I can't highly recommend Baby Tree Mandarin Immersion Daycare and Preschool enough! Our eldest daughter attended Baby Tree Preschool for two years. Then when Baby Tree expanded into offering daycare as well, our younger daughter attended the daycare and then the preschool for a total of three years. It was difficult for our family to part ways when she "graduated" this past summer! The director and all of the teachers are wonderful. They are truly caring of each child's holistic well-being and more than happy to work with parents for any individual needs or concerns. Our children thrived in the intimate, in-home setting. At pick up, they didn't want to leave. It really did feel like a wonderful extension of the village one needs to raise a child!

Our daughter just graduated from two amazing years at Baby Tree Preschool and is unquestionably well prepared for Kindergarten! She entered Baby Tree knowing basically no Chinese (sadly she has two monolingual parents at home) but very quickly learned the language with love and care from the amazing teachers. After 1.5 years she tested as fluent in Mandarin for SFUSD and is starting kindergarten in a dual Mandarin immersion program! As other parents have stated: - excellent curriculum and teaching quality - Huang Laoshi is so creative and energetic! - clear and frequent communication via daily videos/pictures and published schedules and events - home cooked nutritious lunches - a criteria I didn't know I needed to have when picking a preschool but is such a huge convenience factor - cooperative parent-teacher approach - teachers always wanted to discuss any concerns or issues so that we could tackle together at home and at school consistently - weekly trips to the neighborhood parks and occasional field trips (library, post office, grocery store), daily outdoor playtime in backyard - great parent community We feel so lucky to have found Baby Tree Preschool and highly recommend to any other parent!

Baby Tree is an incredible Mandarin immersion daycare, and I am so grateful my two children are both here. Ensuring my children know Mandarin is a top priority for our interracial household, and it is amazing watching my kids surpass my Chinese! My older child started at Baby Tree when he was 18 months, and he was immediately welcomed with love and attention from all the teachers. The teachers engaged him and his classmates in story time, art, cooking, reading, outdoor play, gardening, singing, and so many enriching activities every day. His fine and gross motor skills and his Mandarin improved daily, and he is now an athletic 4.5 year old and fluent speaker Mandarin speaker. He is even beginning to write and read Chinese! We actually started our son in a different Mandarin immersion daycare in SF when he was around 10 months old, and I'm so glad we switched to Baby Tree when he was 18 months. The original daycare was much more expensive, did not provide lunch, the teachers were not consistent, abysmal communication from staff, and there were often random days off school (which is difficult for parents with 9-5 jobs). Baby Tree is nothing like that at all, and I wish we found Baby Tree earlier. When we had our second child, we knew we would send her to Baby Tree. She started there when she turned 1, and the teachers similarly showed her so much love and support. She was a little behind in terms of crawling, and her teachers supported her development by applying the physical therapy exercises her pediatrician recommended. Soon she was crawling then walking. The teachers are so attentive, and it is evident how much they love our daughter and her classmates. Sometimes she doesn't even want to leave daycare even when I'm there to pick her up! As a parent, there is no greater desire than to have other adults care for your child as you would, and all the teachers at Baby Tree do just that. Other amazing things about Baby Tree: -Lunch is provided, and it is delicious and nutritious. Both my kids clear their plates every day! Baby Tree makes a range of home cooked meals, including dumplings, noodles, rice with chicken and veggies, and always cut up fruit. Not having to pack a lunch is so nice! -The lessons are very engaging to the kids because they are relatable and utilize music, dance, and acting. For instance, when the kids learned about jobs, the teachers took them on a field trip to the post office to check out what that career is like. The teachers created a USPS truck out of cardboard and had the kids dress up in different roles (package sorter, letter carrier, neighbor, etc.). When they explored the cooking/chef lesson, they created an ENTIRE restaurant in the school with kids as cooks, waiters, patrons, dishwashers, etc. I have no idea how the teachers are so creative, but the kids LOVE it. They bring this level of ingenuity to all the lessons, and the themes they've explored have included: the ocean; the water cycle (precipitation, condensation, evaporation); the world/continents; the solar system; traditional Chinese culture and customs; careers (doctor, firefighter, chef, postal worker, etc.). My husband and I are former educators, and we are both impressed by the rigor and thoughtfulness of the school curriculum. -Chinese holidays are a blast at Baby Tree. The teachers always explain the importance and purpose of the holiday, plan relevant lessons and art activities (e.g., red firecrackers for Lunar New Year; phases of the moon for Mid-Autumn Festival; etc. etc.), and dress up the kids in traditional Chinese clothes. On a personal note, it means so much to me that my children are learning about their Chinese heritage. -Baby Tree knows how to put on a party for the kids and families. Every year, there are a few big celebrations: Halloween, Christmas, and graduation. The teachers always go all out and prepare the kids for the most adorable performances with songs and dance moves. They even hire a professional photographer for the graduation and share all the photos with parents! These events create a wonderful community (see below). -Baby Tree is a real community full of amazing parents. My husband and I know all the other parents, and we all watch out for each other's kids. We have all bonded with each other through Baby Tree celebrations and just regular drop off and pick up. I now consider the other parents my friends. -Baby Tree is not just for Chinese families. My children are biracial Black and Chinese, and it is imperative that we found a school that welcomes and celebrates their full identities. We know the teachers at Baby Tree genuinely love our children. Not only do they celebrate our kids' racial identities, they also allow full gender expression. For instance, the teachers did not mention anything when our son wore dresses to school, which he often did (in contrast, my Chinese immigrant mom expressed concern, which I promptly disregarded).

