Little Hands – A Parent Child Center

I wish I knew about Little Hands when my son was 6 months old! What a supportive community that fosters positive parenting and child development. We first attended the summer session in 2015 when my son was 15 months old, and I quickly enrolled him into the Fall program. This is a co-​op, which means parents and families share many responsibilities to run the school. We clean after class, take turns with bringing snacks, volunteer at events, and have specific «jobs» to keep the school going. It is a big commitment, but it also builds community. It’s not a program for everyone, just like there isn’t one type of parenting, but Little Hands works for my son and me. He enjoys going to «school» and we have made friends and do activities outside of the program. Also, he naps FABULOUSLY on the days he attends– WIN! :)

My daughter is 20 months and this is our first year in the program. We used the summer session as a trial and so enjoyed the other families that we signed up for the school year. I’m so happy we did. My daughter always talks about going to school to see her friends and even just in the past few months I’ve learned a ton of parenting tips. I enjoy interacting with the other parents. We can vent, celebrate and exchange advice. It’s such a wonderful community.
It is a co-​op so there’s clean up after class some days and work hours during the year but as a stay at home mom who misses the office sometimes, I’ve enjoyed the work hours. It is definitely nothing that will prevent us from coming back again next year. I look forward to going each week and feel so fortunate to have found Little Hands.

I took my 2-​year old to Little Hands for a year. We loved out time there: he started learning how to socialize with other kids, discovered activities that he enjoys while I learned a lot about parenting styles and options. I was pleasantly surprised that most of parents at LH are not stay-​at-​home parents, but are coming from families similar to ours. After a year at LH, my son started full-​time daycare. His transition was super smooth, I give lost of credit for such easy transition to daycare to our experience at Little Hands. I miss our teacher Donna!

We have had a phenomenal experience at Little Hands! It is such a warm community of teachers and parents working together to provide the children with the best experience ever. It’s a great way for the kids to learn through play — the school has so many little pockets of learning experiences: music, art, reading corner, dramatic play, water wall, playhouse, etc. My son loves exploring all of these areas especially the water wall!
What I really value is the warmth and experience of the teachers. There is a portion of time dedicated to having discussions with the parents in which the teacher talks about different topics on child developement such as nutrition, speech, nature/​outdoor play. The parents are well supported in our parenting and guided — super important for first time parents like myself. So not only do the kids learn, the parents are learning too! I’ve learned fun stuff I can do with my son at home — like how to make play dough or sensory bins for toddlers.
The awesome part about Little Hands that we have also enjoyed was the flexibility of available hours. They have morning and evening sessions. This works great for both working/​non-​working parents.
My son enjoyed summer camp this year and we look forward to another great year in the Fall!

I will be starting my third year with my daughter at Little Hands and can’t wait for the fall. We started when my daughter was seven months old and it was a great way for me to meet other parents in the area because my daughter had pretty much aged out of the «new mom» support groups offered through the hospitals. I found this to be a even better replacement in terms of support, advice, and camaraderie. I have learned so much about better ways to parent and gotten ideas for better ways to play with my kids. We have had the director, Carol, as our teacher for two years and I can’t rave about her enough. She is so warm and caring, the perfect first teacher for your child to have!

While our first year was a positive one it ended on a sour note with a parent emailing the whole class letting us know her child had HFM. More than 4 children had HFM, with the other half the class out with a fever. The school said nothing, did nothing, did not put up any required Exposure Notices by the San Mateo county health. It was the last week of school and luckily we did not contract it.
Our second year started out fine. We were very disappointed that our teacher lacked energy and education. When asking a simple question, the answer would go on for more than 10 minutes without a clear answer. Clean up after class was always such an exhausting chore. I stayed after class for over 20 minutes trying to get out black scuff marks from the floor with another parent. My child was always filthy, covered in sand and paint and created much more work for me than I’d like.
Recently, teachers and staff held back information from our class about another outbreak of HFM and Roseola. The necessary required communication was NOT communicated to our class, but some of the other classes did receive an email. I was accused of causing a panic and raising my child in a bubble because I alerted my friends and pregnant women (Roseola is harmful for fetuses) in my class. This is far from the truth. Communication is essential at all educational environments. We want to keep our children safe. We understand germs and common childhood illnesses are at every school and every preschool. We just wanted communication. Overall, not worth the cheap tuition for all the headache, commitment, and stress.

I am excited to be returning to Little Hands this fall with my son after participating with Little Hands for two years with my daughter from 2007 – 2009. Studies prove that early childhood education lays the foundation for success in school and in life for our children, and Little Hands offers a safe and dynamic environment for my toddler to explore and be creative with an amazing network of parents and teachers leading the way. I can’t say enough about Little Hands and what positive things it has done for me and my children.

