If you are looking to engage your child in the arts, YPAC has a wide selection of options, from…read moredance, tumbling, music and theater. With two locations in Yorkville, the facilities are easily accessible to families in Yorkville and in surrounding communities. Both of my daughters have participated in the tumbling program. My older child started tumbling at an older age, and YPAC welcomed her and built both her strength and confidence. The teachers are knowledgeable in proper form and safety. My youngest started in a parent/child class, Pre-COVID. It was more of an open gym/exploratory class, which was a fun introduction to tumbling. We just started back after a break for COVID, and the facility remains impressive. My now the year old jumped right in to participate, which impressed me. The teachers are obviously experienced with younger children. The facility has a great plan on place to safely check children in without a lot of close contact and traffic through the building, and parents can still watch class via Zoom. Prices are a little high- billing is monthly, and there is also an annual membership fee. I do believe that there are some scholarships available.

My experience with YPAC is with the one week performing arts camp (Monday through Friday) designed…read morearound tryouts for a play/musical on the first day and culminating in a performance on Friday evening. Every child enrolled in the camp (which I believe cost $500) is guaranteed a role in the play. I recently attended the Friday night performance for You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. There were only 10 children enrolled in the camp. The show chosen had 6 speaking roles, and 4 non-speaking roles. The participants in non-speaking roles were infrequently on the stage singing and dancing. Didn't have so much as one line in the whole show. Which meant they spent much of the week leading up to the show sitting around watching the others practice. Not exactly what the camp offered or was paid for. It would seem to me that a better show could have been chosen to allow fuller participation for all the camp enrollees. I understand that in any play some are cast in larger roles than others. However, the secret to a good theater camp is to figure out how to utilize ALL the kids to make them feel like full participants. There are much better theater camps out there. I would recommend skipping this one.

It almost seemed like a dream. From the very start, cruising through a large patch of lotus plants,…read moreit felt otherworldly. Very peaceful, going at our own pace. Enjoyed the cliff walls of Buffalo Rock and the shallow waters of some side passages. We paddled for 5 hours, covering 8 miles total. After we were done we headed to charming, historic downtown Utica for drinks and dinner at Skoog's Pub & Grill in North Utica, IL. I was impressed with the logistics and operation of the kayaking experience, from the guide* to the equipment and online booking process. *Full disclosure, the guide was my twin sister, but I am being objective...seriously.

I have mixed feelings about this kayak tour company. I signed up because although I'm a very…read morecapable and seasoned kayaker, I didn't know this river and I like learning about the ecosystems and local wildlife. For this reason I like having tour guides. Going up the river was fine. Coming back went a bit sour. I went as slow as I was capable of paddling or not paddling, but apparently it was too fast for the preference of our tour guide. I was barely touching the water with my paddle. I have no idea how I could have gone any slower. It wasn't humanly possible. After shouting at me several times, he took to chasing me down and ramming my kayak so it'd spin in circles. Would I rent a kayak here and kayak the river alone? Yes. Would I personally use a tour guide here? No I wouldn't. Would I recommend? If you're a family with little kids or a drunk sorority house, absolutely. If you know what you're doing, just go it alone. You'll probably enjoy it more. Edit: If the tour guide had concerns for group safety, he could have said so. Although ramming my kayak with his seems to be a bit of a conflict as far as my safety goes. It was an unprofessional approach when he could have simply explained why he needed me to slow down

We hosted our sons 4th birthday party here from 5-7pm on a Saturday in January…read more We weren't sure how the timed stations and open play time was going to go with a group of 4 year olds but our experience was wonderful! The host was great with our son, the place was clean and organized, and it was a huge hit. The simplicity for decorating with just a banner and table clothes we brought was perfect and it was very convenient to have the rolling container to wheel all the presents out to the car. Would recommend!

Had a 3rd bday party for my son and it was a perfect venue for it. Dan was our party coordinator…read moreand he did a wonderful job. It was very organized and there was perfect amount of time in each space. The pizza was delicious and everything was so nice and prepared. The kids had an absolute blast and my son loved it.

