This is my 6-year old son's second year at BB&N Summer Camp. I can now say unequivocally that he is…read morehaving the time of his young life. I'm actually a little jealous - here are some of the things he comes home and tells me about: Swimming, archery, nature class, performing arts, dodgeball, funny counselors, pancakes for lunch (what? why was I not invited?), woodworking class (he's almost done sanding, he's quite proud), arts & crafts, volleyball in the pool, slip & slide, and chocolate chip cookies. He's there for 8-hours a day and if he didn't like it, believe me, I'd hear about it. Instead, I ask him how his day was and he says, "AWESOME!". He actually gets mad at me if I pick him up early. A little bruising to my ego, but it's a darned good sign that he's happy. Really, what more could I ask? He's got a nut allergy and they take that super-seriously. Everyone is aware and the kitchen is completely nut free. I feel absolutely comfortable that he's being well supervised and that he is safe and cared for. I wanna go to summer camp!

This camp reflects very poorly on the school and its mission. This camp is a profit-focused…read moreoperation with high school and undergraduate students supervised by unprofessional recent college grads, some of whom are alumnae of the school. Instead of modeling the school's mission to "promote integrity, and kindness in diverse, curious, and motivated students" the counselors fostered an environment that felt extremely cliquey and exclusive. The social atmosphere often left some campers feeling isolated or unwelcome. There are far better camps in the area that are cheaper!

My son attended Puddlestompers for two weeks three summers in a row. He really enjoyed the program,…read moreand always found friends among the young campers. The staff was professional, kind, and very responsive to questions.

This summer was our family's first experience with Puddlestompers. We were very excited for a…read morenature-focused camp and hoped for a high-quality, memorable experience based on the strong reviews and the program's cost. However, on the second day, my son told us that his favorite part of camp was getting to watch Wild Kratts. I was surprised to hear that screen time was being used at a camp advertised around outdoor exploration, so I emailed the staff. They responded quickly, apologized, and assured me it would not happen again. What happened next was far more concerning. The following day, my son was unusually quiet and reluctant to talk about camp. When I gently asked what was wrong, he eventually told me, "My teachers said we can't watch TV anymore because you and Papa told them we can't. Next time I won't tell you." I was shocked and heartbroken. A private concern raised by parents should never be communicated to a group of children in a way that identifies one child or makes that child feel responsible for a change. Regardless of exactly how the message was delivered (I'll never know), my son came away believing that being honest with his parents had caused a problem for everyone, and that he should keep things from us in the future. I suppose the silver lining is that we used this experience to have an important conversation with our son about trust and reassured him that he can always tell us what happens when he is away from home. Still, that is a lesson we should not have had to repair after camp. Since sharing our experience with other parents, I have learned that children watching television at Puddlestompers is not unusual. We are not opposed to screen time, in fact we love watching Wild Kratts at home. I just didn't expect it to be part of a summer camp that promotes an outdoor, nature-filled experience. Other than this incident, my son loved his time there. I'm sharing this so prospective families can ask clear questions about screen use and how the camp handles parent concerns before enrolling.

This is an excellent art studio! My son used to draw only in…read morebrown until he was about 4 years old. With Diana, he became so much more creative. She exposed him to all kinds of media. He loves art and has so many cool ways of expressing his ideas. They also do some classes outside. They look at nature and draw nature in parks, etc. Its a great experience for kids.

Our 7.5 year old daughter had the best first week of summer thanks to Diana's summer camp!!! Not…read moreonly do they do a lot of art, they also get plenty of outside time (when it's not 100+), do some unique classes (karate and yoga!), and put on an art show at the end of the week! During the heat wave when it wasn't safe for the kids to be outdoors, they all had an ice cream sundae party! The atmosphere is beautiful and calm. Overall, she can't wait to return!

The New Art Center in Newton is a fabulous community resource for art classes for adults, teens and…read morekids. There are also terrific art camps for children and teens throughout the summer and over school vacation weeks. New Art also has free art experiences for the community, including a gallery at 245 Walnut St, Newton and a robust scholarship program.

I am impressed that this more conservative contemporary art gallery was willing to exhibit all…read morekinds of "urban" art!! I went there Friday evening and saw what some of the highly skilled graffiti artists in Boston and New York have been up to lately. Cheers to the board at the New Art Center for approving such a cutting edge and controversial showcase!

It's a nice place to take the kids to And to get out all…read moretheir energy my kids had fun Clean bathrooms . And the stuff is so friendly

Seriously, kids get the fun birthday places. We came here for a birthday party and I was amazed…read more Two big rooms of inflatable things to climb and jump on. It was clean and I want to go back!

I like the YMCA in Oak Square. It has a lot of parking. They do a good job plowing the parking lot…read moreout too. They plow it right down to the asphalt so you can see the black of the pavement and the paint of the pavement markings. There is also plenty of street parking as well. I haven't ever had to resort to street parking, but it's nice to know that the option is available. Most of the time, I'll just walk to the location, as I live only but a block away, but it's good to know that the parking lot is sufficient if I needed it. The basketball courts are nice. My wife likes the pool. I wish it opened earlier. Sometimes I have to leave earlier than I want to in order to make it to practice in time... - Scarnecchia

Limited parking. I go every day after work and I can say that if you plan to workout between 4:30…read moreand 6:30pm, you will very likely have to wait in a line of cars all waiting for a spot to open up. If the parking lot was bigger, this would be a 5/5 review. It's a great facility, I just wish I was able to actually use it. I can't count the number of times I've shown up and waited in a line of cars for a very long time just to give up and go home.

