Water and Sunshine International Development Center, Sunnyvale | Fees, Rankings, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

My little one (LO) recently graduated from Water and Sunshine (W&S). I’m very proud to say that choosing this school is the BEST decision I’ve made for LO so far. It’s truly a hidden gem in the area (they are not among the well-known commercial ones and not very easy to find). Here is why I like it so much.

– Right childcare philosophy. Love is the foundation of the school. The owner Cindy runs the school with love at the center. They love and respect the children; and understand the unique personality, traits, and needs of each child very well. This means they are not only patient with children, but also provide them with the space they need for their personality and creativity to thrive. My LO (and children in W&S in general) had an easy time forming bonds and developing trust with the teachers from the very beginning and enjoyed their everyday lives at the school very much. (There were times when my LO called the teachers mistakenly at home when calling out to me – just to show how strong the bond is with the teachers).

– Competent teachers. The owner Cindy holds a high bar in choosing teachers. All teachers at W&S are loving, caring and competent.

– Strong support for parents, and close collaborations between the school and the family. The school and the family care for the same child, it’d be more than painful if the two can’t work well together. W&S does an extraordinary job on this.
— Communication between the school and parents is a breeze. There is no barrier in communicating anything. Cindy is always open to suggestions and actively solicits feedback to improve the school, and even involves parents in making big decisions like COVID-19 policies.
— This is a school that is considerate and willing to put in extra effort to help parents make things work for their LOs. A few examples: 1) The school adjusted their cooking procedure so that my LO, who has many food allergies, can enjoy as much food from the school as possible in a safe way. This not only saved cooking time for the family but also allowed my LO to try a wider variety of food. Also, whenever the school introduces new food, Cindy would send some for me to try at home first to make sure it’s safe to serve for my LO. 2) Cindy gave me school utensils for my LO to practice at home before starting school there, when I expressed concerns about my LO not fully mastering self-feeding yet at that point. It was very helpful in easing the transition for my LO.

– High-quality curriculum and program. W&S resides in a single-family house. From the outside, it looks like any family-based daycare that focuses on the basic needs of children – feeding, changing, etc. On the inside, however, it provides a program as rich and high quality as any formal school could do, if not richer and better. (That’s why I respectfully call it a school.) The program covers a diverse aspect of children’s development areas. The curriculum centers around a topic each week and provides various activities around it, including readings, artwork, songs, poems, etc. There are also sports lessons, dances, cooking projects, outdoor activities, field trips, birthday and holiday celebrations, etc. Their backyard is a magic place where children get to interact with nature – plants, fruits, vegetables, etc. Oh, and the school pets (notice the plural). I would love to go to school there too if I were a kid! Besides all these, there are individually designed programs tailored for each older kid. Btw, the weekly topic never repeats even if your children stay there for a few years – they have hundreds of topics curated over the years!

– Healthy, nutritious, and delicious homemade food. Some of which are from their backyard!

In summary, this is a REALLY GREAT school. And again, I proudly say, choosing this school is the best decision I’ve made for my LO so far. 🙂

My daughter attended Water and Sunshine from ages 2.5 to 3.5. Teacher Cindy has deep understanding of child development and psychology and really focuses on nurturing children’s social skills and emotional well-being. She frequently keeps us informed about our daughter’s life at school and offers valuable insights on how to support her through challenging toddler moments. It’s clear that Cindy is genuinely passionate about her work and deeply cares for the children. We often receive updates and photos from her even after regular school hours, which feels like she’s always thinking about the children even when they are not around. Thanks to Cindy’s care, our daughter has grown to be more confident and brave, and we’re incredibly grateful for the positive impact she’s had!

Water and Sunshine is super great! My kid started here when he is 1.5 years old. He is a super active and energetic boy. I was quite concerned before we sent him to daycare, cause he is always running and jumping in our home, and I was afraid he might hurt himself, and I was not sure if teachers can really handle him well.

Water and sunshine amazed me that the teachers there are super patient, and things just went smoothly. And it is amazing that your little one get to do artwork, gardening, food project, etc.

My favorite part about water and sunshine is that the owner respond fast to my messages, phone calls, and I got a ton of lovely pictures and videos from her.

Definitely recommend this place!