University of Play

We feel sooo lucky to have our son at UOP! the amazing improvement from the home day care he attended before is tremendous. I love that he can wear a princess dress if he feels like it, play super heroes or sit quietly in the beautiful quiet room. UOP was god sent. I cannot imagine my son in a different setting. Thank you Sylvia for allowing my son to be part of UOP and for welcoming us with open arms. All the staff is just wonderful and I feel they truly care about my son and respect every child. Sylvia has excellent advise and is always happy to help. Can’t wait until my daughter can go as well.

I feel so blessed to find UOP! My son is the true definition of a busy little boy! He loves vehicles of any kind (especially trucks!) Around 2 ½, it came time that he needed to be around more kids and have a bit more stimulation than could be offered at home. I remember reading the testimonials on their website from moms who dealt with their kid being kicked out of other schools because they were too much of an interruption. I felt like when they described their kida having a difficult time sitting quietly when reading story’s or sitting doing much of anything, that they were talking about my kid! And add to that, he didn’t talk! His vocabulary consisted of a lot of hmm hmm baa aa. I knew I needed a special place where people would accept him and be PATIENT!
My son has been attending UOP part time for 5 mths. He spends his days driving huge tonka trucks, building train tracks, & chauffeuring his friends (on the coolest bikes ever!) His language and ability to communicate with others (including at home) has taken off! And when I picked him up today, he was actually sitting quietly with the group while the teacher read!!!
From the first day dropping him off, I have felt nothing but comfortable and welcome! I am sent pictures of fun and funny moments that happen. I love that they allow him the freedom to find out how he wants to be, after all, he’s only 2!
Sylvia and her staff are top notch! I feel like they treat the kids like they’re their own. Most importantly, they make me feel like my son is special to them. I like to think of Sylvia as my super nanny! She’s got WAY more experience than me and all her advice is always awesome and effective!
U guys rock!

Ok. My husband is a teacher and I was a preschool teacher pre kids, so we are both highly sensitive and picky when it comes to where and who takes care of our son. We ask a lot of questions and ultimately want to see our lil man get all he needs before going to Kindergarten. My lil guy is a high energy, sensitive and a very creative and spirited BOY!!. After looking around for the right school for him I came across UOP and called up. I was greeted with enthusiasm, open arms and unexpected generosity as well as an open door anytime to come check them out. (Lots of schools will give you a time slot so they can clean up their act, put enough teachers in the room and put on the face for you– be warned of this).
Needless to say Sylvia was like a Godsend for us, and she has been nothing but warm and loving to my son and my family. You can call anytime and she will let you talk to your child during the transition too, which I though was really sweet. My son LOVES her. All the kids do.
Now, UOP is not your traditional preschool though. Your children will get to have the freedom to be whatever they want to be here, get dirty, explore, play big and come home in new clothes almost every day, but with fun imaginative stories to tell. If you are a clean freak then maybe this place isn’t for you, but it’s PLAY BASED LEARNING AT ITS BEST and that’s what’s ultimately best for children. They have big water play, a great sandbox, stages, music, yoga, a sensory room, loads of space to run and bike, cute little cozy nooks to imagine, read and rest. And, again coming from a teacher, this place is really quite a wonderland for kids who need that wild creative outlet along with gentle discipline. I’ve never seen a punitive time out, no one is shamed, and I really appreciate the words they use to help each child make better choices. I learn so much from watching Sylvia as she redirects and allows my guy to be who he is while setting loving limits with him. You’ll find her racing the kids, laughing and encouraging their good behavior. My son comes home happy, rarely wants to leave and has made friends and loves his teachers. Miss Buffie is also a favorite!!!
After reading the previous comment coming from the disgruntled parent, it was hard for me to see any correlation… really. I am sure we all have our bad days, but I have been honest and open with the staff, and have never felt resistance or a negative charge or anything like the comment states. This is also not a corporate school (which I used to work in) where you get tons of emails and newsletters, updates and the like. As some of this would be nice for those of us who are too busy to ask or check the board, it’s just not a part of this school at this time. This school is Sylvia’s baby. She is passionate and loves her job, her staff and our kids with all her heart. You can just feel it and see it.
So, needless to say, we are very happy here. Hopefully you will make the decision for yourself and go get a tour.
Namaste

