I am so impressed with Head over Heels. It is clear to me that they care for children, rather than…read morejust profits. I have had only pleasant interactions with them, their facility is beautiful, and they value all the right things. They really went above and beyond in my interactions with them this week and I am infinitely grateful!

Our twin three year old boys have been doing a weekly class with Coach Gio for the past year, and…read morethey frequently attend the No School Day camps. HoH has been great for them to learn the basic of gymnastics and build body awareness. It's a large and well equipped facility, and the community of parents and coaches is very welcoming.

We attended Gymboree Play & Music at Lakeshore for a year, from when my daughter was 18 months to…read more30 months old, and it was such a wonderful experience! The teachers are fantastic--Ms. Leah in Play & Learn and Ms. Muna in Music class were both patient, energetic, and great at leading activities that kept the kids involved while fostering social and motor skill development through Gymboree's catchable bubbles. The classes struck the perfect balance between structured routines and free play, making them ideal for school preparation at an early age. At some point last year, a new owner took over and made some really thoughtful improvements that elevated the space. They spruced up the otherwise plain walls, added a baby gate to prevent little ones from running in and out of the play area without their adult, and even replaced the circle time carpeting. These small but meaningful upgrades made the environment feel even more welcoming and safe. One of the things we really appreciated was the flexibility in choosing which class to attend. Most of the time, we could just drop in, which was incredibly convenient. That said, for busier days--especially when it was raining--it was a good habit to book a class in advance through the app to make sure we had a spot. At first, it took about a month for my daughter to feel fully comfortable, which I think is completely normal. She started by observing and then gradually joined in after watching her peers interact. It was amazing to watch her growth--learning problem-solving skills (like navigating play structures, balancing, and safely calculating jumps), improving her motor skills, and practicing taking turns and following directions. A big plus is that the play area is always so clean and well-maintained--much better than the park. And while socks are usually required in indoor play spaces, I appreciated that kids could go barefoot here, which helped with my daughter's stability and movement. My daughter loved it so much that she would sing the songs at home and even ask for parachute time outside of class! Now that she's moved on to preschool, I do wish there had been a transition class to help bridge that next step at a younger age. Otherwise, our time at Gymboree was truly special, and I highly recommend it for little ones and their parents looking for a fun, social, and enriching experience.

My baby loves Gymboree! We has so much fun singing (the instructor sings great!) and especially…read moreloves the bubbles. It's clean, fun, and always a great time

A magical place! My 6-year-old son is autistic and it was such a relief to be welcomed by a team…read morethat just gets it. The space is super clean and feels like a kid's dream. There's so much to do, climbing, building, exploring, getting wiggles out, and even a quiet room to chill. You can tell the folks behind it really thought through everything. The vibe, the décor, even the website feel so neurodiverse-affirming. They have tech to help build community around members too. We live in Novato so the distance makes a membership tough right now, but I'm hoping we can join in the summer when school isn't in the way. I'd love to see Spirited Play Labs expand to more places as this is the future IMO (please come to Novato, I'll help!). For families like ours, where typical play spaces can feel stressful or isolating, this place is a true gem, welcoming, thoughtful, and hopeful for the future. Thank you!!!

We've been coming to SPL for years, and it has always been such a positive experience. The play…read moresessions with Lia mean so much to us. we truly appreciate her patience, guidance, and support. Every visit, we notice progress. My daughter used to play only by herself, but now we see her becoming more independent and interacting with Lia, which fills our hearts. As a mom of a child on the spectrum, I know how hard it can be. My daughter doesn't have friends, but when we come here, she has one. In other spaces, the stares that come with her stimming can be so difficult to ignore, but here at SPL, we feel safe, accepted, and not judged. That sense of belonging is rare for special needs families, and we are so grateful to have found it here. I love how the staff embraces inclusion and acceptance. it shows in everything they do. I truly wish there were more places and programs like this for our kids, because families like ours need community.

This place is honestly such a hidden gem. Located next to Costco in Richmond, I Flip Gymnastics is…read moresuch a huge space we had no idea about until a couple of parent friends mentioned it recently. They offer a variety of classes for multiple age groups, open gym hours, and more. I would do some research ahead of time matching your kiddos age ranges with the weekly schedule ~ our drop-in was around $20. I'm sure there are monthly rates and/or memberships, but we wanted to check it out first to see what the gym entailed. The staff is incredible nice, the families/kiddos who come are great, and I appreciate the open space format conducive to safe exploration and play. There does have to be a guardian present at all times, or at least for our time slot there does :) Equipment-wise, we were very impressed. This is most def a super-elevated Gymboree (or for us, the next step!). I'm not a gymnast so not sure the technical terms for the equipment, but from our fist time I noticed the open mat, climbing blocks, trampoline, foam pit, mini balance beams, rings, and more. For the kiddos, they get stamps at the end of the hour long sesh and fun music is played throughout. A trainer is present too. Overall, we will def come back again soon. There is safe parking adjacent to the building, and can't beat grabbing a few items/gas/snacks at Costco before or after class. Happy we have a space in the East Bay like this. Bravo!

Found out about the gym at our kids friends birthday party, it's been 5 months now our two kids…read morehave been attending open gym and camp, couldn't be more satisfied. Super easy communication and kids love Paloma and the staff. See you guys for summer camp!

