We held our child's birthday party at STEMful and the team exceeded our expectations. It was well…read morerun. The activity was fun. And everyone had a chance to connect. I'd recommend the location for a birthday party or special event.

After a number of years, our family we will not be returning to Stemful…read more This decision is based on my recent interaction with David. During the first day of a holiday camp, the front door was unfortunately vandalized. Not their fault! Was is in their control is how they handled it. 1. We received no communication about the incident until we arrived for drop off. They should have sent an email as soon as they discovered the vandalism so we don't show up in person! 2. When I did arrive for drop off, I asked about the status of the glass replacement, code compliance, and timing for completion. The questions I asked were reasonable and directly tied to safety and planning as a working parent. Instead of receiving clear information or empathy, I was met with condescension and a dismissive attitude. At no point was there acknowledgment of the very real constraints families are navigating--jobs, schedules, and the need for reliable, high-quality educational programs like the ones Stemful provides. The conversation centered almost entirely on David's personal stress in managing the situation, rather than on transparent communication with parents who are impacted by it. He essentially told me to go away and stop asking questions. 3. When I called back later to inquire about the status of the glass, he doubled down on his attitude, said "aren't you the person that was here before?" and demanded the name of my camper so we can "get this taken care of". It was incredibly threatening in language and tone and I didn't even feel comfortable giving my child's name. While we eventually got a refund, I'm not confident that me or my camper will be treated with respect and care in David's presence.

Tree Frog Treks offers supremely inventive summer camps for kids K-5 with a focus on science and…read morenature. Kids meet up in Golden Gate Park and then disseminate into groups- or over-the-bridge organized day trips- to spend lots and lots of time outdoors hiking, exploring, collecting, drawing and creating art from objects in nature. Every week has a theme (this week was "Climate Pirates, 21st Century Conservationists!") with events and activities organized around that week's theme. Whether it's getting your kids excited about nature and the ecosystem by dressing up as pirates and picking up trash as "booty" to see what can be reduced/reused/recycled or a day trip to Pescadero to learn about watersheds, every day is a fun adventure. I've never seen my child get so dirty or have so much fun outdoors. A very talented staff of counselors insures your child is safe and well-cared for. All seem to have college degrees in biology and the sciences- and all are early 20-something's to keep up with energetic groups of youngsters. (I couldn't do it!) There are 7 groups (from Roly Polies to Pythons), broken up by age group in groups of about 16 children. 2015 cost was $425/week for full day camp 9am-4pm. There is before and after camp care for an extra, reasonable cost. I highly recommend this smart, fun, high energy camp that will both happily engage and exhaust your little darlings!

Our 6 year old daughter just completed a 2 week summer camp with Tree Frog Treks at the Christopher…read morePlayground location, and we were very impressed with the entire experience! The camp counselors - Najia, David, and Zita - were awesome. The kids were outdoors and active all day, learning about nature and the environment. Our daughter really enjoyed the field trips to Ocean Beach and Marin. As a 2 working parent family, we also appreciated the 9-5pm full day coverage (the only thing better would be an 8:30am start)! I'd highly recommend this summer camp, and look forward to returning next year.

My kid loves to write stories about talking vegetables, gingerbread cookies who ice skate, and…read morestuffies that come to life and talk at night. It's all super fun and inventive except for that last one which is terrifying and gives me nightmares. Putting all of that interest in writing to use is challenging over the summer, when things slow down and routines change out of an academic focus and more into a "panic because I have to get a hair cut and a manicure and I have my kid with me all summer long." Adventures in Writing camp will allow you to get your hair did, your eyebrows waxed, and your frito lays nails done, all without a first grader pulling on your skirt. BONUS: They learn how to write, and have fun while doing it. Before the summer session begins, they call and check in, which is terrific for those of us who have tons of questions and want to know every detail of what their little angel will be doing in the two weeks they will spend with the writing counselors. Although honestly, my questions are more geared toward, "Do they have to be fully dressed when we arrive in the morning?" and, "Do I need to be fully dressed when we arrive in the morning?" AIW is one of those camps kids love, despite the academic focus. It will push them towards better writing habits, stronger writing skills, and more creative thinking when producing written work. All that, and you get two weeks of grown up time. Score!