My son has been at UOP for about 8 months. The only regret I have is that I didn’t find UOP and the staff sooner. My older son attended another preschool and we had some challenges with trying to fit him into the expectations of the school.
My younger son was asked to leave another preschool because he was taking too much time from the teachers and they did not feel that they could provide the right environment for him. Hearing this is very hard and put us in a situation where we were wondering what was wrong.
I called UOP and spoke with Sylvia on a Friday, met with her on a Monday and my son started the next day with UOP. His speech was delayed but in 8 months we have seen great improvement in not only his speech but also he is reading around kindergarten level.
UOP is staffed with folks who let kids be kids. I have seen nothing but caring and affection for my son and the children in the school. My son loves going to UOP and I have to pry my older son away during drop offs to get him to 1^st grade.
If you want a structured environment where your child is expected to fit into the proper mold, this may not be the right place.
If you are looking for a place where your child is allowed to be a kid, where they can learn and have fun in a loving and nurturing environment I would look no further.
My son has had speech delays and Sylvia has bent over backwards to help him and other children. Sylvia and her staff have been extremely supportive and loving in creating an environment where my son has not only had fun, but has grown and learned so much.
As a parent, you need to find the place that is right for you and your child. I would strongly suggest that you take a look at UOP. Sylvia and her staff have been great for us and the only regret is that my older son didn’t get a chance to spend his pre school years at UOP.

Having read the previous one star review, I feel compelled to share my experience with the University of Play. I am told that I am a very demanding person with exacting standards. And if I’m honest my very first impression of UOP was mixed. I thought it was a little bit free-​form and could do with some more structure. But then the structures and Sylvia’s methods began to reveal themselves. The environment she has created is nothing short of perfect for our family. Our son has extremely high energy and was «not a good fit» for a number of other schools. But Sylvia welcomed him with open arms and her staff treated him as much compassion and love and necessary firmness as we could ask for. In their care our son has blossomed into a healthy well-​adjusted boy ready for kindergarten. And our daughter is having an excellent experience as well. If you’re looking for a spotlessly clean, highly regimented environment for your children look elsewhere. But if you’re looking for a place where they can grow into the little people they’re going to become in an environment of care and love and genuine respect for their unique makeup, then take a good close look at UOP. I’m glad we did.

I do NOT recommend this preschool. I’ve personally had quite the opposite experience with Sylvia. She’s been erratic, unreasonable and highly unprofessional in our interactions with her. I sent my son to UoP and as new parents we did not know a lot of the protocol she had in place. After a few months being there, we showed up one day with our son only to find out that she had closed the school for a summer break without any notice. We were never given a schedule of when they would be closed and being a family with 2 working parents this was quite a hardship on us. When my husband had suggested she send us notice or even after I asked her to send us a copy of the schedule (or they even update their website) — she snapped at us and called my while I was at work to yell at me and tell me my son was out as of that day. She gave us no notice and we were forced to find a new preschool for the very next day. There were other incidents with her besides this one, but the pattern seemed to be that if you even remotely suggested communication with her — she would snap back with «I’ve run my daycare this way for 12 years, I have no interest in changing». So if you want a preschool where you are not allowed to make any suggestions or implicate you want adult calm communication beyond her writing things on a board no one reads (like sending an email or even talking to parents face to face when she sees them) or your child gets kicked out and left on the curb, then this is the place for you. Sylvia creates an atmosphere of fear and anxiety and arrogance. After this happened to us, we talked to other parents — both current and former — to find out similar experiences. I’m just glad we got out while we could.

