Eco (Wonder) School - East Palo Alto, California

Maria Khorokhorina

Eco wonderschool is a unique daycare! It is a wonderful learning environment for our children. My kid loves spending time there, exploring nature, and engaging in fun activities. The teachers, Amina and Michael create engaging and stimulating activities that encourage children to explore and learn through play. The focus on outdoor play and nature-based learning is so much fun!

I highly recommend Eco wonderschool to any parent seeking a nurturing and enriching daycare experience for their child.

Jessica Bol

I have never written a Google review before but felt compelled to share how wonderful Eco-wonderschool. It is truly a gem of a community and environment. My daughter attended for 15 months (joined when she turned 3) after transitioning from a nanny share and I'm honestly heartbroken that we are leaving. Amina and Michael have managed to create a magical space that emphasizes child initiated learning, lots of outdoor time, and daily activities or "invitations" that engage the children in all kinds of creative, social, and educational play. I also love that because there are a range of ages, my daughter got to learn from the older kids when she started and also got experience being around younger ones as she awaits the birth of her younger brother. I've watched her become quite empathic and responsible around the smaller ones 🙂

In addition, and perhaps most importantly, what makes Eco-wonderschool so amazing is simply Amina and Michael. They are toddler whisperers! They are both socially and emotionally totally tuned into how to relate to children with dignity, respect, and deep care. As a psychologist who did her fair share of research about early childhood development, I was most concerned with finding a preschool that would help little ones regulate and express their feelings and develop relationships with others (both adults and children) that felt safe and close. This is where the school really shines. There is so much heart, warmth, and care at Eco that over time it has come to feel like family.

As an aside, one of the most novel delights of the school is that their gardens are filled with fruits and vegetables (cherries, plums, apricots, apples, almonds, figs, tomatoes, squash, pomegranates, pumpkins, watermelon, cucumbers....I could go on) so that at every season there is food to forage, learn about, and use in their meals. Such a fun bonus that even parents benefit from! Also, Eco-wonderschool provides all the (nutritious) food which is really great.

To sum it up, I think any family would be lucky to have their child attend.

Garrett Trask

Our daughter started at Eco-Wonderschool when she was 6.5 months old when they were brand new. After 3.5 years, Amina proactively suggested that Reese might have finally reached the point where she would benefit from a new environment. After one week at a new preschool, her teachers' comments were: "Reese is so sweet and polite, and we noticed she's really independent. What is your secret" ECO-WONDERSCHOOL.
It is so characteristic of Amina and Michael, that they put their care for our daughter first to suggest when she might be ready to move on -- they put an incredible amount of thought and care into the school environment, the invitations / activities, and the kids. It is remarkable how much they tune into every child, think deeply about where that child's at and what they need, and what they can do to support desirable behavior and development in that child. We unequivocally recommend Eco-Wonderschool, and are grateful that our son (14mo) also started at 6.5 months old at Eco-Wonderschool.
PS: I have to mention that (1) they offer nutritious and varied breakfast, lunch, and two snacks prepared in home and served family style and (2) the grounds are filled with fruit and vegetable trees / plants / vines, such that our daughter sometimes identifies plants we don't recognize and takes for granted that it's normal to "forage" and just harvest her snacks in real time.

Jesse Davie-Kessler

I have sent both of my children to Eco-Wonderschool, and every day I am grateful that they are part of this community. After touring *many* schools, I chose Eco-Wonderschool because Amina and Michael are so talented at facilitating play-based, child-driven learning. For instance, when my son was obsessed with vehicles, the group created an elaborate toy car wash from found materials! They weave all of the necessary academic skills into play that is meaningful to the kids.

Over the years, I have also been amazed by other dimensions of the school:
(1) A very strong social-emotional component. They help kids honor/ understand/manage their feelings and relationships.
(2) Amina and Michael use observation to truly understand what motivates children's behavior and learning needs. Their teaching stems from a deep connection to each child. I have actually learned a lot about my own children by hearing Amina and Michael's insights.
(3) Organic beauty. The garden space is beautiful; the art that the children create is beautiful; the focus on process over product is beautiful.
(4) Teacher-parent communication. Every day, I receive updates/photos.

I can't recommend this school highly enough. It brings love, comfort, and so much learning to my kids' lives!

Tanvi Chheda

We're incredibly grateful to find this day-home for our 20 month old toddler. The nature-play based environment, the indoor setup, and the healthy food menu are the ideal we imagined and more. It is very hard to find a place where you'd feel that your kid will be taken care of as well as you would, and perhaps better. This was the place for us that exceeds what we can provide in terms of learning and easy-going natural environment. We don't have to worry about change in staff, because the owners are the ones who'll be here forever (hopefully) and are the kind of thoughtful people we aspire to become. I love the focus on gardening, low-processed food, field trips, and reflections on philosophy and happenings. We'll be sending our future kids here too!

Clara Tosi

We've been at Echo for only a few months now, but we are in complete awe of this place, and of the people who work here! Our 20 month old toddler has fun playing in and with nature, learning how to live with children of various ages and discovering her own limits and abilities. This school is really something else, it welcomes the children and the parents in a feeling of community growing together, and the attention given to each child and to their own personal development is really proof that the people who work here are both inspired and inspirational.

Austin Van Zile

We feel so lucky to have found Eco-Wonderschool! Our kid has been attending for over a year now and we absolutely love the environment. Some of my favorite things about it:

- Michael and Amina run the daycare and they are amazing teachers and incredible people. I'm so happy that they are caring for and helping grow my kid
- Play-based learning and child-led activities are encouraged here, and it has really cultivated the creativity in our child
- There are fresh activities everyday for the kids to learn/think/feel something new
- My kid eats way healthier than me... Breakfast and lunch are provided by the school, and are tasty + healthy (eggs from the chickens at the school, fruits from the gardens). Also, every meal is family style with the kids always sitting around the table together
- Updates throughout the day with photos
- The gardens around the school are beautiful, and it's always great just picking some fruit off a tree for a pick-up/drop-off snack
- Just the overall positive environment that the school and other families bring to our lives, it really does provide a sense of community

OK OK I'll stop there, but hopefully if you're contemplating this school for your child you will contact Amina and Michael to get a good sense of how they will be helping shape your kid into an amazing person!