Best Child Daycare & Preschools in Watkinsville, GA
Compare 10 child daycare & preschools in Watkinsville. Average rating: 4.6/5 stars. See top 10 ranked daycares, compare by type, and find the right childcare for your family.
Watkinsville, Georgia at a glance
- Programs
- 10
- Avg rating
- 4.6/5
- Parent reviews
- 133
- Top rated (4.5+)
- 5
Watkinsville has 10 licensed child daycare & preschools with 133 parent reviews averaging 4.6/5.5 are top-rated with 4.5+ stars — 83% of rated programs, well above average.The highest-rated options cluster around the 30677 zip code, averaging 4.6 stars across 16 programs.Start with our top-10 ranked list below or filter by philosophy.
Top 10 Best Rated Daycares in Watkinsville
Ranked using a weighted score that combines Google rating with the number of parent reviews — daycares with more reviews rank higher than those with a high rating but few reviews. Last updated: March 2026.
- 1Mars Hill Preschool Academy4.7 score4.9(18)
2661 Mars Hill Road, Watkinsville, GA · Church Daycare · Capacity: -999 children
The reviews provided are for Mars Hill Baptist Church, not the preschool academy. No actual daycare reviews are available to summarize. The Google rating of 4.9/5 shows zero reviews, indicating no parent feedback has been submitted for the preschool facility.
None mentioned for the preschool academy - 2Downs Preschool4.56 score4.7(20)
3831 Mars Hill Rd., Watkinsville, GA · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 188 children
Parents consistently praise Masters Academy (formerly Downs Preschool) for exceptional staff care, child development, and welcoming environment. Children show significant social and academic growth, and parents appreciate strong communication and accessibility from leadership. The facility is noted for creative programming, field trips, and thoughtful curriculum.
Caring and compassionate staffstrong teacher-child relationshipschild development and academic growthwelcoming environment - 3Oconee Park And Recreation (Hog Mountain Road)4.56 score4.7(20)
3500a Hog Mountain Road, Watkinsville, GA · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: -999 children
This appears to be a parks and recreation facility rather than a daycare center. Reviews praise it as a well-maintained community park with diverse amenities including playgrounds, sports facilities, walking trails, and a dog park. All reviews are highly positive with 5/5 ratings.
Clean and well-maintained groundsdiverse facilities (sports courtsplaygrounddog park - 4Oconee County Parks & Recreation @ Heritage Park4.56 score4.7(20)
2543 Macon Highway, Watkinsville, GA · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: -999 children
Heritage Park is a well-maintained recreational facility in Watkinsville with excellent amenities and grounds. Reviews praise its trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, as well as special events and activities. The park is described as peaceful, clean, and offering good value with free parking.
Well-kept facilitiestop-tier amenitiesexcellent trail system for multiple activitiesfree parking with back gate access - 5Faith Mmo4.47 score4.7(10)
2191 Mars Hill Rd., Watkinsville, GA · Church Daycare · Capacity: -999 children
Faith MMO is a religious facility in Watkinsville, Georgia with a 4.7/5 Google rating. Reviews consistently praise the welcoming community, pastoral leadership, and religious instruction. The facility offers various programs including small groups, youth groups, and educational classes.
Welcoming and friendly atmospherestrong pastoral leadershipsound biblical teachingmultiple programs for different age groups (youth groups - 6Kiddieland Corporation3.95 score3.9(6)
1941 Hog Mountain Rd., Watkinsville, GA · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 139 children
Kiddieland Corporation receives overwhelmingly positive feedback, with most parents praising the knowledgeable and caring staff, particularly directors Donna and Darlene. Parents consistently highlight the family-like environment, engaging activities, and quality care. One negative review alleges neglect and contract termination for reporting concerns.
experienced and knowledgeable staffcaring and loving environmentfeels like familyengaging activities and summer programs
Rating Distribution
Based on 6 daycares with Google ratings in Watkinsville
Daycare Types Compared
Average ratings by facility type in Watkinsville, based on parent reviews
Best Rated Neighborhoods
Watkinsville zip codes ranked by average daycare rating
| Zip Code | Daycares | Avg. Rating | Top Rated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30677 | 16 | 4.6 | 5 |
Facility Sizes
Capacity distribution of daycares in Watkinsville (18–200 children)
Small
up to 30 children
2
Medium
31–75 children
0
Large
76–150 children
3
Very Large
150+ children
5
Top Rated
Highest rated daycares in Watkinsville based on parent reviews
Downs Preschool
3831 Mars Hill Rd., Watkinsville, GA
Parents consistently praise Masters Academy (formerly Downs Preschool) for exceptional staff care, child development, and welcoming environment. Children show significant social and academic growth, and parents appreciate strong communication and accessibility from leadership. The facility is noted for creative programming, field trips, and thoughtful curriculum.
