Best preschool in Palo Alto, California (CA) 2024

My 1 year old goes to CPSC is an amazing school! Kids get plenty of outdoor time, they have very low teacher children ratio. The teachers are so kind and dedicated. The snacks provided by the school are very healthy, most of the children bring their own lunch but they also offer lunch menu. I love that the school is very open and makes it easier to transition a kid from home to school. I spent 2 days transitioning where I spent 2 hours at the school with my daughter. I love that I get a report at the end of the day and that teachers are in constant contact with parents and send pictures. ~Beatriz

Had 2 Kids here for 3+ Years The kindest, most nurturing care-givers and teachers we could have asked for. We started sending our oldest son here when they first opened their doors in 2014 (they also operate the after-school program nearby @Cubberly) - back then it was less than 10 kids total all in 1 classroom! Now they have 4 classrooms and a huge gym in a still-new impeccably clean building. So we’ve seen them grow from the beginning, and the one constant has been that Daphne and her team are simply the best care-givers a parent could ask for. They are kind and loving without spoiling the kids. They are nurturing and will be more than happy to offer their guidance/advice re: any development issues. For example, our oldest was out of diapers relatively early, but refused to go potty at school for a long time (only at home or with us). His teachers at Acme were so nice and patient in helping him get over the hang-up and achieving a big milestone. If you have interest and willingness to invest the time at home, their weekly updates include online links to all the Chinese lessons (stories and songs). Granted, we don’t have a lot of experience with other preschools - we stopped looking/evaluating after we found Acme! ~Neary

This is a fantastic daycare and school. The children have lots of outside time, about 1 hour, 2 times a day. They have two playgrounds, and they put up giant shade sails in the summer for extra shade. The school is adjacent to Greer Park, and the older kids also go there from time to time. Each week, the kids have a music, chinese, spanish, and a movement class. The teachers use Montessori teaching methods with traditional Montessori jobs. They track each child’s progress individually and can introduce new topics when the child is ready and interested. They allow for children still learning to focus and incorporate activities that help teach focus. It really works - the children seem to be beyond their peers at other schools. I’ve seen 4 year olds blending letters into words, and I’m surprised at all the skills the children have. There is a low teacher to child ratio, compared to other schools. The teachers are great at turning the inevitable children’s social issues into teaching moments. The kids are really well behaved in general. The teachers are very tolerant about potty training, and they just request plenty of clothing and bedding to keep up with accidents. The school vacation schedule matches most employers. There are no long vacations. There is extended care if it is needed, from 7:30-6. One of their classrooms has a chinese immersion program. ~Darcy