I am an instructor at BH and cannot imagine where I would be today without martial arts. I started…read moretaekwondo when I was about 12 years old & have been training 8 years strong. Here, I've found my second family. BH truly helped me grow as a person. Throughout the years I learned a lot regarding patience, discipline, self-control, confidence, and respect. And myself, other staff, and Master Lee work hard to teach these lessons to our students, too. We will teach anyone willing to learn and try their best!

We first joined ACE Taekwondo in Yorkville back in February 2021, when my daughter--then in the…read moremidst of a full-blown Naruto obsession--begged to become a "ninja". To be honest, I was hesitant at first. My daughter had tried T-ball previously and lost interest quickly, and I worried Taekwondo would be another short-lived hobby. The commitment felt long, and while the cost was reasonable for area martial arts classes, it felt like a risk if she didn't stick with it. On top of that, we were still deep in the pandemic: my daughter wore a mask to every class, and I waited outside in the car. But she loved it. Despite all the challenges, she kept showing up to class, excited and engaged. As Covid restrictions lifted, I started coming inside to watch occasionally, but mostly kept to myself--I'm not much of a "people person." Still, as the months turned into years and my daughter worked her way toward her black belt, I realized this wasn't a passing phase. Her dedication inspired me. Eventually, I started bringing my toddler to the Toddler classes and got to know Master, Instructor White, and the other instructors. When my daughter earned her deputy belt and began preparing for her black belt test, I decided to join her on the mat. I signed up for Taekwondo and, being an overachiever, added Hapkido too! A year later, my daughter and I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to South Korea with ACE for an international tournament and cultural trip. It was amazing to share this experience--and our training journey--together. If we stay on track, my daughter will earn her 2nd Dan (2nd degree black belt) on the same day I receive my 1st black belt. I can't think of a better milestone to share as a family. Now, my 4-year-old is also a Tiny Tiger at ACE. The instructors are wonderful, and the kids we've met through ACE are some of the kindest, most respectful kids I've ever known. They truly embody the tenets of Taekwondo, and ACE is helping shape future leaders in our community. I am so proud to be part of the ACE family. If you're looking for a place where your child--and your whole family--can grow in confidence, discipline, and community, I highly recommend checking out ACE Taekwondo!

We have been taking our daughter here for almost a year now, not just for daycare but so that she…read morecan have some socialization and playtime. She loves going and we feel Very comfortable taking her. They are very transparent in everything they do and it is VERY SAFE. Reading the review below from the 'grandmother' actually makes me mad. I question if this is really a family member because it's not even factually accurate and Kiddie Academy made it very well know what had happened. Yes, a child managed to get under a fence that had past an inspection and was almost immediately discovered. They never made it off the property. They were quick to inform all families of what happened. They closed that playground, had both the Oswego PD and the Department of Children Services our to take reports. The fence was fixed and reinspected. This was an isolated event which was handled very professionally. We feel like family walking throw the doors at Kiddie Academy Oswego. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

I can't say enough kind words about Kiddie Academy! We've been attending for almost 2.5 years and…read morein that time I've watched my daughter not only learn important developmental and life skills, but she has gained so much confidence in her own ability and with her peers. Our son has been part of KA for a little over a year and has grown leaps and bounds in his infant room. The staff and administration is unmatched! They've taken the time to get to know our kids and their individual personalities to really help foster a safe environment for them. I absolutely recommend Kiddie Academy if you're looking for a place that treats you like family and prioritizes learning in a fun, collaborative way!

I have worked at Children of America for a little over 2 years at the Yorkville location. As I am…read morealso a parent who brings 2 children with me, I see both sides of it! I really do love the location and I believe there is such a loving and caring team of teachers. My children love it there and I know my children are loved! Ms. Pam, Ms. Misty, Ms. Brittney, Ms. Deb, Ms. Kaira, Ms. Lorena, Ms. Norma, Ms. Kaylee and Ms. Liz, Ms. Kaitlyn, ms. Paige, Ms. Haley have giving my children so much love and have done an amazing job with them!

