I wish I had more stars to give. We love this community. The teacher, parent educator, kids and…read moreparents make this such an amazing place to bring your child. We've attended for two years now and watching my daughter's growth has been such a blessing. Thank you teacher Aria, parent educator Helen and all the parents at Victory Heights co-op!

This coop preschool has an amazing location with an outdoor play area into the Victory Heights…read morepark, super cute brick school house with big windows, and best of all the wonderful Teacher Marianne. My daughter has really loved coming here this past year and I've enjoyed the community the other families have created. The play is set up in sections of the classroom and there are areas for dress up, a play house, library, puzzles, blocks, art, science table, sensory box, and a daily changing station. The kids do seasonal projects and field trips.

This school has the best teachers and staff! All of them, and the community come together to create…read morea positive atmosphere and fantastic learning experiences for everyone. My wife and I (and our kids) have met some of our best friends at this school.

Best. Daycare Ever…read more We have just completed our 8th year at ELDC, and we can't recommend it enough. The diversity, the family environment, and the best, most committed teachers and administration, all rolled into one little blue building in Broadview. Add to that the low staff turnover, reasonable tuition rates, and an in-house chef that cooks mac and cheese that is LEGENDARY amongst former students, and you've got a school that can't be beat. If you live in North Seattle and are looking for daycare or preschool, check out ELDC--you won't be sorry!

I cannot recommend ELDC highly enough. They are the most genuine, invested, and caring daycare you…read morecan imagine. Our two-year-old daughter has attended ELDC for about six months, and we have been grateful for them every day of it. The staff there knows her, and they care about her individual needs. Whenever they have a concern, they reach out to us and work collaboratively to help our daughter grow. (Such a change from her last daycare, where all we heard was she was doing 'fine.') Similarly, when she accomplishes something new, they're eager to share the news, and so proud of her! The staff at ELDC is in tune with the needs of their charges, and they build their lesson plans around ensuring the kids have the sort of experiences that will help them the most. This doesn't come in the form of dull lectures, but in games, art projects, and exploration. Our daughter has learned so many wonderful, practical skills since attending. Putting on her shoes, for example. The staff models kindness, hard work, and helpfulness to the kids, and the kids respond to that. What I love most about ELDC is how involved the staff is. This isn't a place where the adults stand off to the side looking at their phones while the kids entertain themselves. They're reading them books, dancing with them, teaching them songs, conducting experiments. Every day at ELDC is an adventure! In short, my shy daughter runs into school with a smile on her face. And when I ask her what makes her happy, she frequently names her teachers. They love her, and she loves them.

Woodland Park Cooperative School is a dream come true. After being a preschool teacher for about a…read moredecade, I had strong preferences for the experiences I wanted my kiddo to have. Woodland Park Coop checks all the boxes. Kids are not just allowed, but facilitated in genuinely exploring and experimenting and just being kids together. The multi-age program enables younger and older kids to learn from each other in ways same-age groups just don't. The community fostered in this space feels like home. Families linger to spend time after class is over, we meet up on off-days, we potluck together, and we help each other in our homes. This is no ordinary preschool experience. This is our children's school, but it's also ours. We learn together and we create it. It is us and we are it. We partner with the Teachers and the Parent Educator, we each have a job to keep the school running. We take care of each other and of each others' children. This is a community of mutual-aid and genuine generosity. I'm so happy we still have 3 more years to go because there's a Kindergarten program, too!! You couldn't ask for a better, more engaged and aware kindergarten teacher than Teacher Quinn. And because we all overlap on the playground every day, the youngest kids get to see the oldest kids engaged in the deep conversations, the complex play, and the hard work that they do. Sometimes the preschool kids even get to join in the kindergarten fun. The only problem is where to go for first grade. But that's a 2029 problem.

We love WPC so much! Not only is it a totally unique preschool experience for my kiddo, with its…read more"junkyard" style playground that really gets his imaginative gears turning, but also the culture among the teachers and caregivers is incredibly welcoming and kind. I have learned so much about early childhood development through the WPC parent education program (facilitated through North Seattle College). It's an all-around great experience. My kid started there at age 2.5 and I am planning to send him through Kindergarten!

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!

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.

