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May 2025 by Amanda Nelson
We have one graduate and one currently enrolled student at WITW and absolutely love this school! The staff and director are amazing, the parent community is active and supportive, and the kids spend their time playing, learning, and creating in a welcoming and safe environment. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a 3, 4, or 5 day a week program!
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November 2024 by Jennie Herriot-Hatfield
We have two kids attend WITW and will soon be sending our third. We've experienced multiple preschools in SF, and this is by far the best. The teachers and director are incredible, and the school offers a great balance of play and preparation for kindergarten. We love WITW!!
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February 2024 by Jarrod F.
Our child is currently in their 2nd year at Wind in the Willows and we could not be more grateful for the time that they have spent there. Wind in the Willows is a play-based preschool that emphasizes social-emotional learning and building strong relationships between peers, teachers, and families. The teachers are all warm and supportive, and show a lot of love for each child and their individual personalities. The director is incredibly hands-on and goes above and beyond to make the school safe, fun, and educational. Families are welcomed to participate and bond through after school/weekend events and play dates. Families are also encouraged to visit the class for birthdays and to share about their cultures and traditions.Kids who are in Pre-K can also enroll in “Kinder Prep” to participate in a program that provides academic preparation for kindergarten. Kids go on frequent field trips to the neighborhood playground and places like the grocery store. While the school follows the SFUSD calendar, there are 4 weeks of summer camp every June that students can opt into as well.Parents are sent daily photos, which helps us to see what our kids are learning and to have conversations about their day. We love being able to share the day in this way!The school is located close to CCSF and several bus lines, and has really easy street parking for dropoff and pickup (the school is located on a long block with “one hour parking” designation, that pretty much always has open spots).Choosing a preschool can be a daunting task. Wind in the Willows has provided our whole family with a small, safe, and caring place for our child to be every single day. Our child’s social world and self-confidence have blossomed in ways that we are so happy to see. We highly recommend this school and feel lucky to be a part of it.
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January 2024 by Jarrod F.
Our child is currently in their 2nd year at Wind in the Willows and we could not be more grateful for the time that they have spent there. Wind in the Willows is a play-based preschool that emphasizes social-emotional learning and building strong relationships between peers, teachers, and families. The teachers are all warm and supportive, and show a lot of love for each child and their individual personalities. The director is incredibly hands-on and goes above and beyond to make the school safe, fun, and educational. Families are welcomed to participate and bond through after school/weekend events and play dates. Families are also encouraged to visit the class for birthdays and to share about their cultures and traditions. Kids who are in Pre-K can also enroll in "Kinder Prep" to participate in a program that provides academic preparation for kindergarten. Kids go on frequent field trips to the neighborhood playground and places like the grocery store. While the school follows the SFUSD calendar, there are 4 weeks of summer camp every June that students can opt into as well. Parents are sent daily photos, which helps us to see what our kids are learning and to have conversations about their day. We love being able to share the day in this way! The school is located close to CCSF and several bus lines, and has really easy street parking for dropoff and pickup (the school is located on a long block with "one hour parking" designation, that pretty much always has open spots). Choosing a preschool can be a daunting task. Wind in the Willows has provided our whole family with a small, safe, and caring place for our child to be every single day. Our child's social world and self-confidence have blossomed in ways that we are so happy to see. We highly recommend this school and feel lucky to be a part of it.
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July 2023 by Anumeha Goel
Wind in the Willows is a hidden gem for parents looking for a supportive, nurturing and adventurous environment for their kids. I can’t say enough good things about this school. This was the first place my son attended in a group setting outside home at almost three years old. I was very worried about the transition. But the teachers and children there are so caring and friendly that he quickly adjusted well. He has tons of friends and enjoys all the thoughtful activities. The school’s approach aligns really well with my personal belief in letting children explore, learn through play, and importance of emotional and social development at an early stage. This school was recommended to me by an expert in early childhood education. I couldn’t be more grateful for having found this place.
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June 2023 by Anu G.
Wind in the Willows is a hidden gem for parents looking for a supportive, nurturing and adventurous environment for their kids. I can't say enough good things about this school. This was the first place my son attended in a group setting outside home at almost three years old. I was very worried about the transition. But the teachers and children there are so caring and friendly that he quickly adjusted well. He has tons of friends and enjoys all the thoughtful activities. The school's approach aligns really well with my personal belief in letting children explore, learn through play, and importance of emotional and social development at an early stage. This school was recommended to me by an expert in early childhood education. I couldn't be more grateful for having found this place.
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November 2021 by Susan O.
