Safari Kid - San Mateo

My son joined San Mateo Safari Kids at age two and has had an incredible journey through the toddler, preschool, and pre-kindergarten classes. His teachers have consistently nurtured, supported, and dedicated to his growth. Safari Kids balances play and learning perfectly, offering engaging indoor and outdoor activities. The teachers are attentive, helping with everything from potty training to nap time routines. The project-based learning has been especially impressive—when my son noticed his goggles floating while swimming, he connected it to a floating apple experiment from school. The staff communicates excellently during pick-up times and conferences, providing valuable insights into his academic and social-emotional progress. He loves sharing his daily arts and crafts, and activities like book presentations and favorite toy storytelling have greatly boosted his confidence and speaking abilities. Although we had to change schools after moving out of the area, we will always be grateful for the wonderful experiences and memories that Safari Kids has given us. It's been a truly enriching journey for our son, and we're thankful for Safari Kids's role in his early years.

Both my kids thrived at Safari Kid San Mateo, first under Ms. Shanu's and then Ms. Shelly's guidance and their fantastic team of caring teachers and staff. Teachers take time to get to know each child and give them personalized attention and support in the classroom while also fostering independence. Communication with families is first-rate - someone was always available to answer our questions, no matter how big or small. Curriculum leans academic but also includes outside / play time and enrichment activities (music, yoga, etc) as well as occasional field trips to downtown San Mateo (Japanese garden, movie theater). My oldest was completely kindergarten ready, both academically and socially upon graduating from Safari Kid. Safari Kid parent community is also very welcoming, we made a lot of new friends. Safari Kid was a great fit for our busy, working family and we were sad to leave it when we finally moved away.

My son has been with Safari kids for 2 years. I am very happy with the quality care and education he is receiving! My son attended a preschool for 6 month before he joined here and we all find Safari Kids a much better place for him. The teachers are so caring, loving and responsible. My son really like his teachers. The daily activities keep a great balance between learning and playing (both indoor and outdoor). The curriculum covers a lot including English, math, science (and experiments!), social emotional, music and art. The teachers definitely now how to teach young kids as my son has learned a ton. Ms. Shelly does a great job creating a caring and responsible culture. She is also great communicating with parents about children's development and school events. We find Safari kids a very cohesive community! I highly recommend!

We've actually sent our daughter to other daycare/schools before, but I have to say that Safari Kids is by far the best! There are several reasons for my high praise: Firstly, their curriculum is exceptional and they constantly update and improve it. Although I don't know their specific teaching method, it is undeniably effective as my daughter quickly picks up new words at school. Secondly, the teachers are incredibly responsible. Whenever my daughter faces any difficulties, they promptly react and find solutions. I have complete trust in them. Thirdly, all the teachers are extremely kind and caring towards the children. Even though my kid is not yet three, she keeps telling me how much she likes her teacher! Lastly, potty training was effortlessly achieved with the help of the school. It only took us one week to successfully train her. I highly recommend Safari Kids!

My son started at Safari kid when he was 18 months, he is 3 years old now. The teachers and staff are so loving and caring. I am nothing but grateful for the patience and quality care they have provided within this time. Mondays they have music class which my son absolutely loves he comes home so excited to tell me about all the songs he’s learned. He’s even taught me some Spanish. My son used to be very codependent and would struggle initiating things on his own. His teachers worked hard to help him be more comfortable and confident which really helped him be more independent, I could not express my gratitude enough with how amazing they have been with my son. The school uses procare to connect and update on daily activities and are consistent with posting pictures throughout the day.