Poppy Children's House

Our now 2 year four month old son has been going to Poppy's Children's House for the last 7 months and we feel incredibly lucky to have found this magical school. We leave our son with a smile every morning, in the care of Annie - an absolute superstar. He literally bounds down the corridor to join his classmates every morning and excitedly recounts the activities of each day to my husband and I on his way home every evening.

Annie is warm, calm & caring, takes great pride in her school and is always very professional. She is very well qualified and has a lot of teaching experience - and that's evident in how much thought goes into how her classroom is laid out and the activities that she has planned for the kids every day - whether that be art, mixing ingredients for lunch, practicing yoga, or jumping puddles in the park! Her mum Eileen, similarly, takes such great pride in the lunches that she makes for the kids - all of which are freshly prepared everyday and the perfect balance of exotic and familiar, thus introducing the kids to different textures and flavors - and tons of fresh fruit and salads. Often, Annie and Eileen will get the kids involved in the prep - for example, mashing their own avocados for an avocado toast snack or mixing ingredients to make buckwheat pancakes - teaching independence, motor skills, life skills...and having a grand old time while doing it all! We've definitely noticed our son grow and develop, and gain confidence since going to Annie's. She also helped us potty train our son when we were ready to take that step - and I'm convinced that it was due to the consistency between home and school - that we were able get him trained quickly! 

Poppy's also does a great job in giving kids that outside time that we know they need :)  Every day, they go to the nearby Aquatic Park and get tons of fresh air and park time - spotting ducks and egrets along the way - and often having picnic lunches outdoors when the weather is warm, while the parents get to share in the joy through a closed parents group on social media where Annie shares photos throughout the day.  

All in all, we couldn't recommend Annie and Poppy Children's House enough - and will miss it dearly when our son outgrows it and when the time comes for him to transition to a larger, preschool environment. 

I can't say enough good things about Annie and the amazing program she has started. I have never felt so good about leaving my 2 year old daughter in someone's care. Annie has created a wonderful environment full of colors, shapes, textures and smells. Each day I look forward to the pictures of my daughter learning in beautifully created spaces, while being engaged in thoughtful activities. 

Annie is very experienced, and her calm and cheerful demeanor made my daughters transition into her care very smooth. She also goes above and beyond and even potty trained my daughter before the age of 2! 

I almost forgot to mention the lunches! Annie prepares the most delicious and healthy lunches every day. All the different textures and flavors that she exposes the children too, has allowed my daughter to enjoy a larger variety of food then most kids. Annie is so thoughtful in all aspects of her program and you can see the love in everything she does. 

I feel so lucky to have found this wonderful and special place! 

Our 22 month old daughter started in March and I always find her with a huge smile on her face when I come to pick her up. She looks forward to her daily trip to Berkeley Aquatic Park and playing with her friends, enjoying the different activities that teacher Annie has available for them to try. This is a Montessori program - so the teacher follows the interests of the child and encourages them to explore. There is a lot of individualized care and attention for each child, and Annie has many years of experience. I'm also struck by how calm and happy all the kids seem whenever I come to pick my daughter up. 

The home is beautifully laid out, sunlit and adorable, with lots of activities all within the children's reach. It is in a secure new building, and walking distance to the park and to the 4th Street shops. Annie also posts photos daily on Instagram to a closed parents group - so you can see what fun they are having. 

We can't recommend Poppy Children's House enough. 

For parents looking for a nurturing and individualized education with an excellent teacher, Children's Poppy House is the place for you. Annie offered our 5 year old girl an array of stimulating activities each day including cooking healthy meals from scratch (quinoa pasta and cucumber salad that she brought home for us to try!), setting the table, painting, threading yarn and canvas, consonants and numbers, all in a bright, nicely laid-out home environment. Addy especially enjoyed her daily walking trip to the Berkeley Aquatic Park to play and make new friends!

Annie has really done a great job with the set-up - the school is located in a secure building near the 4th Street shopping area of Berkeley - and we were very happy with her philosophy of letting Addy try things at her own pace and then focusing on areas where she showed interest. We loved the updates we received over text and e-mail every few days that shared what Addy was up to complete with pictures of her cutting vegetables or focused on pulling off the tape from her latest masterpiece.

If you want a good teacher in an excellent environment that allows for a ton of interaction and one-on one-attention, we highly recommend Annie and Children's Poppy House. We knew right after touring (and feeling the necessary "good vibe" we were looking for) that we found the right place for Addy. And we can safely say she exceeded our expectations. Addy will be back during her next month long break in March and again in July.