I cannot say enough wonderful things about Smart Fit Kids. Not only do they create a safe, fun, and…read moresupportive environment every single day, but when an extremely unsafe bus incident occurred, Bixia and her staff went above and beyond to advocate for them and tirelessly pursued answers and solutions to ensure our children's safety. They communicated quickly, reassured us as parents, and made sure our children felt safe and protected. Knowing the team truly has our children's best interests at heart gives me so much peace of mind. We are incredibly grateful for their care and dedication!

Our two boys had a bad experience with this camp. One of our sons participated in the one focused…read moreon nutrition and cooking. He got very sick, and was one of three kids who were sent home in one day. We took him to the ER after learning he passed out at camp and after multiple calls with counselors and the owner, we still had no idea what happened to him. His symptoms were that of heat exhaustion or a concussion but the counselors' recalls of what happen were misaligned. In addition, from our son we learned that they had limited outdoor time and when he came home each day before his incident he said "I need to get my energy out, we stayed inside most of the day". I also noticed that the camper to counselor ratio was not great and was skeptical about sending both boys the following week. The next week we decided to send both boys to keep our schedules intact (I realize we should not have sent them after week one's incident) and they complained about the camp each day, saying they were stuck inside all day and they didn't do many activities. They also said the facilities were cramped and "dirty". On Wednesday there was a "suspected" lice outbreak. We pulled them out of the camp on Wednesday and they didn't attend the final days. Finally, unbeknownst to the camp counselors, our son exchanged one of his crocs with a new friends. We communicated with the counselors and owner to exchange the shoes and they were unwilling to help. They actually never replied to multiple emails and didn't return our call. Should my son have done that? No, of course not and I should have noticed before we headed home that Wednesday. But the lack of communication when we sought help, and the lack of oversight from their hired staff gives indication that the camp isn't run well and is overprescribed. The name SmartFit Kids is a misleading name for a camp that neither focuses on development, health or safety.

There's only ONE review for Camp Letts?? How can that be???…read more Okay, a little bit of background, here: I have been going to Camp Letts for over forty years (coincidentally, my age is a little over forty years). For once, I'm gonna have to write a relatively irony-free Yelp review. Letts is a YMCA mixed-use facility situated in a wooded peninsula, on the Rhode river (which feeds right into the Bay). That means you drive a mile and a half down a beautiful forest road to get there, and at the end you're surrounded on three sides by the tidewater shoreline of the Bay. Mixed-use means there's a variety of reasons you might show up there. Mostly, it's: - a summer camp. Woo hoo, summer camp! - a conference center (church/synagogue groups, and retreats for local businesses) - a special events venue (weddings, bar mitzvahs, etc.) - a family camp. They hold this every Memorial and Labor Day weekend. In my years there, I've experienced all of these facets of Camp: I went there as a summer camper, have been on a religious retreat there when I was a kid, saw my sister get Bat Mitzvahed there, and perhaps most importantly (for me), gone for family camp every year since I was a wee babe. It's great for all these events. Why five stars? Because there's something here for everybody. That means for every purpose you might need (Getting married? check. Sending a kid to summer camp? check), as well as the range of activities, and the range WITHIN those activities. For example, the waterfront is a big part of what make Camp great - but not everybody feels like sailing or water skiing. No problem - you can also just hop in a canoe, and paddle your way around the coves and islands of the river. The staff is professional, and they make sure you're experience is as good as possible. The food is taken care of by their excellent staff. Accommodations are mostly in cabins, which are relatively gussied-up (carpeting, bathrooms, and electricity); there is also the econolodge-like Letts Lodge, "rustic" cabins (no interior bathrooms or carpeting), and yurts. But really, I'm gonna push for Family Camp, here. Twice a year, you can get away for a weekend, to a place where - like Cheers - everybody knows your name. It's relaxing, there's all kinds of activities - from nature walks and tennis to sailing and archery. You can even just relax on a rocking chair overlooking the water and read or knit. I've been going here forever, and hope I'm always able to. I fly back east from California every year, just to grab a weekend here. It's a big part of growing up for me and for many others. You can't do better than going to Camp.

