If you live in Walnut Creek and are a parent, you might have already heard rumors about a certain preschool that is attracting everyone. Every billboard and flyer does not feature Whispering Pines. Most find it by a friend, a neighbor, or occasionally pure chance—a real gem in the preschool in Walnut Creek. Why then does everyone who finds it start to fervently support something? Let us, then, draw back the curtains.

Imagine leaving your child and being greeted by staff members first name, coffee in hand, eager to talk about the soccer events of the weekend. Here the culture is community first. One mom beaming tells me, “It feels less like drop-off and more like leaving my child with family.” The warmth is evident, which, to be honest, makes getting out of the minivan at eight in a.m. somewhat easier.

Enter the classrooms and you will find a rainbow of inspiration. Projects including finger painting exist, but also STEM nooks where children laugh as they work with basic robots. The instructor set up a mock market for farmers last month. The children practiced counting money on the fly, swapped plastic fruit, and played cashier. One dad said, “My son now reminds me to eat my vegetables since ‘Miss Molly says broccoli is brain food!”‘ That kind of reasoning is not negable.

There is no negotiable outside playing. Teachers get the children ready in puddle boots and let them stomp to their hearts’ content even if gray clouds call for rain. A mother said, “They come home muddy and tired—with stories I could not even dream of.” Every day it is an adventure.

Some preschoolers bragg about their sight words and number drills. Whispering Pines is mostly interested in kindness and inquiry. Here in the play yard, friendships blossom wild beside the vegetable patches. The teachers include music and Spanish. Yoga with the class guinea pig waddling next to the mats one morning; the next morning is insect research under a log. The course keeps everyone wondering and makes learning seem less like a work.

One theme parents repeat is communication. Every day picture updates come in inboxes, showing happy children or their most recent creations. Teachers are quick to reply to messages, whether you’re wondering what happened to Baby Bear’s left shoe or if someone’s feeling under the weather.

Especially charming is what you find here. Birthdays bring a handmade card from the whole class, signed with crayon squiggles and shy smiles. These small gestures create a very devoted parent community; word spreads quickly.

Whispering Pines isn’t glossy, but it’s genuine. It’s the sort of place where your child races ahead to hug a friend and you realize, “This is it. For my child, this is the kind of delight I am seeking. If you’ve been on the hunt, maybe now’s the time to put this under-the-radar preschool on your radar—before the secret gets out.