Compared to the schools in the area, allows us to provide an excellent service and a more personalized approach to each child’s development.
Our teachers utilize an eye-to-eye teaching method, getting on your child's level to help encourage engagement, acceptance, and understanding.
Our teachers utilize an eye-to-eye teaching method, getting on your child's level to help encourage engagement, acceptance, and understanding.
Mission Statement And Philosophy
At Little Llama, we believe in creating not just a curriculum, but a friendly, loving, and accepting community. We believe that children learn better with support of teachers and peers. Our teachers are always involved in communication process with kids (even at free play) and encourage them to be active, adventurous and curious, while promoting their speech and development. We proudly offer an open-door policy for our parents and are open to resolving any issues that arise prioritizing the overall well-being of our children.
Our goal is to create opportunities for our children to experience well-balanced development in a safe and friendly environment. We believe in fostering every aspect of a child's development, including emotional, physical, intellectual, and social, helping them realize their full potential and become the best version of themselves.
Curriculum
We use emergent curriculum that is being developed each week based on current needs of each individual child, their interests, pace, and skill level. Built on the progress made during the current week, all the teachers in the classroom work together on a lessons plan for the following week.
Celebration of life, holidays and exploration of different cultures are a very important part of our curriculum.
We utilize music, dance, art projects, physical education, and outdoor time, in learning about nature and the people around us.
From the creator of Little Llama
My name is Evgenia Umit, and I'm the proud owner of Little Llama a childcare facility dedicated to fostering every aspect of your child's development. I've worked with children for as long as I can remember and have spent the last twelve years as a professional in the childcare field.
My licenses from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education include teacher, lead teacher, and directors, and I have a Master of Arts degree as well.
I've worked as a nanny, an infant teacher at an MIT daycare, & an infant/toddler lead teacher at one of Brookline's busiest facilities. While teaching, I continued as a newborn care specialist for Boston Baby Nurse, a prominent newborn care agency, and the winner of the "Family Favorite" award in the Boston Parent Paper, five years in a row. My responsibilities at Boston Baby nurse included taking care of newborns, providing training for parents and family members in newborn safety regulations, lactation, feeding techniques, daily routines, and more!
For years I've dreamed of opening my own daycare with the philosophies I hold dear, and I'm so happy my dreams are finally becoming a reality! I genuinely love working with children, and there's no greater joy for me than providing "my kids" with guidance on their journey to maturity.
I am here every day and would love to help you with any questions you have about babies, children, parenting, education, and more. I want you to know that you and your child have a friend in me, and I can't wait to share my love for children with your family.
Infant Program
The first year of life is extremely important for future health and development. Our infant program is not a babysitting option, but a real program filled with quality care and developmental activities. Each child in the infant room is on their individual schedule.
What you will see in our room:
We hold infants as much as they need to be comfortable. Our teachers always sit on the floor to be on the same eye- contact level with the kids and engage them in various play options. Our entire room is dedicated exclusively to infants, allowing for lots of space when they start crawling and moving around. We supply a variety of wooden Montessori approach developmental toys.
What you WILL NOT see in the classroom:
Adult furniture (our teachers are always on the floor with kids) -Jumpers, walkers, swings. There are lots of proven research that these devices are not safe for baby’s spinal. We believe that infants gain and develop their skills better when they are freely exploring the room, not staying tight in any device.
Toddler Program
Our toddler room is filled with fun zones and educational toys. This is the time when our children learn better about their body abilities and starting to recognize their feelings and emotions.
We spend a lot of time teaching kids about how to tell their friends that they need more space, what they like and don’t like.
We also teach how to recognize their emotions and that its ok to feel sad or happy sometimes and what is the best way to rid off their frustration (for example through a soft ball or dance for a couple of minutes). We do a couple 5min yoga breaks in during day, when we turn a relaxing music on and teachers teach kids to stretch and focus on their breathing, it helps kids to recharge and a great opportunity for the transition between the activities. Socializing is a huge part of our toddler program we teach kids to be polite, build their first friendships & resolve their first conflicts.
Our teachers are always stay on the floor with kids to be able to engage them in a fun play, or support them in a resolving some problems, promote their speech development and be curios.
We love messy activities and experiments
Preschool
When our kids go to preschool we continue to provide accepting & loving environment for them and teach them how to succeed, become independent in their self-help skills and continue to be curious and work on a different science projects and experiments. We teach them how to observe, collect and even start to analyze data and it’s all in a play form.