This review is for the Middle School program…read more We carpool with a few kids from my son's school and it was a real bummer for all of them. They felt incredibly bored - assignments took way too long (and kids rushed to finish because then they could get on the iPad to play games) and didn't match the updates the camp sent out (which of course made the camp sound way more fun then it sounds like it was). They only did a blog - which first off, is that even relevant anymore? Like literally one of the lessons was "How to do a Listicle" which I found incredibly depressing. And when the kids got stuck with ideas or motivation, they said the teacher was pretty much - "Just write whatever because that's the assignment". I made better suggestions just brainstorming a few minutes with them after camp then the teacher or counselors (with the exception of Jaqueline, a teen who they all said was great). They all said the teacher was a nice guy, but pretty much too inexperienced or incompetent to make the material more interesting, or help them in anyway that felt meaningful or tailored to them. I'm especially disappointed because we loved the elementary age program (2nd through 5th). Even our kid reflected, "At least we had more activities - different types of assignments and exercises, making a song, etc." We definitely saw a huge sense of accomplishment when they finished their stories in that program. Sadly, middle school is not the case. Also, when I brought this up with the site administrator, he took several days to write me a plan of what they were going to change (it's only a two-week camp and I wrote at the end of the first week!) and almost nothing changed. I would give one-star for glorified babysitting (or worse, a bad version of school since all these kids actually loved their English teacher last year), but the 2nd star is for the elementary program and I do think the people have their heart in the right place, if incompetent. Essentially writing this as a warning to other families - wish I had gotten one!

We have one child who graduated from The San Francisco School and two more still there. The school…read morelets each child explore who they are and develop their strengths while providing a very strong education. That's why I think it punches above its weight in high school admissions. It gently guides kids from simply being kids to being more than adequately prepared for the rigor of high school. The South Asian Affinity Group is great, and the Diwali cultural event is amazing. It's one of many cultural events that create a wonderful sense of community. Some of the parents have become lifelong best friends, and I wouldn't have met them had it not been for SFS. I believe kids leave SFS with far more than academic preparation. They come away with a strong sense of who they are and an amazingly high EQ.

This is my daughter's 4th year at The San Francisco School (we started in preschool 3), and we have…read morebeen very happy here so far! The teachers and staff are warm and nurturing, and the community is very down to earth and kind. We especially love the strong SEL program and excellent music program. We also very much appreciate the school's Extended Day (aftercare and summer camp offerings) as a family with two parents who work full-time. SFS rocks!

Oh wow, my kid's former preschool on Yelp. Cool! It was a long time ago my son went here, but I…read morehave often thought about the positive experience he had at the Mission YMCA preschool. They offered a good blend of skill building in socialization, numbers, language, arts, and preparation for kindergarten. The price was right and the schedule was convenient. Most importantly the teachers were nice and communicative with parents. What I know now that I didn't know then is that the bottom line with preschools is what elementary schools are they getting accepted to. My son made it into our first choice, private school so Mission (YMCA) accomplished. ******* The reason for the mediocre star rating is because of the negative experience we had with the summer camp offered through this Y. My child turned five while in preschool and we were told he could go to their summer camp, so I agreed not knowing that it was not as nurturing of an environment as preschool. The facility in Glen Park was depressing, kind of like a pit of kids with dirty toys and the camp counselors were not friendly at all (not even a smile or a hello). It appeared as if they trolled prisons to recruit these camp counselors, as opposed to the norm of Early Child Development college students. He went for one day and then went back to preschool, for which they accommodated me immediately, and I learned to scrutinize day camps thoroughly from then on. So four stars for the preschool and one for the summer day camp. FYI the Embarcadero Y summer day camp is top rate.

