So today I was here for my 1st graders field trip…read more Funny story, I found this amazing science center, while googling the words, "inexpensive science field trips." Lo and behold the science center was super cheap to attend for two classes, and the exhibits are very engaging and fun! Anna, Bradley, and David, made our experience fun and exciting! I've done a lot of field trips, in 27 years of teaching, but this one is one of my absolute favorites! I feel like their spot is totally slept on and underrated, we need to usher in more educators to take their kids here for their field trips! They're a non-profit and need our help to stay open! So spread the word and let's keep this learning gem, open longer! Science Exhibits: 20/10 Customer Service: 20/10 Quality of the Programs: Amazing! Overall: 20 out of 10!

We are members and absolutely love this place. My kids have taken camps here over summer and…read morethroughout the school year and we also had my five year olds birthday party here...they always want to return for more. They recently re did the science center and it is such a well done space. The kids enjoy all the interactive stuff as well as the animals. The membership is really great bc you get access to free events - like private times, meet Santa / holiday party, and discounted birthday parties and camps.

This place is amazing. I have been a student there attending classes ever since I was 6 years old…read moreand have never once wanted to quit. Classes are fun and the instructors are knowledgeable and friendly. Personally, some of my favorite memories have happened here.

I come to their kickboxing class once a week in the evenings. They have different instructors in…read morewhich I have taken classes with and they are all great with different teaching styles. They motivate you and the class is so much fun. Bumping music, moves and sweat! It's a mixture of everything and best believe, you leave your class huffing and puffing, feeling great. My 5 yo daughter is in their tiger class twice a week. At first, I was expecting the class to be all physical but to my surprise, they teach amazing life lessons like building confidence, self discipline, hard work, control, and respect. This made me commit. We've also taken this class with multiple instructors and every one of them are so kind and amazing. They are so great with kids and I love them all so much! My girl enjoys this class and it's nice parents can sit in the class to watch. Towards the end, they have you interact with your child in helping them develop their skills which is a nice way to bond. I think of all the places in Davis, this place is probably the best in terms of quality for adults and children. They also offer camps which I've heard great things about.

When we first moved to Davis, we assumed our kids would go to one of the great public schools here…read more-- that was part of why we chose this area. After the first few months, with 27-30 kids in our son's class, we observed that it was hard for him to get individual attention, and during our first parent-teacher conference, it felt like his teacher didn't really know him. A friend mentioned Peregrine, and at first we weren't sure -- especially because of the tuition. But when we visited, the campus immediately stood out. There were tree forts, gardens planted by students, zip lines, hay bales, and ample space to run. It just felt alive. Our son absolutely loves it there. Every morning he sprints onto the playground before we can even say goodbye. The teachers know him -- really know him. Within the first two weeks, they even noticed he was having trouble pronouncing certain words and suggested we check with our pediatrician about a speech evaluation. That early attention made such a difference. We've also been amazed by how intentional the academics are. He has one-on-one reading time twice a week, small group literacy sessions, and a class library full of graphic novels like Dog Man and Zita the Space Girl that keep him excited about reading. His progress has been incredible. He learns outside -- rain or shine -- with teachers who guide gardening, cooking, ceramics, and project-based lessons. The school celebrates different cultures through music, food, and dance, and the meals are cooked right on site and actually healthy. What stands out most is how much the teachers care. They communicate proactively, notice social dynamics, and address things right away. It's clear that he's seen, supported, and surrounded by people who genuinely care about his growth. After his first week there we received a detailed assessment of his reading and math levels with handwritten notes explaining areas of improvement and where we can help him further. This sort of detailed individual feedback really showed how they truly took the time to get to know our son. We also really appreciate the weekly class emails we get from his teachers. They summarize what the kids learned that week in reading, math, and other subjects -- along with photos and little anecdotes. It's such a thoughtful touch, and it makes us feel connected to what's happening in the classroom day to day. In addition the teachers are always accessible before and after class for us to discuss concerns and questions that arise. As the more financially cautious one in our family, I wasn't sure how we'd feel about private school -- but seeing how happy and curious he is now, it truly feels worth it. Watching him grow, ask questions, and grow his love of learning has been such a gift. One thing we've learned is there's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to school. Davis has so many great options -- I'm just glad we found one that fits our son so well. We ended up enrolling our daughter there at the preschool as well!