Respect themselves and everyone around, be proud of their work, don’t give up, encourage your friends, be a good person- this is our main skills that we teach our preschoolers. We focus here on education aspects a lot and use every opportunity to teach our students something new about the world every day. We love to explore different cultures through play, books, music, holidays and even food. We’re proud of our diverse community at Little Llama.
Get In Touch
Robin Cohen
July 8
Evgenia and all of the teachers at Little Llama are absolutely wonderful. They take such care in everything they do, from crafting engaging curriculums to building community among the parents.
Our daughter was home until she was almost three and joined the toddler class. The teachers supported her and us, giving frequent updates, flagging concerns, and making her feel comfortable. We have since moved about twenty minutes away, and chose to stay at Little Llama because the teachers, programming and care is that good. Highly recommend to anyone.
Alison Jost
June 14
We truly cannot say enough good things about Little Llama — our experience there has been nothing short of wonderful. Our daughter began attending Little Llama when she was six months old, and recently graduated from the infant room into the young toddler classroom. She absolutely loves going to school every day, and we have been consistently impressed by the high-quality programming, incredible teachers, and nurturing environment. We plan to send our daughter to Little Llama until she begins Kindergarten in a few years, and we feel so fortunate to have found this truly wonderful place. If you are lucky enough to find a spot there — grab it quick! You won’t look back.
Alina K
June 12
My son attended this childcare center from the age of 2 until he graduated to kindergarten. It is truly the best daycare. The teaching staff provides amazing care and takes an individualized approach with each child. My son had a speech delay due to being bilingual, and the teachers were incredibly supportive, patient, and helpful throughout his development. They kept the children engaged with a variety of educational and developmental activities, outdoor walks, and plenty of opportunities to learn through play. Our favorite part was the splash pad visits during the summer. We are very grateful for the care, support, and positive experiences our son received there.
Kelly Renaud
June 12
Little Llama is amazing! As a first time parent, putting your four month old into daycare is nerve wracking. But we felt so at ease with Little Llama. When searching for daycares, Evgenia, the owner, sat and talked with us for hours. The teachers in each room really get to know the children under their care and our son loves all his teachers. Even though he’s in a toddler room now, he still toddles down the hall when arriving to say hello to his infant teachers. As a first time parent having their support was really valuable as our son moved through transitions and milestones. They have really excellent teacher to child ratios and the classes are small. They have new curriculum each week, often informed by the seasons or holidays that are geared towards supporting the kids sensory, motor, social, and emotional development. They’re outside nearly everyday and often multiple times a day. We also really appreciate the child-centered approach they use; there’s no adult furniture in the rooms (it’s all child sized), the babies are rarely in containers. They have music classes each week - even for the babies! And puddlestompers for the toddlers and older kids. Little Llama really does feel like a family. They check in on the kids when they’re ill, they’re flexible and collaborative. Evgenia knows all the kids and she hosts family and community events throughout the year. I don’t know where we’d be without Little Llama!
Jillian DeStone
June 11
We have been with Little Llama for over three years, and it has consistently been everything we could hope for in a childcare provider. The center is truly responsibly run, with a director who maintains high standards that create a safe and nurturing environment. We are continuously seeing new ideas and improvements that make us even more glad we found it!
What sets this place apart is the amazing sensory and educational enrichment provided daily. The teachers also prioritize ample outdoor time, and we're impressed by all of the activities that are both fun and developmentally enriching.
Their proactive approach to communication and professionalism, in particular in dealing with allergies, provide immense peace of mind. This is not our first daycare, but we are so glad to have found a place where we can put full trust in the providers, who treat every child with genuine care and dedication.
Emira Ajeti
June 11
Our family has been part of the Little Llama community for several years, and it has been one of the best decisions we've made for our daughters.
Our oldest daughter spent nearly four years at Little Llama before heading to kindergarten, and our younger daughter is now attending as well. Over that time, we've had the opportunity to experience different classrooms, teachers, and stages of development, and the quality of care has been consistently exceptional.
What stands out most is the genuine warmth and dedication of the teachers. They create a nurturing environment where children feel safe, supported, and excited to learn. The staff truly get to know each child as an individual and invest in their growth, confidence, and well-being.
Evgenia has built something very special. She is thoughtful, responsive, organized, and deeply committed to both the children and families. Communication is excellent, and it is clear that every decision is made with the children's best interests in mind.
We also appreciate the balance between learning, creativity, outdoor play, and enrichment activities. Our daughters have come home excited about music, art projects, nature activities, and the friendships they have built along the way.
As parents, there is no greater comfort than knowing your children are happy, loved, and thriving while they are away from you. Little Llama has truly been a second home for our girls, and we are incredibly grateful for the care, support, and wonderful memories they have provided over the years.
