North Beach · 1901 Stockton St, San Francisco · Ages 0–3

Home-like warmth
for the earliest
years.

Built intentionally for infants and toddlers: small groups, hands-on learning, real organic food, and daily adventures beyond four walls. Not just daycare — early childhood education with intention.

Ages 0–3 · North Beach · Montessori & Reggio-Inspired · Organic Meals Daily
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The Program

Built from the
ground up.

Children don't just play here — they grow, explore, and prepare for what's next. Every detail of our North Beach daycare was designed for the earliest years: small group sizes that honor each child's pace, hands-on activities that build real independence, and a daily rhythm that offers both structure and freedom.

Our educators bring together Montessori principles and Reggio-inspired exploration — rigor and joy held in balance. Children participate, not simply observe. They build things, try things, and discover what they're capable of long before anyone expects it of them.

Parents feel it the moment they arrive. Confidence at drop-off. Pride at pickup. Children who talk about their day because something real happened in it.

Children engaged in hands-on learning at Hungry Caterpillars North Beach

"This isn't just a daycare.
This is early childhood education
built with intention — for the years
that shape everything after."

— Hungry Caterpillars, North Beach
What We Build

Six pillars. One
unwavering intention.

Every aspect of the day is designed around a child's whole development — body, mind, and confidence.

—

Fine Motor Skills

Daily hands-on projects building the coordination, control, and confidence children carry forward for life.

—

Gross Motor Development

Outdoor time and park visits every day, building strength, balance, and physical confidence from the earliest months.

—

Organic Nutrition

Clean, organic food prepared fresh — because what children eat matters as much as what they learn.

—

Field Trips

The Aquarium, Aquatic Park, the Exploratorium — building comfort in new environments and ease in the wider world.

—

Happy Kids Learn Best

Joy is not a reward for good behavior. It is the foundation of every moment we design, every relationship we build.

—

Ready for What's Next

Confidence and capability — without rushing childhood. We protect the freedom of being little, while preparing children for everything ahead.

How We Teach

Structure and flexibility.
Rigor and joy.

Children at this age learn through doing — through touch, repetition, sensation, and relationship. Our educators don't deliver lessons; they design environments where discovery is inevitable.

Executive function, independence, and self-regulation are built gradually, through consistent daily rhythms and the trust that grows between child and caregiver. We call it intentional — because nothing here is accidental.

From tummy time to sensory play to a walk to Washington Square Park, every moment has been thought through. That discipline is what families feel when they walk in — and what they rely on when they leave.

Toddlers exploring and learning at Hungry Caterpillars
North Beach · Ages 0–3
Children on a field trip at Aquatic Park, San Francisco
Toddlers at Washington Square Park in North Beach
SF
North Beach
Adventures

North Beach
is the classroom.

Learning doesn't stop at our front door. The neighborhood itself is part of the program — and North Beach is an extraordinary place to be a child.

We visit Washington Square Park for open movement and nature. We walk to the library for story time and quiet wonder. We take children to Aquatic Park, the Aquarium, and the Exploratorium — not as occasional outings, but as part of building a child who is comfortable navigating new spaces, meeting new people, and feeling at ease in the world.

Comfort in the world is learned early — or not at all. We make sure it's learned early.

Washington Square Park The Library Aquatic Park The Aquarium The Exploratorium
Daily Structure

A day designed
with care.

Every hour reflects the whole child — rest, nourishment, movement, play, and connection. Two schedules, each built for the developmental stage it serves.

Breakfast & Free Play 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
First Nap 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
First Bottle 10:30 AM
Play Time / Tummy Time / Sensory Play 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Lunch 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM
Second Nap 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Second Bottle & Snack 3:15 PM – 3:30 PM
Playground 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Afternoon Free Play 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Pick-up 5:30 PM

Breakfast 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
Indoor Projects 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM
Morning Snack 10:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Free Play / Indoor Activities 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Lunch 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Nap 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Snack Time 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Playground 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Afternoon Free Play 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Pick-up 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Location
North Beach
1901 Stockton St, San Francisco
Ages Served
0 – 3 Years
Infants and toddlers
Phone
(415) 712-4169
Monday – Friday

Come see it
for yourself.

A tour tells you more than any page can. Come meet us, see the space, and feel what we mean when we say this place was built with intention.

Schedule a Tour Call (415) 712-4169 Email Us