Very Happy to be a student at Joanne Gladstone. She is an amazing trainer, very passionate about…read morewhat she does, always watching and fixing her students, always focusing on every little thing. Also I like the horses that they have, safety is always first and they perfectly pick a horse for your level. All horses are loved and very well taken care of. I would recommend all new riders to take at least 2 classes a week, so then you will see the improvement much sooner. Thank you guys for warm welcome!

My daughter enjoyed the camp, but it was nothing what we expected. First off, the camp is…read moreadvertised as half days for $800 and full days for $1200. What they leave out of their website is that lessons do not continue after the morning (half day) session. Joanne, in a very rude manner, insists they do "horse related things" all day long, but in reality my daughter just played around the barn with another little girl who was still there. The second half of camp is 100% not worth the additional $400. I emailed Joanne and asked for a refund for the second half (minus the one day my daughter did stay), and she didn't even have the courtesy to write me back. The website also says campers will ride both english and western styles, but, once we were there, Joanne herself even told me they do not do both - another thing we paid for and did not receive. On one last note, I did not really appreciate the way she spoke to the campers. Let me first say, I do not think kids should be coddled and I am not a fan of "participation award," but the way she spoke to the kids was rude, demeaning, and belittling. There are several barns next to Joanne and I know the other coaches and trainers at those neighboring barns do not hold her in high regards either. Overall, the camp was not a total bust, but I absolutely wouldn't send my daughter back.

An Amazing Community for Families and Fitness! Joining the…read moreYMCA has been one of the best decisions for our family! From the moment you walk through the doors, you are greeted with warmth. Lisa and Daryl at the front desk are exceptionally kind, and it speaks volumes that they take the time to know me by name, along with so many other members. My three children absolutely love going to the Kid Zone! The teachers are wonderful, incredibly kind, and know each child by name. They always have all sorts of new activities and fun crafts for the kids to do every single day. Knowing my little ones are happy, safe, and well-cared for makes my time at the gym completely stress-free. The workout classes are phenomenal. All of the instructors are super skilled, supportive, and truly take the time to get to know everyone in the class, helping to build a genuine sense of community. Beyond the staff, the members themselves are wonderful--everyone is so kind, constantly greeting each other, and sharing compliments. I would recommend the YMCA to every single person interested in joining a gym, especially families with young kids! It's a welcoming, vibrant community where both parents and children can thrive.

Great facility! The staff is very friendly and helpful. The grounds are lush and green, which isn't…read moresomething you typically see in a gym location. There are a variety of fitness classes, designed for adults of all ages, and a lot of workout works, with new equipment. They have a lot of other benefits for new members, like health and wellness, personal training and nutrition. I'm excited to get my health and fitness journey started at the YMCA of Mission Viejo.

Although we have great appreciation for the arts, I want to start by saying, we have never…read moreexperienced musical theater/performing arts camps or schools before this. We were recommended by someone we know that went through their summer camps and spoke very highly of AAFK. I was definitely nervous in the beginning because we didn't know what to expect and we're also protective as well (as many are too). All of my questions were answered when I texted them and as we got closer to the start date, a detailed and waiver were also sent out outlining all of the information. Signed up for Wicked Part 2 and K-Pop Demon Hunters. I can't express enough on what a positive experience it was. We were in awe what the students were able to do in less than a week! Incredible!!!! The lighting, the sound, the stage, the props, and costumes brought everything life! How exciting it was for students to see the inner workings of theater and all of the magic and hard work behind the scene. To top it off, it took place at an actual theater, which made it official and exciting. Mr. David, his assistants, and the theater staff were all wonderful. Mr. David is charismatic, fun, silly, and knowledgeable, yet can also be serious with the students when needed as well. We loved how he added life lessons and teachings where he could in a way that came across as a casual conversation. It really stuck with my student; we appreciate it. Love how he can switch to a different voice when interacting with the students and adults. He knows how to communicate effectively, yet also encouraging and motivates the students as well. Yes, if you go to the Newport Beach location, there is a tree and rolling hill in the front. As much as it's the staff's responsibility to keep your students safe, it's also your responsibility as parents to talk and explain to your children what you expect of them and decorum when you are not there. The same goes for what parts they get in the show. Before attending, we had a conversation about not getting certain roles we may want and how to process and deal with that. It doesn't take away from the experience if you prepare your students ahead of time. Skills my student learned after two weeks: Following through and not giving up even when things get challenging, believing in yourself, be and do your best no matter what, being a team player--by helping others, taking ownership and responsibility for the role you get, and understand that things can happen on and off stage--dust yourselves off, but the show must go on!!! Most importantly, TO HAVE FUN! Will definitely back!!!! We hope they will offer Hamilton and Wicked Part 1 later on in the summer next year!

