We'll likely be moving to Tyler in July and would like to try and find a pre-k and Mother's Day out for our 4 and 1yr olds for this year. Any feedback on good and bad ones in the area? I know many could already be booked but we'd really like to find something if there are any good options available still.

Our 3 year olds currently attend Kids Kaleidoscope (sp?) which is located in Pollard Methodist church. It's a pretty great place.

My oldest who is now in K attended the day care at Green Acres Baptist church. We also really liked it there, however, the director of the program Leigh Evans is retiring in May after 30+ years there. She is an amazing woman and will have huge shoes to fill. I'm sure the replacement will be good, but it is likely to change a bit.

Kids Kaleidascope is a bit more cutesy than Green Acres. They have festivals for Texas day, thanksgiving, Christmas and probably a few more things. By festivals I mean that they are big productions. The rooms are also a bit cuter with a bit more going on. However, I would recommend both. We had great experiences with the teachers at both, and both places seem to truly care about your kid as opposed to it just being a job for them.

Also, neither make you pay during the summer in order to hold your place for the next year which is huge. Several places in town make you do that whether you plan on attending during the summer or not. It's nice getting that three months tuition back.

If your interested in a tour of KK, call and ask for Jamie. Ask for Leigh at Green Acres, but again, I believe she is retiring in a few weeks.

On a side note, we have good friends who take their kid to Stepping Stone. I've never been there, but they like it.

Leigh is retiring from Green Acres at the end of May but Marla is taking over and has been there for years. She'll do a good job and learned from some really good people. This late in the game with a 1 year old and 4 year old, you'll likely be wait listed at Green Acres, and very possibly Stepping Stone. It will suck a bit, but it probably wouldn't hurt to pay the fee and go ahead and get on the wait list for several (unless Josepi's school has openings right off the bat). There are some really good ones here but they fill up quick.

Josepi, I was wondering why I hadn't seen you picking up or dropping off the kids in a while. Didn't realize you guys had switched schools.

The oldest finished up at Green Acres and is over at Andy Woods now.

When it was time for the youngest to go somewhere, my wife really wanted them to go to KK. I'm not sure why as we both really liked Green Acres, but once she made up her mind, there was no point in me fighting it. KK is a good place too. The people there are great. The hours aren't quite as good, but I have no complaints.

I'm glad they found a good replacement for Leigh. I really like her.

Oh, and as another side note, members of Green Acres Baptist Church get moved to the front of the waiting list. Don't know what your situation is, but I know several people who have joined the church just to get into daycare.

And apparently the pastor doesn't have a problem with that strategy either.......or so I've heard.

I don't know where you possibly could have heard that.

If they have special needs then green acres might not be the place. They just booted a friend's kid with no notice prior to being told they couldn't come back.

Is David Dykes still the pastor at Green Acres? I grew up in Tyler actually. We were members of Green Acres growing up. Don't think we'd go there now though. We tend to prefer smaller churches (at least smaller than Green Acres).

Thanks for the info!

Little late to the thread but +1 for KK. Both boys went there and both of their kindergarten teachers told us they love the kids from KK.

Also, I have to plug TISD, they are piloting a tuition based preK class at Andy Woods for the fall. It may or may not be full right now, though. Originally for only tisd teachers and staff, but didnt fill up, so they opened it up. Great school, you'll get to be involved with school activities and pta. Only preK with a certified teacher. Tuition is supposed to be competitive.

Thanks for the help. We've got our oldest set to go to KK in the fall. Our youngest won't be able to attend KK next year because he won't be 18 mos on Sept 1 (missed it by a month).

Any recommendations for a kid his age? He'll be 17 months old at end of August.