Such an amazing camp. My son attended the Bentley academy this past summer and LOVED it. Such a…read moregreat faculty and staff. He came home with stories to share, a smile on his face...and exhausted.

The programs in the camp are run by Bentley School's top-notch faculty, so you're getting expert…read moreeducators with custom cirriculum all program long alongside summer-oriented activites like photography, culinary arts, and robotics. Also, the facilities at the Lafayette campus are phenomenal. With easy access to BART this is an excellent summer option for families.

We are lucky to have had our daughter attend Orinda Afternoons for 3 years. Bekki and her staff…read moreprovide a safe, loving and educational environment which has helped our daughter to thrive. Orinda Afternoons is as professionally run as any larger non-home based program - electronic sign-in/-out, daily digest e-mails, and very consistent and high-quality staffing. At the same time, it retains a very warm and caring atmosphere. Bekki takes a genuine personal interest in the children and is highly proactive in helping us stay ahead of our daughter's needs and interests. She's even offered the opportunity to take swimming and gymnastics lessons while attending the program.

I cannot say enough about Orinda Afternoons! They have been a godsend to our family. Bekki and her…read moreassistant teachers are unfailingly kind and communicative. Our son is very high energy and they have been able to redirect his energy in a positive manner while teaching him about the alphabet, numbers, volcanos (which he adores) and hydroelectric power to name just a few of the subjects taught. He has made friends and we have also made friends with the other families attending. Bekki has been available for calls on the weekends and evenings. I feel that I have an adult that is as invested in my son's success as I am. There is not greater comfort for any parent.

Our 11 year old son's camp experience this summer with Coach Marvin at the Lafayette location far…read moreexceeded our expectations. My son, who is very picky, loved his experience with Coach Marvin. My son learned so much from him (especially tactical approaches to soccer...like how how and when to make a run, where to position oneself, etc...) and he really appreciated his positive encouragement while still being pushed to learn at a top level. As a competitive soccer player myself, I was impressed with the level of instruction. Coach Marvin is a gem! (We've been to many soccer camps, and Coach Marvin has been one of the best coaches he has ever had.)

World Cup Soccer Camp is a wonderful organization. My 11 year old son is a recreational soccer…read moreplayer at best, and this camp really improved his skills. This is not just a fun summer camp--it's real, high quality soccer skills instruction.

I'll preface this by saying I believe USC is probably the best option in the area. I have had two…read morekids going here for roughly a year plus. Pros: facility is solid it has a lot of potential activities and different ways kids can grow and learn gymnastics. They also have a play area which is clutch for dealing with kids who don't have class at the same time. Cons: teachers look often inexperienced and turnover is common. First few months we had two younger but quite vocal and directed coaches. Now it's tricky. In my other class we have more experienced coaches, but midway through the class they tend to lose focus and kids are sorta all over the place. They have some odd rules and enforce or change them at what seems random. Sit in the wrong spot? They'll announce a general warning not to do that. Bring your kids to the door that they used to let them in last week that without warning was changed to the other one? You bet that's gonna be a public service announcement about you messing up. Overall: experience is going to be class dependent especially with the teachers. If I knew there was a clearly better option I'd probably take it. As of now I believe USC is probably the best option in the area.

Abra has one of a kind energy! We attended an event there this past weekend and the facility was…read moresuper clean and prepared for the event. They were thorough making sure those that entered had clean shoes and sanitized hands. Staff was kind, helpful and friendly. It was a long day and staff stayed high energy and diligent throughout. Thanks for a great event!

My 8-year-old son is a bit of a ham, but he didn't have much experience with drama or theater until…read morehe did a summer camp with Doug. He LOVED it. He looked forward to going to camp every day and made new friends that he keeps up with even now, months later. The performance (a play written by Doug) at the end of the two weeks was a stitch -- truly hilarious. Doug is wonderful with kids and has terrific wry wit. I highly recommend this camp!

My oldest attended here from 2022-2024 along with Midia's son. The old reviews are an accurate…read moredescription of how this place used to be. The first year here with Ms. Amy, Ms. Joanna, and Ms. Lesli was wonderful! Ms. Amy and Ms. Joanna are exceptionally talented with young children and effortlessly brought our child out of her shell. She was finally experiencing life outside the home and other children for the first time due to the pandemic. For this, Amy & Joanna alone are worthy of five or more stars. The reason for the low rating is the new administration that came in after our first year here. The new director, Ms. Claire, oozes disdain for her job and incompetence to lead, and that is reflected in the high staff turnover and low morale. My daughter's second year here, she went through more than three different staff changes and the lead teacher took an extended leave after only a month in. Another teacher admitted to me that she doesn't interact with my child much. My child was not developing or learning, and she lost interest in preschool until we changed preschools. Two years later in 2026, I was catching up with a current family there. Their daughter has come home twice with pants soaked in urine, despite there being a change of clothes on hand for her. They also were crammed into a classroom that already had other children when the sewer line backed up in their classroom. Her teachers change on a regular basis with the turnover. Even before we started at Holy Shepherd, it was evident that previous staff had been close-knit and worked as a team. Under Claire, they just show up to collect a paycheck. They are too overwhelmed and undersupported to care. Verdict: this place attracts working parents because of its flexible hours all weekday long. However, your child may fall through the cracks.

