My daughter attended Developing Minds Academy for Pre-K, and we had such a wonderful experience! She had an amazing time with Miss Crystal and Miss Leah, Miss. Katie & Mr. Caleb who were all so caring, patient, and dedicated to helping the kids learn and grow. They offer yoga/PE/music class with Miss Katy—my daughter was always so excited on what she was going to do for specials that day! They have an awesome lunch program and really good salsa! The owners Deena & April genuinely care about the children and the center as a whole, and it really shows in the positive, nurturing environment they’ve created. We always felt like our daughter was in great hands!! The entire stuff is so amazing and so nice, you genuinely feel like you’re a part of a big family when you’re there. I highly recommend Developing Minds Academy to any family with kids of any age who are looking for a center that truly cares about its students!
Developing Minds Academy Preschool
Developing Minds Academy Preschool at a glance
Google reviewers rate Developing Minds Academy Preschool 4.9 out of 5 based on 73 reviews, with the owner responding to 67% of feedback. Parents frequently highlight the caring staff, consistent teacher assignments, and diverse activities like yoga and music that support children’s development. Communication through daily updates is also noted as a positive aspect. However, some critics mention that the facility closes during school breaks, requiring paid camp enrollment, and one low-star review alleged unprofessional staff dress codes.
- Google rating: 4.9 out of 5 from 73 reviews (96% five-star).
- Reviews on this page: 73 Google reviews (61 with written comments).
- Owner responses: the business replied to 67% of reviews.
- Most recent review: July 3, 2026.
- Service: Daycare Center serving Scottsdale, Arizona.
Data from Google, last updated October 29, 2026.
Score profile vs other daycare centers
Score per factor (100 = best)Each factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (star average, share of 1–2★ reviews, price verdicts…); standing within the category can only raise it, never lower it.. Strongest: craft & service and value; weakest: replies to reviews.
Bar = this company · dark tick = category median.
Star ratings
73 Google reviews we collected
- 5 stars7096%
- 4 stars00%
- 3 stars11%
- 2 stars11%
- 1 star11%
Praise vs complaints
Phrases our text analysis found in 61 written reviews
- Praise5096%
- Complaints24%
Topic share
How often each topic comes up in the written reviews
- Staff & attitude2446%
- Would recommend1325%
- Honesty & trust713%
- Quality & results510%
- Speed & response24%
- Communication12%
What customers talk about
We read 61 written reviews and marked every phrase about these topics. The same colors are highlighted in the reviews.
“Caleb who were all so caring, patient, and dedicated to helping the kids learn and grow.”
“I highly recommend Developing Minds Academy to any family with kids of any age who are looking for a center that truly cares about its students!”
“The owners Deena & April genuinely care about the children and the center as a whole, and it really shows in the positive, nurturing environment they’…”
“My daughter attended Developing Minds Academy for Pre-K, and we had such a wonderful experience!”
“Their kindness and passion was immediately clear.”
“The directors are always available if you have questions and are very flexible, kind and communicative!”
People customers mention
- Deena 5 reviews
praise complaint · found by our text analysis, Google review wording unchanged.
Recent reviews
It’s a great place, my child loved coming there. A couple things to bear in mind if you decide to enroll your little one: 1. They are closed during all the school breaks. You have an option to attend their ‘camp’ for an extra fee equal to the tuition price. 2. They have early releases on the same days the school…
We absolutely loved our time at Developing Minds Academy! My son attended for just one year, and if we weren’t moving, we would’ve happily kept him there. His teachers, Andrea and Kylie, were so kind, attentive, and truly wonderful with him. He was always excited to go to school, and that gave me so much peace of…
My daughter attended DMA for three wonderful years, and as a mom, I'm beyond grateful for the love, care and support she receives every single day. From the very beginning, directors Deena and April, along with all amazing teachers, made us feel welcomed and supported. The entire team creates a nurturing, safe and…
Do not trust this facility and do not trust April Schafer. The only thing she cares about is money. A child's mental, emotional and physical well being is not her priority. My son was enrolled here and I thought April cared but after a period of time I realized she and her staff do not. BEWARE
All of the people there were so great! Our daughter was there for several years, and to have such a fantastic place to send her for the work day was such a benefit. She learned a lot while having fun and making lots of friends. I could not have been happier. With a staff that cares, a curriculum of learning and…
We enrolled our son in DMA when he was around 2 . I think maybe even younger . We absolutely loved and love this place . We still contact the staff and they reach out about our son. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience .
