Testimonials

And Now a few words from our families...

*We love Pumpkin Seed!

Titi Jen, Damond and the Moodie kids weren't just an integral part of our kiddo's life, but our entire family's life as well. K needed plenty of guidance and structure when he arrived, but he thrived and learned so much under their care... frankly, we all did! There are many things we loved about the Pumpkin Seed experience:

We loved that K's life at Pumpkin Seed was full of music, art, and creativity on a daily basis. We loved that K got to explore, ask questions and grow. We loved that K was already at the beginning stages of reading when he left preschool, which was invaluable as he entered (remote) kindergarten in 2020. We loved that Titi Jen and Damond always met K with love and compassion, even/especially when he made mistakes; their ability to talk through the "why" is something we still hold onto still. We loved that Titi Jen and Damond were a part of our team, as we brainstormed ways to be better parents and caretakers, especially around the sticky spots. We loved that Titi Jen fed him delicious meals every day. We loved the Pumpkin Seed sense of community - with kite nights, movie nights, and bike days

We couldn't have asked for more, and are endlessly grateful for all that Titi Jen, Damond and the Moodie kids did for our family.

Jill K + Shyam P (‘18 - ‘20) Oakland

*PS is so much more than a childcare. It’s a community, a set of values, and an amazing family-run establishment that puts so much love into their care for children. Damond, Jen and their children cared for my 2 kids. I’d send a third if I had one :). They taught my husband and I to support my kids to be more independent than we thought they could be. They also checked in with us all the time so they could reinforce what we we were teaching our kids and we could reinforce what our kids were learning from them. Each year’s curriculum is the same, and as my kids progressed through the years I saw them becoming more and more expert in it, and more and more confident in supporting the littler ones to really engage with it (they helped them understand leadership). They have created a wonderful learning environment, and they have also invested a lot into building a supportive community among the families. I couldn’t recommend PS, Damond and Jen any more highly to any prospective families looking for care. - Rekha V. (‘16 - ‘19, ‘21 - ‘23) Oakland

Both of our children went to Pumpkin Seed and are now thriving in Elementary School. Our experience couldn't have been any more rewarding. The attention to detail, organization, structure and professionalism is equally matched with love, positivity and community building. This family run business truly sets the standard for what Preschool can be.

From the beginning Damond and Jen emphasized that providing seedlings with a skillset to prepare them for a smooth transition into the school system was a huge part of what they do. They delivered big time, and on top of that they felt like an extension of our family providing insight, guidance and support throughout our children's time there. We were thankful to be part of such a thoughtful community, and PS provided several wonderful family socializing events annually to build bonds. It was truly amazing seeing ALL the seedlings grow and progress over the years, and we cannot recommend this family business enough. - James H. (‘16 - 19, ‘21-’23) Oakland

*We literally can’t imagine raising our kids without Titi Jen, Damond and the Moodie kids too! Our daughters are becoming intelligent thinkers, creative artists, excellent members of a community and just all around beautiful human beings due in no small part to the steady leadership and guidance offered by this amazing place called Pumpkin Seed. I feel like my children are being raised in a larger family and caring community, something truly special. We couldn’t be more grateful!  - Kjerste & Edwin L. ('14 - ‘20), Oakland

*If you are in the hunt for a preschool, this place should be at the top of your list. Pumpkin Seed is pure magic, and Damond and Jen are the sorcerers. They create an environment of positivity, agency and love for every single kid in their care. They foster a school community that values each member and builds on the strength of the whole. We feel so fortunate to have found them for Liam’s preschool experience; we cannot recommend them highly enough. - Johanna & Steve H. ('11 - '14), Castro Valley

*If you're looking for childcare and are lucky enough to have stumbled upon Pumpkin Seed, then you should look no further!  All three of our children attended Pumpkin Seed over the course of 9 years, and we could not have found a more nurturing, engaging and loving environment for them to spend their early childhood years in.  All of the reviews posted here are spot on - Jen and Damond go above and beyond "childcare" and take care of your children as though they are their own (and their own are an integral and lovely part of the extended Pumpkin Seed family!).  Delicious and nutritious homemade meals, the famous "Pumpkin Seed band", extensive daily walks and puddle jumping escapades around the neighborhood, excursions to the library and to the pool for swim lessons, family kite-flying nights, and so much more.  We love and cherish this family and are so grateful for the positive impact they have had on our children's lives! - Lucy S. & Kevin L. (’06 - ’14), Oakland

*Pumpkin Seed is an amazing, warm, magical, and fun place! There are so many fantastic things about Pumpkin Seed

• Homemade, delicious meals, often made with produce from their own garden; these meals helped introduce our son to a wide variety of food

• Exploratory, long walks outside in nature everyday (rain or shine); the rainy ones were the most fun!

