No Openings

Little Gems, Gaithersburg

Based on 17 reviews

About

We are a small school providing excellent care for children aged two months to five years. There are two adults always present. We provide comprehensive care to ensure physical, social and academic growth of each child. We have a structured curriculum inclusive of a preschool program for 2-5 year olds complete with circle time, themes, art and crafts, music, outside play and pretend play. The children in our care enjoy individual attention all throughout the day, with lots of hugs and love! We encourage positive interaction between the children in our care by setting reasonable limits and gentle reminders. We take pride in the work we do and it shows in the development of the children as well as the referrals we get. We are conveniently located near a major route for the ease of drop off and pick up. We provide lunch and snacks. We have two openings coming up in the beginning of October for ages 2 months to 5 years.
Disclaimer: the licensing status was checked when this listing was created. We do our best to keep information up-to-date, but cannot guarantee that it is. You should verify the license/permit/registration status before enrolling in any child care program.

Parent Reviews

Laura C.
Verified Parent
Posted 2 months ago
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Ms. Smita has provided daycare for my son that has consistently gone above and beyond my expectations. She loves and cares for the children immensely and also keeps high expectations for them including learning play skills, pre-academic skills, and social skills. Ms. Smita is an excellent communicator and always keeps me updated on what is going on with my son. She creates and implements lesson plans with fun and exciting crafts or special activities to keep the kids engaged and learning. My son absolutely adores her and I am thankful we are a part of Little Gems!
Response from the provider:
Thank you so much Laura!
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Mary A.
Verified Parent
Posted 2 months ago
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Ms. Smita runs a darling in-home daycare in a safe and quiet neighborhood in Gaithersburg. The children are well cared for and very happy. I love the cleanliness and that she prepares the kids healthy meals. My son is always so happy to see her. His happiness leaves me with a sense of calm and ease when I drop him off in the morning. The City is building a very nice park right behind her house as well! We are very happy with the care at Little Gems and highly recommend if you are looking for an affordable, safe daycare.
Response from the provider:
Thank you!
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Lisa S.
Verified Parent
Posted 1 year ago
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Smita runs an excellent day school. She provides a hot lunch every day, plans enrichment activities and posts updates for parents. The kids spend plenty of time playing outdoors and burning energy. She juggles all that while also accommodating the stage 5 clingers that just want to be held. she runs a tight ship too! the kids all know how to clean up after themselves and follow her routines and rules. highly recommend!
Response from the provider:
Thank you Lisa!
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Anjali N.
Verified Parent
Posted 2 years ago
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We have had both our daughters at Little Gems (one is still happily there) and we are extremely fortunate to find such a caring, dependable, loving, educational and most of all fun environment for our girls. As another reviewer noted, Ms. Smita provides daycare services, but it has certainly been a home for our kids. She provides great activities for kids and ensures everyone (even the babies) are engaged at all times. She always includes educational activities through social play, reading, arts and crafts and of course inculcates learning skills based on age. We also appreciated the daily structure that was provided to kids. Our oldest stayed at Little Gems until she had to leave for kindergarten and she was more than well prepared for school. Ms Smita is also very communicative when it comes to your child's learning abilities, be it numbers, shapes, reading or even potty training and is always reassuring! I would highly recommend her daycare services; it has certainly benefited our children, we as parents have also learned a lot from her along the way!
Response from the provider:
Thank you!
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Andrea C.
Verified Parent
Posted 2 years ago
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We LOVE little gems! Ms. Smita and the other teachers are amazing and my kids have learned so much since being with her. She also does such a great job finding fun ways to keep the kids engaged and encourages play while keeping structure and consistency. Those that recommended little gems to us also said their kids didn't need pre school and were kindergarten ready when they turned 5. We waited over a year for a spot and it was definitely worth the wait!
Response from the provider:
Thank you!
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Niki F.
Verified Parent
Posted 2 years ago
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I am so truly thankful for Ms. Smita. She has a remarkable way with each child and nurturing their development and learning through a fun and engaging environment. There is not a rating high enough to capture my endorsement and gratitude.
