ready. The main reason I stayed was because of the support we received from the school director, Erica. I've had bad experiences before with other school who would single out my children as different, but even with her eventual diagnosis, Erica made us as a family feel welcome and understood. She provided the support and compassion we desperately needed while trying to navigate our new life transition. Being a part of our child's learning was also a big plus. Before my gf suggested I look into a co-op preschool, I had never even heard of such a thing. They're only this small for a short while and being able to be present for that is priceless to me.

Love everything about this school. In fact, I actually went here as a child for preschool myself,…read moreand now I'm bringing my kids back! The educational environment is very intentional, the educators are great, and we love the parent participation portion. I'm learning just as much as the kids.

We LOVE Explorer. We started our LO at 18 months and are saddened that graduation is in one month,…read moreending our time here. Being here for 4 years, we've been able to see a lot and meet lots of families. It isn't for everyone. But if it is for you, as it was for us, it's a godsend. We couldn't be more thankful for all that we've learned, the kindness and patience we've received as new parents, and the community we've been able to take with us as we leave. The #1 reason I chose Explorer Preschool was the required monthly Parent Ed Classes. As a former teacher, I love learning but not too proud to admit that I need to pay a school to hold me accountable. Sleep deprivation is a big deterrent. Explorer, however, is special because what we learn is immediately applicable. Parents learn from each other, ask questions we hadn't thought to ask yet. We get the opportunity for our LOs to be loved and supported by a caring community of similar values. We, too, fall in love with other LOs and get to watch them all grow up together in a safe space. We don't have family here, which was daunting to say the least, as first-time parents in 2022. Now, after 4 years, we feel like the close families that we've bonded with will remain our friends for a lifetime. I love how much my LO just goes up to other parents just to have a good laugh, and how much these other LOs come up to tell/share the most exciting news of the day. A lot of families have come and gone in the last 4 years. But the ones that stay until graduation, at least in my experience this year, it says a lot about them = dependable, flexible, kid-centered, sees value in education, team-player, committed, nature-loving, and open-minded (we're in an all-inclusive school). I could go on forever! Thank you, Explorer Preschool!

Being part of Explorer has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience…read more There's a joke that parenting is the one job nobody has to pass a test for -- that there really ought to be some kind of "SAT for parents" before anyone is handed a child. Explorer is the closest thing I've found to that school, except it never tests you. It teaches you. And what it teaches is less about how to raise a child than about how to be a good parent -- and underneath that, how to be a good person. What it made me see most clearly is this: the bond between a parent and a child is one of the most extreme imbalances of power that exists. In no other relationship does one person hold so much control over another human being -- over their time, their body, their choices, even their sense of what is real. And yet we almost never name it as power. We take it for granted. As a society we rarely talk about the restraint a parent owes a child, precisely because the child has no way to demand it. Explorer takes that restraint seriously. The community here holds to a belief that is simple to say and surprisingly hard to live: that we are not only here to protect our children, but to respect them. And what surprised me most was what that respect produces. Children who are treated with respect learn to extend it -- to their peers, and to the world around them. They come to understand boundaries not by being controlled, but by having their own boundaries honored, and by watching others honored too. They learn it through play, through sharing how they feel, through being given room to work things out rather than being told how things will be. I'll be honest: none of this is intuitive, and much of it runs against how most of us were raised. It asks you to hold back in the very moments when instinct says to step in and take charge. It asks you to be challenged -- to be willing to find out you were wrong. So I don't think Explorer is the right fit for every family. It's for the ones ready to walk in open-minded and let themselves be stretched. For us, it was exactly that. I'm deeply grateful that our family found Explorer, and that we've had the chance to be part of it.

Butterflies Academy has been an absolute treasure for our family, providing a warm and nurturing…read moreenvironment where our child truly thrives. The teachers are incredibly dedicated and patient, using an excellent play-based curriculum that builds both academic readiness and vital social skills like empathy and kindness. We love how much our child's confidence and curiosity have grown since enrolling here. Sending our child here gives us total peace of mind as parents, knowing they are safe and loved.

My son has been going here for about six months, and he literally runs into class every morning…read more He's so excited that he now forgets to give me a goodbye hug or kiss, which I'm choosing to see as a good sign, lol. What sold me on this school was the ample outdoor play time as my child is super active (the playground is great, and I love that they eat all their meals outside), the low student-to-teacher ratio, and the blend of play-based and Montessori-style learning (not super academically focused). The teachers and the owner are truly wonderful and caring. Bonus: the facility is very clean (it's a shoes-off facility) and it's tucked away in a very private lot/building, not off a busy street.

My son has been in preschool here since he was two. He has always been loved and cared for and has…read morelearned so much.

