1. Playhouse Preschool
2001 55th Street, Sacramento, CA 95817
Play-based · Inquire
Why it stands out: ✓ State-licensed (verified) — no serious deficiencies on record · Published tuition
A play-based preschool in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Sacramento.
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State licensing record — Licensed · capacity 15 · 0 serious deficiencies (Type A) · 1 minor · 0 substantiated complaints · last inspected 6/13/2024.
CA Community Care Licensing · license 343609684. The state publishes counts and outcomes, not the allegation text — request the full report from CDSS with the control number.
How to read this record →Published tuition (from the school's own site)- Infants (6 weeks - 12 months) · Full-time — $280/per week
- Infants (6 weeks - 12 months) · Part-time — $195/per week
- Infants (6 weeks - 12 months) · Drop-in — $75/per day
- Toddlers (1-2 years) · Full-time — $260/per week
- Toddlers (1-2 years) · Part-time — $185/per week
- Toddlers (1-2 years) · Drop-in — $70/per day
- Preschool (3-4 years) · Full-time — $240/per week
- Preschool (3-4 years) · Part-time — $175/per week
Fees: Enrollment fee (one-time, per child) $75 · Late pick-up $15 for every 15 minutes past closing · Returned payment $35
Program details (from the school's own site)Approach: Play- and development-focused: "early childhood is a magical time filled with curiosity, wonder, and possibility... a safe, enriching, and joyful space where children can learn, grow, and thrive - emotionally, socially, and intellectually." Publishes a DEI statement.
Extracurricular: Enrichment activities included in tuition.
Ages served: 6 weeks to 10 years across five programmes: Infants 6 weeks-12 months, Toddlers 1-2, Preschool 3-4, Pre-K 4-5, Before & After School 5-10.
Meals: Included — Tuition includes "nutritious meals and snacks" plus educational materials and supplies.
Allergy policy: "Allergies and dietary needs are carefully accommodated."
Teacher credentials: Staff are background-checked; secured entry and daily health checks are described.
2. L'Academy Schools
1625 22nd Street, Sacramento, CA 95816
Progressive · Inquire
Why it stands out: ✓ State-licensed (verified)
A Midtown Sacramento preschool blending Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and play-based learning with language immersion.
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State licensing record — Licensed · capacity 48 · 2 serious deficiencies (Type A) · 2 substantiated complaints · last inspected 4/29/2025.
CA Community Care Licensing · license 343624127, 343624125. The state publishes counts and outcomes, not the allegation text — request the full report from CDSS with the control number.
How to read this record →Program details (from the school's own site)Approach: "Blended curriculum combines STEM and the arts with play-based learning inspired by Reggio Emilia and Montessori."
Languages: Mandarin and Spanish immersion programmes.
Ages served: Infant 5-24 months; Toddler 24 months-3 years; Preschool 3-6 years.
Meals: Included — Full-day care includes "hot, nutritious meals made in-house" using organic ingredients.
3. Artenia Beast's Academy of Play and Whimsy
5265 H Street, Sacramento, CA 95819
Play-based · Inquire
Why it stands out: ✓ State-licensed (verified)
A play-based, child-directed preschool in the East Sacramento neighborhood.
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State licensing record — Licensed · capacity 90 · 1 serious deficiency (Type A) · 0 substantiated complaints · last inspected 9/24/2025.
CA Community Care Licensing · license 343620093. The state publishes counts and outcomes, not the allegation text — request the full report from CDSS with the control number.
How to read this record →Program details (from the school's own site)Approach: Play-based and explicitly anti-academic-acceleration: "play is children's work. The foundations for literacy, attention giving, social interaction, self-regulation, mathematical and scientific reasoning, and motor development are not attained by rolling elementary teaching approaches into the preschool years prematurely." Describes itself as student-centred, valuing "child choice, social justice, culturally competent curriculum, and the natural world."
Ages served: Children ages 2-6, in East Sacramento.
4. Bergamo Montessori School
8144 Pocket Road, Sacramento, CA 95831
Montessori · Inquire
Why it stands out: ✓ State-licensed (verified) — no serious deficiencies on record
A Montessori school serving preschool-age children in the Pocket-Greenhaven area of south Sacramento.
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State licensing record — Licensed · capacity 84 · 0 serious deficiencies (Type A) · 0 substantiated complaints · last inspected 1/28/2026.
CA Community Care Licensing · license 343626077. The state publishes counts and outcomes, not the allegation text — request the full report from CDSS with the control number.
How to read this record →Program details (from the school's own site)Approach: Montessori. Operator states "98% of Our Students Meet or Exceed National Benchmarks". Part of Bergamo Montessori Schools, which runs three campuses: this one, Montessori Country Day (7575 Rush River Dr, Sacramento) and Bergamo Montessori at Serrano (El Dorado Hills).
