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.

My kids favorite summer camp for multiple years in a row. They got to hold chickens, milk goats,…read moretake adventurous hikes, and learn to ride horses. The counselors are great with the kids.

Highly recommend sending your child here! I've been sending my oldest here for years now and she's…read morelearned so many valuable skills on how to take care of animals and herself if ever in the wild. She especially loves the horse and archery program. All the years we've been here the staff has been nothing but nice and welcoming! My oldest was having a hard time figuring out what she wanted to do after school and this has been the perfect solution! She's loved every bit of it! Thank you Sienna Ranch for all these amazing years!

My 13 year old had a transformative 4 weeks at Roughing It day camp. She bonded with her group of…read moregirls, and responded to the great counselors and staff. Near the end of camp, she fell off a horse (only hurt her pride), and the counselors were so helpful and concerned for her to literally "get back on the horse" as soon as possible. That little tumble ended up being the pivotal positive experience in her entire summer! Although she attended camp reluctantly, she is now enthusiastic about returning this summer as a camper in leadership training (CILT).

The registration process is all online but good Lord they require a lot of information. If your…read morechild has ADD they require a Dr's note, if you don't want to medicate at the camp - I find the paper work excessive. It's super expensive ($600+) so I registered for the sample day (one day instead of the whole week) for $60. We are trying out the camp to see if it's worth the $$$. Cons - They don't provide lunch (for that much $$?) - The hours are 9-3 (technically that's not a full day when your a working mom) Pro - Check in was quick. They show up and check everyone in between 8:45 - 9am. - It's outdoors and they let the kids choose the activity - It appears friendly and loving Would I pay crazy dollars to go here? No, but I have always wondered what it was like. It's very similar to the Camp Potowatami at East Avenue, with a lake.

We have a shy first grader who is apprehensive of new situations. The counselors made him feel…read morecomfortable and now he is loving camp. They offer a wide range of fun activities like archery, boating, swimming, etc

I used to be a camper here for one summer and when we were leaving to the annual camping trip in…read morethe Oakland hills our counselor left our entire group in a locked van for almost 45 mins in over 90 degree heat. I remember one or two people had luckily filled their water bottles or I think it would have been a lot different. When we got to the camp site we set up tarps and just put our sleeping bags on them with no cover. In the morning a bunch of white spiders were crawling on everyone and got in all of our bags. On that trip that gave us salad from a literal trash bag.

Today I started the pottery class. The teacher was very patient and encouraging. I literally had…read morenever touched clay before and there is a learning curve. So it is a good challenge to work those creative muscles. At the same time, it's a great escape and fun to learn! Great spot, great instructors, recommend!

I am finishing my second session of pottery on the wheel for adults and I have had a great time!…read moreThe environment is friendly and welcoming and my instructor, Colleen has been very supportive. This is definitely a studio for people to use as a hobby that don't need super quick turn-around (something they are clear about from the beginning).

I am so incredibly grateful I found this place! I'd been searching for a ceramics class that I…read morecould take with my mom, who has some cognitive impairment, and this school has been a total blessing. The teachers here are phenomenal. They are kind, incredibly generous with their knowledge, and created such a welcoming environment for both my mom and me. There is a really nice variety of workshops too and I'm hoping they add even more for evenings. I recently took the holiday linocut workshop and had the best time! It wasn't just about learning a new craft; the vibe was so social and upbeat. The teacher was wonderful and the other students were a blast to hang out with while we worked. Their approach to teaching really builds your confidence. For the first time, I actually felt like an artist rather than just a hobbyist. The atmosphere here is creative, supportive, and fun. I'm constantly checking their calendar for new classes and workshops to be added. Check them out if you or your kids (or your mom!) want a community as well as an art school.

We are currently attending this art school, and I want to share our experience, especially…read moreregarding their make-up class policy. They only allow one make-up class--ever. I understand policies exist for a reason, but what happens when a child is sick? Are parents expected to bring their sick kids just so they don't lose a class they already paid for? I tried requesting an earlier time due to a legitimate scheduling issue, but was told no because we had already used our one make-up. So if my child gets sick again, we simply lose the class. As for the teaching, I honestly can't even say if it's great since this is our first time enrolling. But it's sad that because of this strict policy, it just doesn't seem like it will work for us. It's ultimately my fault for not reading the make-up policy closely, but after this experience, we won't be returning. We still have two classes left, which we will attend, but that will be the end for us. My friend's child is actually in the ceramics program at this same art school--she's the one who referred me--and even she thinks the policy is too rigid. If you have a very healthy child and know you'll make every session, then this school might work for you. Otherwise, there are other art programs--like Damoya Art in Danville--that are far more flexible with scheduling. When I spoke with Alex, I was told that other art schools don't even offer any make-up classes at all, as if I should be grateful for the one they allow. But for a kids' program, flexibility matters. Unfortunately, this school has just lost a customer.

Worst camp ever. Interested in getting feedback about your child from summer camp then this is…read moreyour place. Want an unreliable summer childcare option threatening to kick your child out and labeling them a troublemaker for mild, age-appropriate indiscretions then send your child here. Have spoken to numerous Lamorinda parents with generally well behaved children with the same experience. The nerve of these unqualified high school counselors to report every mishap and have an overly sensitive director call 5-6 parents per day while at work (he admitted this number). Is this camp for real? Are we paying you to take care of our kids or not? Do your jobs and manage the kids

My child attended camp for three summers, and my younger one joined this year. Both are very…read moredifferent kids, but both relish it so much! They love the camp spirit with songs, skits, games, and crafts. The counselors and staff are friendly, kind, professional, and enthusiastic. Drop-off is through the carpool line, so I pull up, and a counselor opens the car door, greets the kids, and off they go, and off I go. Pick-up in the afternoons requires meeting them at their group, showing my photo ID, and initialing a checkout sheet before they're released to me. The projects that my daughter has made in years past have been so impressive. The theme was outdoors one year, and she made a backpack out of supplies like duct tape and PVC pipe. It was awesome! I recommend Galileo camps to all active, creative kids who appreciate a challenge and enjoy a full-packed day.

