Schools near Dana Point, CA

“We are incredibly grateful for the wonderful experience our daughter has had at Prodigy Montessori. It has been a joy to watch our daughter thrive.

Priya, the owner and administrator takes extra time to make each child and family feel comfortable and welcome. From the moment we met Priya, we knew our daughter was in good hands.

The community of students and parents really feels like family. Every time we pick up our daughter, each child takes the time to say goodbye to our daughter and give hugs. You can tell there is so much love there!

Overall, we highly recommend Prodigy to any parent seeking a supportive learning environment. It has been a joy to watch our daughter thrive here!”

“My children went here for the last few years. All the teachers at this daycare are very friendly and caring about the kids, my kids had so much fun here and made lots of friends. They do lots of arts, crafts, music, reading, and have events for the parents and kids in their playground every few months. The administrators and teachers went out of their way to accommodate some unusual eating issues for one of my kids. I would recommend this daycare if you want a happy and fun environment for your kids!”

“We’ve been with Bright Horizon Daycare in San Clemente for the last two years, from when my son was 2 until he turned 4. The whole place is dynamic and fun, with lots of interactive areas that my son loved exploring. The principal is fantastic, always taking the time for 1:1 interactions with the kids, which made a big difference. My son enjoyed every moment there. We’re really happy with the care and attention he got here.”

“Finding the right place for my son was a challenge after having a negative experience elsewhere, but Kensington Montessori of Laguna Niguel has been everything I hoped for and more. From the moment we started, Ms Viviana and Director Stacey have gone above and beyond to create a safe, caring, and welcoming environment. My son is happy, excited to learn, and thriving under their care. I couldn’t be more grateful for all they do!”

“We LOVE Preschool of Aliso Viejo and Mrs. Kristen. Both my kiddo's attended preschool here and we have nothing but good things to say. Mrs. Kristen does a great job teaching the kids skills to prepare for Kinder in addition to fun art projects, activities, pool days, and parties! My kids loved it!! Mrs. Kristen does a wonderful job! She is the owner and puts her heart and soul into this place!”

“Guidepost at Alicia is an incredible school. They believe deeply in Montessori practices and root their structures in that, while at the same time accommodating to meet individual needs. I’ve been very grateful for the unconditional love they are willing to show my child and the positive welcome he receives each day. The toddler classroom teacher and the head of school are both great communicators and I appreciate all they do to make their program work for each child. I highly recommend this school!”

“My son started at this facility and I am now raving about it to all of the Mamas I meet who are looking for childcare! I seriously can’t say enough great things about it. His teacher, Miss Mayra, was born to be a toddler teacher. She is extremely kind, gentle, and has made this transition enjoyable for our family. I rarely trust anyone fully, and she has earned my trust (which is saying a ton!) Miss Katy and the rest of the staff members are awesome as well. I feel so fortunate that we found childcare we feel great about.”

“I LOVE Kindercare!!! I’m a teacher, so when looking for daycares for my twins, I made a point to read reviews and ask questions as well as really being observant about how the teachers and kiddos behave.

1) the previous reviews stating how happy people are with Kindercare is spot on!

2) it says a lot about a place when teachers hangout on their breaks in the head honchos office. It’s very clear they respect and love the two head ladies of the facility.

3) my twins have been attending Kindercare since 6 months old. I have been VERY happy with the love and care given to them. I trust everyone at Kindercare fully.

As a credentialed teacher and with a masters in teaching, I can easily say that Kindercare is a lovely/wonderful/fun/fulfilling place to send your child. My twins smile and squeal every time we open the doors to the facility.”

“The Goddard School in Ladera Ranch has been a great asset in the development and growth of our son. He was very shy and needed speech therapy support to express himself. However since joining the Goddard School, he has become more extrovert and he can talk without any issues. We noticed his blossoming very quickly. The teachers are all great and they have been a very helpful factor in the development of our son. The administration is very helpful and friendly.”

“We love this preschool! They have the most incredible outdoor setup with tons of new play areas out there every day. The teachers are so nurturing to our kiddos, and the families and students are so friendly. I looked at many preschools before enrolling, and we couldn’t be happier with our decision to send our kids here.”

“We highly recommend VanDamme Academy to families who value Classical learning in a child-centric environment.In a world that is increasingly stressful to children in every aspect of their lives, VanDamme Academy offers a safe haven of unplugged, but highly connected learning. Little to no homework, focused daily classroom learning, and an environment of mutual respect, kindness and inspiration – these are the hallmarks of this incredible program.Because the school focuses on eliciting critical and collaborative thinking, students internalize material, rather than memorize and forget it. School time is used efficiently so teachers do not rely on homework (and parents) to bolster learning. How is this done? Simply: classes are small, teachers are passionate about their area of expertise, and the material itself is incredibly interesting and engaging to students. Add to that expectations of mutual respect, politeness, kindness, and excitement for learning and it’s easy to see why the model works.Our daughter looks forward to school each and every day!”

