Toot-a-Lou Daycare

We are very glad we found Lorie for taking care my son in this summer. My son got used to toot~a~lou daycare very quickly, less than one week. He likes to go to daycare and is always very happy to hug Lorie when we drop him. When I picked him up, he is always busy with playing, happy and willing to show the toys he played in the daycare to me. Lorie's home is clean, beautiful and safe to play for kids. Lorie arranges the artwork, painting, commenmorative shirt and memory book for the kids, that was very sweet. I highly recommend toot~a~lou.

Our daughter is going to TK program this Fall, and we will surely miss a lot the time with Toot-a-Lou. As my daughter's preschool was closed due to the pandemic, her school friend's parents recommended us to this wonderful school running by Lorie and her assistant teacher, Ani. They are such caring and supportive early childhood educators. They offered a lot of great insight and advice when we had seen some concerning things on our daughter at home. At school, Lorie provides kids with a flourished and play-based environment and has a well-structured curriculum, Mother Goose Time, to help older kids ready for TK/K. It gives us peace of mind to know that our daughter is in good hands while we're at work. We highly recommend Toot-a-Lou.

When our little one came of age, our first choice for daycare was Toot-a-Lou, but alas, there were no openings at the time. Fast forward 4 years and here we are, singing the praises of Lorie and her wonderful family daycare. How did this happen? If you are reading this many years in the future, good for you; You probably didn't have any children during the global pandemic, and were spared the slow motion, white knuckled ride we all shared. With no exaggeration, Toot-a-Lou saved a family with two working parents and a kid with "batteries included" from the brink of collapse. We could not feel more blessed, or be more thankful for our time with Toot-a-Lou.

As for Lorie, she is meticulous, tireless and hilarious. She coordinates a day of discovery through activities designed to stimulate all ages. The curriculum is low-pressure, tactile, fun, and well... We all looked forward to "homework" in the take home activity bags Lorie went out of her way to provide when we took what passed for a vacation.

The care that Toot-a-Lou provides is above and beyond, and it speaks to the skill and patience of Lorie and crew. They make it look easy, when it's really, really hard.

Toot~A~Lou has been part of our family's life since 2017. Our son was there from 15 months until 3 years, and then returned when the pandemic started and his preschool closed. Our daughter has been there since she was 6 months old. Both kids have thrived there. We were looking for a relaxed, play-based, and nurturing program, and Toot~A~Lou has definitely delivered. We also love that all the snacks and meals are provided. Our daughter can't wait to go to "school" every day. We were worried our son would be behind for kindergarten this fall when his preschool closed, but Lorie and Ani have done a great job with the Mother Goose curriculum and he has learned a lot this year. Lorie always takes parents' concerns seriously, and has good advice about how to manage kids' challenging milestones. All of us will miss Lorie and Ani when our kids move on to kindergarten and preschool this fall. 

Our child has been with Lorie since she was 6 months old, and we really appreciate the environment Lorie has provided for the past 2.5 years. Toot-a-Lou is a second home for our tot; we never needed to worry about anything - she eats, plays, and learns with Lorie, her aids, and other kids. During the pandemic, Lorie went above and beyond to support the families and maintained a stable and safe space for the kids. It certainly wasn't easy with all the ever-changing regulations but Lorie did it! We appreciate her professionalism and respect her so much for what she does. We are so lucky to have her and will miss her very much as our kid moves on to preschool.

Toot a Lou is a small home daycare in a really convenient location central to El Cerrito and super close to Albany and Berkeley. My oldest started there at 9 months and my youngest started at 4 months. We’ve been there since 2017 and are still there! Lorie is absolutely amazing. She creates a safe and nurturing and fun environment for the kids. She’s attuned to each kid, following their lead and creating fun experiences (a specific book or new activity) aligned with their interests. Lorie’s been doing emergent curriculum before any of us knew it was called that! She provides all meals and snacks. Healthy (and delicious per my kids) and so convenient for us working parents. They bake, they dig, they climb, they paint. It’s great!  The space is on the smaller side but Lorie does so much with it and my high energy kids definitely get enough exercise and running around. During the pandemic she’s been a godsend. So consistent and adapting to all the curveballs. My older child had “graduated” and moved on to a larger pre school but we brought her back to tootalou during the pandemic. We’ve been really impressed with the curriculum they’ve developed for the older kids who are now totally ready for TK/K.  I can’t recommend enough! 

We have loved Toot a Lou! My daughter started at 5 months old and still talks about Lorie at 4 years old! My son started at 7 months old during the pandemic. Lorie was very careful, very safe and very patient with our family. She runs a sweet engaging daycare with healthy snacks. The kids love picking apples from her tree! She has gotten my son to nap way longer than I ever imagined. I highly recommend toot a lou

We have been really happy with Toot-a-lou! Our son started at 4.5 months and has been there about 6 months now... he loves it! Lorie is great with the kids and is very accommodating (ex. food/milk preferences, diapers, schedules etc.). Also, she offered a lot of great insight and advice when asked questions. The house is a cozy space with lots of toys and a nice backyard with chickens! It is a laid back environment (which works well for our family). We are moving and will definitely miss Toot-a-lou and Lorie!