10 Best Daycares in North Edmonton: A 2026 Parent’s Guide

A quick, honest note before we start: best daycares in North Edmonton guide is written by the team at Northtown Grand Daycare, a licensed daycare centre in north Edmonton. We’ve listed our own centre here too, but every daycare below is a licensed, well-reviewed option and that’s why we included them in the lest of 10 best daycares in North Edmonoton. Centres appear in no particular order. We’re not claiming any one of them is “#1.” Our goal is to give you a fair shortlist of strong north-side centres to tour, with real Google ratings, locations and hours so you can compare them properly.

Choosing childcare is one of the harder decisions a parent makes , you’re trusting someone else with your child for most of their waking hours. To make the search easier, we gathered ten of the most consistently well-reviewed licensed daycares across north Edmonton , from Northtown and Griesbach to Castle Downs and Londonderry , and laid out what parents are actually saying about each, along with hours and locations so you can see which ones fit your commute.

Ratings and details below were accurate at the time of writing. Always confirm the latest information and book a tour before you decide.

At a glance

Northtown Grand Daycare (our centre)

Northtown Grand Daycare is one of the newest licensed early learning centres in north Edmonton, located at 9450 137 Avenue NW in the Northtown area. Because the centre was recently built and renovated, the space was purpose-designed for young children: each room is tailored to a specific age group , infants, toddlers and preschoolers , with its own learning stations, age-appropriate toys and physical activity areas. Families touring for the first time often comment on how bright, clean and thoughtfully laid out it is.

Our program is built around learning through play , the idea that children learn best when they’re exploring, creating and moving, supported by warm educators who genuinely enjoy being around kids. We’ve earned a 4.9 rating across 35 Google reviews in a short time, with parents highlighting the welcoming staff, easy transitions for little ones, and how happy their children are at pick-up.

We’re also open 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday to Friday , among the longest hours on this list , which makes drop-off and pick-up easier if you have an early start or a long commute.

If you’re touring north Edmonton centres, we’d love to be on your list. The best way to know if we’re the right fit is to see the rooms and meet the educators in person. Book a tour at Northtown Grand Daycare →

Castledowns Childcare

Castledowns Childcare is one of the longest-running centres in north Edmonton, operating in the Castle Downs area since 1992, more than three decades, and it currently holds a 4.9 rating across 29 reviews. It’s a licensed and accredited facility caring for a wide age range, from infants (0 months) through to school-age children up to 12 years, which makes it a practical choice for families who want siblings of different ages in one place. The program is built around learning through play, with creative, developmentally appropriate activities designed to support children’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive growth year-round. Day to day, children have a large outdoor play space, a mix of indoor and outdoor activities, regular field trips, and snacks provided on-site. The centre accepts subsidy, advertises affordable pricing, and offers out-of-school care for older children. Open 6:30 AM–6:00 PM, Monday to Friday. Visit website

North Academy Daycare & Afterschool

North Academy Daycare & Out of School holds a 4.8 rating across 25 reviews and runs one of the more distinctive programs on this list. Its preschool follows a bilingual Arabic–English curriculum built on Alberta’s FLIGHT framework, focused on early literacy, numeracy and school readiness, while the daycare side is play-based and open Monday–Friday, 6:30 AM–5:30 PM, with full-time, part-time and drop-in options. Parents receive daily updates through the Brightwheel app, and the centre offers out-of-school care with homework support for older children. Two optional add-ons stand out: nutritious halal hot meals and snacks, and a transportation service (the North Academy Van) for school drop-off and pick-up. Recent reviewers describe attentive, warm staff, packed activity days and a clean, welcoming environment. Located at 13625 119 St NW. Visit website

Roots Childcare Centre

Serving Griesbach since 2019, Roots Childcare Centre holds a 4.8 rating across 45 reviews and follows a Reggio Emilia–inspired philosophy focused on the whole child — physical, mental, social-emotional and spiritual development through open-ended, play-based exploration. Children are grouped by age in rooms named after Canadian trees, from an infant room for ages 6–18 months up through toddler and preschool rooms to a kindergarten and out-of-school-care room for grades 1–6. Food is a clear strength: an in-house trained chef prepares breakfast, hot lunch and an afternoon snack in a peanut-free kitchen following Canada’s Food Guide, with monthly menus, international recipes and halal options on request. Parents stay in the loop through the HiMama app, and reviewers — many of whom stayed for several years — describe warm, dedicated educators and a clean, welcoming space. Located at Unit 201, 6879 Ad Astra Blvd NW. Visit website