Oconee Park And Recreation (Hog Mountain Road)
3500a Hog Mountain Road, Watkinsville, GA
This appears to be a parks and recreation facility rather than a daycare center. Reviews praise it as a well-maintained community park with diverse amenities including playgrounds, sports facilities, walking trails, and a dog park. All reviews are highly positive with 5/5 ratings.
Oconee County Parks & Recreation @ Heritage Park
2543 Macon Highway, Watkinsville, GA
Heritage Park is a well-maintained recreational facility in Watkinsville with excellent amenities and grounds. Reviews praise its trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, as well as special events and activities. The park is described as peaceful, clean, and offering good value with free parking.
Kiddieland Corporation
1941 Hog Mountain Rd., Watkinsville, GA
Kiddieland Corporation receives overwhelmingly positive feedback, with most parents praising the knowledgeable and caring staff, particularly directors Donna and Darlene. Parents consistently highlight the family-like environment, engaging activities, and quality care. One negative review alleges neglect and contract termination for reporting concerns.
Map
Daycare types in Watkinsville
Browse by type in Watkinsville
Child Daycare & Preschools in Watkinsville, Georgia
There are 10 child daycare & preschools in Watkinsville, Georgia, making up 63% of the 16 total childcare facilities in the city. Below you'll find a complete directory to help you compare and choose the right daycare for your child.
Based on Google reviews, daycares in Watkinsville have an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 across 6 rated facilities, with 83% scoring 4.5 stars or higher. Church Daycare facilities lead with an average of 4.8 stars. Our analysis covers 133 parent reviews.
When choosing a daycare in Watkinsville, consider visiting facilities in person, checking their licensing status, and asking about staff-to-child ratios, daily routines, and safety policies.
All Child Daycare & Preschools in Watkinsville
Showing 10 results
Parents consistently praise Masters Academy (formerly Downs Preschool) for exceptional staff care, child development, and welcoming environment. Children show significant social and academic growth, and parents appreciate strong communication and accessibility from leadership. The facility is noted for creative programming, field trips, and thoughtful curriculum.
- Address
- 3831 Mars Hill Rd., Watkinsville, GA
- Phone
- (770) 725-1020
This appears to be a parks and recreation facility rather than a daycare center. Reviews praise it as a well-maintained community park with diverse amenities including playgrounds, sports facilities, walking trails, and a dog park. All reviews are highly positive with 5/5 ratings.
- Address
- 3500a Hog Mountain Road, Watkinsville, GA
- Phone
- (706) 769-3965
Heritage Park is a well-maintained recreational facility in Watkinsville with excellent amenities and grounds. Reviews praise its trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, as well as special events and activities. The park is described as peaceful, clean, and offering good value with free parking.
- Address
- 2543 Macon Highway, Watkinsville, GA
- Phone
- (706) 769-3965
Kiddieland Corporation receives overwhelmingly positive feedback, with most parents praising the knowledgeable and caring staff, particularly directors Donna and Darlene. Parents consistently highlight the family-like environment, engaging activities, and quality care. One negative review alleges neglect and contract termination for reporting concerns.
- Address
- 1941 Hog Mountain Rd., Watkinsville, GA
- Phone
- (706) 769-6596
Oconee Preschool Academy receives exclusively positive feedback from parents who praise the well-organized operations, caring and knowledgeable staff, and comprehensive curriculum. Parents consistently highlight strong communication through daily reports and an app, personal attention from directors Nikki Wright and April, and children's enthusiasm about attending school.
- Address
- 1890 Mars Hill Road, Watkinsville, GA
- Phone
- (706) 769-5437
- Address
- 1570 Norton Road, Watkinsville, GA
- Phone
- (706) 769-5593
- Address
- 3292 Colham Ferry Road, Watkinsville, GA
- Phone
- (706) 769-3484
While one parent highlights the facility as excellent for infant and after-school care and notes it is very clean, another family reported a deeply disappointing experience characterized by staff rudeness, unprofessionalism, and strict administrative policies. This critic cited issues including denied entry, prohibitions on packed lunches, and a lack of acknowledgment during orientation, leading them to withdraw their child.
- Address
- 1420 Greensboro Hwy, Watkinsville, GA
- Phone
- (706) 769-2273
- Address
- 26 School Street, Watkinsville, GA
- Phone
- (706) 705-7385
Apple Tree Prep receives unanimous 5-star ratings from parents who praise the center's caring teachers, safe environment, and focus on child development. Parents consistently highlight the attentiveness of staff, strong communication through their app, and positive learning outcomes across all age groups from infants through pre-K.
- Address
- 2881 Monroe Highway, Suite 201, Watkinsville, GA
- Phone
- (770) 725-4117
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Frequently asked questions
- Licensing status with Georgia's regulatory agency
- Staff-to-child ratios (requirements vary by age group in Georgia)
- Safety measures and cleanliness
- Daily routines and educational curriculum
- Parent reviews and ratings
- Location and hours that fit your schedule
- Child Daycare & Preschools — 10 facilities
- Headstart Programs — 1 facilities
- Church Daycare — 2 facilities
- Before or After School Daycare — 3 facilities