I have never left a negative review anywhere or on anything, but after several weeks of concerns…read moreand an upsetting experience today, I feel parents deserve to know what our experience has been. My four-year-old attended the Mission Branch YMCA summer camp for much of the summer, beginning at the Dolores Huerta site and later transitioning to the Mission YMCA location. I want to emphasize that I tried very hard throughout the summer to be patient and understanding. I know camps are busy, unexpected things happen, and working with young children is challenging. I gave the staff the benefit of the doubt repeatedly because I genuinely wanted this program to work. Unfortunately, today's experience was the last straw. While there were some counselors who were kind, the overall leadership and communication left me feeling increasingly uneasy as a parent. Throughout the summer: * When my daughter was struggling socially, I reached out for support but never felt I received meaningful guidance or follow-up. * During difficult drop-offs, I would ask how she recovered later in the day and was often told, "I don't know, I wasn't with them," leaving me with very little information about how my preschooler was doing. * One field trip changed locations after the children had already left, and parents were never notified. * On another field trip, the buses returned approximately 30 minutes late, and parents waiting at pickup received no communication about the delay. * I also overheard a counselor speaking to the children in a way that I found concerning, telling them how "terrible" they were behaving. Today's incident was the final straw. We arrived approximately five minutes late for a field trip. I understand there may be safety procedures around attendance and transportation. However, we were told that my daughter could not attend camp at all that day. After reviewing the camp emails and handbook, it clearly stated that if you are late on an excursion day and miss the bus, you will need to drop your camper off at the excursion location. The bus hadn't even left yet and the camp director told us that my daughter wouldn't be able to attend that day, with very little explanation. More disappointing than the decision itself was the response when I tried to discuss it. Rather than acknowledging my concerns or taking a moment to understand why I was upset, I left feeling dismissed. Had someone simply acknowledged my frustration and explained this decision with empathy, this review likely would not exist. As a parent of a four-year-old, I don't expect perfection. I do expect clear communication, professionalism, and a collaborative relationship with families. Unfortunately, that was not our experience. After leaving today, I looked through other reviews and was disappointed to see that many parents described concerns very similar to my own. I sincerely hope the YMCA takes those patterns seriously because this has the potential to be a wonderful program with stronger leadership, better communication, and a greater commitment to partnering with families.

My favorite tennis facility in the Bay Area!…read more Great indoor courts and well-run by Kevin, Bonnie, and Sabrina. I won my 2nd Men's Open singles title here :)

The staff is friendly and helpful. Most importantly, no pickleball noise. I'm glad I was invited to…read moreplay at this location.

The hidden gem of the Bay Area---SO WORTH IT! My son has been there at age 6 and now at age 8…read more Picture this-- you drive your child into an easy to reach part of Golden Gate Park. Super friendly and super competent staff round up just 2 SMALL GROUPS of nice kids at a playground (Mother's Meadow right near 19th) then they go 5 DAYS A WEEK OF FUN FIELD TRIPS or do special outings in GG park. REALLY REALLY GREAT. Amazingly this is one of the few camps in this area that is not booked to the gills-- you can get a slot!!! THE BEST. Susan Edwards ROCKS!!!!

My son loves this summer camp and is looking forward to going back this summer. The camp is an…read moreoutdoor camp and the younger children get to explore all the wonderful places in and around The Golden Gate Park. The older children get to explore the wonders of the Bay area with many cool outings to places I had never heard of. My child returned home tired, dirty and very happy, always excited about the next day. I can highly recommend this summer camp.

If I could give this a hundred stars I would! My child recently started a few months ago and just…read morewow. First off we tried Mi Escuelita back in November for a one week camp that was being held in during Thanksgiving break and my son has not been under any care other a grandmother or myself. He is on the older side and will start school soon. For this being the first time with someone unknown the connection was perfect. Fast forward to today we have joined regular care for mi escuelita en español for a few months and what I can tell is that Maestra Ines is the most loving , kind, generous teacher / care giver and your children are in great care. Maestra Ines has her class plans sent out to parents at the beginning of the month so you know what your child will be learning. The consistent updates on my child and just over all the communication on what they will be learning for the month is just amazing. She has even gone as far as bringing in live music and teaming with tree frog treks to bring animals to teach the kids. You can always see updates on her instagram but always having that one on one connection with her is just makes me feel at ease. My only regret is not finding her sooner. For anyone looking for care I highly recommend. You will not regret it and more importantly your children will learn so much.