This is our forth year at the Peregrine school: my daughter started at 3 years old in their…read morepreschool and now she is in their elementary school. I wanted to share our experience from this most recent school year. The school's full-day kindergarten program has small student-to-teacher ratios, a nurturing environment, a terrific teaching team, and an immersive project-based curriculum. My daughter was in a classroom of 12 children and three teachers. Two of the teachers swapped places depending on the subjects that were taught that day, so there were always two teachers with the kids. The school created a trilingual program where the kindergarteners were learning a bit of Spanish and Mandarin in addition to having the core curriculum in English. What I particularly appreciate about the language component is how the teachers wove in cultural literacy into their lessons along with language instruction. There are many things that set apart this kindergarten program from others. Six hours of daily programming allows teachers to create a rich experience filled with language arts, math, science, gardening, cooking, music, and movement. The program allows you to drop off your kid at 8:30 am and pick them up by 3:15 pm with before and after school care available to those who need it; instruction takes place between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. Children are served healthy, nutritious, and well-balanced meals that are prepared on site and given at snack time and lunch. The food is so good that my child begged me to get a recipe from the school chef for a "lentil dish that is better than candy." The school's acre of gardens and play space allows the children to learn and play while being surrounded by beautiful nature. Kindergarteners spend at least an hour outside each day. Additionally, the school has three teacher specialists who work with the students weekly in the areas of gardening/cooking, music, and movement. The incredible food program coupled with the gardening lessons exposed my child to lots of new food that she was resistant to try before. My daughter particularly enjoys the kale and peas she gets to eat straight from the school garden. This past year the class got to go on five field trips to visit the Davis food co-op, a farm in West Sac, and attend three events at the Mondavi center. (This does not include many smaller trips to the playgrounds and parks near the school.) The Peregrine school also arranges for performances around Chinese New Year and other holidays on the school site. Towards the end of the school year, as part of their science unit, the class got to watch caterpillars hatch out of eggs and transform into butterflies. Children also witnessed the entire lifecycle of silkworms ending with moths laying eggs. I feel lucky to have this kindergarten program available in our town and I wanted to share our experience in case this may be a good fit for other families in this group. The Peregrine school offers instruction at all elementary grade levels through sixth grade in case you have an older child and you are interested in their program.

We LOVE Swim America!! We have been with them since our oldest, Shane, was 5 months old... over 3…read moreyears ago! Since then we have added our 1 year old daughter into the mix. It's been an incredible experience to confidently feel safe with my kids near any body of water. They both are progressing so well and understand the concept of waiting for us to get into any water as well as roll themselves over to keep their faces above the surface. On top of that, the staff is INCREDIBLE!! Of course Rose, the owner, is fantastic to swim and work with. But Cindy and KT are also the absolute BEST! You'll love it here!

Davis needs more enclosed heated pools for the kids to learn how to swim during the winter. For now…read moreSwim America is it, as far as I know. My kid enjoyed his lessons with some instructors, but not all. This year after the holidays we noticed that the water quality has changed and the kid was reluctant to continue with the lessons. I reached out and was told that the water is fine, but then he developed eczema, so we decided to pull him out, which is unfortunate. The kids do enjoy leveling up and receiving prizes, which is fun, I suppose.

Beautiful school, nice teachers, happy kids. Looks good, might enter my new kids hereread more

We signed up for a backpacking trip in the spring scheduled to take place in August. Five days…read morebefore the camp was to start it was cancelled, reportedly for low enrollment although their website listed the camp as full. The administrative office was a mess and could not give directions or set up a meeting well. Avoid this place or your child may be sorely disappointed and parents may be in a fix with no child care that week lined up. Too bad as it looked really good!

