Octopus Academy — Daycare & Preschool in Richmond, British Columbia

4.5·53 reviews·Richmond

At a glance

Age groups served: All ages
Provincial licence status: Not yet verified
Licensed capacity: Not yet verified
$10-a-day program: Not yet verified
Price range: Not yet verified
Hours: Mon7:45 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Tue7:45 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Wed7:45 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Thu7:45 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Fri7:45 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
SatClosed
SunClosed

Licensing details are being added province by province, starting with Ontario.

What parents say

Parents rave about Octopus Academy, highlighting the warm, patient, and caring nature of teachers like Lucy, Sharen, Shimma, Janet, and Eduardo, who create a consistent and welcoming environment for children.

What to expect

Octopus Academy is described as a very clean and tidy daycare, including its outdoor playgrounds. Parents appreciate the friendly and welcoming staff, noting that children look forward to attending and have consistently liked their teachers over years of enrollment. The long tenure of many staff members contributes to a warm and stable atmosphere for the kids.

Best for

Ideal for parents seeking a consistently caring and clean daycare with dedicated staff who build strong relationships with children.

Location

12880 Clarke Pl, Richmond, BC V6V 2H1

Get directions

What parents say

SHUYING HUANG
Wonderful Daycare! We love Octopus Academy!The teachers are kind and caring. They make sure every child feels safe and happy. My daughter enjoys going every day and always comes home with a big smile. She has learned so much, from new words to fun activities. The daycare is clean and well-organized. The staff keeps us updated, which gives us peace of mind. We are very happy with Octopus Academy and highly recommend it to other parents!
Ka Yuzuki
This place was great but really went downhill after new management took over. There’s been a high staff turnover rate, and hygiene is bad. The carpets in the classrooms are pretty dirty, and kids seem to get sick constantly, including yearly outbreaks of hand, foot, and mouth disease. One time, I even saw a rat near the main entrance during pickup, which was honestly shocking. Also noticed kids being served cold leftovers, even though the daycare is supposed to provide hot lunches every day. Not sure why that’s happening, but it doesn’t seem right. Personally, I wouldn’t feel comfortable sending a child here.
Pari Mistry
Our daughter has been attending Octopus Academy (Richmond) for the past 4 years, and it has been a truly wonderful experience. The staff and teachers are caring, supportive, and made her feel at home from the very first day. The Academy offers such a wide variety of engaging activities — from ballet, yoga, and taekwondo to science and more — giving kids so many opportunities to explore and grow. Over the years, we’ve seen tremendous growth in our daughter, and we know her time at Octopus Academy has played a big part in that. A special thank you to the amazing teachers of Rooms D, H, F & A — we truly appreciate all that you do!
Daffy Chu
2025-3-18
Both our kids graduated from Octopus Academy over a span of 6 years. The teachers are all very kind and caring, Mr Eduardo, Ms Lucy, Ms Mary, Ms Zoey, Ms Cecilia, Ms Amy, Ms Fion, Ms Shima, Ms Zarah, and many of them have been working there for a long time, which really helps alleviate concerns about staff turnover and your child needing to readjust to a new teacher. Michelle at the front desk is also amazing, you can communicate to them with your concerns, emails, messages, and phone calls are always promptly returned. Lunch and two snacks are provided which is super convenient for parents. Even during covid Octopus stayed open and their drop off and pick up hours, pro D/school closure days are very considerate of parents. Octopus is not the most fancy or newest daycare (no cameras and not that many daily photos) but it’s truly a daycare with a heart. Even without photos my children can describe the fun they had that day and it puts me at ease. Every time we drive by Octopus my kids ask if they can go say hi to their old teachers. Thank you again for the wonderful memories for our kids. 😍
Wendy Chan
The team at Octopus is amazing! They are kind, caring, and many have been there for years, which creates such a warm and consistent environment for the kids. My daughter looks forward to going every day, and I always feel at ease knowing she’s in good hands. They share updates with photos, support big milestones like class transitions and potty training, and the convenient hours and parking make drop-offs/ pick up stress-free. Highly recommend to any parent looking for a nurturing, engaging place for their child to learn and grow!

Nearby daycares in Richmond

At a glance

Age groups served

All ages

Provincial licence status

Not yet verified

Licensed capacity

Not yet verified

$10-a-day program

Not yet verified

Price range

Not yet verified

Hours

Mon7:45 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Tue7:45 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Wed7:45 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Thu7:45 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Fri7:45 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
SatClosed
SunClosed

Licensing details are being added province by province, starting with Ontario.

What parents say

What to expect

Best for

Ideal for parents seeking a consistently caring and clean daycare with dedicated staff who build strong relationships with children.

What parents say

SHUYING HUANG

Wonderful Daycare! We love Octopus Academy!The teachers are kind and caring. They make sure every child feels safe and happy. My daughter enjoys going every day and always comes home with a big smile. She has learned so much, from new words to fun activities. The daycare is clean and well-organized. The staff keeps us updated, which gives us peace of mind. We are very happy with Octopus Academy and highly recommend it to other parents!

Ka Yuzuki

This place was great but really went downhill after new management took over. There’s been a high staff turnover rate, and hygiene is bad. The carpets in the classrooms are pretty dirty, and kids seem to get sick constantly, including yearly outbreaks of hand, foot, and mouth disease. One time, I even saw a rat near the main entrance during pickup, which was honestly shocking. Also noticed kids being served cold leftovers, even though the daycare is supposed to provide hot lunches every day. Not sure why that’s happening, but it doesn’t seem right. Personally, I wouldn’t feel comfortable sending a child here.

Pari Mistry

Our daughter has been attending Octopus Academy (Richmond) for the past 4 years, and it has been a truly wonderful experience. The staff and teachers are caring, supportive, and made her feel at home from the very first day. The Academy offers such a wide variety of engaging activities — from ballet, yoga, and taekwondo to science and more — giving kids so many opportunities to explore and grow. Over the years, we’ve seen tremendous growth in our daughter, and we know her time at Octopus Academy has played a big part in that. A special thank you to the amazing teachers of Rooms D, H, F & A — we truly appreciate all that you do!

Daffy Chu

2025-3-18

Both our kids graduated from Octopus Academy over a span of 6 years. The teachers are all very kind and caring, Mr Eduardo, Ms Lucy, Ms Mary, Ms Zoey, Ms Cecilia, Ms Amy, Ms Fion, Ms Shima, Ms Zarah, and many of them have been working there for a long time, which really helps alleviate concerns about staff turnover and your child needing to readjust to a new teacher. Michelle at the front desk is also amazing, you can communicate to them with your concerns, emails, messages, and phone calls are always promptly returned. Lunch and two snacks are provided which is super convenient for parents. Even during covid Octopus stayed open and their drop off and pick up hours, pro D/school closure days are very considerate of parents. Octopus is not the most fancy or newest daycare (no cameras and not that many daily photos) but it’s truly a daycare with a heart. Even without photos my children can describe the fun they had that day and it puts me at ease. Every time we drive by Octopus my kids ask if they can go say hi to their old teachers. Thank you again for the wonderful memories for our kids. 😍

Wendy Chan

The team at Octopus is amazing! They are kind, caring, and many have been there for years, which creates such a warm and consistent environment for the kids. My daughter looks forward to going every day, and I always feel at ease knowing she’s in good hands. They share updates with photos, support big milestones like class transitions and potty training, and the convenient hours and parking make drop-offs/ pick up stress-free. Highly recommend to any parent looking for a nurturing, engaging place for their child to learn and grow!