We feel so lucky to have found UoP! Our daughter came from a smaller setting in-​home nursery school. I was apprehensive about switching her to a school setting with lots of kids but in the four months she has been there, she has grown and thrived so much. All of the teachers are loving, capable, responsible and I trust them implicitly. Sylvia has a very special school and I love how much she cares about making the kids feel so comfortable. She goes the extra mile and it shows. I can’t wait to put our second daughter there!

I love University of Play! The teachers here are so loving, so caring, so imaginative! I spent a bit of time at the school when my son started here and I never wanted to leave. I wanted to stay all day. The activities that the teachers came up with for the children were so fun. I felt like I was a kid again, doing what kids are supposed to do… explore the world around them and laugh, love, and learn. They have gone above and beyond to make my son (and me) feel safe, loved, and inspired!

Both my boys went to UOP — I’ve been a parent there since 2007 and let me tell you, the teachers and school are awesome! You can feel the love that the teachers have for each child and the facility itself is spacious and clean. I love the fact that they let the children just be children, exploring and learning through play. That is what preschoolers should do! Sylvia, Tiffany, Kaitlyn and of course Jake are the best!

Couldn’t have asked for a better preschool experience. The staff is awesome and our kids just loved going. our youngest graduated last year and still asks to go back and visit. We feel like both our kids got so much out of this school, not only developing socialization skills, but they really helped prepare them for kindergarten. Its so important to start kids off on the right track of loving school and we will be forever in their gratitude. We appreciate everything you have done for for us… we miss you guys.

A truly child-​centered preschool! University of Play is incredible. All of the children are happy and nurtured. Sylvia and the teachers understand and accept each child and family as unique and special. My daughter has gotten the best possible start here and I highly recommend this school to anyone!

Our son loves going here, and is now asking us about coming extra days. The facility is amazing for young children and the kids are outdoors as much as possible. All the teachers and Director are loving, energetic and fun (my son adores Caitlin). The school is play-​based, which doesn’t mean it’s like Lord of the Flies as so many people seem to think. There are loosely organized activities but the kids interests or lack thereof are respected. After the first month here my son didn’t want to leave at the end of the day he was having such fun. One of the main things I think is amazing about this preschool is the way the kids are being taught to respect everyone’s differences. There are children with varying special needs and the normalcy with which everyone is treated is refreshing. One note, be prepared to bring home a happy but seriously messy child at the end of the day.

BEST PRESCHOOL FOR HIGH-​ENERGY CHILDREN! Sylvia is seriously a God-​Sent for those of us families with very energetic children. She «gets» kids and has incorporated a philosophy of play-​based and family-​style preschool unlike anyone else could have. She lets kids be kids and embraces the individuality of every single child and loves them all as if they were her own. On day 2 my son told Sylvia «I love you.» I suspect he did this because he feels loved by her. Sylvia, her staff, and her school is a perfect fit for our high-​energy 4-​year-​old. I encourage you to visit her website and read the other parent testimonials. My son and I have toured numerous preschools in San Rafael and Novato, and UOP is unlike any other school we toured. We walked in and we saw a room that was spirited, loud, and full of very happy children whom were all actively playing. I didn’t have to walk to the end of the classroom to know that my son was in his element: we had found a place where teachers, other children, and other parents understood him. I realize some children need a very rigid schedule, but mine doesn’t, which is why this school works for us. Thank You, Sylvia!

I LOVE this school. My oldest son graduated from UOP 3 years ago and has done wonderfully in Elementary School. My youngest son still attends and is trying to convince me to let him go 5 days a week. The staff are absolutely wonderful — they are patient, engaging, entertaining and attentive to each child. The kids have so much available to them — the pirate ship; community garden, bikes and trikes, music lessons, gymnastics and even yoga. This is an absolutely special place for children — run with love and the childrens’ best interests in mind