First, I don't recommend this for children entering K or younger. Our youngest is four (entering…read moreTK), but we kept her out this year because there are too many big kids and not enough supervision and structure. Basically, this place is a free-for-all for elementary and younger middle school students. Also, the bathrooms. Hit or miss. First day, one had ants and another one had poop. Last day, everything was clean and well-stocked. I realize that that's up to the janitorial staff of the host school and not S&K, but that is an area for improvement. With that said, Jenbert Jr 1 (6.5 years, entering 1st grade) had so much fun here. On her first day she played soccer, read in the library, made a bracelet, played interactive games with the counselors, went down the slip & slide, and played on the playground. She came back with an equally big smile on her face after the second day talking about finding Chucky the chicken, all the games she played, and pieing volunteers in the face. Jenbert Jr 1 is usually a fussy eater but she liked a lot of the meals here. She enjoyed the rest of her time here and can't wait to come back next year. As a parent, I love the flexibility, variety of activities (both the core and rotating), and the fact that nut-free lunch and snacks are provided. There are also veg and GF options. I also like that you only pay for what you use. We are looking forward to returning in 2027!

My kid and her friend registered for the last week of summer camp. They arrived at 9 a.m., but…read moreunfortunately, many things weren't open until 10:30 a.m. Consequently, they had limited options for activities. Even the open activities were completely full. When things finally opened, there were extremely long lines, and they were unable to participate in any activities except for a 20-minute sewing session before being excused for lunch. They were repeatedly told to return an hour later on many activities, so they tried the library, which was closed, and then searched for athletic equipment like balls or anything, only finding none that weren't already being played with. In essence, the kids were left with no options and were forced to sit around and observed other kids doing the same, which is not what we expected from what was advertised. I understand that the camp has a high number of kids the last week of summer, but it should not compromise their overall experience. I had to pick them up early because they literally had nothing to do. I am a working mom and was really hoping this camp would have worked out for them for the next day. Therefore, I requested a full refund but nobody ever got back to me about it. Super disappointing and a fair warning for others who are looking to enroll in this summer camp in the future.

My family loves Mountain Camp and it's the highlight of my children's summer. My 13-year old…read moredaughter has attended for 4 years and my 9-year old son attended for the first time this year. Both my children have severe, epi-pen level food allergies (to peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, legumes, soy milk and egg). Mountain Camp is the only camp that was willing to take on my children for two weeks and have a detailed allergy protocol in place. In advance of camp, I communicate with the culinary team to understand the menu for the session (they have a wide variety of food from around the world and different lunches and dinners every day). I partner closely with the wonderful chef and kitchen team to ensure the menu is safe for my kids (and I bring replacements for items which are not). I trust the team completely and my daughter reports that they are the safest camp she has been to (she has been to sleep away camp in Switzerland, Austria, New Zealand and in school outdoor education camps in California). Both my daughter and son have a warm relationship with the chef and go to her directly, most often for second servings! We have not had any incidents and the camp is incredibly responsive in our experience. We are grateful to Mountain Camp for their kindness, diligence and the magic that makes this summer camp so special for all the campers. See you next year!

This is the second year my child attended Mountain camp. She has food allergies and the first year,…read moreout of an abundance of caution, I sent her with food just in case she felt she could not eat the food served. Turns out she did not need the food. Bolstered by this positive result, we did not send her with food this year. Yesterday, two days before she was scheduled to return home, I received a call that my daughter self administered her Epi pen after consuming an allergen. My husband and I raced two hours to meet my daughter at the ER in Placerville and decided to bring her home, letting the staff know of our decision. The following day, after leaving an email, voice mail and text, the camp director finally called us mid afternoon. Apparently a health emergency does not warrant a before noon check in. I confirmed my daughter's recollection, that their head kitchen staff gave my daughter a gluten free cookie, insisting it was free of egg, the item she is severely allergic to. My daughter, having been raised to be overly cautious, asked the staff member twice to check and confirm. The staff member insisted it was safe and did not bother to check. My daughter ate the cookie, suffering an allergic reaction within seconds. She travelled with a counselor and a nurse to the ER and waited for us to arrive. That she was scared is an understatement. Mountain camp is a beautiful camp staffed by well meaning people. They are not, however, capable of ensuring your child's safety when it comes to food allergies. The camp was well aware of my daughter's allergies. She was the only one at the session that they had to show special concern. The head kitchen staff member selected a cookie that looked identical to the safe cookie, but never bothered to double check that she had made the right choice. In fact, the cookie was correctly labeled as gluten free but not vegan, which should have been the tip off. Her carelessness led to a medical emergency for my daughter one which was completely avoidable. After discussing further with the camp director, it became doubly clear that they have ineffective policies in place and no redundancy. They have no business claiming that they are safe for campers with food allergies if they can't even be trusted to double check. My daughter trusted the staff member as she would an aunt or other family adult friend. Despite her positive experience in other aspects of the camp, we will not return. I do not advise other parents with food allergic children to have them attend unless you have confirmed that they have out in place basic safety and redundancy protocols for their camp, including staff training. Even then I would think twice or encourage against it.