Started with a summer camp, my daughter fell in love and we keep coming back for more! The…read moreteachers are all very kind and do a great job training the students in acting, singing and dancing. So impressed by each and every show we've done!

Everyone who works here is so encouraging to my now 6 year old to learn chess. And he has now…read morejoined the Friday night tournaments where he meets and plays other kids while learning to be independant. I think it's a great resource to have, a safe place for kids to hang out and learn something without screens. Even in school now with the use of iPads, kids don't use their hands and they don't interact like they used to. This is face to face interaction, learning to make friends with kids you don't know and just having educational fun.

My kids have been participating in Strategic Kids programs for years, and we couldn't be happier!…read moreThey've enjoyed on-campus chess, Friday Knight Chess at the Laguna Hills location, and the summer program through Capistrano Unified. Every summer, they look forward to attending and always come home excited about what they've learned. The instructors are not only passionate about teaching but also incredibly kind and encouraging. Strategic Kids has been such a positive influence in my children's growth and love for chess. I truly hope we can continue the summer program for many years to come!

I enrolled my daughter in the Parent & Me classes when she was 12 months old. Honestly, I was…read moreskeptical about how much she would really learn at such a young age. I figured we might stick with it a month or two and then move on if I couldn't see measurable results. Over four months into classes my daughter is thriving in the water thanks to Evolution Swim Academy and her fabulous instructor, Jack. Here are a few things I loved about my experience with Evolution this summer: 1. Jack took time to learn my daughter's name and her favorite parts of different activities/songs. Even though she is too young to really communicate with him much he really saw her as a person and wanted to make sure she was getting the most out of her experience. I love that. 2. When my daughter progressed to a point in her back floating that was more advanced than many of the other kids in her class, Jack still took the time to show my husband what to do next and he made sure my daughter wasn't being held back by other classmates who were younger or newer than she was. 3. Jack had a tremendous amount of patience with crying children and he offered parents real encouragement by sharing his own story of how he was afraid of the water as a baby and went on to become a competitive swimmer, water polo player and lifeguard. While I wasn't so sure about Parent & Me classes a few months ago, I am completely sold on the value of this class now. Evolution Swim Academy has exceeded my expectations. Even their littlest swimmers get personalized attention. My daughter will be back next summer--and I hope Jack will be too. Thank you Evolution and thank you Jack!

Evolution Swim Academy is awesome! The trainers are very good with children, and are patient with…read morethem. Communication is great between parents and the coaches. They are committed to teaching your child how to swim properly, and enjoy doing it! They are encouraging and engaging with children. Bobby and Coach Eric are the best! I recommend ESA!

For weeks now, every time I call I get the answering machine I leave messages no one ever gets back…read moreto me. I filled out the online inquiry also-twice with no reply. Not sure how they are staying in business or if they're ever even open. They're zero communication and reply from them. I guess they just don't need business. Well I don't need to work so hard to give a company my business and my money.

My daughter was so excited when she found out she would attend these classes, she screamed with…read morejoy. This program is a great inspiration for little inquisitive minds to get them interested in STEAM activities. She talked all night about how much fun she had when she came home on the first day. Thanks Mad Science!

My son loves this camp! During the summer he looks forward to seeing the prior year friends he made…read moreand making new ones. Having the options to swim and fish on top of crafts and activities is a fantastic way to spend the summer for him. As a parent, I appreciate the longer than traditional summer camp hours compared to most summer camp programs that end mid day or later afternoon. The schedule here works best for my work schedule while letting my child feel like he was at a fun camp instead of at the school TLC program on school campus. When summer concludes all he talks about is how he misses it or how he can't wait for summer to come again. Added perk is using the snack shack as a lesson in budgeting and money management for him over the summer!!!! The staff is great and I highly recommend enrolling your child.

This review is for the Campco Lake Mission Viejo option. I am forever grateful for this camp option…read moreas it provided the much needed social interaction my child craved after a year of COVID isolation. My son asks to be picked up later (6pm) and raves about how much fun he has each day. Masks are optional as the camp is outdoors all day but you can ask at drop-off for the group leader to make sure your child keeps their mask on the whole time. My son cant wait for next year's session.