Response from the provider:
Thank you!
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Sara H.
Verified Parent
Posted 5 years ago
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We have loved our experience at Little Gems. Smita gets to know your child so well—and she celebrates each one for his/her uniqueness. I really appreciate the insights she shares with me about our child’s behavior, rhythms, and personality traits. She is both wise and reassuring, and her ability to connect with children is wonderful. We know that our child is safe, happy, and loved every day. I highly recommend Little Gems to any family who values a warm, bright, clean, and engaging environment (filled with opportunities for dramatic play and collaboration!) for their child.
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Kim L.
Verified Parent
Posted 5 years ago
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Smita is a fantastic caregiver. My daughter was with her for a year, from 11 months to 2 years old. She acclimated so quickly and grew to absolutely love her time there. Smita is extremely knowledgeable, experienced and confident in all situations. I recommend her wholeheartedly for all ages!
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Melanie W.
Verified Parent
Posted 5 years ago
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There is no one like Ms. Smita. She cares and loves your children like she does her own. Her ability to connect with the children is amazing. We love how she included the kids in circle time from infancy until toddler. Communication is key and she kept us in the loop all the time. She has had such a profound impact on our lives.
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Diyana S.
Verified Parent
Posted 7 years ago
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Both our daughters attended Little Gems about 7 years ago, and still keep going back to visit - that should say it all. We were so fortunate to have found such a caring and nurturing environment to leave our children during the day. We never had to worry about them at all - we knew that they were safe and were in the good hands of Smita and her assistant. It was not just a 'daycare', it was home away from home for our kids. Mr. Thakkar and the kids embraced all the children and treated all the kids a like. Our girls have formed life long friendship with the family, so have my husband and I. It is a very special place, and I am so glad that I found them! We wish Little Gems the very best in the future.
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Meena R.
Verified through Facebook
Posted 8 years ago
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I have had both my children at Little Gems with Smita since 2009. In 2008, when we were looking for a daycare, we were given Smita’s name. My husband and I visited Smita’s Little Gems. We were happy to see the positive and happy environment for the kids. We signed up for her program and stuck with her until our daughter went to school. I still have my son at Little Gems. Smita and her assistants provide a caring and loving environment for the kids. Smita reads and does projects with the kids in the morning. This teaches the kids to participate in group activity and school behavior. Little Gems playroom enables both group play and individual play as both are necessary for children. Smita provides healthy, creative, and nutritious lunches/snacks for the kids. Our children have told us that they have eaten piggy face sandwiches when they read Three Little Pigs, Heart shaped Sandwiches for Valentine’s, Groundhog sandwiches for Groundhog Day, Green pudding for St. Patrick’s day, Indian Food for Diwali (indian holiday), and Bear sandwiches when they read Little Bear. This is so much fun for the kids and helps them remember what they learned and provides them with fun memories that last. Smita and her assistant are constantly monitoring the kids and provide them with loving, yet the right amount of discipline. Little Gems also prepares kids for Kindergarten. Smita worked with our daughter on K worksheets and sight words. This shows that kids also get individual attention. At Little Gems, summer is full of fun with outside play, daily walks, and water play. Given our time at Little Gems, I have seen Smita’s older students visit her and the care Smita shows them long after they have left her program. This goes on to show how much Smita cares about the kids.
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Elna W.
Verified Parent
Posted 8 years ago
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I had both my children at Little Gems. It is truly like a family. Not only do the children learn to help each other, the older children learn how to be compassionate and care for the younger kids. The group together completes an array of projects that help hone their fine motor control etc. We were extremely pleased with Little Gems and would highly recommend Little Gems!
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Manju S.
Verified through Facebook
Posted 8 years ago
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Smita does an amazing job of caring for children. She gives them a lot of affection, yet at the same time she provides the right amount of discipline. My daughter loved going to her daycare, where she would read, do fun activities and eat healthy food (including a lot of fruit). When you leave your child with Smita, you are leaving them in the best and most caring hands possible.
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Michael K.