Baby Tree thoughtfully blends western and Chinese educational approaches. The curriculum emphasizes self-confidence, life skills, verbal communication, and creative thinking. There's free play, music/movement, a beautiful backyard outdoor space, gardening, and arts and crafts every day (with weekly trips to the playground). There's also structured class time taught in Mandarin where students learn about all sorts of interesting and practical topics over the course of the week. Some of our kids' favorite units included Chinese culture and holidays, anatomy, recycling, dentist, mail, traffic rules, food & cooking. They also do kindergarten readiness in the afternoons to prepare for elementary school. I'm simply amazed at how experiential, practical, varied, and creative the instructional methods are. The kids always look so focused and interested in the activities, but they are also having so much fun. All the teachers are very experienced and know the students well due to the small class size. At pick up, the teachers are always eager to share developments. Ying is a very good business owner. She communicates administrative and logistical details clearly and promptly, and is responsive. Baby Tree provides healthy lunches and snacks.

I simply cannot recommend this daycare/preschool highly enough. We have two daughters who have been enrolled in both. It‘s probably the best choice we’ve made for our children since having them. Both the daycare and school are full of teachers that are enthusiastic, warm, and caring. Being able to send our daughters to a daycare/school and never once having to doubt that they will spend the day being enriched and loved is a blessing not many of our friends share. As an example of how incredible the daycare/school are, my youngest daughter was recently diagnosed with an extremely serious health condition. The first person to notice that anything wrong wasn’t me, my wife, or her doctors, but a teacher at Baby Tree. And when she entered a long stretch of treatment, the teachers were incredibly supportive and even held her spot in the daycare open for the months the treatment lasted, without us even having to ask. On a cheerier note, our oldest daughter spends most days playing outside the school with her friends after pickup because they love being at the school so much and usually can’t bear to leave. The school environment is incredible, but the administrative aspects are just as impressive. The communication is excellent and clear. There is a very active thread where the teachers provide updates and upload photos and videos every day. And the parent community is very close and strong. The experience is so good that my wife and I are wracked with anxiety about having to transition our oldest daughter to kindergarten, because we can’t imagine her having a better experience there than she has had at Baby Tree. If you’re lucky enough to have found an open spot, you should take it. There usually aren’t any.

My 3 year old started at Baby Tree in April 2025 and he absolutely LOVES it! He goes there every day with a big smile and a jump and a twirl, I kid you not. We're beyond grateful to be connected to Baby Tree! Their lessons and activities are so creative, cohesive, interactive, and exciting every single week. It's such a joy to see my toddler thrive and I'd love for Baby Tree to have a full group as it is an amazing program where the cohort learn and grow together. All the teachers are exceedingly professional and dedicated to their craft in nurturing and fostering independence and creative thinking skills. They do not miss a beat with my kid and I can tell the other children feel very safe and cared for under their supervision and instruction. The teachers are very organized and very intentional in how children engage with the preschool curriculum and the materials, art, and play all inform the weekly educational theme. The teaching team worked together for years and this makes for a seamless and strongly executed preschool teaching environment. I'm a school psychologist and I cannot say enough just how impressive the lessons and activities tie together in a manner that is age-appropriate and play-appropriate. The preschool climate also fosters kindness, consideration, and healthy communication/healthy behaviors. You want a preschool where the teachers KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND HOW TO TEACH and they do it in spades! That kind of teaching savvy and experience is priceless. Homemade meals are included. It's so cute when the students get to see the kitchen where the food is cooked! The space is organized, tidy, and clean. They have many different toys and items that they rotate through or that they change up to give children different opportunities to exercise thinking skills, gross-motor skills, eye-hand coordination, and physical fitness. I just especially love how warm, invested, genuine, and kind they are to my kid and to all the kids. They love what they do and they care about their profession with a deep sense of passion and work ethic. I got to see their graduation ceremony for the graduating kiddos who are going to TK or kinder and, OMG, it was over and beyond incredible and so very sweet. You can see the pride the teachers have in seeing their graduating kids show off their talents and knowledge. I feel EXTREMELY LUCKY that my child gets to be a part of Baby Tree and I already know where my baby girl will go next once she turns 3! I've visited at least a dozen Mandarin immersion preschools and this was the best place!

My child spent two amazing years at Babytree Preschool, and we couldn’t be happier. The teachers are caring, creative, and truly dedicated. Every month brings new themes—like exploring the seasons, learning about different jobs, and celebrating Chinese festivals. The kids enjoy art, music, outdoor play, and fun field trips to the park, library, and more. Babytree has helped my child grow not just academically, but also socially and emotionally. He’s learned to express himself, manage his feelings, and make friends. The healthy meals, daily updates, and warm environment create a place where children are truly cared for. We’re so grateful for these wonderful years and highly recommend Babytree to any family looking for a loving, enriching preschool.