This is a wonderful place to acquire horsemanship skills. Shelley is an exceptional instructor and…read moreis great with both people and horses!! She has in depth knowledge of horsemanship and how to teach it. I recently arrived from the Midwest and was afraid I would not find a trainer here. After many years of instruction I rank Shelley as one of the best teachers I have encountered. She has dozens of young people following her around the barn hanging on her every word. She exemplifies the best in teaching horsemanship. Her love of the sport is evident and radiates through her teaching experience. The horses are beautiful and so is the property. Young or old; you can not find a better place to ride. Deb B

Sterling Riding Academy is a great resource for beginner riders up to experienced riders. I took…read morelessons from Shelley and Melissa, starting in their beginner program through the city, until I graduated from high school where I was riding and competing regularly with them. They have a very strong beginners program with many safe and reliable horses and a well rounded lesson program. Beginner riders learn about grooming and tacking up a horse, basic horse care as well as how to ride. One of the best parts of Sterling for me, was Melissa's commitment to making me a well rounded rider. I rode many many different horses throughout my time at Sterling, each with their own quirks and challenges. Similarly, though I competed in Hunters and Equitation, Mellissa also taught me jumper, cross country and dressage lessons. Even though they each have a different skill set and purpose this kind of "cross training" is instrumental in being a good rider. I highly recommend any of the programs at Sterling and I really appreciate the family that Shelley and Melissa have built there.

I like Davis. This is the fifth time I've been here, second time I've been here a week or more…read morewhere I could travel around and get to know it. I encounter nice people, very little bad language, especially considering it usually a town of young people, lots of interesting restaurants and stores, easy distance from Sacramento and San Francisco, good theater and concert venues, several movie theaters for such a small town, a good selection of motels, car rentals and basic amenities. The weather gets pretty hot in the summer but now in June it's just perfect to me. Lake Tahoe and Reno are not that far, there are small shopping centers in town and larger ones within a half hour drive. And it's a really pretty town to drive around in. About the only thing it's missing is the ocean! I'll be sorry if my daughter moves away from this area because then I won't have an excuse to visit here and it's pretty far from San Diego to travel to without a strong motivation. I appreciate having the opportunity to enjoy it as much as I have though.

I took my brother and cousin here to sign up for swim lessons. They messed up and sold us a swim…read morepass instead...for $65. I think it's kinda pricey cause a season pass to raging waters is cheaper than that. I ended up having to come back and told them how they messed up, they were able to fix the problem and enrolled them in the right class. They were pretty nice about everything too. They offer a variety of classes for kids and adults during the summer and the prices are very reasonable. From sports, cooking, yoga, and kid quest..they have almost everything! Many fun activities to enjoy during the summer.

Mike and Sandy are incredible people who have devoted so much to this program. They started it from…read morethe ground up 10 years ago and deserve all the stars in the world. They are the most down to earth people and are completely committed to their students. This is why their students return summer after summer. Its incredible to see the kids grow each season. The experience that the kids get in being a part of a band, having practices and then performing live sets at different venues is such a unique and one of a kind offering. I would recommend RBU to all davis parents. Trust me, you will love seeing the smile on their faces as they rock out to their favorite songs!!

My 13 year old son loves Rock Band University. He has attended 4 or 5…read more sessions over a 2 year period and has grown more confident with his skills and stage performance. He even agreed to sing lead on several songs the last session he attended. My son has taken guitar lessons for a couple of years but it was like pulling hair to get him to practice, until we put him in RBU. Mike the owner is great with the kids and places them with other students who are at their level. The culmination of the session is a performance which includes all of the bands with their parents and friends attending. You will be happily surprised to see your child's inner rocker shine through.