We had great experiences at Fairy Tale! The short version is that we are confident that our children are safe and are getting a good educational experience there. They have knowledgeable and caring teachers. Our son's social and language skills have come a long way since starting at Fairy Tale. The hours are great (7:30-6pm) and the prices are reasonable compared to other commercial day care options and even comparable to many family day care prices (at least for the ones in Cambridge).
For the long version, please read on. Our son, now 2.5 years old, has been going there since he was 13 months. He spent a couple of months in the infant room and graduated to the toddler room. Our son is a very active and intense boy who requires limits and does well in an environment that encourages learning; otherwise, he will get bored easily and start to test limits and misbehave. Fairy Tale does a great job with providing the intellectual stimulation and constant attention that our son requires. They have circle time where they read stories and sing songs. They also have weekly music class where they bring in a musician. They do art projects such as painting, play dough, and coloring. They talk about different topics such as colors, clothes, and holidays. They also have free play time with many toys and books. My son will often sit in the corner reading by himself during free time! We also like the variety in the lunch menu as well and my son will actually eat. They also provide breakfast and good snacks. Our son also will usually take naps there since they are good about setting routines.
Since I got a new job in the city and did not want to drive in and pay for expensive parking, we briefly took our son out for 2 months to try out a family day care near Central Square (over near Toscanini's). It was just one provider with five kids. Without going into much detail, the provider was not able to give the constant attention and intellectual stimulation that my son needed. We did not know what to do because we basically had to urgently find new day care. Fairy Tale accommodated us so that they had space for my son in the Toddler-preschool room. They think of our son like their family and instead of going back on the bottom of the wait list, they generously took him back as soon as possible.
Our 7 month old daughter also started a month ago and the infant room teachers have been great! We know our little girl is safe with them. They are introducing her to art projects such as painting and making stamps of her footprints using paint on paper (something we have not yet done ourselves!). She is at that stage where she likes to be held and be close to her providers. They play with her and give her the loving attention she needs.
We also love the open feel of the Allston facilities. There is an enclosed outdoor space with various play scapes, ride on toys, and a sand box. When it's raining/snowing or too cold, they have an open gym/play room for the kids to run around and get exercise. They also have an elevator and a parking lot.
The downsides are minor. The elevator can be slow (take the stairs if you do not need the elevator) and the parking lot is dark since it gets dark earlier in the winter. We will suggest that they try requesting that lights be installed so that we can more easily see in the parking lot. There were also several times where all the parking spaces were filled from other parents picking up kids or from other people attending events at the other businesses. But we just either wait for a space to open up or park to the side and run up to get the kids.
To summarize, we are very satisfied and happy that we are back at Fairy Tale and our children are happy. I may have to drive into the city and pay extra for parking but our kids' safety and happiness are worth it! Fairy Tale Children's Center is highly recommended!
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