Verified Parent
Posted 8 years ago
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Ms. Smita daycare is a wonderful place for your child. She takes great care of the children. All three of my kids went to Ms. Smita and they were in tears when they said their final goodbyes. I was crying too. She is a wonderful person, teacher, and provider.
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Lisa S.
Verified Parent
Posted 8 years ago
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Little Gems is the gold standard of childcare. Smita and her staff care deeply about the children in so many ways. Since Little Gems is a small, in-home daycare with eight kids, Smita is able to pay close attention to each child's development and temperament. She is happy to share her observations and questions so that she can work closely with each parent to encourage the most appropriate care for each child. It is extremely helpful to know what is going on with my children each day, and any issues that come up, or any positive behaviors as well. The environment is clean, and free of safety hazards. There are plenty of toys and books so that all of the children have lots of options of things to do. Smita also has a nice backyard where the children can play when the weather is nice. In the summer, she also allows the children to do waterplay outside once a week. As the children grow, Smita and her staff work with them on a curriculum she has created to foster developmental skills and learning so that, in Smita's words, "they will be ready for kindergarten, but they won't be bored when the get there." She not only teaches them academic skills, but also life skills and emotional skills. She makes sure the children are thoughtful of others, compassionate, polite, considerate, and self-aware. Smita also provides healthy food options for the children, and teaches them proper manners around eating habits and sitting at the table. My children have benefited enormously by going to Little Gems each day; they both started there when they were three months old. It's so comforting to know that while I'm at work, they are thriving and safe. Little Gems is a working mom's (and dad's) dream!
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Kim L.
Verified Parent
Posted 8 years ago
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When my husband and I were exploring day care options before having our first child Little Gems was by far our favorite and top choice. Unfortunately there wasn't space available when we needed it, but Smita kept my contact information and thankfully called me when my son was ~6 months old saying she'd have a spot opening in a couple months if I was still interested. I was tentative at first, having gotten my son settled in another home care already, but when I went back to revisit Little Gems I remembered exactly why it was my first choice and immediately said, "Yes, I'll take the open spot!" My son is now 2.5 years old and has been in Smita's care since he was almost 9 months and I will never regret the decision to move him to Little Gems. I can't say enough positive things about Little Gems and the care my son gets from Smita and her assistant Maria. Little Gems is the best combination of home care, play, structure, and learning that I could possibly ask for. Smita is loving, yet firm enough with the kids that they learn patience, sharing, and good manners. I love the mixed age group at Little Gems too - my son has learned so much from the older kids while also getting the opportunity to be a role model and "big brother" to the younger ones. I truly feel like this is a second home for my son and in turn he absolutely loves Smita and Maria, all of his friends, and everything else about going to daycare. Smita and Maria do an excellent job balancing free-play (indoors and outdoors - with water-play in the summer), story time, learning time, arts and crafts and providing nutritious, healthy lunches and snacks. I'm always amazed and impressed by the amount of thought and effort that Smita puts into activities for the kids each week. Smita truly provides a caring, loving environment and has really become an extension of our family!
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Lisa B.
Verified through Facebook
Posted 9 years ago
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Both of my children attended Little Gems before they began school. I live in Frederick, MD and am a teacher for Montgomery County Schools. I cannot say enough about the quality of care my girls received while they attended here. The balance between structure and having fun is absolutely perfect. Smita is like no other caregiver I have seen. Not only did she teach them social skills but she also taught them curriculum so that I did not have to worry about sending my girls to preschool. They stayed with Smita until they started Kindergarten and both are thriving. I strongly believe Smita directly contributed to their success! My girls are now older but we still have contact with Little Gems because Smita is still interested in how they are doing. I commuted 30 minutes out of my way so that my girls could attend Little Gems and it was worth every mile! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about Little Gems!
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Contact This Program For Free
Home-based
Hours
7:30am - 5:30pm
Ages
8 weeks - 5 years
Kindergarten
No
Accreditation
No
Meals Provided
Yes
Transportation
No
Facilities
  Playground
  Indoor Gym
  Multipurpose Room
  Computers
  Library
  Indoor Playroom