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 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!”

“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!”

“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.”

“This is an amazing Christian preschool! Our oldest went here and is now in kindergarten. My second child is currently attending and my 3rd child will when she is old enough . This school completely prepared my oldest for kindergarten academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually! The teachers taught her almost everything they teach in kindergarten.
The director, staff, and teachers are amazing. They love the kids and really care.
They teach the Bible every day and are very Christ centered.
There are activities and ways for parents to be involved.
There are lots of fun activities and crafts and playgrounds for kids.
Safe, gated, and with canopy for playgrounds (no need to sunscreen kids)
Highly recommend!!!”

“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!”

“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!”

“We’ve had our son at Nobis Preschool since he was just 3 months old. He’s now 7 months, and I can honestly say we have never felt more confident in the care he receives. From the very beginning, it has been clear that the staff genuinely love and care for each child as if they were their own.

Nobis doesn’t just watch the kids. They interact with them, play with them, and follow each infant’s individual schedule for feedings and naps. That level of attention and flexibility means everything to us as parents. Every time I drop off or pick up, the children are happy, engaged, and clearly well cared for. The facility is clean and beautiful, with a wonderful outdoor area that’s thoughtfully designed for different age groups.

They also go above and beyond by providing enriching activities, even for the infants. It’s so sweet to see the art projects and sensory play that they introduce at such a young age. For the older children, they also provide lunch and keep things fun and structured without being rigid.

A heartfelt thank you to Melinda, the regional director, who is always kind, available, and accommodating whenever we have questions. And a huge shoutout to Miss Andriana, Miss Andrea, Miss Leslie, and Miss Ashley for the loving care they give our little boy each day. We truly adore each of them.

Nobis feels like an extension of our family. It is such a gift to have found a place that is not only this wonderful but also affordable, clean, and thoughtfully run. We are so grateful.”

“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.”

“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 child has been at Manzanita two years and this is a review of the manzanita campus. This review is based on actual attendance (unlike a few negative reviews that seem to have only gone on a tour). We have loved every minute of her time at school there. Her teachers are amazing and she goes to school excited every day to learn. She has been there for pre-K and Kindergarten. Academically she has been reading above grade level and reads for fun at home. She loves math and is enthusiastic about counting by 5/10/20s, doing addition and subtraction. I had been hesitant initially because I heard through the grapevine that Annaliese students aren't as strong academically but she reads better than her older cousins and with more enthusiasm. She also sings and talks in multiple languages which has given her an enthusiasm and context for learning more about other countries and languages. She also comes home and loves to draw and create things. I love that they don't use electronics (she gets enough of that elsewhere) and the campus is MAGICAL. She spends her time surrounded by greenery which has been shown to lower stress and boost neurological development. On the emotional side, my previously perfectionist child now will say to me "we all make mistakes" and is more process oriented, focusing on working hard and achieving through effort. They learn a lot about working together and contributing to society and this has so many amazing downstream effects at home, including better sharing and improved delayed gratification. Finally the food. My child was a picky eater but has opened up her eating which I attribute so much the Anneliese. They all sit down together and eat, as opposed to having combined recess and lunch time (and not eating at all). She comes home asking for salad and potato leek soup and lots of things I'm not sure she would try otherwise. Plus I don't have to make lunch.Also a note about her teachers - some have been there long enough to have taught two generations we have been so lucky to have them. They are engaged and responsive to parental emails/calls. Mr. John who is the head administrator is a great teacher and incredibly organized and engaged. Would love it if manzanita went through grade 6!!”

“My oldest son was having a difficult time adjusting to kindercare but Ms. Ashley would go out of her way time and time again to make him feel comfortable and welcome him. When he would come home, he'd talk about playing with Ms Ashley and how much fun they had. She had a way of making him feel special even when she has a room full of others to watch and take care of. Ms. Ashley even gave him stickers to take home once and that's all he would talk about for a few days. Ms Ashley was truly there because she cares about the kids and their development.”

“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.”

“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.”

“Ownership is invested in children and families at Goddard. The facility is cleaned every day and is safe. The curriculum is good. All Early Education goes through challenges since it is a difficult business to operate and we have experienced alternative schools in the past. We came to Goddard because of the key items listed above which I believe has allowed the school to prosper.”

“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 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.”