Storybrook Oakland
Oakland, CA
- In 2018, Storybrook transitioned from a home-based daycare of 14 to a childcare center with a capacity of 42.
- Storybrook closed on 9/5/23 according to license records
Storybrook Oakland: a developmentally-based preschool nurturing children so they can be their happiest, smartest, and strongest selves.
Parent Q&A
Parent Reviews
Parents, please Sign in to post a review on this page.Check out Storybrook which would be pretty close to you. We toured it and were quite impressed. We initially looked into forest schools, but found that most of them only offered part time hours which wouldn't work for us. Storybrook is not a forest school, but they have a large outdoor space where the kids spend the vast majority of the day (eating, reading, playing) and only go inside for nap or if the weather is really poor. The director seemed very passionate and thoughtful. It is quite expensive and a little further from us than we'd like, but otherwise we would have loved to go there.
Both of our kids attended Storybrook (one promoted and one currently) and I highly and wholeheartedly recommend this school hands down! My sons love it here and as parents, we drop off knowing they are in a safe and nurturing environment.
The school director Johanna has a masters in education from UC Berkeley and many years working in the school systems before starting Storybrook. I can honestly say I love the teachers who are so passionate, honestly caring, and experienced in young childhood education. There are guided learning themes that may arise or are channeled from the children’s curiosities. The kids also have the opportunity to learn Mandarin Chinese and music from a language teacher who comes weekly.
My older one is now a well-spoken, polite, considerate, loving, intelligent, curious, and emotionally mature little individual.
There has been clear and transparent communication (especially during the pandemic) by the teachers. The teachers super responsive. I am truly grateful for the amazing gigantic outdoor play spaces and play structures, not to mention the luscious garden of fruits, vegetables, and flowers that thrive everywhere!
I love seeing the photos of the kiddos throughout the day. It’s always a reassuring and heartwarming sign when my son asks and looks forward to going to school everyday! Love it here!
Storybrook is everything we could have asked for in a preschool and more. When I was younger, the family that I nannied for told me that they selected nannies based on whether they would want their kids to grow up to be like the nanny. I would be thrilled if my kids grew up and exhibited the care, joy and love of the Storybrook directors and staff. In addition to the staff, here are a few of the things we love about Storybrook: 1) Lots of time outside 2) Imaginative play 3) Giving voice to emotions 4) Sharing strategies with families 5) Building positive relationships around food
What can I say but great things about the Storybrook school and teachers! We made a very last minute decision to move our daughter to this preschool. From the first tour, I could tell Johanna had so much passion and expertise in the field of young childhood education. Our daughter has flourished here with the help and guidance of all the amazing teachers. She feels part of strong community built around the students, teachers, and parents as well. The yard is a child’s wonderland. Every day experiencing new and familiar things. Focusing on all senses and feelings being valid and appreciated! We look forward to next year and sending our little one when she is old enough!
Storybrook is an amazing gift for our family. Our son is a graduate and went from a shy kid following along, to a confident leader. Johanna and the talented teachers, through their play-based teaching, are able to nurture our littles to their true potential while always accepting who they are in each moment. Our other child is a current student who has recently come out as a boy and we are so grateful for the acceptance, support and love they provide to our son and our family. This is a preschool that celebrates inclusivity and individuality. It is a place of fun, laughter, love and light all wrapped up in a play-based deeply academic environment.
I am not sure if our preschool has any openings right now but I know they accept mid-year students. We go to Storybrook Oakland. They have a nice website that should pop up if you do a search.
It is playbased and they have outdoor time, rain or shine. The outdoor space is very large and the staff to student ratio is great. They provide all food. My son loves it and so do I!
Good luck!
Our son started at Storybrook Oakland this school year. It is play based and they have an amazing outdoor space. They have a cooking/farming teacher and art teacher in addition to the classroom teachers. My son loves it there!
I can't answer your second question but as to the first, I'm afraid the lack of response may be normal. When we moved to the East Bay three years ago I called and emailed over 40 preschools and daycares and the vast majority never responded, including some of the most highly regarded ones. I think a lot of places just don't bother if they're already at capacity and have a comfortable wait list. The most responsive were the one-person shows -- one person watching five or six kids -- and I would expect them to have the least amount of time for call-backs. We ended up at a chaotic, friendly preschool that didn't adhere to any particular philosophy but was responsive and flexible. You might also consider, if you haven't already, some of the preschools attached to private elementary schools, which are generally more responsive and outreach-oriented, Good luck.
We had a similar experience with Storybrook, and based on my contact with other daycare and preschool programs, this is atypical. Their team had long lag times with communication throughout the process. We ended up going with a home based daycare in piedmont, in part because the communication was so unreliable and delayed on storybrooks end.
This is not normal! I’ve been looking for preschools for my daughter and have heard back from all of them within a few days to set up a tour. (Many of them you can actually set up the tour online.) I’d say this is a red flag 😬