Photos
Customer reviews
4.9 ★★★★★ 73 reviews on Google · rating breakdown
Reviews from Google, shown as published (original wording, unedited).
It’s a great place, my child loved coming there. A couple things to bear in mind if you decide to enroll your little one: 1. They are closed during all the school breaks. You have an option to attend their ‘camp’ for an extra fee equal to the tuition price. 2. They have early releases on the same days the school district has. Meaning you will have to figure out how to leave your work in the middle of the day throughout the year. 3. They do NOT provide lunch. It’s your responsibility to bring food every day. 4. The tuition is not cheaper than any other daycare in Scottsdale that provides lunch and is open 5 days a week morning till night except for major holidays.
Developing minds is the second childcare center that we have been with and we are so so so impressed with the staff. They deeply care about your kids. I love that they follow a school year and that your child has the same teachers and same classmates for an entire school year, as our previous center did not do that and moved kids as they aged out of classes. We saw our son get stressed in the previous type of environment (he had sleep regressions and would cry a lot), but he absolutely thrives in this one. The founders Deena and April deeply care about the kids and over the course of the year we noticed that basically the whole staff knows our kid, which has been really special. We've created friendships with other parents and feel so comfortable with every teacher we've ever interacted with. Plus our kid hardly wants to leave when we pick him up! The staff here is truly a second arm to our parenting team. I'm not sure where those negative reviews are coming from, but I would take them with a big grain of salt.... especially the ones that don't give any context or story as to why they are having an issue.
We absolutely loved our time at Developing Minds Academy! My son attended for just one year, and if we weren’t moving, we would’ve happily kept him there. His teachers, Andrea and Kylie, were so kind, attentive, and truly wonderful with him. He was always excited to go to school, and that gave me so much peace of mind. I knew he was not only safe but also loved and cared for. I can’t thank the staff enough for making our experience such a positive one. Highly recommend to any parent looking for a nurturing and reliable environment!
My daughter attended DMA for three wonderful years, and as a mom, I'm beyond grateful for the love, care and support she receives every single day. From the very beginning, directors Deena and April, along with all amazing teachers, made us feel welcomed and supported. The entire team creates a nurturing, safe and engaging environment where my daughter could grow, learn, and thrive. Thank you Deena, April, Kathy, and every teacher at DMA. We will always look back on this time with appreciation and happy memories!
Do not trust this facility and do not trust April Schafer. The only thing she cares about is money. A child's mental, emotional and physical well being is not her priority. My son was enrolled here and I thought April cared but after a period of time I realized she and her staff do not. BEWARE
All of the people there were so great! Our daughter was there for several years, and to have such a fantastic place to send her for the work day was such a benefit. She learned a lot while having fun and making lots of friends. I could not have been happier. With a staff that cares, a curriculum of learning and playing, and an all around happy atmosphere, it made for a quality experience.
Thank you, Erik! We really appreciate your positive review.
We enrolled our son in DMA when he was around 2 . I think maybe even younger . We absolutely loved and love this place . We still contact the staff and they reach out about our son. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience .
Thanks for sharing your review!
We love DMA so much too much to the point that even when we need to move from our apartment, we looking for somewhere near by the daycare, cuz we will not want to change the daycare that our kids love to go, play, learn, and enjoy being babies, toddlers, and kids. A place that we trust and we love deeply from our hearts ❤️
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience!
DMA develops the mind, body, social well being and is a great place for your children to learn and grow!
Thank you, John! We really appreciate you taking the time to leave us a review.
Business details
- Address: 9659 Hayden Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85258
- Phone: (480) 269-7955
- Website: developingmindsacademy.com
- Service area: Scottsdale, AZ