• Wonderful art projects (like decorating California state t-shirts to take home or hand-dyed scarves for Mother's Day)

• Music all the time (Damond is an excellent musician)

• Family/community events to bring together parents and kids to get to know each other and knit the community closer. These included Kite Night, Movie Night, Holiday Party, etc. 

• Swim lessons (one week of swim lessons with his classmates was amazing)

• Daily report (an individualized report on your child, from how many servings of lunch he/she ate, to how well they did on a scale of 1-5 with playing, paying attention, etc, to a paragraph(s) on what he/she did during the day, what went well and what he/she had trouble with)

Damond and Jen are super amazing people who make learning fun and really desire to help their students learn how to have good relationships with one another. They work on helping your child have great character and be a good citizen. When you join Pumpkin Seed, it is like joining a family (a really awesome, loving family). They are willing to share their experiences and wisdom regarding any number of questions/difficulties you may have and we benefitted greatly from them. They were able to know our son's unique strengths and weaknesses after only a couple months of being at Pumpkin Seed and thus understood when we shared what's been hard for us in parenting. They really take the time to get to know each child's personality and are so loving and affectionate. There is a lot of laughing and general fun.  - Audrey & Steve C. ('14 - '15, ‘21-23), Berkeley

*Pumpkin Seed is the best. Our oldest daughter graduated in 2011 and is now at Manzanita elementary, a Title I School where over 80% of families qualify for free lunch.  Her kindergarten teachers say how positive, well-behaved, eager to learn and share our daughter is. We were worried about her going from the most loving, nurturing, and caring environment a preschool could be, to the big, bold world of public school. But Jen and Damond did what they do and prepared her well. Our youngest daughter was being cared for by her grandmother (can’t beat free care!) but we had to send her to Pumpkin Seed because she was getting off the hook with her bossy/whiny behavior.  She now is getting good reports (reports are given daily with activities, food, naps, etc.) every day.  Jen and Damond worked their “magic” on her with consistent/stalwart modeling, redirection, play-based teaching, outdoor activities, teamwork (they really do balance each other out), and just that “we love your child like you do and do it all day” approach.  What first attracted us to Pumpkin Seed was the diversity – we wanted our children to have people of color as their teachers since preschool is the only time you can choose your teachers  – what keeps us there is the vibrant community that our children see as an extension of our family. – Andrew & Alexandra P. (’08 - ’15), Oakland

*We love Pumpkin Seed for our son!  Damond and Jennifer are a great team and genuinely care for and love the kids.  They do so many unique things that make Pumpkin Seed special.  For example, parents get a daily written report that shows what activities they did as well as how your specific child’s day went.  They serve delicious, healthy food and it smells so good every time I drop my son off at the door (I wish I could stay for breakfast!).   They really promote the Pumpkin Seed community and have family activities such as bike night, kite night, and a summer swim party.  These are just a few of the things that they do to go above and beyond to make it the best preschool! - Kelly & Tom S. (’11 - ’14), Alameda

*It's very rare that you are lucky enough to find a childcare provider that really 'gets' your child, not to mention two of them that compliment one another so well. We've been lucky enough to find those people in Jennifer and Damond. They truly love our son and it shows in absolutely everything they do- in the morning and afternoon hugs and kisses, their enthusiasm for the unique learning activities and in their relentless creativity, warmth and energy. - Dina & Davin B. (’09 - ’14), Lafayette

