Pines Play School Learning Center - Bastrop, Texas

Amanda S.

This is how we would pick up our kid from daycare. After bringing it up to them, our child suddenly became afraid of baths. If you have a gut instinct then I’d say follow it and stay away from this place. Before we pulled our son, I only witnessed 2-4 employees at the daycare when picking up and dropping him off —way over the kid to teacher ratio. This place is grossly taken care. He was constantly sick. They even had high traffic in the baby room with people wearing shoes and walking through the rooms where the babies were crawling. They had to close multiple times where we were there because of sickness spreading. This is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m amazed this place has stayed open. They have no business taking care of kids in the condition of this daycare.

Brianna L.

I love that they feed my son dinner and they're open until 6:30. I work in Austin and all of the other daycares close at 6 or earlier. I love that the owner is always available on her cell phone. It is also the only daycare that actually answers the phone. When looking for daycares, they were the only one I could get ahold of consistently.

Update: My son has been going to this daycare for 2 years now, and I couldn't be happier! The curriculum is top notch and my son learns SO much! I have never worried about if my son is safe. One day he said a bee stung him and they weren't sure if it was true or not but they still called to tell me! They keep me informed if anything happens and give me a reasonable amount of time to pick him up if he's sick. He hasn't been sick at all for at least the last 4 months, probably longer. I have no concerns about my son going here. Some people are willing to harass someone through Google reviews and it's disgusting!

Kyarah S.

My almost 2 year old went here along with his brother. This so called daycare is unprofessional my child would scream every time I pull up to drop him off saying No mommy No for several months since he started the inside where the babies are is so nasty and there is trash everywhere it looks like hoarders own it all staff sit on the floor and don’t interact with any of the kids I seen for myself and also have pictures of how horrible this daycare is ran. My child has never had a problem with not wanting to go to daycare until he went to this one I hope no parent or child has to deal with what we went through with this place and I hope my review helps this daycare be the last option for your child!!! We want our little ones to feel comfortable when we drop them off for long periods of times!!!

Shirley T.

I have known so many people that have said Brande Hale is a fantastic person and just love her. They keep the place clean. And spoils the children rotten. They provide breakfast, lunch and dinner and always a balanced meal. They have toys inside and outside that interest the children. And the curriculum is beyond most daycares. The staff keeps the babies busy and teach them to interact with other children properly! They do holidays which I think it's great and let the parent get evolved. Over all this is best daycare in Bastrop!

Brittney C.

My daughter has been going here for a little over a year, the providers are great, and easy to get along with. They follow CDC guidelines when it comes to children being sick as well as let other parents know when there has been virus in the facility. Which is great because it helps keep my baby safe. Also my daughter has learned so much by going here. There is a curriculum in place and she is being prepared for preschool/kindergarten. Also it's a plus because my daughter loves going here.

Kaycee N.

Do not send your children here. There is a reason they have openings. The owner allows her children and grandchild to be there at all times and it's the oddest situation in relation to a "daycare" I've ever seen.

During the summer of 2022 they had the kiddos outside in the heat of the afternoon when the temps were well over 100° multiple times including my not even six month old child.

My child would be starving when I picked them up even though I was providing ample milk and also had them have to trash over 15 oz of breast milk because they apparently lost power one weekend.

I would provide extra clothes and would arrive to pick up my child wearing clothes that were not theirs and even once had a pacifier that was not ours.

I've been told from a former employee these teachers are only paid $10/hour so it's not surprising they don't have the best and the brightest employeed there. But that's no excuse.

This place has no business being open and I would question everything they're doing with your child if you do attend as I caught them in MULTIPLE lies more than once.

Editing 5/23/23 to add that there was also an incident where one of the toddlers escaped out of the fence and ran into the parking lot as I was arriving to pick up my LO. I was able to grab the little girl before she got too far into the parking lot, but just the same, it should not have happened. A report was made and it was reported to the state as I did end up receiving a call from the DFS to tell them what happened as well as any other concerns.

Britany L.

Please PLEASE do not send your kids here! Parent to parent, Pines Play School is absolutely disgusting. The owner, Brande, has custody of her 8 year old granddaughter who is at the facility all day everyday, in and out of all the classrooms. My 4 year old son told me one day her granddaughter was doing extremely inappropriate things to him that an 8 year old little girl should know nothing about. I addressed it with the owner Brande, and her assistant Jocelyn, and that's the day everything started really going south and they started treating my kids differently. They dissmissed the concern and assured me the 8 year old granddaughter would no longer be in my sons class. However, they continued to let her in his class and Brande and Jocelyn started retaliating on my family to the point I literally didn't feel safe sending my kids there. The accusations they started making towards my 4 year old, and even my husband, were absolutely absurd. I decided I had to put my foot down and inform licensing. Low and behold Brande never reported the incident about her granddaughter to licensing which she is legally suppose to do! Hmmmmm suspicious much? Brande refused to let my children return after the day that licensing showed up to investigate what was going on with her granddaughter. We were involuntarily unenrolled because I notified licensing. So don't let her fake smile fool you. There is something going on at this place. They can't keep staff. There is zero structure for the children. The whole time we were there, we might have received 3 art and craft projects. Maybe. Almost everyday my kids came home covered in dirt and starving. Multiple times I picked up my kids out of the preschool room, and they had infants crawling around on the disgusting floor everyone had been walking on all day with their dirty shoes 🤢 For naps, they had the kids use community blankets instead of bringing their own. Disgusting. We have been to 2 other daycares and have NEVER experienced anything like this. Other daycares felt like family, the staff made me feel like my kids were so loved and cared for. This place is the complete opposite. I'll save you some time. Wiggles-n-Giggles in Bastrop is the place to send your kids! Mrs. Vivien and Rosemary are absolutely wonderful. Don't waste your time with this trash

Courtney S.

Brande and the staff have been nothing but amazing for myself and my daughter. They go above and beyond with the safety of the kiddos and the curriculum, even doing science fair projects! There is no better or safer place to put your children.