Both our boys have gone through Wind in the Willows (2016-2018, and 2019-current) and we couldn't be happier with both experiences. Our older son was there with the previous director, who retired in 2018. Lots of good memories during those years, from the annual auction, a 'fun run', an annual visit to Bob's pumpkin patch in HMB, to a weekend camping trip with WITW kids and families even! The current director, Luci, started that summer session (2018), and she's simply fabulous. Dedicated, thoughtful, detail-oriented, and the kids just adore her AND the staff she's hired. This year's staff is the A-team for sure... Under Luci's leadership, we've seen the school get freshened up, a modernization of some of the systems (billing, weekly newsletter, even pushing daily pix of our kids to our phones on an app) a lot of new fun activities, and she navigated the whole COVID-19 situation like a true professional. We were very lucky that the school was able to stay open, thanks in part to a lot of the new processes and changes she put in. I always felt my son was safe there with the safety precautions she put in place. Traditions have also continued with a Fall-activity week (there's an apple tree in the back yard they harvest and make crafts & snacks from) Halloween 'parade', Chinese New Year 'parade' (both walks around the block with parents in tow), pumpkin patch visit, an annual auction, and so much more. The parent community is also top-notch this year. I highly recommend Wind in the Willows!
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September 2021 by Erica P.
We loved this sweet school so much. Our son attended for one year and would have gone happily for much longer if we hadn't moved out of the city. Teacher Luci was wonderful with our boy who was the youngest in the school, and had never been in a school or daycare setting before. He thrived thanks to each of the caring and gentle teachers. As parents, we always felt fully supported and appreciated the communication level between us and the school. I highly recommend this play-based program.
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September 2021 by John W.
We put both our boys through this wonderful little school and the community spirit is amazing. Nothing but fond memories of a truly special learning environment.
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July 2019 by Apricot T.
This school went through significant changes in the 2017-2018 school year. There are 3 teachers in the mixed ages classrooms. One teacher abruptly left mid-year, and another teacher left towards the end of the school year. The Director (former) was extremely dedicated and helped during these transitions. Overall, the school offers a great ratio and nice indoor and outdoor space for students. This school is a play based school, which emphasizes independence.
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September 2017 by Johanna L.
We are currently sending our daughter there. She's been in the preschool for 2 years and my husband and I are so happy we chose this school as her first away from home, learning experience. She went as a quiet toddler and really blossomed into an inquisitive child who loves to learn! She loves her teachers, friends and really does hate to miss school on holidays and sick days! The director and teachers are attentive, caring and passionate about what they do! The teacher/student ratio is low!! The learning is play based, guided with the necessary structured daily routines and themes throughout the year. The school is very flexible with morning/afternoon and TK programs. The parent community is also very intimate and supportive! They do encourage parent participation...it's like a co-op program without having to do all those hours! The school is amazing and I always highly recommend it to all the parents that I meet! We are sad that our daughter is graduating this year with one of the best teachers retiring, teacher Terri!!! We can't wait to send our son there in two years!
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July 2016 by nicky w.
We had a very nice year at Wind in the Willows with our youngest son who attended the TK class. Our son thrived working with Joyce, the TK teacher and we couldn't have asked for a better experience before we jumped into kindergarten. We really liked Leah, the director for her practical and thoughtful approach which suited our own temperament. Great place with great teachers!
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July 2016 by yuliya k.
We are onto kid #3 attending WITW and I have nothing but great things to say about it. The teachers are creative and caring and my youngest son has developed real attachment to all of them. He is having great time in the summer camp and can't wait to be back for another year of WITW. I wholeheartedly recommend this small neighborhood school to anyone.
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June 2016 by Maz C.
Our son has just completed his first year at Wind in the Willows, and we couldn't be happier with the school. Activities are child centered and there is always a diverse range of projects to choose from - painting, crafts, trampoline, obstacle courses etc. They have a great backyard - our son spends a lot of time outside building with milk crates and climbing on the monkey bars. It's a good opportunity for the kids to work on gross motor skills, while getting some fresh air. We have always found the teachers to be kind, enthusiastic and engaged. Our son loves his time at school and we feel very fortunate that his first experience away from us, has been so positive.
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May 2016 by Jennifer B.
My 3 year old started at Wind in the Willows in the fall of 2015 and currently attends the school (and will again in 2016). A new experience for her can sometimes be a big deal for us. She felt welcomed and at ease immediately. At drop off, she is so excited to see the teachers, other kids, and the activities set up for the day. The community is great. It has a co-op feel. Parents are encouraged to participate and play an important role in the school. It has been amazing watching our daughter blossom over the school year!