*First, we'd just like to say...if you are looking for a place that has a depth of caring for your children equal to your own...then Pumpkin Seed is the place.  We are so grateful for the nurturing environment that Damond and Titi Jen provided our son during his two years at Pumpkin Seed.  We found "the curriculum" of child focused FUN to be exactly what he needed in helping him build his self confidence, social skills and spark his curiosity for learning.  Damond & Titi Jen's respect & care for the children allow them to feel welcomed and have so much FUN that at times it is hard for them to leave.  There are so many things to say about our experience: wonderful nutritious meals, real life learning about the environment as well as health & nutrition by tending to the vegetables in the garden or counting the eggs from the chickens in the hen house, learning how to interact with their friends in a respectful caring way, the wonderful art projects and great network community of parents that we still socialize with today!  We also appreciated the daily written updates that let us know how our son was doing so we felt connected in the hours we were apart.  And we especially appreciated Damond & Titi Jen's thoughtfulness in preparing not only our son but us for his transition into kindergarten.  Again, the depth and care is outstanding! - Jackie B. & Carole K. (’07 - ’09), Oakland

*Pumpkin Seed is a total gem -- if you are lucky enough to get a rare spot in this amazing daycare, grab it!  Our kids are 11 and 13, and by now they've been in a lot of wonderful learning environments, but nothing compares to Pumpkin Seed.  Damond and Jen have created something unique, a perfect balance between a loving environment, a fun environment, a learning environment, and a place where children learn appropriate boundaries and great manners.  Plus, they offer delicious home cooked meals, beautiful outdoor space, fun outings, and lots of music.  Our family is forever grateful for our time with the Moodies. Rebekah E. & Dimitri K. ('05 -'07), Oakland

*Together, Jen and Damond create an incredibly fun and supportive atmosphere for kids to learn social skills and get academically prepared for school.  When I first visited them, I was immediately struck by their positive energy and creativity, and that remained true throughout the entire time my daughter was there. She grew tremendously during her two years at Pumpkin Seed; they really took the time to understand her personality, and encouraged her to stretch and try things that were a little outside of her comfort zone.  She was always excited about her day at Pumpkin Seed, and I can understand why! - Julie M. & David O. (’07 - ’09), Lafayette

*Our daughter began Pumpkin Seed as a 2 year old and has now been part of their program for two years.  Without reservation, Pumpkin Seed is an amazing preschool/daycare and our lives have been incredibly enriched by being part of this community.  Most importantly, our daughter loves it!Damond and Jen create an amazing environment that is structured, nurturing, academic, physical, artistic, social, and fun each day.  This is a high energy team that is also incredibly consistent and reliable.  They have an impressive grasp of child development and an unfailing belief in the potential of all children.  Damond and Jen have a clear plan of how to support children through difficult behaviors, and they are also are quick to celebrate growth and achievement. Other aspects of this program, which I believe make it special include their super fun back yard (complete with chickens), the varying age ranges of the children (Ingrid has gone from being the little one to being the big kid helper), daily walks to various parks and play fields in the area, eating really great food family style, and family opportunities to gather socially several times a year with all the kids and parents.  Damond and Jen focus on building community between the children and this naturally extends to parents and other siblings. This is a truly unique preschool/daycare and we continue to feel privileged that our daughter is part of this community. - Jody & Kevin C. (’09 - ’11), Oakland

*I can’t say enough good things about Pumpkin Seed. Jen and Damond are a fantastic duo! We found that they offer an interactive and supportive environment which provided a great foundation for our daughter. The feeling of support permeates all that they do and teach. Our daughter grew by leaps and bounds in this environment.  We had tried the franchise type of care providers however; we were not satisfied. The care and intimacy cannot be beat, let alone matched. Each day revolves around learning, social interaction, respect and team work; not just entertainment. But, the entertainment is great as well. In between all the great times and learning is the food, the wonderful nutritious food. Healthy meals are the standard and our daughter loved them. Last but definitely not least, the daily report. We really enjoyed having a view into our daughters daily successes and activities. We were fortunate to find Pumpkin Seed. The benefits are recognized on a regular basis in her confidence and expression. Granted, I would like to think we were an influence as well but; Pumpkin Seed was a big part of our daughters academic and social preparation. Thanks Pumpkin Seed! - Brian & Genevieve S. (’07 - ’09), San Ramon