We recommend Little Llama without hesitation to any family looking for a caring, engaging, and high-quality childcare program.
Josh Cohen
June 11
Such a wonderful experience. Thoughtful and caring teachers. Engaging programming for the kids. Overall a fantastic community.
Julia Roberta
April 24
Best daycare all around! Our daughter has been at little llama over a year now and she absolutely loves going to school! From the amazing teachers to the curriculum and the classroom environment are all around fabulous for their growth and development. The teachers are warm and caring and they really pay attention to the needs of each child. The curriculum includes a lot of diverse activities such as sensory play, music, nature class, and more to help them learn and grow! We truly cannot recommend little llama enough we love everything about it!
Rebecca R.
March 28
Our son has really thrived at Little Llama! He started in the infant room when this Cushing Square location opened a year ago and is now in a toddler room.
The teachers are very caring and attentive to the children's individual needs -- and there are enough staff that they can have extra hands when needed. I especially appreciated how much one-on-one care my son received during the transition from the infant room to the toddler room, which went very smoothly. The director, Evgenia, keeps everything very well organized and professionally run, so we never have any doubt that our son is completely safe.
Compared to other daycares we toured, Little Llama has a big emphasis on outdoor time, including in the winter. That was really important to us! Our son also loves the weekly music class with Jeff Jam and sings his favorite songs from class at home.
Bridget Martin Lazzara
March 7
We tried several models of daycare in the Belmont / Watertown area for our two children, before finding Little Llama when our youngest was entering preschool at 2.9 years. We have had an amazing experience at Little Llama and simply did not think that a childcare / preschool provider could be this wonderful. The curriculum is creative and engaging, including music, exercise, and hands-on activities every day. The children also go outside every day, often several times a day, for fresh air, walks, and play in every season. The space is sunlit, bright, and spotlessly clean. What especially stands out to us is how communicative the owner, Evgenia, has been from day one, and how communicative the teachers are throughout our son's day. We get updates, photos, and daily summarizes about his experience and any time we send a message to teachers, they respond immediately. The preschool teachers are so wonderful, treating the children with kindness, respect, and enthusiasm. And as bonuses: a healthy (!) lunch is provided every day, drop off and pick up are easy with ample side street space to pull up to, and there is a very secure safety system installed in the building. Our son is thriving and loves going to school every day.
We truly cannot recommend Little Llama enough; we only wish we had found this wonderful childcare and preschool earlier in our parenting journeys.
stephen beesley
January 14
A fantastic preschool to send your little one(s) to in the Belmont, MA area. The teachers go above and beyond. Communication is prompt and any concerns fully addressed. Highly recommended.
Katherine Milne
July 29
The highest standard of care we have had for our daughter from 6 months to 3.5 years. So amazed by the team, facility and program that Evgenia has grown. Grisela, a lead teacher and director, has become like family to us— you’re lucky if your infant is in her care!
Katya Yatskovich
August 25
Our son has attended Little Llama's pre-school group for only one year before he left to start kindergarten but I wish he had had a chance to be a part of that amazing community for much longer! Honestly, we couldn't be happier with our experience at Little Llama. The teachers there are absolutely amazing - so caring, kind and genuinely invested in each child's growth and development. The school director Zhenya does an outstanding job with gathering the best teachers and care givers in one place. We as parents saw such a great change in our son's development, behavior and social-emotional skills over this past year.
Another thing to mention is Little LLama's communication with parents which is excellent - we always felt informed and connected. Our child develops eczema once he eats anything with artificial food additives but while in Little Llama we always felt safe and confident because all the teachers and the director there stay vigilant about anything a child puts in their mouth and communicate any new food offerings to parents timely and proactively (it was such a breath of fresh air after the bad experience we had with this in his previous daycare!).
The variety of classes offered each day there is wonderful too - the Puddle Stompers nature class was our son's favorite. He looked forward to gong to pre-school every morning, which says so much about how much he loved it there. He made wonderful friends and truly adored his teachers. We are so grateful for the loving, supportive and engaging environment Little Llama provided us. It has been a special place for our son to learn, grow and thrive. Thank you so much for everything, Zhenya and the team!
Emily Keuthen
June 14
Little Llamas is an excellent daycare! We have been going for over 2 years and especially appreciate:
- The teachers are super caring, responsible and creative. They have a great way with the kids.
- Evgenia, the director, is very responsive, communicative and thoughtful about how she runs the center.
- The daily activities seem very fun and the kids get to spend lots of time outside. Fun weekly classes currently include Jeff Jam music class, kung fu, nature class, and ballet class.