AWESOME!!! Very close and easy parking…read more My son has been going there since August 2016, and we LOVE IT. Kathy and Val and all the others there truly show love and compassion for the kids. I'm just sad we didn't find out about Kingdom Krew sooner!!! Keep up the great work!!

My toddler and I have been attending Salamander for a little over a year through its parent…read moreparticipation program. This is such a special program. Everything takes place outdoors at Vasona Park, where, under Teacher Meg's gentle guidance, children are free to explore nature and let their creativity and imagination flourish. Over the past year, I've watched not only my own child, but all of the children, grow in their imagination, creativity, confidence, resilience, and problem-solving skills. It's been wonderful to witness. Teacher Meg is truly exceptional. She honors and respects each child as an individual, meeting them exactly where they are. She brings not only a wealth of knowledge, but also what seems like an endless supply of patience, warmth, and encouragement. My toddler absolutely loves Salamander, and we hope to continue being part of this wonderful community for years to come. We are so grateful to have found a place where children are given the freedom to be curious, capable, and deeply connected to nature.

We are so grateful for Teacher Meg and Salamander Preschool. My 3-year-old daughter has grown so…read moremuch since joining. Her stamina and confidence outdoors have really improved, and she now explores nature with excitement and ease. She is starting to appreciate the simple, meaningful moments in the natural world. Her imagination has also grown. She now makes up creative stories and games for us to play at home or in the car, and I can see how much the child-led, nature-centered environment supports her creativity. I can tell she feels safe, supported, and joyful every time she is there. Teacher Meg is truly wonderful. She is calm, warm, and incredibly thoughtful in how she connects with children. She is fully present with them and always pays attention to their interests and needs. As a parent, I have learned so much just from watching how she communicates with the kids. I trust her completely to meet each child where they are and help them grow at their own pace. If you value time in nature, gentle rhythms, creativity, and a caring teacher who truly understands children, I highly recommend Salamander PreSchool.

A fun and local camp. I love the exciting activities that they have here and the staff are all so…read morefun. This is our first time attending Camp Captivate . Overall I am very pleased with the camp and we will be returning for many many years. Thank you Camp Captivate for a great experience. I strongly recommend anyone that is looking for a Camp, please look at Camp Captivate. Each week my son is learning something new and exciting. Every morning he is excited to go to Camp. We enroll him 3 three weeks and he wants more.

I don't usually do reviews, but I thought my experience with this camp warranted one…read more My wife and I decided to enroll our children in Camp Captivate for the summer. They weren't the cheapest or the most expensive we could find, but the descriptions of the camps sounded like we'd get a good value for our dollar. Our kids were excited about the different themes of each camp week that we ended up signing them for two weeks each instead of one because they liked different themes. We booked the "It's Elemental" and "Animal Adaptations" camps for our twin boys and "Castles and Catapults" and "Explore Hawaii" camps for our daughter in February. They were thrilled about the summer camps, and we glad to see how much they were looking for to them. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic took over everyone's lives. Like many parents in the Bay Area, my wife and I had to juggle not only watching but teaching our children as well as juggle work. My wife and I are both healthcare workers albeit working in different hospitals and different fields (radiology versus nursing). We hoped that things would go back to normal, but that was quickly dashed away when the school was closed down for the remainder of the school year and the lockdown was extended. We knew that they'd need the summer camps more than ever. Unfortunately, Camp Captivate had to cancel their physical camps. The owner of Camp Captivate, Ildiko Stennis, helped me with the refund. We received gift cards that we could use for future camps because we hadn't notified them that we wanted to be reimbursed. I spoke with Mrs. Stennis about our situation, and she was very understanding. She removed the funds from the gift cards and did a full refund to my credit card. She was empathetic and friendly, and I really appreciated her help. I know for sure that my wife and I will be signing up our children for Camp Captivate when things go back to normal.

I can't recommend Grace Preschool more! My son has thrived there and I can't believe the growth…read moreI've seen in him since starting school here. The staff and teachers are all so warm and nurturing to the kids and parents. It's the perfect play-based environment and my son can't wait to attend school each day. What a gift to a tired mom!

Our family discovered Grace preschool in 2016 and we couldn't be happier. All 3 of my girls have…read moreattended and my youngest will be in pre-K there next year. They are all a bit shy, so it was very important to me to find a school where the teachers were nurturing and kind and would help them come out of their shell a bit. Grace was exactly what we were looking for. The classes are small, the teachers are amazing and the parent community is so nice. During the last year, the classes were smaller than normal and some of the instruction was on Zoom, so I got a little more insight into what goes on in the classroom than I have in previous years. I can't tell you how impressed I am! Every single activity the kids do is prepared with so much thought. The kids are having fun and learning so much in the process. My oldest two girls left pre-K well prepared for Kindergarten. The school is play based, but they ensure the kids learn everything they need to know for a successful start in elementary school. I can't recommend it enough!