We tried a few sessions at Little Hands. I was not blown away by the first, but thought hey, it’s the summer, we’ll try for the semester.
I do have twins. That might color my experience. Another twin mom I knew who tried had the same experience we did.
There are lots of «musts» at LH. You must come to this meeting, you must go to clean up day, you must etc. As a nursing mom of twins, I did not have a lot of time to do other «musts» besides feeding and clothing my children and myself. I felt like those things could be offered, but requiring/​policing participation was not respectful of the parents and their own knowledge of their needs. There is also a 20 hour time commitment over the space of a year for volunteering, and yes there are worksheets to make sure you are fulfilling your commitment. There are also fundraisers etc which you are actively encouraged to attend.
In addition, there was more than one occasion where I felt my new walkers were poorly supervised. One day, one of them fell and hit her head THREE times because the other moms were not watching as closely as they should have been (you are assigned a space to monitor… often times your child is in another space and therefore you are at the mercy of someone else’s discretion.) While I understand the point of learning to trust others, in a space where there is more concrete and hardwood floor than carpet and grass, this was a huge issue to me. Another mom, of a single child, had a meltdown over this so I know I’m not the only one to notice it.
I did not get much out of the teachers. OUr first one was OK, the second one was better. However, I did not feel they knew me or my children by the end of the session.
I think the people associated with LH were very well meaning, and for others it’s great, but for us there were lots of other resources (mothers groups, city rec departments/​libraries) that served our needs better and more efficiently.

Love, love, love Little Hands! My son started when he was 13 months old and now he is 21 months. He has grown to be more social around other adults and children his age as well as be independent. He loves going to class every week and sometimes does not want to go home. The teachers are warm and caring. The parent discussion is always helpful — talking about different stages of child development and learning how to parent with positive reinforcement. The extra classes they offer are very helpful as well — how to choose preschools, sibling classes, daddy and me classes, etc. I have also made great mom friends where we get together for play dates outside of school and build a network of support system that can be sometimes hard to find. We plan to go back for the summer classes and next year in the fall. Can’t wait!

Little Hands is fantastic!
An overview:
The facility is perfect for babies from 6 months old to young 3 year olds. The teachers are caring and a great resource. The school is a co-​op and play based.
Our experiences:
We first took our son here years ago as first time parents. We found Little Hands to be a safe and friendly environment for babies through toddler age. We loved the parent education where you cover great topics with a teacher and have discussion with other parents. And the co-​op responsibilities are very manageable. In fact, we loved being involved in our son’s school and being a part of a real community. We still have friendships with parents from our early Little Hands classes.
Since that first experience, we are back at Little Hands now with our daughters. And the experience is just as great! Even as seasoned parents, the parent education is valuable. The topics are reminders of good parenting techniques and helpful since our children are very different and one style doesn’t work or help them in the same way. Our daughters are enjoying the socialization with other children and we are loving being a part of this wonderful time of their lives.
I highly recommend Little Hands for parents that want to be a part of their child’s education and development, like to have fun (this is a play based school) and be a part of a very supportive community.

I moved to the area 2 years ago and as a first time parent all I heard from friends was, «oh you have to sign up for Little Hands». I must say, I’m really glad I did! I enrolled my 1 year old son in the baby class which meets once a week for 2 hours. We had such a wonderful year that I enrolled him in the 2 day class this fall. Little Hands is an ideal environment for parents and children to learn and have fun together. The teachers are very knowledgeable on early childhood development and extremely supportive. The children are encouraged to play and explore in a safe environment while building trust in other kids and adults. My son gets excited for school and I value the friendships I’ve built with other moms.

I’ve done two years at Little Hands (technically 1 ½) and I’m a huge fan of them. I’ve enjoyed our time there immensely and can’t wait to go back next year with my daughter.
We started out our first year when my son had just turned 2. I was a little intimidated by the co-​op duties, but luckily I had my husband who could take care of our 20 hour job for me and our maintenance day, since at the time I was pregnant/​had a newborn. We loved our teacher, Donna, and our son had such a great time. I think it’s a great opportunity for young kids, because they can learn how to be independent while you are there with them. My son had no problems with independence, but he knew he could find me if he needed me. We learned new songs, new parenting techniques, and had a lot of fun.
We signed up for the baby class for my daughter, which started in January. We had the director, Pat, for our teacher, and again, we had such an excellent time. My daughter was experiencing separation anxiety, but it was great having a place to go to where she could kind of set her own pace. I could stay with her and help her play (and their new location for the baby class is so nice– lots of toys, and the outside area especially is great!), and by the end of our school year, she was feeling more comfortable and could go off on her own a bit. It’s a great opportunity for young babies, too, since the price is right and it’s a good way to socialize them– and you also get a chance to meet new moms and dads! Again, my husband did our job and maintenance duties for us, but since it was just ½ a year, we had 10 hours instead of 20.
A school day is typically like this:
You arrive, sign in, and either go to a station or pick up a form for observation. If you are on station, you’re in charge of a certain project or place in the school– for example, play-​doh or the climbers, or maybe stairs if you’re in the baby class. You watch the station, and your child can stay with you if he/​she wants, or they are free to explore and play. If you are on observation, you fill out a work sheet with questions on whatever topic you’re doing that week– temperament or sleeping and eating, etc. Mid class is snack time (in the baby class, we’d bring our own snack and a mom would bring an adult snack, but in the older kid class, you bring a snack for both children and adults). After snack, the half of the class that was on observation meet for a discussion on that topic (and you are welcome to bring up whatever parenting topics that you need to during that discussion). Your child can stay with you, or they could go play (and the people on station are there to watch them and get you if needed). After discussion, the class meets again for circle time. There are set people who stay after for cleanup after class. The next week, you do the opposite of what you were doing the previous week, so if you were on station that week, you’re on observation the next, and vice versa.
There are also night classes that you are required to do. They’re actually not that bad, and there aren’t too many of them. The highlights are the optional night classes, which have been about preschools (for when your child is ready to leave Little hands), sibling relations and bringing home the new baby (which was great for me since I had just had baby #2), and the creativity workshop, which is SO much fun– you get to make puzzles, felt boards, wands, capes and tutus for your children (HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!).
Besides your job, you’re also required to spend a few hours at the school on a Saturday and help clean. You are usually there with your class, but if you’re unable to make that maintenance day, there are plenty of chances. You pay a deposit that you get back after completing your maintenance day.
The other really great part of the school are the little bonus days they have. They have an ice cream social at the beginning of the school year, a Halloween party, a pancake breakfast, an all school picnic, and a few other things. All of them have been fun to attend!
I highly recommend Little Hands as a pre-​preschool! Can’t wait to head back next year.

