Ranked #1 overall across all 11 quality dimensions among every licensed childcare center in Santa Monica. This is the highest recognition we award in the city.
Top 100 in California
Among the top 100 childcare centers statewide — a distinction earned by fewer than 1% of licensed centers across California.
Best for Safety
Earned the highest safety score in Santa Monica. Our safety dimension weighs inspection history, deficiency records, and parent-reported safety culture across reviews.
Best Teachers
Earned the highest teacher quality score in Santa Monica. This dimension weighs staff tenure, qualifications, warmth reported in parent reviews, and consistency of care across classrooms.
Best Curriculum
Earned the highest curriculum score in Santa Monica. This dimension evaluates structured learning, developmental programming, and how well daily activities prepare children for each stage.
Most Compassionate
Earned the highest compassion score in Santa Monica. This dimension captures how families describe staff empathy, how concerns are handled, and the emotional environment of the center.
Full Ranking Detail
childcarepreschoolnature-based
Growing Place — Ocean Park Campus is a CCLD-licensed nonprofit preschool in Santa Monica with nearly four decades of experience delivering inquiry-based, nature-focused early childhood education to children ages 2.5 through TK. The center holds Preschool License #191671677 with a capacity of 100, maintains a spotless recent inspection record (2022, 2025), and operates across over an acre of outdoor play space featuring fruit trees, water features, and natural learning materials. Using a Reggio-inspired, relationship-based curriculum and NAEYC accreditation, children remain in small, stable classroom cohorts with consistent teachers; a dedicated atelier studio and varied outdoor exploration (gardens, climbing structures, and nature play) support creative and emotional development. Standard hours run 8:00 AM–5:00 PM with no weekend or extended-care options, and demand significantly exceeds capacity, making waitlist enrollment the norm.
Safety8.0
Curriculum9.0
Art / Music8.0
Infant care4.0
Kindergarten readiness7.0
Teacher quality9.0
Compassion9.0
Management7.0
Culture9.0
Extracurriculars8.0
Programs & curriculum
Curriculum & approach: Reggio-inspired, research-driven approach centered on relationship-based learning and emotionally secure environments. Children stay in small, stable classroom cohorts with the same teachers through their preschool years.
Programs & activities: Nature exploration (gardens, water features, dirt hill), outdoor play (swings, tricycle path, climbing bars), and creative art in a dedicated atelier studio with materials like clay, wire, paint, and fabric. Classroom learning includes block spaces and light and shadow play.
What sets it apart: NAEYC accredited. Preschool License #191671677, capacity up to 100 children, ages 2.5-6 (Preschool-TK), hours 8:00 am-5:00 pm, located at 401 Ashland Avenue, Santa Monica.
Recognition of Excellence — Website Badge
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#1 in Santa Monica
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Growing Place — Ocean Park Campus -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/los-angeles/santa-monica/growing-place-ocean-park-campus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/rank-1-city.jpg" alt="#1 in Santa Monica - Growing Place — Ocean Park Campus - Santa Monica, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">#1 in Santa Monica</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Ranked #1 overall across all 11 quality dimensions among every licensed childcare center in Santa Monica. This is the highest recognition we award in the city.</span>
</span>
</a>
Top 100 in California
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Growing Place — Ocean Park Campus -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/los-angeles/santa-monica/growing-place-ocean-park-campus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/rank-100-state.jpg" alt="Top 100 in California - Growing Place — Ocean Park Campus - Santa Monica, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Top 100 in California</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Among the top 100 childcare centers statewide — a distinction earned by fewer than 1% of licensed centers across California.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best for Safety
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Growing Place — Ocean Park Campus -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/los-angeles/santa-monica/growing-place-ocean-park-campus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-safety.jpg" alt="Best for Safety - Growing Place — Ocean Park Campus - Santa Monica, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best for Safety</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest safety score in Santa Monica. Our safety dimension weighs inspection history, deficiency records, and parent-reported safety culture across reviews.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Teachers
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Growing Place — Ocean Park Campus -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/los-angeles/santa-monica/growing-place-ocean-park-campus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-teacherq.jpg" alt="Best Teachers - Growing Place — Ocean Park Campus - Santa Monica, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Teachers</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest teacher quality score in Santa Monica. This dimension weighs staff tenure, qualifications, warmth reported in parent reviews, and consistency of care across classrooms.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Curriculum
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Growing Place — Ocean Park Campus -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/los-angeles/santa-monica/growing-place-ocean-park-campus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-curriculum.jpg" alt="Best Curriculum - Growing Place — Ocean Park Campus - Santa Monica, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Curriculum</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest curriculum score in Santa Monica. This dimension evaluates structured learning, developmental programming, and how well daily activities prepare children for each stage.</span>
</span>
</a>
Most Compassionate
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Growing Place — Ocean Park Campus -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/los-angeles/santa-monica/growing-place-ocean-park-campus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-compassion.jpg" alt="Most Compassionate - Growing Place — Ocean Park Campus - Santa Monica, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Most Compassionate</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest compassion score in Santa Monica. This dimension captures how families describe staff empathy, how concerns are handled, and the emotional environment of the center.</span>
</span>
</a>
This recognition is awarded independently by Creative Minds Montessori based on publicly available parent reviews and public records. Centers do not pay for or request these rankings. Scores reflect editorial synthesis of verified parent experience — not center marketing materials. Rankings are updated periodically as new reviews are analyzed.