Kids Space Daycare & OSC

With 90 reviews at a 4.7 rating, Kids Space Daycare & OSC has among the most review count on this list, a strong signal of an established, well-known Castle Downs centre. Under the banner “Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow,” this family-owned centre offers a full age range across five rooms: a baby room (0–18 months), toddler room (19–36 months), preschool (3–4 years), kinder (5–6 years) and out-of-school care (6–12 years). The play-based program is organized around learning centres for sensory play, dramatic play, literacy, math, science, art and music, with an emphasis on autonomy and self-directed learning. The centre highlights cultural diversity and inclusion, an on-site food and menu program, and daily photo updates to parents through an app. Reviewers consistently praise the clean, welcoming space, attentive educators and packed activity days. Located at 15327 Castledowns Road. Visit website

Friendly Forest Child Care Centre

A north-side fixture in the Castle Downs / Lake District area, Friendly Forest holds a 4.7 rating across 72 reviews and brings 25 years of experience under the same owner — with a director of 15 years and many long-tenured educators, a sign of real stability. It offers full-time care for ages 3 months to 12 years across five individual rooms (solid walls rather than dividers, with large windows), each staffed at low educator ratios — 1:4 in the infant room, 1:6 for toddlers, and 1:8 to 1:10 in preschool. Security is a clear priority: the building stays locked with controlled doorbell/fob entry. Outdoors, children have a fenced backyard with soft turf and play equipment, a large adjoining field, and access to nearby city walking trails for nature walks. Two healthy snacks and a hot lunch are provided daily to kindergarten age (an optional food program runs about $60/month), and the out-of-school-care program includes transportation to Baturyn, St. Charles and Bishop Greschuk schools. Open 6:30 AM–5:45 PM. Located at 16833 109 St NW. Visit website

Strawberry Field Daycare

Also in Griesbach, Strawberry Field Daycare holds a 4.7 rating across 28 reviews and stands out for its custom-built, design-forward approach. It cares for children aged 12 months to 6 years using the Reggio Emilia philosophy, in spaces fitted out with eco-friendly, non-toxic materials and separate, age-tailored play areas. The enrichment program reaches beyond the basics to include music, art, creative movement and yoga, and meals are made from fresh, locally sourced, seasonal organic ingredients. Safety is a stated priority: a password-protected secure entry, camera surveillance, and a deliberate choice to build away from liquor stores, vape shops and bars. The centre is accredited and licensed, supports subsidy and affordability grants, and keeps parents updated in real time through the Brightstart app (meals, naps, diapering and daily photos). Reviewers highlight small class sizes, an attentive director (Suman) known for a gradual, week-by-week onboarding approach for new families, and a clean, second-home feel. Located at 6235 Hampton Gray Ave. Visit website

Londonderry Childcare Centre

Londonderry Childcare Centre holds a 4.6 rating across 15 reviews. It cares for children from 0 to 6 years, infants through preschool, in bright, sunlit classrooms with hands-on learning activities. The review count is smaller than some centres here, so it’s worth reading through them yourself, but the recent reviews skew strongly positive: parents consistently describe a clean, safe, well-managed space and warm, attentive educators, with toddler-room teachers Miss Hani and Miss Farzana named repeatedly. A solid option to tour if you’re in the Londonderry area. Open 6:30 AM–6:00 PM. Located at 13709 66 St NW. Visit website