Joel Cassler
May 19
We've taken our daughter to Little Llamas for two years now and are always impressed by both the care and development the teachers provide, but the little things (like Parent Date Night, Mother's Day brunch, Jeff Jams) that they do to make the daycare feel welcoming and like a true community. We've told everyone we know we heartily recommend trusting your little one with the Little llamas team and every year has been better than the last.
Caroline Holda
May 16
Little Llama has been a second home for our baby since he was 7 weeks old (now 10 months!). The teachers are incredible - kind, thoughtful, loving, and the facilities are wonderful. They give so much genuine affection every single day and I deeply value how flexible and thoughtful they are with every member of our family. We cannot recommend them highly enough.
Victoria Otto
May 16
I can only recommend Little Llama. Our oldest son has been there for two years in Preschool and now his little sister is in the infant room. I couldn’t be happier to be back, the teachers are very caring and the owner is awesome, very organized and open.
Ana Belen
May 16
Honestly this is such a loving, dedicated, serious place for children! The director Evgenia, has done a tremendous work gathering a group of competent and loving teachers. It was a difficult decision to leave my daughter so little in daycare and I would not have done it at a different place. However, I always felt at ease with the director, the team, and the way they handle communication, how they handle the babies and children in general, etc. I knew the director was on top of it, and I could trust her with my baby. Seeing my daughter being held and loved was heartwarming and made me feel at ease ❤️
My favorite qualities are that they are straightforward, proactive, responsible and loving. Children thrive, and learn there. This is a beautiful community.
I trust them every day and they keep showing up, bringing happiness, and a safe environment. I dont mind driving to take my daughter to Little Llama because I cant think of another place with the same quality. My daughter loves it. Little Llama will always have a special place in my heart! Long life to this gem!
Amy Tortorello
May 16
Incredible daycare - all of the teachers are welcoming, kind, and make me feel like our 8-month old is in the best possible hands. Would reccomend to anyone in the area!!!
Y. Ding
November 15
Our experience at little llama has been amazing! The welcoming environment and well-organized activities kept my child engaged and happy. The teachers are caring, handle emotional changes beautifully, and even remember little details like my child’s favorite character.
Teacher Kat is exceptionally talented, creating fun art and crafts and even hand-drawing personalized graduation certificates and artwork for each child. This preschool is full of lovely memories, and we’re so grateful for everything they’ve done for our family.
Jenna Goodman
November 12
Little Llama was one of the few preschools we looked at when my son was nearing age 3 (at the end of the pandemic). Evgenia, the Director, was warm, approachable and extremely quick to respond to communications. She answered every question I had (and I had a lot). We had a tour and it just felt like the right place to go where I could trust my son would be safe and cared for. The transition from home to school was a bumpy one because my son had a rough time at drop offs, but the teachers and Evgenia were extremely supportive, helping to make it easier on both me and my son. And that's how it was for our entire duration there. Always easy to communicate with the teachers and Evgenia. They always helped to problem-solve whenever there was an issue (usually having to do with my son having a hard time at drop-off). I couldn't have asked for a better preschool. In fact it was really difficult for me (maybe more than my son) to say goodbye. Thankfully, we are still able to stay in touch with Little Llama friends. I'm so grateful for our experience here and thankful to Evgenia and all the teachers for all the care they've given to our family. I highly recommend Little Llama to new families looking for a warm, safe and trustworthy preschool for their little ones.
Ana Luiza Estrella
November 4
My son went to Little Llama from Nov 2023, to July 2024. He was 1y 3 months when he started.
We are Brazilians, and maybe as part of our latin culture, genuine affection is one of the main things when it comes about caring, specially children,
After our 8 amazing months with Little Llama, I can say with no doubts that there is no school that compares to Little Llama when it comes to the affection and attention given to the kids. We had to move from Boston, and my son's current school is good, but not a day goes by that I don’t think of LL, the wonderful teachers, and the strong sense of community we felt there.
I felt compelled to write this review to let other people know how amazing you all are. We miss everyone dearly, and he still talks about the Toddle's teachers Vicky, Linsi, Sayra, and Willow.
We miss it, but we’re also so grateful for the time we spent as part of the LL family.
I extremely recommend it!
Regina Bushnell
June 26
My child has been a member of the Little Llama community since he was 8 months old. We cannot recommend them enough! As a first time mom, I was nervous to put my son in daycare. My worries were alleviated after the first day. The teachers take exceptional care of the children, they help with all aspects of development and make it fun! My son is now 2.5 and we are so sad to leave Little Llama but we are moving out of state. Evgenia is an amazing school leader as well. The communication between school and home is amazing. Little Llama Child Care is a wonderful and supportive community for little ones and parents alike. We cannot reccommend them enough!