Camp Letts is a seriously gorgeous summer camp on a peninsula that juts out into the Chesapeake Bay…read moreand Rhode River. There is precious little on the internets about Camp Letts as a wedding venue, so I'm going to try and be comprehensive here. I got engaged around the same time as my brother - he's getting married at the Four Seasons. We chose Camp Letts, or "the Four Seasons of summer camps" as one guest called it. Availability - Because it is a functioning summer camp, there aren't too many summer Saturdays available for weddings (and Memorial and Labor Day weekends are booked for camp retreat events each year). I think they only did 14 total weddings all of last year. If you are doing a fall or spring wedding, you have a good shot at snagging a Saturday. We were lucky to get a June Saturday, right before the campers arrived. Staff - The original event planner was (thankfully) replaced by Trev Dalton, who was a dream to work with. He was a Grade-A professional, and responsive to all my e-mails and calls. And there were many. The camp is a camp before it is a wedding venue, and my folks wanted to do a lot of "sprucing up" around where the outdoor ceremony would be. The camp staff welcomed this, and the lawn and boathouse looked fantastic on the day. Everyone was very helpful on the day, and even provided a little golf cart to get some photos in some of the hidden gems of around the camp for pics. We could cruise around without wasting too much time/getting dirty/sweaty en route. Catering - If you book the camp for your wedding, you sign on to have Chef Betsy (the camp chef) make the food. I was scared about this because I was already in love with the venue when I learned about the exclusive catering, but she DELIVERED. We had crab cakes, prime rib, a summer veggie pasta, and some simple sides of roasted potatoes and roasted vegetables. I'm telling you as a crab cake snob, the crab cakes were to.die.for. Compliments from the guests abounded. Do not be afraid of the catering. Determine what you want and ask for a tasting. They try to combine tastings with other couples (again, it is a non-profit and not a typical wedding venue, so funds are limited for lots of tastings). Rentals - The catering at the camp only includes table set-up, food and bussing of tables, so you do have to rent linens, glassware, etc. A day-of wedding coordinator is pretty key, unless you have friends/family members that are game to set the tables and you want to put them to work. I'd recommend a coordinator that can make sure all of your gifts and items you own get into the right cars, so that all of your guests can enjoy drinking and dancing! Bartenders - You will have to hire a bartender(s) and get a one-day liquor license. You can order booze and have it delivered, and the bonus is that most liquor stores will take back any unopened bottles for a full refund. Grounds - So pretty so pretty! We had an outdoor ceremony on the water, flanked by trees and sailboats. The reception was in the dining hall, which is a lodge-type buidling with high rafters and a giant fireplace. We fit 200 guests with a dance floor. Another bride had a few more guests and did the dancefloor outside under a tent (another option). The boathouse is available to rent for an extra $500, and makes a decent place to get ready with your bmaids, though it isn't the most picturesque on the inside. We did our "first look" on the pier outside, and I can't wait to see those photos. Overall, the experience of having our wedding at Camp Letts was five stars. The look and feel of the wedding was the cheerful, natural, fun vibe that we hoped for because of the great venue. It was truly the best day of my life!

My daughters have been going to the camp for years and they LOVE It! It's Educational, Empowering,…read moreLife Changing and gets our youth off on a Excellent start for the real world! I am Grateful for the Sumner Family and the Camp!

Its Sumner Time camp lead by Kathy and team has been a safe haven and life saver for my two…read moredaughter's and I over the past years! The flexibility and cost is essential as my kids may not be able to attend an entire week but rather a few days and Kathy is always able to accommodate us without breaking my pockets. The variety of activities offered caters to the age ranges of the kids from toddler to teenager so there is something for everyone to do. I love the amount of outdoors and aerobic activities the kids get to experience as MOVEMENT is key! Overall my children got the opportunity to learn how to mentor and support their younger brethren and because of my oldest daughter's participation in this summer program. She was the recipient of the Community Service Award for Middle School this year! Thank you Kathy for providing our community with such an enriching program, please continue the work that you do!

