Readers' Choice: A Good Stretch WIns The Race

The Twin Cities area has more than 20 preschools and child care facilities, all equally popular with parents.

Our weeklong search for the best facility in town started with a significant list and grew even longer thanks to suggestions from our readers. Stretch The Imagination narrowly beat out the competition in a tiebreaker as the top choice in town in our unscientific poll and with high praise from its fans.

School director Pam Harris called the preschool "a wonderful project-based program in Corte Madera for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with an emphasis on the natural classroom."

There was also strong support in the contest for Kids on the Hill Preschool, Twin Cities Co-op Preschool, Corte Madera Montessori, and Marin Primary and Middle School.

Just to clarify: This contest was limited to locations not based in private homes. There are several highly regarded home-based child care spots as well.

Stretch the Imagination started 10 years ago in San Francisco under the guidance of Michele Lawton before it expanded with a second campus, located in the Tamal Plaza shopping center.

Marilyn LoRusso paid a visit to the preschool in January. She recounted the visit in her column, For the Love of Kids:

The children at Stretch the Imagination were having fun exploring their environment and enjoyed sharing their discoveries with me. I could see they were having another fun filled, play based learning day.

Stretch the Imagination has been green from the beginning and has partnered with like-minded organizations such as EcoMom Alliance to further their efforts and commitment.

“(The children) are the most present beings I know… They are full of theories and I learn so much from them every day," Harris said. "I love collaborating with them in order to deepen their learning process, their understanding, and all the while they are deepening my understanding about, not only early childhood education, but life.”

Thanks to all who voted and added comments not only to the Readers Choice story but to the listings for each school. If your school is not yet listed in our directory, please let us know so we can add it.

Next week, we ask you about your favorite Mexican restaurants in town, so why not get out there for a taste test and enjoy a meal?