My son has been going to this camp since he's 2.5 He…read moreabsolutely loves it. He's in nature all day and practices Spanish. If you are looking for a Spanish immersion camp for younger children- this one is an absolute gem.

Our daughter is an 8th grader at Stratford Middle School in SF, and we are grateful for the…read moreincredible role the school played in preparing her for high school. What stood out most was the strong academic foundation, strong teachers/staff, and like-minded students who wanted to excel in academics and activities. Stratford helped our daughter build strong study habits, discipline, independence, and the ability to manage a demanding workload. The teachers pushed her academically, but also supported her and helped her grow in communication, writing, public speaking, leadership, and overall confidence. The principal was also a major strength. He set high expectations around discipline, character, and behavior, which we believe are especially important in middle school. During the high school admissions process, his guidance was incredibly valuable, from parent presentations to interview prep, school prioritization, and being available to families. His relationships with high school admissions offices across San Francisco also came in handy. Overall, we are grateful for Stratford and would highly recommend it to families.

We're a Stratford family with an 8th grader, and our experience has been extremely…read morepositive--especially in high school preparation and the overall school culture. The academics are strong and thoughtfully designed, and the teachers genuinely care about student growth. We've seen our child become more confident, independent, and ready for the increased expectations of high school. The support during the high school application process really stood out. The Principal and staff were engaged, responsive, and incredibly supportive throughout the process. Their experience and guidance helped reduce a lot of stress, and it's clear that Stratford students are well prepared and competitive when applying to some of the best high schools in San Francisco. We also truly value the diversity at Stratford. The school community includes students from many different backgrounds, which creates an inclusive and respectful environment. Our child has benefited from learning alongside peers with different perspectives, and it adds real depth to the overall experience. Communication has always been clear, and the school feels well-run and supportive. Looking back at our child's middle school years, we feel Stratford provided an excellent foundation for both academic success and personal growth.

A wedding. A bride is reciting her vows. She appreciates most of all that her groom is normal--he's…read morestable, average, a regular guy, he fits in. The groom begins his vows. He appreciates the bride's uniqueness, that she's an outlier, unlike anyone else he's ever met. The bride is nonplussed: "Wait, it sounds like you think I'm weird!" The minister closes his bible, with a knowing look that says "Not happening." The bride doesn't want to give up just yet, though. The minister informs her that she has a "right to a rebuttal", and the ceremony/debate continues... And so ends another show of Your Fcked-Up Relationship, the last of about 20 scenes riffing on an audience member's story of a past relationship that went sour. I've laughed non-stop for an hour at this and Ritual, two of the weekly shows by the "house teams" at Endgames. They've also got a variety of other groups that perform in different formats and styles. The amount of imagination that pours through that 16'x14' stage is mind-boggling. I've also taken two improv classes here. The pace from week to week is much faster than any other improv class I've seen. But they've set up each class session so you're always successful and always have fun, even as you continually stretch your skills. I'd taken improv classes and performed some shows many years ago, but I'm glad I started with Improv 101. It taught foundations that I'd never gotten solid before, especially motivated characters that the audience can empathize with, as well as yes-and, creating a platform, continuing the game, and space-object work. Each seven-week course culminates in a graduation show. Yes, after just seven weeks, you will perform improv in front of an audience! I've also been going to their Sunday 6:00 improv jam--just performing scenes with whoever shows up. It was relaxed, friendly, supportive, with folks at all levels, from total beginners to pros. I had great fun, got extra stage time, and got to cross-pollinate with other players. Highly recommended!

Ive been to several of their shows and laughed my butt off. They sell alcohol now alongside some…read moreNon Alcoholic drinks and snacks. And the lobby is a chill place to hangout before or after shows, including past the final show. I have also taken classes there including their Saturday drop-in class and it was a ton of fun. Any ticket allows you to stay for shows the rest of the night for free. If you have never been to improv, I recommend going early in the night so you can check out different improv shows all for the price of one. Each show has different styles and teams.