My son started at this daycare when he was 9 months old while social distancing was still in…read moreeffect. My tour with them was virtual, and I had toured many daycares at the time, but this one left me with that "good gut feeling" that this was the place! We haven't looked back since! My son has truly thrived here, as I always notice that he's learned new things even before I've introduced it to him. He has been loved by his teachers so much and he's already made so many friends. He is 2 years old now and says his friends names everyday on his way to school. Impressionable Years is wonderful and I would highly recommend it! I will say that they've had some turnover with some teachers and similar to many daycares, one of our cups went missing and they could improve on some organizational skills but we are all human and they always keep my baby safe and loved and I know it's a great place because everyday since he's started, he's been excited when we arrived and any question or concern I've ever had, has been addressed timely! They are also super clean and clean the toys and rooms often and have "parents night out" usually once a month which is an awesome way to know your kid is with someone you know and trust and you can have a nice evening out or even at home to yourself! I could say so much more, but all I need to say is, it's a great place. Your child will learn, remain developmentally on target (even early), be loved and cared for, have lots of time outside, and establish friendships!

The sad story of impressionable years daycare can be compared to the story of a beloved bakery…read morethat, at one time, baked every cake from scratch and with care, only to compromise the quality of their product because they scaled the business to an extent that the quality that was once associated with the business was impossible to maintain. It's a common story, one that could be avoided by tempering growth until the business has a chance to scale with the increase in business. This maintains product quality while also adapting the methodology to serve more customers. It's a difficult process that many businesses fail to account for, which is why we see once-great businesses close their doors when better options become available. A once-great daycare that has grown to the point where the quality of the education and supervision the kids receive has become substandard. My family has had a long history with Impressionable Years. Once owned by parents, now passed down to their daughter. The parents built this company from the ground up. The population cap was low in those days, and the parent owners were on top of their game. The employees were of high quality, the owners were always there, and the collaboration between the parent and the center was easy, streamlined, and productive. That is no longer the case. My three children went through Impressionable Years, and I lament that my third child did not receive the same standard as my older two did. When dropping my child off, teachers are commonly too busy talking amongst themselves or doomscrolling on their phones. Most teachers won't even look up from their phones when acknowledging your presence. This can only communicate that this practice is tolerated. The feedback you receive from the school will commonly be short-handed and unhelpful. I can forgive this for most things because when you have a class of 20 children, I don't expect a fully articulated essay on my kids' day. This becomes an issue, however, when your child doesn't meet the center's expectations. They will berate you with short-handed comments (that are pre-written) that say your child made terrible choices that day. But here is the main issue with the center: when you push for specifics, you will commonly get the cold shoulder. The owner of the establishment (Courtney) makes high-level decisions and then blames her mother when she knows the outcome will be controversial or is not justifiable given the student handbook. Her Mother handed over the business to her almost 2 years ago. A director who deflects responsibility is a giant red flag. When my child was dismissed from the daycare for "bad behavior," I asked for the video footage so I could see what happened (this was denied). I asked for specifics on what happened, but when Courtney kept deflecting, and I kept pressing her, she hung up on me and then refused to pick up the phone again. If you take nothing else away from this, then highlight this part. If you ask basic questions about your child, they will crash out because you don't buy the narrative that they are giving to you. The reason they can't give you specifics is that your child will not be adequately supervised. The teachers are too busy on their phones, talking on their phones (please count how many ear buds are actively in the ears of the teachers when dropping your kids off), and the center is removed from any responsibility because they can kick your kids at anytime with no notice. There are other problems as well: They commonly send employees home when the student population doesn't justify their presence. Yet, you have to pay full tuition whether your kids show up or not. This is a predatory practice that seeks to maximize profits while causing inconvenience to parents. This little flaw will show itself when they put your kids in a room that is developmentally inappropriate for your child due to "staffing problems," because the room's population didn't meet the standard for them to pay someone to be there all day. Impressionable Years was a great daycare. It is no longer. This is what happens when something is given to someone who doesn't have to earn it. The quality of this place has been run into the ground. And even though the cake you get isn't quite what it used to be, you should, as a parent, ask yourself what you are paying for, and whether the management is competent and coherent in their ability to communicate to parents. All of which this place lacks.