Whenever I mentioned that my daughter was going to Fairyland Summer Camp people gushed about how…read moregreat the camps were. And they were right! Topaz, Fairyland's Community Engagement Manager, is kind, organized, and patient. In fact, she probably deserves a promotion and commensurate salary increase. Hers is not an easy job and still I never saw her flustered and she was especially skillful at handling parents and kids alike with care. We were originally waitlisted for Maker's Wonderland and Farm to Table. To my horror, the email notifying us that our daughter had been offered a spot for both camps went to spam. Thankfully our neighbor tipped us off and I wrote to Topaz right away and she managed to get our kid in for three weeks of camp. And she couldn't have been nicer about it. My daughter made butter from scratch, performed skits, and made a good friend at Fairyland camp (and both our families are better off for it). I highly recommend these summer camps for their super staff, excellent Oakland vibe, and engaging activities for kids.

Fairyland Summer Camp (FSC) is an absolute gem! It is a unique and valuable experience for young…read morechildren. The activities at this camp will inspire, encourage and stimulate their minds and creativity. It is awesome that my children get to spend the day outdoors in a safe environment and with caring staff members. Most of all, they are given the time and space to be themselves and PLAY.... after all, play is the primary way children LEARN. The Education Specialist Shana, is a genuine, intelligent, and professional Leader. She has a positive and loving energy that is contagious. My children have attended FSC for 3 years and I always see her connecting with all the campers and parents. My children really, really enjoy their time at Fairyland Summer Camp and I am a happy and grateful Mother.

My daughter was in the spring camp and she loved it. The goal was to get her to be outside while…read morelearning and that was accomplished. She loved the interaction with the counselors and the other campers. Despite the colder weather and one raining days, she had so much fun she asked to come back.

Call of the Wild Camp is a great environmental education and outdoor play camp that my kids love…read more It started during the pandemic after the distance learning school year, when we were impressed by the care given to children's safety, the all outdoor setting and welcome reprieve from screens. The camp staff are friendly and skilled at engaging kids. The academic activities for reading, writing and biology are well-integrated into the day that is also filled with outdoor play, nature walks and hikes. Some days my kids didn't want to leave and wanted to keep playing with the new friends they made. I'm also impressed by how far they hiked. Really great camp for learning about nature and having fun outdoors.

My daughter has been to KC Summer Day Camp many times over the past few years and she absolutely…read moreLOVES it. The counselors are truly wonderful: fun, caring, and creative and each week the camp has a different theme lead by local experts or artisans (from carpentry and engineering to jewelry and gymnastics) so the kids are never bored. My daughter also looked forward to their weekly field trips which took them on various adventures throughout the Bay Area.The cost is extremely reasonable for a camp of this caliber and the location is picturesque - nestled in the Kensington Hills near Berkeley. Also, a huge plus for this busy working parent is their early drop off and late pick up on those days when I need it. We'll be there again this summer!

How refreshing. If you, like me, have a whole spreadsheet full of summer camps lined up for your…read morekids, you, like me, might get cranky about how many of them have short hours, high prices, longish drives, complicated drop offs and pickups. KCC Camp is so simple. So easy. It's all day, so great for working parents. Each week there's a different theme and specialized classes with a teacher--carpentry, say, or gymnastics. There's a field trip every Wednesday (on an actual bus--no parent driving required! Yay!). There's always tennis and structured play, but also plenty of downtime if that's what your kid wants. It's not the most coddling camp ever, but the kids have fun and come home happy.

I signed James up for Epworth when he was about 18 months old,. He's almost 2 1/2 now so we are…read moremoving on to preschool. It seems now I am finally able to write a long overdue review. As a stay-at-home-mom I was starting to go a bit stir-crazy being in the house and the local park each day, I felt like our week needed some structure and I found Epworth through BPN emails. We were invited to visit a session to check it out and that day I felt like we how found just what I was looking for! The playgroup meets in a room in a church that is set up as a playroom (there is no religious instruction or influence on the playgroup in case you might be wondering.) There is a climbing structure and a castle and lots of toys (especially trucks.) It is also set up with art projects, paints and drawing. The room is large, but very contained and safe, so my son could play and I could keep an eye on him without worrying he'd get hurt or get into something he shouldn't. Families take turns bringing a small snack, but everything else is provided. We both got a lot out of time there. For James it gave him an opportunity to practice sharing and turns, along with seeing the same children each week. For me, it gave me some structure to the week, and the opportunity to meet a lot of great moms (and some dads) who's children were the same age as my own. We could share a cup of coffee and talk about what stage/challenge/fun things our children were doing while they enjoyed playing. I've met some great families there that I intend to keep in touch with. We really enjoyed our time there and I am so grateful I checked it out!

I just moved to the E.Bay and was in search of a playgroup. I found Epworth Playgroups thru a…read moresearch on Yelp. I immediately contacted the group organizer and I was off to my first play group the following Monday. I ended up taking my 10 month old nephew that day. The playroom was full of fun toys and games to keep the children busy. The moms that I met were super nice and I soon knew that I wanted to go on a regular basis. Unfortunately, my nephew wanted an earlier nap that day and we didn't stay much time. I am looking forward to going the following Monday with my son and nephew!