My younger sister and I used to go to BF Day, and our baby sister goes there now, and let me tell…read moreyou, that is dang good school. It's a small-ish school (as most elementary schools are) in Fremont, near the Woodland Park Zoo. BF Day is rather diverse in all meanings of the word, and does a good job of teaching kids that everyone is important and loved. The parents are generally lovely, as are the teachers, though many of my favorite staff members have retired. It can be a bit of a hippy school, but that is far from a negative, it just encourages kids to explore their creative sides and embrace themselves. I haven't heard a single negative thing about BF Day, though I do know that due to some zoning issues, a lot of kids have lost their transportation, which is a majorly sucky, but I don't believe that the school is at fault there. tl;dr BF Day is pretty much the best and everyone who went there loved it

NOT CLOSED, people! Not at all! When I moved my boys and me…read morenorthward from Portland to Seattle, I had researched the "cluster" school system (never was a name more appropriate for a system or situation), though my research was clearly insufficient. Because I made certain that I moved into what I thought would be the perfect cluster for my kids' schooling needs and profile...I just failed to realize that would make no difference whatsoever to where they went to school. My boys are half hispanic, and I wanted very much to continue with the Spanish language education I only sporadically inflict on them at home. So I moved into the Laurelhurst-ish "cluster." What Seattle did not advertise is that its school zoning situation is not just a cluster, but the mother of all godforsaken clusters. They found no availability in any ONE school for both my boys. That's because clusters at the time were only "suggestions" of where kids could attend schools. Suggestions that were largely completely ignored, and no matter where you lived in Seattle, your kid could be bussed into nearly any zone at all. So you can basically move your family onto a tent settlement ATOP a particular school, and not be allowed to enroll in it until the 300-child wait list of kids from a school 15 miles away takes their priority. W, as the kids say, TF. So the last years have been a constant cluster indeed, with my boys in two different schools and and in and out of several. Having tried or toured quite a few schools in the area now, I can say, this one is my favorite elementary school in Seattle so far. My son has a wonderful teacher, Miss Jackson (and yes, it is so punishingly hard not to say, or at least think, "If you're nasty!" every time I say her name) who despite being forced, as all teachers are, to teach to a strict test curriculum imposed by the lowest-common-denominator-encouraging "No Child Left Behind" legislation, is still highly dynamic, wildly flexible, and very encouraging of creativity in all its manifestations. I absolutely love her, and I love the diversity of the students and the parents--a graceful blend of the privileged and the struggling, chaotic and the orderly, the uber-hippies and the uber-hipsters who all somehow manage to be very empathic and very likable. It also sits at just the right notch on the spectrum of academic rigor. We tried John Stanford International with Nico, and he called them "The Von Trapp Family Singers." Whistles to encourage hallway lineups? No talking in the corridors? Boys' and Girls' lines for 5th graders? No dark sarcasm? In the CLASSROOM?! Yikes. Plus every mom I met there without a single exception kind of gave me the impression that the only hard decision she has to make in any three-week period is whether to give her cook, nanny and housekeeper massages or Lush bars as holiday gifts. I'm extremely grateful for this school and for how happy Maximo is to attend it. Teaching excellence here is clearly valued, as is parental involvement. If you're in the area AND in the market for an elementary school, stop in and say hi. They're great people.

We were looking for a Montessori preschool for our 4-year old son and were very happy to find this…read morelovely school tucked near Viewland elementary in the Greenwood neighborhood. We love the cozy, house-setting of this school where the two teachers are able to give lots of attention to the children. The teachers: Katherine and Rene were both well-versed in the Montessori method, at the same they incorporate the fun and art into the learning process. They also offer Spanish each day during 2nd circle time, and cooking day on Fridays. For older children they offer an after lunch program with more practices on reading, writing & art 3 days a week. There are many animals & creatures around the school where the students are able to observe and help take care of. There's a garden where kids lean to cultivate and nurture the fruits and vegetables during spring, summer & fall season. On our observation day before we even sign up for it, our son loved it so much he had trouble leaving, and now we have a hard time getting him to leave school every day, too. If you are looking for a school with warm, loving teachers who will help your children grow into their own individuals, this a great place!

My kiddo has been going here for over 2 years now. She went from being a shy cautious little one to…read morea fully engaged, social child. The small class size and low stress environment has really led to her success. I love the age ranges here, 2.5-5 year olds. She got to watch her friends get ready and graduate to kindergarten. The Montessori philosophy has really grounded her in tasks, reading, writing and math skills. A large yard with chickens and trees to climb, raspberries to pick. An array of art projects, cooking classes, and various "work" she can grow into. Self guided work mostly, but she's received a lot of attention to develop her skills. She is absolutely IN LOVE with school and thrilled to go every day. Already lamenting the day she has to leave is the toughest part!