Kidzone Daycare

In Castle Downs, Kidzone Daycare holds a 4.5 rating across 33 reviews, with several families staying five years or more — a strong sign of stability. It offers a full age range across four programs: infant (0–19 months), toddler (19–36 months), preschool and kindergarten (3–6 years), and out-of-school care (6–12 years). The play-based philosophy centres on child-led discovery, with qualified early childhood educators and what the centre describes as a high staff-to-child ratio; days include music, dance, story time, science, math, dramatic play and physical literacy, plus leadership and team-building activities for older children. Lunch and two healthy snacks are provided daily, and children typically head outside twice a day, weather permitting. A few practical strengths stand out: school-age children can use Edmonton Public School Board bus pick-up to schools including Major General Griesbach, Caernarvon, St. Timothy and Baturyn; the centre keeps an open-door policy that welcomes unscheduled parent visits; and it’s transparent about being inspected by Alberta Children’s Services up to three times a year, with inspection reports available on-site. Reviewers highlight warm, long-tenured staff and frequent outings to parks, sledding and summer spray parks. Open 6:30 AM–6:00 PM. Located at #124, 15277 Castle Downs Rd. Visit website

The Masterminds Daycare Centre – Griesbach

In the Griesbach community, The Masterminds Daycare Centre holds a 4.3 rating across 44 reviews, a solid base of feedback from an established centre. Families describe a clean, welcoming space with caring, well-trained staff who support children’s emotional, social and academic growth, and several reviewers note strong kindergarten preparation and confidence-building. A number of families have stayed for multiple years, and reviews point to firm-but-fair routines and an environment children settle into like a “second home.” Open 7:00 AM–6:00 PM. Located at 592 Griesbach Parade NW. Visit website

How to choose the right daycare in Edmonton

A star rating gets you a shortlist; the real decision happens on a tour. Here’s what experienced Edmonton parents look for:

• Licensing and CWELCC participation. Make sure the centre is licensed by the Government of Alberta. Centres enrolled in the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system also pass on reduced fees (more on cost below).
• Educator qualifications and ratios. Ask how many staff are certified Early Childhood Educators and what the child-to-educator ratios are for your child’s age group. Lower ratios mean more individual attention.
• Health, safety and cleanliness. Walk the rooms. Look at how the space is maintained, where supplies are stored, and how staff respond to children during your visit.
• Program and philosophy. Play-based, Montessori-inspired, structured pre-kindergarten , ask what a typical day looks like and whether it matches what you want.
• Communication. Many centres use a parent app (Brightwheel, HiMama, Brightstart) for daily photos and updates. Ask how they keep you in the loop and how they handle incidents.
• Meals and allergies. Check whether nutritious meals and snacks are included and how they accommodate allergies or dietary needs.
• Location and hours. A centre near home or work that opens early enough for your commute saves you stress every single day , note the hours in the table above vary by up to 90 minutes.

What does daycare cost in Edmonton?

Thanks to the federal–provincial CWELCC agreement, licensed childcare in Alberta has become dramatically more affordable, with the goal of bringing average fees down toward roughly $15 a day for participating centres. On top of reduced base fees, eligible families can apply for additional subsidy through the Alberta government based on household income.

Because these programs and rates are updated periodically, treat any figure you see online as a starting point and confirm the current monthly fee directly with each centre , along with whether they participate in CWELCC and what subsidies you may qualify for. For the latest details, check the Government of Alberta’s child care pages.

Frequently asked questions about best daycares in North Edmonton

What is the best daycare in North Edmonton? There’s no single “best” , it depends on your child’s age, your neighbourhood, and what matters most to your family. Strong, highly-rated options for 2026 include Northtown Grand Daycare, Castledowns Childcare, North Academy and Roots Childcare Centre. Tour your top few before deciding.

How much does daycare cost in Edmonton? Through the CWELCC agreement, fees at participating licensed centres have been reduced significantly, with the goal of an average around $15 a day. Eligible families may also qualify for additional provincial subsidy. Confirm current fees and your subsidy eligibility with each centre.

How do I know if a daycare is licensed? Licensed centres are regulated by the Government of Alberta and must meet provincial standards for safety, ratios and educator qualifications. Ask the centre to confirm their licence, or use the Alberta child care lookup tool.

When should I start looking for daycare? As early as you can , popular centres in north Edmonton often have waitlists. Many parents begin touring and joining waitlists several months before they need care.

Do daycares in Edmonton offer before- and after-school care? Yes. Several centres on this list, including North Academy, Castledowns and Kids Space, offer out-of-school care (OSC) for school-age children alongside daycare for younger ones.

Looking for a brand-new, licensed centre in the Northtown area, open early and late for busy families? Book a tour at Northtown Grand Daycare and come see the rooms for yourself.