About Us
A Warm Welcome
- Orinda Afternoons is a boutique, family childcare home in the hills of Orinda, providing the highest quality care for very young children (ages zero to five). In our small and enriching program your child will receive loving, individualized attention designed to nurture his or her growth and development.
- Orinda Afternoons offers a warm and professionally staffed care environment - complete with a dedicated playroom and art studio, climbing gym, sandbox, thriving organic garden and playhouse in a parklike setting, located roughly one mile from the Orinda BART. We offer part-time and full-time care, as well as drop-in (based on space availability) along with other family-friendly scheduling options.
COVID-19/ SUMMER 2020 UPDATE: Orinda Afternoons has reopened and our program is following the CDC Guidelines for Childcare Centers and we have moved to an almost exclusively outdoors format. We currently have 1 opening in our 3s /4s program and are at capacity for our 18-23 months program. Please email orindaafternoons@gmail.com to inquire about availability. In response to the pandemic, our program is exclusively out-of-doors until further notice.
- To learn more about our program or to schedule a tour contact Bekki Gilbert at Orindaafternoons@gmail.com.
- For additional Photos and Reviews, kindly visit Yelp at https://www.yelp.com/biz/orinda-afternoons-orinda and Google https://www.google.com/search?q=orinda+afternoons&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS780US780&oq=orinda+afternoons&aqs=chrome.0.69i59l2j69i64j69i60l2.2489j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Teachers
Bekki Gilbert, JD, PhD the lead teacher/director, is a warm, nurturing and organized educator with a background in ECE & Child Development. A lawyer turned academic, Bekki was a tenured professor, who taught classes on Parenting, Family Policy, Human Development and Social Behavior in the Department of Sociology at CSU Hayward (now CSUEB). She is a married mother of college-age children, holds a doctorate degree from UC Berkeley, exceeds state licensing requirements for a program director, is CPR & First Aid certified and most important - has extensive knowledge of child development milestones and loves working with and inspiring young children! Bekki is an avid hiker and organic gardener, has served as a board member for the Friends of the Wagner Ranch Nature Area and Camp Galileo/Summer Quest, and was the founder of Save Environmental Education in Orinda (SEE). An East-Bay native, Bekki grew up exploring Mount Diablo and is excited to share her love of learning with a new generation of children.
Natasha has worked at Orinda Afternoons since September 2017, loves working with young children and is currently attending community college.
Kimberly is the newest addition to our school and has worked at OA since March 2019, graduated high school in 2014. After a number of years working in retail settings she is very happy to be working in a preschool environment.
Emily is a college student who began working at OA while still in high school in 2017. Emily is from Orinda and lives with her parents and two siblings.
A bit about our family
A little about our family...
Pets
Cinnamon, head cat
Snowball, cat number 2
Birdy Phat, cat number 3
Our Family’s favorite Hikes
- Matt Davis Trail, Stinson
- Bay Ridge Trail, Briones
- Summit to Redwood Peak
4. Borges Ranch, Mt Diablo
- Mt Livermore Angel Island
- Donner Peak, Truckee
- The Narrows, Utah