This is our first experience with RE and it has been nothing short of pure magic. My son has…read morespeech processing disorders and Teece assured me he will be in good hands, and he is! In regard to the other review, the camp handbook notes they send all food wrappers and waste home and do not dispose at camp. My son's school was the same so do not find this to be odd in any way. As for timing, part of the experience is the facilitated free play and with kids joining and leaving disrupts their play, also similar to my son's Montessori setting.

not worth the exorbitant cost! $425/child/ week for drinking water, a porta pot, and land. "nature…read moreimmersion" is just code for the camp not needing to provide anything- no zip line, obstacle course, sports, nothing. WARNING- the camp is cancelled if there is threat of thunderstorms with NO reimbursement! i requested to pick up my children 30 minutes early for a doctors appointment and was told no- that I could either pick them up at 1 during the porta pot break or at 4 when camp ends. So in order to make it to the doctors, it meant 2.5hrs that I had to find care for my child during my work day. Two of my kids arrived to camp with a lollipop (not great i know, but trying to accommodate the 9am pickup with an 8am work start means things slip!) and was told lollipops were not allowed and they didn't have a trashcan to throw it away in! the owner of the camp tried to tell my son to put it on the seat in my car! so i paid $1275 for my three kids to attend camp and they could not accommodate an early pickup, wouldn't throw away a lollipop they wouldn't allow, and they had to stay home today due to potential thunderstorms that so far have not come to fruition. I've had the kids in this camp for 3 years bc I wanted them to have different experiences and they take toddlers, but I'm really frustrated and disappointed in the lack of accommodation and lack of value for the cost. we will certainly not be going back. save your money! there are tons of great camps around that are less expensive and tons of fun with great, accommodating staff.

We were looking for an activity that was inexpensive but fun for our four children (6,4,3,1) whiles…read morein town for a visit. This parks and recreation center has an indoor playground for kids! It was $7/kid for a non-resident guest pass. We weee the only people there and stayed for 1 hour 45 minutes and the kids could have kept playing! What a good find!

This was a nice place to hang out for my family. The kids loved it. Very nice staff. I wish my…read morecommunity had something this elaborate. What a great perk for this community.

Spot is pretty cute and not "huge". Overall very…read moreentertaining for toddlers and kids but can't say it's anything amazing but worth the money 100%. The lady at the front desk made me want to drop a star but can't say it's the owners fault. Reason being is she was very dry and quick with the rules I couldn't catch anything she was saying because she was so dry. Didn't seem like she wanted to be there but whatever that interactions like a second. It's basically a bunch of stations like shopping , doctors office, a slide, and so on. Like I said pretty cute.

Play Street Museum is a franchise that specializes in kids' play areas that encourages imaginative…read moreplay and fun settings. The one in Severna Park is one of my favorites to take the kiddos because it has a great mix of interactive toys and buildings. Just to name a few: - an area for crafts - one of those motorized air funnels that you can put a scarf in - ice cream store - grocery store - doctor's office - vets office - a recycling truck with slots to sort different recyclables - a play house with kitchen stuff - pretend firetruck and firehouse with hose and slide You can also opt into extra add ons that allow you to participate in crafts you can take home (think DIY activities like slime). I like that there's only a finite number of spaces for time slots so it never gets too crowded. You should check their website before going just in case they're sold out (I believe they do allow walk ins though). They also have punch cards for a slightly discounted rate. It's usually around $18 for a single visit, but comes out to like $15 a visit with a punch card at the time of this post. I would totally recommend for little ones, but they may start to get bored for any ages 5 or older.

Brought the kids to the bounce place in Marley Mall a few times in the past month and it is the…read morebest value by far! The kids have so much fun and it's around $8 per kid for 2 hours of jump and play. They just love it and I love having 2 worry free hours the staff is so nice and helpful they play with the kids and keep an eye on them so I don't have to worry if they all go separate directions. Highly recommend!

Great activity for a rainy day. I don't particularly like the Marley Station Mall but I needed to…read moreburn some of my kiddos energy. Rolly Pollies was booked for their open play and I remembered The Bounce Party in the mall. It is also on Groupon. Win win. It is located by Gold's Gym. They have three bounce houses and a toy section for two and under. The bounce houses are old but still in working condition. The best part was honestly the staff. Usually when I visit places for open play the staff does not interact a lot or they just talk to each other. The girls working on Black Friday were very attentive. We were there with two other boys but they kept an eye on everyone. I have a 4 year old and a two year old. When one wanted my attention the staff watched the other one. It was great. I would definitely recommend if you need to go some where to burn the kiddos energy. Check out groupon. 5 visits for $25. I did have to pay tax $2.50. No big deal. Each visit will give you two hours. Can't beat it. Here is a pic of the party room.