We left Los Angeles for North Carolina two years ago and while we love our new home, we palpably and painfully miss The Growing Place, Marine Park. It is, for us, the gold standard and everything we ever wanted in a preschool.
Run, don't walk. Move to Santa Monica if you have to. The Growing Place is child-centered, thoughtful, loving, creative, experiential and... in a word, ideal.

This is an amazing Preschool! The Reggio approach is very nurturing, creative and respectful of children's ideas. The staff is extremely interested in each child. Much thought is given to how the space is used to foster growth. I love the uncluttered, clean aesthetic and the Art/Science Studio on campus! They aim for diversity and offer some scholarships. Very positive place and I recommend it highly!

My older son has been going to this preschool since he was 2 1/2 and he has had the best time. We are hoping to send our second son there too. They are an all day preschool catering to working parents. Their philosophy is based on the Reggio Approach which is a developmental approach. The entire staff is very nice and has a lot of experience and education early childhood development. They like to have a diverse student body and support the tuition of low income families with an annual fundraiser called the Dino Fair. I would absolutely tell all my friends to send their kids their.

PROS: They are open from 7:30am to 6:00pm.
CONS: They do not have half day options.