“My son has been at Goddard almost a full year. He has Ms. Yesenia as his teacher who has fostered a great community with our little group. My son has become a social butterfly with his friends and is learning so much at just 22 months. They know how to handle any big feelings he may have and he always surprises me with new stuff he learned at school. Any concerns I had about daycare going into it, I no longer have. Goddard was the best decision I could have made. I’m forever thankful to his teachers, administration, and owner Anu- who he may love almost as much as his momma :).”

“We enrolled our 3 year old at SCDC at the start of the year and are extremely happy with the choice. We visited a ton of local options before deciding on SCDC. We specifically wanted a play-based school with lots of outdoor time and SCDC checked all our boxes. The kiddos get a ton of outdoor time, the teachers are amazing, and the administrative staff do an excellent job. Our little guy never wants to leave when we come to pick him up at the end of the day. A huge thanks to all the staff at SCDC for making it such a special place!”

“Little Big Preschool welcomed us in with a warm embrace, at a time when I needed a preschool for my son to transition into. It offered a wholesome environment for my 4-year-old son that offered curriculum to help nurture his eagerness to learn.Miss Sarah was kind enough to take my son in, even when her class was near-capacity. Miss Sarah radiates cheerfulness and fun! Her unwavering love and patience for her students leave something to be admired. I am so grateful to her for being the beacon of light that paved the path to my son’s love for school.We’ve moved on to kindergarten, yet we left Little Big Preschool with long-lasting friendships and forever play dates.I would recommend Miss Sarah’s class to anyone who is looking to socialize their little ones, learn new things, and have fun while doing it.”

“My daughter attends the school and she loves it. The staff is very professional and accommodating, and we love everything that they provide for our family. We highly recommend La Cristianita to of our friends.”

“My daughter has been thriving at this Kindercare since she was 9 months old. She is now 4 and a half. She had Miss Mariam, Miss Marsha, Miss Chante, Miss Tara, Miss Kristy, and Miss Katie as teachers. All the teachers have been like Family to us. On weekends when we happen to be strolling by the school, my daughter wants to go in the building! The environment has been really safe for my daughter at every age. The teachers are very attentive, the director is a hard worker who is very kind and engaging. When we receive picture updates from the school throughout each day, I am always blown away by how many activities my daughter is participating in, and how much she is learning.”

“My twins have been at Willowbrook since preschool and will be entering 6th grade next fall. They've thrived in every way here....academically, emotionally, physically, etc. The social emotional learning they've been introduced to has been phenomenal. The minute I set foot on this campus for a tour I fell in love. The campus embodies the natural Laguna Beach spirit, surrounded by animals, beautiful trees, a creek, quaint buildings, birds, and happy kids! We've grown close to several families throughout the years thanks to all the activities held on campus. The class sizes are small which was the main reason for choosing private over public. The meals are healthy and delicious. The staff is so wonderful. The commute is 15-20 minutes from Irvine.”

“So grateful to be at this school since kindergarten...invested, caring teachers who emphasize 21st century skills and project-based learning. Conscientious members of the community and world, too.”

“My experience in Tutor time has been incredible. My daughter is already 2 years old there and she loves to go. He is always happy and returns home in the same way, the treatment for the children is excellent, the teachers are very friendly and attentive to the children, and the best thing is that you can see them in real time whenever you want to do them, of course while they are in his classroom.”

“My husband and I needed a place for our daughter quickly and after many tours, Beacon Hill was our favorite and somehow they had an opening a few weeks later. Our daughter started there around 16 months old and the adjustment took about a week but she THRIVED there. You can truly tell how much the teachers care about the kids and how enriching they are in their lives. She learned so much and we are forever grateful to be a part of the Beacon family!”

“I did Gymboree 30 years ago with my daughter and wanted to give it a try with my one year-old grandson. After six months, I am so pleased to see the growth in large motor skills, music and socialization. The instructor, Mr Ryan, is wonderful and gives advice to assist with speech, motor development, and confidence. At the end of class there are bubbles and parachute time. Mr Ryan also plays the guitar for a cute song/dance experience.”

“We enrolled our daughter when she was 5.5 month old (3 adjusted) from June 2021, she was there just under a year (left in April 2022) and we couldn't have found a better child care center. Having the app to monitor what she was eating, when she was sleeping and most importantly getting photo updates was amazing! The teachers and directors were amazing and you can tell truly care for the kids. We loved their themed days and activities they did throughout the year. The only reason we left was because we moved from the area but I cannot recommend this location enough. We definitely miss being apart of the KinderCare family!”