I'll start with this: three months later, my kid is still talking about this camp and asking when…read morehe can go back. From the online orientation videos (a huge plus for kids who are reluctant to try new things), to the creativity-focused activities, to the daily hot lunch, this was hands-down our family's favourite day camp of the dozen-plus we've experienced. I was so impressed by the friendly, responsive, and competent leadership, the brand-spanking-new technology the kids got to use for movie-making and coding, and the range of activities. But equally wonderful from a parent's perspective is how organized and streamlined the registration, payment, and check-in procedures are. Each morning, I could log in via my phone, select my kid's lunch choice, and off we went to the check-in with no lineup. Easy peasy. My somewhat introverted kid found this a very welcoming place with plenty of self-guided activities. He always got lots of exercise, but never came home mentally exhausted the way he sometimes does from school, where the nonstop socializing wears him out. He tried new stuff, like sewing and breadmaking, and came home proud of his accomplishments and the things he'd made. His description: "Mom! It's basically choice time, ALL DAY!" - which is the highest praise imaginable. Highly recommended and worth the slightly higher price, especially given the flexible hours & dates.

An incredible experience for my daughter on the autism spectrum. I was hesitant to send my…read moredaughter to Steve and Kate's because of the unlimited choices provided to the children. Many of our sped children, including my own, thrive off of a predictable schedule. I intended to send her for the day to test out the environment. Imagine my shock surprise when she didn't want to leave. I received unprompted feedback about my kid's day and they kept an eye on her behavioral well being. I would send her back in a heartbeat. Tyler at the Somerville location is the best!

tumblekids is the greatest. i attended classes from a very young age, as well as summer camp…read more the coaches have always been encouraging, and the layout is amazing. they always have interesting new classes and exercises, and it's an amazing way to get your kids into enjoying a more active lifestyle without them even realizing it! i wish i could still go work out at tumblekids (would DEFINITELY beat going to the gym!) i also coached a few of the younger classes as a teen, and loved all the kids i got to work with. it was tons of fun setting up the new circuits every morning and seeing how happy and excited every child was when attempting new activities. one note to a former poster: the floor is VERY expensive, and extremely difficult to clean, which is why birthday party guests are asked to stay on the tarp when eating cake (or other snacks) and drinking anything other than water. every birthday party i oversaw or attended at tumblekids was full of happy children who didn't need to run around on the gymnastics floor while consuming anything to have a brilliant time! for a warm, friendly environment with helpful and personable coaches, tumblekids is the very best.

I really wish we had started gymnastics somewhere else. Coaches changed frequently, communication…read morefrom leadership was lacking. I believe they are under new ownership so hopefully doing a better job with communication, consistency and quality of coaching.

I may only be taking advantage of 10% of what the YMCA offers, but so far, it is already WELL worth…read morethe price. The Kids Corner (babysitting) is fantastic. It's such a beautiful, bright and clean room, and the staff who take care of my kids are consistently fabulous -- a huge improvement from my previous gym which shall not be named where most of the staff didn't even seem to enjoy children. But the staff in the Kids Corner seem to genuinely care for the children and seem happy to be there! My daughter sucks on everything within a 2-foot radius, and I was happy to learn that they routinely clean the toys that have been sucked on! A couple other pluses: I love that the treadmills are equipped with live TV, Netflix and Hulu. The front desk staff are really friendly and helpful. There is a pretty wide variety of classes and I can't wait until the baby's nap schedule will allow me to partake in some! And the steam room! Ahhh, the steam room. A couple of things that I wish could be improved: 1) The parking. Though there is a TON of parking, it somehow doesn't seem to be enough! Around 10am on weekdays, it's pretty tough to find a spot. 2) The locker room is a little dingy. Clean, but it just feels old. Lastly, there is one huuuuuge plus that I didn't even know I needed: Diversity. Yes, you heard that right. Diversity. In Newton! Really! I love that when I bring my kids here, they will see people of all races, ages and abilities both as members and employees! I see people being treated with respect and care, and even just being near that makes you feel good, doesn't it? The YMCA is good for my soul, people. I'm so glad this place is here and has the mission it does. It really is a great place.

Five stars for Kids Corner, three to four for everything else. Lots of new equipment, friendly…read morestaff, lively atmosphere and family-friendly. The building is v v old though.

Fun little free museum and you can learn a little bit about the history of Bostons water supply!…read more The educational videos and demos about the engines powering the aqueducts were really interesting. The engines themselves are also very cool and quite a bit larger than i expected. I was surprised as well that there was a little section on the second floor which allows you to see the top view of the engines as well as the steeple. Fair warning that the museum isn't air conditioned except the top levels. You can also join a tour which I believe costs money, but this allows you to go into the engines and explore.

" Hours Wednesday- Sunday 11:am -4pm it's FREE"…read more "Waterworks Museum". Wow I live right near here and I didn't know this place existed . The y have a small parking lot . If this doesn't work out , they have street metered parking . It's very interesting. My husband and I had a great time . We learned something new , it was free . We even found non metered parking . So the parking was free .