My son attended his first season at Camp Adventurewood in 2023 - it was his first experience at a…read moresummer camp and he was a little nervous and shy but all his counselors made him feel so welcome and comfortable and after the first day he was hooked! He loved the variety of activities and made so many new friends. He came home with fun stories each day. I loved that they offered a variety of options from 2 days/week to 5 days. We returned last summer and an unexpected and sudden medical event threw our summer for a loop. They were beyond kind and accommodating. Michael, the owner, personally made sure we were taken care of at a very scary time and was just incredibly kind and communicative. I can't thank him and his staff enough for the support. I would recommend this camp for any family. Its like a classic, old-school summer day camp experience!

My son attended Adventurewood camp for the first time this week. For the most part he enjoyed…read morehimself -- particularly the characters they introduce throughout the week. However, we decided to pull him out for next week because of a very disturbing situation. He shared that a counselor had pushed him with both hands on his shoulders during a capture the flag activity. He had dropped his flag and was putting it back on when a counselor (he didn't know her name) pushed him back hard enough to make him lose his balance and fall. She also barked "you need to reset!" She didn't ask if he was ok or help him up. You'd think if this was an accidental push and he fell over she would say something like "sorry bud are you ok? Here let me help you up" but nope, not a word. A friend he's attending camp with witnessed the whole incident. Since I pick them both up in the afternoons they both recounted this situation to me and both of them noted how inappropriate her behavior was. I immediately reached out to Michael, the owner of the camp. He said he wanted to identify this counselor and get her side of the story. Understandable. My son felt uncomfortable going back the next day but I reassured him it would be handled and offered to drop him off in the morning and stick around to talk to Michael and the counselor. I wanted him to feel safe. Michael identified her (her name is Carson) and said he wanted to talk to her first, which he did a few feet away from me. I heard her say she didn't push him. They then walked over to me and she again denied everything. So we asked both kids to come over and recount what happened. They both did -- in front of her -- and reiterated she pushed him. She denied even touching him. So Michael suggests at this point that perhaps it was an accident and my son responds by saying "how do you push someone like that by accident?!" No response. So I ask her, are you saying these kids are lying? She again said she didn't touch him and at this point we send the kids away. I'm incensed because not only does she gaslight both of them to their face but tells this bold faced lie to her boss in front of the campers and me. I tell her I believe them and I think she's the one lying. At this point she gives me this dirty look - angry, irritated and almost rolls her eyes at me. I turn to Michael and say "and now she's giving ME an attitude?!" Unbelievable. In a follow up call, he tells me how good of a person she is and that this is shocking for him to hear but that she doesn't seem like someone who would do something like this...that she's getting her teacher credentials and he knows her really well. I am getting the vibe he doesn't actually believe any of this and he sounds very skeptical. I respond by telling him that it's almost always surprising when people exhibit bad behavior and that even teachers do bad things...that doesn't make her any more credible in my eyes. He acknowledged that. In fact, it's worse because I would be really concerned to have someone like that teaching a kid. Lack of empathy, accountability, and integrity. I mean, I think it's great he's trying to have her back but there are moments in life when you need to draw a line and act swiftly...these are one of those moments. Because ultimately, this impacts the reputation of your camp. I told him that it would be good to offer training to his staff in case this ever happens again in the future and honestly he sounded baffled and asked me to clarify...I said well maybe tell your staff not to give dirty looks to a mom who's clearly upset that her son just got pushed by a grown adult at summer camp?? I told him that the response to this situation could've resulted in a totally different outcome. Had she said something like "I really don't recall pushing you but if I inadvertently did and made you feel bad I'm sorry - I didn't mean to do that" - I would've went home that morning feeling fine about the situation. When I told him this he said that he's not going to police all her reactions, that she's still young, that she's still learning and made all kinds of excuses for her. Exhausting. Apparently she got a "warning" and will sit out of the flag activity (umm, ok...). He seems like a smart guy and wish him nothing but success in the future and I was earnestly trying to offer advice for how to handle a situation like this better but it fell on deaf ears. I really hope that some kind of learning comes out of this for both of them. Oh and to top it off, my son's friend told her mom that Carson was giving her looks several times throughout the day today and when she asked what kind she said "side eye" looks. NOT COOL. My son also said she was kind of mean to him but wondering why they were even in close proximity when Michael said they'd absolutely be separated and would not see each other? Validates we both made the right choice by pulling them both out. He offered a refund but I'm still pissed about the situation.