Apoorva Rao
February 2
My child had an incredible experience with Little Llama! The teachers are truly wonderful, creating a warm and nurturing environment. They not only plan amazing activities but also focus on teaching the children good hygiene habits. The special programs, including music, nature, and cooking, add an extra layer of enrichment. I highly recommend Little Llama for its exceptional care and thoughtful programs.
Aditi Bhatt
August 19
We are incredibly grateful for the wonderful experience our son had at this day care. Seeing how happy he was there truly warmed our hearts. The teachers were consistently engaged, showing exceptional care and attention that made us feel at ease every day. Our son's time at this day care has been nothing short of fantastic, and we highly recommend it to other parents seeking a nurturing and joyful environment for their children.
emine gülce özel
June 26
My infant son went Little lama for 6 months in 2022 and we really loved it! (We moved another location so we needed to change the daycare) The owner is amazing she is super carefully with everything and the teachers were very lovely❤️🙏 my son was always happy to see them in the morning!Thank you so much for doing such a good job with them💐
Rebecca Coltin
October 7
Our family absolutely loves little llama! Our son gives his teachers the biggest smiles each morning when we drop him off, and he is always so excited to play with his friends. We’re first time parents, and having a place we feel comfortable and supported by is incredibly important to us. We are truly impressed by not only the staff, but also the daily activities. Even in the infant room, the babies go outside every day, and have a daily activity designed to help them grow and learn. We highly recommend little llama!!
xiaoli wang
July 8
In this whole year in U.S., Timmy has gone to four different schools. Little Llama is the best school for being nice and professional. This will constitute part of our sweetest memory about Boston.
Stefanie Singh
February 1
We are so fortunate to have found this amazing daycare. Our daughter has attended Little llama for almost a year and is so happy there. Once we park in front of Little llama in the morning, she starts clapping and shouting out: I am happy." What more can I ask for.
The director and teachers are all very passionate about their work with the children and do everything to support their growth. They offer a fun, loving, respectful, inclusive, and inspiring environment. The days at Little llama are filled with joy, warmth, fun, and amazing activities. The activities always include all children: regardless of their age. For example, the older children match post-its of numbers and pictures to a huge poster on a wall and talk about what they see, whereas the younger children explore the post-its on their high-chair and practice using their hands to them off the table. I love that everyone takes part in the same activity, just at their level. Everyone learns together and helps each other. They also do a lot of amazing art and craft project. I got inspired a lot by many of their daily activities (that I read daily about in their app) and have redone them at home with my daughter at home. They recently started a weekly music class, which has been a big highlight for my daughter.
We highly appreciate the great communication with the director and teachers. It is always honest and we can discuss any questions or concerns anytime.
We couldn't be any happier with Little llama and are extremely grateful for everything the director and teacher do for our daughter and us as a family. It exceeds everything we could have ever wished for from a daycare. Seeing our daughter so happy and thriving so much in all areas of her development is just amazing!
Bradley Agostinelli
January 23
We are very grateful to have found Little Llama for our daughter! It is clear to us that she is cared for very much by the teachers, and she has grown dramatically in her speech, skills, and interactions with others. They also adhere to COVID and their own center policies and are very responsive.
Alisa Rodny
January 11
Little Llama is a one of a kind place where love and attention the children receive is never compromised. Our daughter has attended Little Llama since it opened - at the height of the pandemic. The director and the teachers have done everything in their power to provide the children with warm, nurturing and developmentally inspiring care and programing while doing all the extra work to keep the children safe and protected.
The culture at Little Llama is that of mutual respect and care. The children all know they are are part of a community which is governed by practices of being kind to one another and learning new things. The teachers are amazing at creating engaging and fun activities and also at being flexible about adjusting whatever they are doing to meet the needs of the individual children and the group as a whole. Our daughter is always practicing the skills she learned at school in new settings, emphasizing the quality of the instruction. Celebration of life and holidays is a major part of Little Llama experience. In addition to activities around many holidays, children's birthdays are celebrated with special cakes lovingly made by the director out of watermelon and berries, and catching the group enjoying an impomtu dance and bubbles party at the end of a long day can make one's whole week better easily.
The warmth and joy of Little Llama extends beyond the space where our children go every day. Little Llama families have been united by the appreciation and gratitude of being able to send our children to this amazing place. When our daughter celebrated her second birthday at a park this fall, many of her Llama friends came to celebrate with us. Overall, I can't think of a better place to be a home away from home for my baby.