What an incredible place. Miss Joana and Miss Pat are angels. My son was new to group care. We…read moretried one other place, but that didn't work out. I knew he was going to need a lot of care, love, and attention through any transition. At two-and-a-half and not having much social play because of the pandemic, Miss Joana and Miss Pat were ready for the challenge. They worked their magic and now he loves going to school every day! I'm so thankful and blessed for them and lucky that they had an opening when they did.

Kindergarten is a whole new beast. And it ends at 130? After being waitlisted at my son's school…read moreaftercare program, we ended up with Kids in Mo, as everyone so fondly calls it, a private option at John Muir. Funny how life works out the way it is supposed to, as we could not be happier. We even got off the waitlist at our son's school, and kept him at Kids in Mo, taking the school bus (which he loves!) to the John Muir campus. Was the first week stressful? Yep. Parents, everything is terrifying and new, we got this. There isn't a ton of structure, which at first made me so sad that my beautiful child who is used to the warm hug and schedule of pre-school is out in the big world with 5th graders. There is no schedule. There are no groups or nametags. There is go, have fun. 2 months in, I absolutely love this. My son has learned so much on how to socialize, how to explore, he's become such an independent little human. The John Muir campus is stunning - a playground, soccer field, a creek flowing near where they give out snacks, and a big lunch room for those kids wanting to play games inside. We call Kids in Mo 'after school camp', and if your kid is active, they will love it. I pick my 6 year old son up every day and he's playing soccer with 9 year olds, jumping in the creek, or playing board games. He literally never wants to leave. The director, Troy is my type of 'parenting'. He treats your child like a little adult: with respect and with accountability. My son loves the 'counselors' and all the staff are so nice. It's also a very diverse crew of leaders on the team. They coordinate the bus from his school to Kids in Mo. They have staff at the gate to account for each student. Wednesday is capture the flag and pizza... could it get any better? This is the few hours where your kid runs free having to figure life out, without a hovering parent or teacher, and I mean that in the best way possible. So grateful for Kids in Mo.

I SO wish I had known about this place when my older daughter was younger! Although Kids In Motion…read moreis an afterschool program during the school year, it also has a fantastic summer program. The location is at John Muir Elementary School and the Director, Troy Thompson, has been running the program for 20 years now and in fact one of his new teachers/caregivers, Tracy, was once in the program herself. Today my daughter learned how to ride a bicycle, climbed a tree, baked brownies. Thursdays they go swimming. They have weekly rates as well as daily drop in rate. But most importantly I know my daughter is in a safe environment with lots to do, new friends to meet and is in for a memorable summer. While I would never pick a child care for this reason alone, it is a huge bonus for us that this program is run by a man as there have been few opportunities (I am a single mom) for my daughter to see a man in a caregiving role, And it is particularly awesome to have someone like Troy who allows the children to be very active but doesn't miss a beat in his supervision of what are safe choices for active children.

My 10 year old has been in Firecracker math programs since she was 6 or 7 and she loves math now,…read morewhich I attribute to the way this program is run. There is an emphasis on concepts, so the math is almost snuck in with games and activities. There is a huge focus on having the children talk about what they think. So, fun and hugely interactive. She loved the summer camp too.

My kids (now 7&9) have been doing Firecracker Math as an after school activity for a few years now…read more This joined the FM for summer camp this year for the first time. They had a great time, even though they were reluctant to participate originally. The math portion is for a few hours in the morning, and then an afternoon program (art/magic etc) is offered in the afternoon. There is also an aftercare option, for the late afternoon/early evening. Ella does a great job of assessing the students so that they are placed in the appropriate group. She also checked in with the kids daily to confirm they were absorbing the material, and was great about communicating with the families. I'd definitely recommend FM if your kid is interested in a math/logic activity outside of school.

This place is such a gem! We just moved to the area and with school being completely online, I…read morewanted to find an in-person activity where my kids could interact with others & I could get a break. Enter Lemon Blossom Creations. We signed up for the extended art class and it has been so wonderful! Ms. Dora is great with my kids (who are 4 and 6) and they look forward to class every week. The Covid protocols in place are excellent: temps are taken, masks worn, sanitizer applied and distancing respected. Class sizes are small - in fact my kids are the only ones in their time slot. I worry that with Covid, small businesses like this one will suffer - please give them your support! I know they are also selling kits you can do at home, if going in person is not an option. Palos Verdes Mall is lucky to have this establishment & if you have kids, they will love this place. They deserve your business!

My daughter took two weeks of craft camps here this summer and really enjoyed it! She had an…read moreengaged teacher and came home with tons of cute crafts!