Seems pretty defensive. This is a burner account - we don't want retaliation either. I want to…read moreassume the staff is just under horrible corporate management but its hard to tell the company culture seems geared towards misinformation. Like, explaining to me how I was wrong seemed way to common of a rhetoric amongst the administrative staff. Corporate is impossible to contact - good luck speaking to anyone, they had me leave a voicemail! And of course never a follow up. - It also MUST be said : The care staff is beyond wonderful, a few odd eggs ( they seem to forget AND remember they are on camera at times... ) but in general the caregiving staff are seraphim.

My daughter has been going to the Montgomery, IL location for the past 3 years and I could not be…read morehappier. This is the first non-family related place I have sent any of my kids to for daycare needs so I was very worried and concerned by those feelings were gone after the first week of my daughter being there has she begged to go back on the weekend! When my husband passed away, all the teachers that my daughter has had, the director (Beth) and the assistant director (Brooke) attended the wake. That truly meant ALOT to my family. They have also been there for my daughter whenever she has wanted to talk about her daddy & her feelings of missing him. Since I am now a stay at home mom, my daughter will not be attending Rogy's HOWEVER if I should need daycare again in the future for my daughter, I will be definitely going back to Rogy's in Montgomery!

Best staff at any of the daycares I've sent my child to. My child loves going and always talks…read moreabout how much fun she has. If you are looking for a place that gives your child individual attention, teaches them well and makes them feel safe along with you feeling safe about them being there...then this is the place to send them!

This place is AMAZING!! My youngest had a miserable daycare experienceit. We believe she is…read moreborderline autism and she was actually dropped from the previous daycare because they couldnt handle her. She was sad, miserable, she don't want to do anything, but cry at her last daycare. So I was very worried coming to another daycare but I'm so happy we did. The staff here is very well trained. They are amazing with her. She actually plays and is always smiling now when she's there. She truly is becoming a different child. She actually does the arts and crafts with them. Im so happy with this daycare!!

Well I will start with this place has obviously gone downhill since 2019 - 2021. My review of this…read morechildcare and workplace is certainly not amazing. Quite the opposite actually. The director and staff at COA in Oswego are so unprofessional on many levels. I am going to start by saying my son (who happens to have mild Autism) was hired as a Teaching Assistant. This was told to them on his resume, as well as discussed at the interview. He was hired at COA about 6 months ago. Since being hired, he has been picked on, made to do work that other TA's are not made to do ( ex. clean all floors and toys in all classrooms). Written up for incidents that were embellished by other staff as a means to get him in trouble. Treated with disrespect and now after today called a racist because of a mis-pronunciation of a last name. His own family is comprised of 4 different races. He doesn't have a mean or racist bone in his body. My son, even through all of this, has continued to show up and work every day. He has taken the 10:30 am lunch even when he got to work at 9 am and others have been working since 6 am. He never complained about this unfair treatment due to feeling like he could lose his job all the time. It was evident in his anxiety that he felt left out and not supported at all. He recently had his hours cut, supposedly due to lack of enrollment. Although the center hired 4 new staff since he was hired and he was the staff with hours cut to 15 hours a week. They have treated him like he wouldn't know better and continuously pick on him. They expected him to be alone in a classroom, and because he spoke up and said he wasn't comfortable with this, his hours were cut. What a sad and unfortunate work experience for a young man who just felt he would like to work with young children. As he comes from a family who fostered other children throughout his life. He has had experience working and caring for kids quite a bit, just not in the daycare setting. As his Mom, I really felt this would be a great opportunity for him. How sad of COA to treat someone who is "different " with such disrespect that he no longer wants to work in an environment like that. I doubt you would want your children attending a place that treats their employees this way either. I know I wouldn't. If I thought my son could have written this himself, I would have him do so. His disabilities don't define him. His heart does. We will move on from here, but not without speaking our TRUTH.

I have always been reluctant to enroll my kids in a daycare center (not sure why, but to me…read morecorporate daycare always=BAD), but I took the plunge and enrolled my second son (age 2) in Heartland after my sitter quit with just a few weeks notice. We have been SO happy with this school. My son is thriving, singing ABCs, doing crafts, playing outside, AND taking nice long naps. The staff is professional yet caring, communicative, and they are truly getting to know my son and his quirks. We are grateful for the Heartland School!