After trying a couple other Co-Op’s I have changed my mind about Little Hands. It is a great program.
They have sessions for kids as young as 6 months, when you are dieing to get out of the house, to 2 – 3 yrs, where your kids are dieing to get out of the house.
I like Little Hands Parent Education, it is simultaneous with your child’s class. You don’t need baby sitters, or your little nursing child to go to bed without mom! Their mission is clear and they stick to it.

Little Hands is a parent co-​op preschool where technically the parents are the students. The kids play, and parents work stations (blocks, music, easel, etc.), and observe the kids, have classes, and write short papers (mainly observations). The teachers are very dedicated, and there are one or two teachers per class, and a whole lotta parents and even some grandparents.
Little Hands has been around for 30 years, with classes for parents with children six months old to three years old. I started when my son was over 2, and it’s been great for him. It’s been a little rough on me; I idealized what it would be like to be a co-​op parent, and frankly I don’t like vacuuming and scrubbing (clean-​up after class is required on certain days).

Some of the requirements feel challenging (the day it was my turn to bring lunch for the kids and parents seemed stressful to me, but hopefully it’ll be easier next time). Between some required night classes and 20 hours of work outside class per year, sometimes think I’m more cut out for a drop-​off school.
The things I like best about this school are the caring teachers, opportunity to learn more about child development and parenting techniques, meeting other involved families, and the philosophy of the school.
Little Hands’ philosophy, which I’m borrowing from their website:
From the beginning, Little Hands has been committed to providing education to parents and encouraging parents to get involved in their children’s early education. Both are crucial to a child’s success. Little Hands philosophy boils down to three core beliefs:
1. Each person — parent and child — is unique and learns in his/​her own way and own pace.
2. To understand and respect these differences is important.
3. Each person learns best in an environment that is safe physically, socially and emotionally.
Amen to that!
I also like the opportunity to see my son interact with other kids and learn from the teachers and other parents. The people are nice and my son sings the songs we learned at school often. This is a sweet little school, if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty and want to be a co-​op parent.

Our toddler twins absolutely love coming to Little Hands every week. We participated in the summer program, and are now in the 13 – 18 month old program. The unstructured free play with other children in a toddler-​safe environment is fantastic. They have also grown to LOVE washing their hands before every meal! (something we do every day in Little Hands class).
They have made some wonderful little friends, and I have also enjoyed the parent participation aspect of class. The parent education nights are very informative, and it’s great to be able to connect with other parents who also want to be involved in learning alongside their kids.
The teaching staff is excellent, caring, and very experienced, and the facility itself offers plenty of room for both indoor and outdoor toddler exploration. The toys and equipment are top-​notch, and well-​maintained.
You couldn’t ask for a better two-​hour class for toddlers each week!

The program is a cross between a parents’ group/​co-​op and a pre-​, pre-​school for 2~3 year olds. Its an ideal environment for first time parents to get to know others in the same boat to share experiences as well as gain perspective from an experienced teacher/​facilitator. While the toddlers do indeed have a good time with arts and crafts, story telling, play structures, singing and assorted parallel play, the real objective and benefits are for the parents.
The program is comprised of weekly 2-​hour sessions which can get extended to 2×2-hour sessions in the second year plus special events such as Halloween and Christmas parties with occasional mandatory evening educational sessions for the parents.
We thought it was a great experience for our first born and continue to have close relations with many of the families with whom we participated. With our second child, the commitments to the program became rather burdensome such as the regular evening meetings on various parenting topics, bi-​weekly station supervision and bi-​weekly questionnaires and circle discussion on the parenting topic de jour. By the time of our third child, we are now totally of the mind that there is virtually nothing we can learn about raising kids and thus no reason to go back to LH.