My child has been at Children's Sunflower House & Garden under the loving care of Lin Barcellos from 18months up to very recently, the age of 4.5 years. I am so grateful to have found Lin by chance, through the recommendation of two separate friends who also sent their children there. The program currently runs from 9a.m. to 12:30p.m. M-F, and includes a thoughtful and nutritious lunch, which exposed my child to new foods in a very relaxed manner and gave me peace of mind knowing that at least one meal in his day was spot on and wholesome. My child eats heartily at Lin's and comes home daily with items they have lovingly tended to and harvested in the garden. Lin has created the most nurturing and child-centered environment I have encountered and she approaches the children with genuine respect and curiosity. She confidently guides them through the development of their interpersonal skills, processing and expression of their emotions, self care, and learning of the natural world with a knowing that is truly awe-inspiring. She teaches children by example how to be rooted and present in their surroundings while acknowledging and honoring the passage of time and the seasons. She has given us so many gifts, but I am most grateful that my child feels seen and loved in her presence, and he is encouraged, if not expected, to follow his instincts and just be a kid at play and in wonder and imagination- something I think us adults can interrupt too often. As a parent, I have learned a great deal from Lin- she always wants to know the details of what is going on for our child at home and any developments outside of the classroom to better inform her support of him and our family. Lin is easy to talk to via email, text, at drop off/pick up time. Lin truly considers the individual child when she helps them transition to the program, making it incredibly natural for the child. Given my child's young age and attachment to me upon starting, we began with 1-1 play time in my presence to become acquainted with Lin and the space, which graduated to a similarly structured play time with another child who was also transitioning to the classroom. This helped them both adjust and made the move to the regular classroom much easier. My child was not potty trained when starting at Children's Sunflower House and the process was very individualized for him- he came to it when he was ready very easily, Lin never being one to rush or prescribe to a catch-all approach. We are now starting transitional kindergarten locally, but we love Lin and will return for "special days" whenever we have days off from our new school. I know my child will yearn for it and need those days away from the bustle and larger size of his TK class, and I am so heartened to have Lin as not only my child's teacher, but our neighbor and friend. I could truly continue to write a book about why we love Children's Sunflower House and Garden, but I'll stop here for now!

One of the hardest things I’ve had to do since becoming a mother is deciding who to trust with my child. I am so thankful to have found Lin at Children’s Sunflower House. If there were ever a real-life “Mary Poppins,” it is Teacher Lin. She truly understands children and the constant development they are undergoing. She knows how to properly redirect them while allowing them to process their feelings. She speaks to a child so they feel comforted, seen and understood. My son was a little over 2 years old when he started going to Sunflower House. Prior to that, he only ever stayed home with his grandparents caring for him. My son started with individual lessons with Lin to build a relationship before he was introduced to a group setting. The transition was very intentionally gradual and really eased him into a school setting. Lin is so conscientious about creating a calm growing environment for the children and it really shows in her photo journals she emails the parents everyday. The program is Waldorf-inspired and encourages the children to play, to use their imagination, to explore and connect to nature. She has a beautiful outdoor garden and a very welcoming indoor play space. Lin follows a seasonal curriculum that follows each new moon. She prepares a nature table along with appropriate stories for the children. She sings songs, leads dances and performs puppet plays. She teaches the kids about gardening through planting and harvesting lessons. The kids do small but important tasks to help grow the garden. She also provides each child with a home-cooked organic meal everyday. She does not require potty training and understands that each child will reach potty readiness on their own timeline. One of the benefits of this program compared to others is that you never have to worry about teacher turnover. Teacher Lin owns and operates this business and her years of experience in early child education is unparalleled. If you are looking for play and nature based program to help your kids socialize and have a little free time in the morning to yourself, this is the program for you. The program currently runs from 9am-12:30pm. I appreciate that she has never been super strict on the times unlike other schools who will fine you by every minute you are late. She honors the child and if the child is having a difficult time at drop-off, she understands that it takes time to transition. She will often hold the child who is having a hard time at drop off and pay special attention to them as they get ready for a school day. She will also text you updates after a difficult drop-off and let you know how your child is doing. Lin is also very COVID-conscious and throughout the pandemic, she has been very vigilant about enforcing temperature checks, washing hands, masking for herself and the children, having an outdoor classroom, and a strict policy for coming back to school after being sick. When she started bringing the children indoors, she polled the families to make sure everyone was comfortable with that idea before doing so. My son is now 4 and adores Lin and his friends at school. He has always been a shy child (just like his parents…) but he has really come out of his shell at Sunflower House. He’s always bursting with joy every day at pickup and cannot wait to show me his harvest. Unfortunately, our family is moving out of the city but we are so incredibly thankful to Lin and her program for providing my son with the absolute best first school experience.

While my first child had a nanny throughout toddlerhood until preschool, my second moved on to Teacher Lin's care once he was 18months old. The only drawback of our experience is that my oldest missed out on it! I wish I had known Teacher Lin and her program back then. The care she provides enriches my son daily and, in turn, enriches our family. As others have described, she has an amazing garden and beautiful indoor space. Everything she does is done with a deep consideration for the precious little beings she is helping to grow from the songs she sings to the clothes she has for them to layer for any kind of weather to food she nourishes them with and beyond. Teacher Lin really *sees* my child and I feel like we are raising him together, much the way I felt with my amazing nanny with our eldest. I never dreamed that a daycare could feel that way. I feel very supported as a parent and grateful to all that my child gets from his bond with Teacher Lin and his classmates. Teacher Lin's emotional intelligence, excellent communication skills, creativity and deep wisdom contribute to what makes her such a gift to all who have the chance to be a part of the Sunflower House community.

My son attended this school for about two years, and now my daughter has been there for about 1-1/2 years. We absolutely love Teacher Lin and her Waldorf-inspired program. The outdoor garden space and time spent out there are invaluable. So cute to see that the little ones all have their little jobs and tasks to do. Busy, busy, busy. The indoor space is also quite nice, with lots of wood toys and open ended play, art, and storytime. Teacher Lin also feeds the kids delicious, nutritious, organic whole food meals and snacks - better than my LOs get at home! She also taught both of my kids how to dress and put shoes on, as well as potty train. Teacher Lin very much treasures the children. It is all about them - their feelings and well-being. If you have an opportunity to send your child here, I highly recommend it.

My daughter has been attending this program for the last year and it has been a wonderful experience! We have been so impressed with all aspects of this school. The garden space is beautifully and thoughtfully constructed to give children a chance to fully engage, explore, and learn. Teacher Lin is an incredible educator who possesses so much knowledge, wisdom, and love for the children. My daughter adores her and has felt so comfortable and happy at this school right from the beginning. Teacher Lin has supported her development in so many areas and created such an inspiring and loving learning environment. We feel very lucky that this has been our daughter's first school experience!

This is an incredible program that I dearly miss since my daughter graduated! My daughter went from age 2, and it was such a joy to see her develop her social and emotional skills here. Teacher Lin is always so loving, kind and thoughtful when talking to the children and parents alike. She and the children would sing songs, have puppet shows, roam around the garden, seed and harvest plants. And the food!! My daughter's favorite was bulgar cooked in homemade bone broth with hummus and sliced avocados and fermented pickles. Always organic and wholesome. I am truly thankful to have been able to have this community in our lives.