Ages served: The operator states 18 months through 6th grade across its schools; this campus's locations page gives "ages 3 months through Kindergarten".
5. Diamante Montessori School
1827 Markston Road, Sacramento, CA 95825
Montessori · Inquire
Why it stands out: ✓ State-licensed (verified) — no serious deficiencies on record
A Montessori preschool in the Arden-Arcade area of Sacramento.
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State licensing record — Licensed · capacity 60 · 0 serious deficiencies (Type A) · 1 minor · 0 substantiated complaints · last inspected 7/18/2024.
CA Community Care Licensing · license 343621877. The state publishes counts and outcomes, not the allegation text — request the full report from CDSS with the control number.
How to read this record →Program details (from the school's own site)Approach: Montessori. The site leads with Maria Montessori's "Let us give the child a vision of the whole universe" and organises around About / Programs / Curriculum / Admissions.
6. Creative Spaces Preschool
5315 H Street, Sacramento, CA 95819
Play-based · Inquire
Why it stands out: ✓ State-licensed (verified)
A play-based preschool for ages 2-5 in the East Sacramento neighborhood.
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State licensing record — Licensed · capacity 36 · 0 serious deficiencies (Type A) · 2 minor · 1 substantiated complaint · last inspected 12/11/2025.
CA Community Care Licensing · license 343622084. The state publishes counts and outcomes, not the allegation text — request the full report from CDSS with the control number.
How to read this record →7. Discovery Montessori
5613 G Street, Sacramento, CA 95819
Montessori · Inquire
Why it stands out: ✓ State-licensed (verified) — no serious deficiencies on record
A Montessori preschool in the East Sacramento neighborhood.
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State licensing record — Licensed · capacity 24 · 0 serious deficiencies (Type A) · 2 minor · 0 substantiated complaints · last inspected 3/20/2026.
CA Community Care Licensing · license 340303488. The state publishes counts and outcomes, not the allegation text — request the full report from CDSS with the control number.
How to read this record →8. Sacramento Montessori School
1111 D Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Montessori · Inquire
Why it stands out: ✓ State-licensed (verified)
A Montessori preschool in the Alkali Flat/Mansion Flats area of downtown Sacramento.
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State licensing record — Licensed · capacity 64 · 2 serious deficiencies (Type A) · 2 minor · 3 substantiated complaints · last inspected 9/3/2026.
CA Community Care Licensing · license 343627504. The state publishes counts and outcomes, not the allegation text — request the full report from CDSS with the control number.
How to read this record →9. Sutterville Preschool
5520 Gilgunn Way, Sacramento, CA 95822
Parent cooperative · Inquire
Why it stands out: ✓ State-licensed (verified)
A parent-cooperative, play-based preschool in the Land Park/South Land Park area of Sacramento.
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State licensing record — Licensed · capacity 40 · 1 serious deficiency (Type A) · 1 minor · 0 substantiated complaints · last inspected 1/21/2025.
CA Community Care Licensing · license 340305266. The state publishes counts and outcomes, not the allegation text — request the full report from CDSS with the control number.
How to read this record →10. The Makers Place Preschool
2214 21st Street, Sacramento, CA 95818
Play-based · Inquire
Why it stands out: ✓ State-licensed (verified)
A play-based preschool using an emergent curriculum in the Midtown/Curtis Park area of Sacramento.
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State licensing record — Licensed · capacity 25 · 1 serious deficiency (Type A) · 0 substantiated complaints · last inspected 8/11/2026.
CA Community Care Licensing · license 343623934. The state publishes counts and outcomes, not the allegation text — request the full report from CDSS with the control number.
How to read this record →11. Little Blossom Montessori School
2075 Arena Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95834
Montessori · Inquire
See the listing for details, then confirm with the school.
A Montessori preschool in the Natomas area of north Sacramento.
First Cubby ranks the 11 preschools it tracks in Sacramento by how much verified, published information each one shares — state licensing and inspection records, published tuition, staff ratios, and program details — so you can compare the programs you can actually vet. The order is a transparency ranking, not a subjective quality score; tour your shortlist before deciding.
We order schools by the depth of verified, published data a parent can check: a verified state child-care license with a clean inspection record, published tuition, listed staff-to-child ratios, and detailed policies. We never take payment to rank a school and we never invent numbers — a blank means the school hasn't published it.
10 of the 11 programs shown have a state child-care license we verified against the official licensing database, including capacity and inspection history. Licensing is a health-and-safety floor, not a quality guarantee — always confirm a school's current status yourself.
1 of the programs here publish their tuition, shown on each listing. Cost varies by schedule and approach; our guide on how much preschool costs explains how to compare the real price, and how to afford preschool covers subsidies, TK, and Head Start.