This summer my son already attended a few great high energy adventure and play camps, and I had…read morealways wanted to try a Reggio Emilia (RE) approach with my son. He normally attends a Montessori preschool, and for many committed reasons I won't bore you, I always felt that RE may better fit his learning style. Camp Doodle is RE-inspired with projects based on a weekly theme. My son participated in "Light and Shadow" and grasped complex concepts. He is constantly paying attention to where a shadow lands due to light source(s) and stomping on my shadow as a form of chase and tag. The last day the camp counselors put together a gallery of all the campers' projects. Given identical materials and theme, each child's creation reflected a wide range of creative and conceptual development. I could see my child's personality projected in how he constructed his project pieces like a kaleidoscope. This was the only summer camp that gave me a glimpse of how my son's mind works. I give props to his counselor for being enthusiastic and welcoming. She was so warm and inviting each day. Her energy was unwavering throughout the day. The brief drop-off and pick-up updates were informative and insightful. She had previously taught preschool and now teaches elementary school, and thus she is experienced with working with young children and effectively communicating with parents. I was impressed by the caliber of the head counselor. I appreciated that the summer camp has 5 different weekly themes, and so I can pick and choose which weeks to send my son. Camp Doodle is also one of the more flexible camp registrations that takes in consideration the ever-changing family schedules. This is also one of the camps that has a later regular pick-up at 4PM, and my son still did not want to leave. As a side note, this is the only camp where my son had zero bathroom accidents. This only happens when he has zero anxiety. There is something to be said about Camp Doodle's calm environment that helped my son modulate his energy & focus on projects & activities, and he also could initiate and pivot to address his primal needs without being distracted or too absorbed into his environment.

Our daughter's favorite camp this summer…read more Lots of creative projects. She really enjoyed having a choice of activities. (As parents we enjoyed not having to pack lunch.) Will be doing it again next summer.

My son just attended a birthday party in this little hidden gem. The space is inviting and the kids…read morehad so much fun . The instructors were so kind and engaging with the kids . My little boy is already asking to go back again ! Definitely recommended !

We just had our 10 year old's bday here! Every thing was great, and the kids really got in to the…read moreproject we picked (felt succulent gardens). Planning to come back soon for an adult night (or another private party with my girl friends!).

So far just one class with my 5-year-old son, but I'm very impressed on multiple fronts. After the…read moreinitial drop-in class yesterday we purchased weekly classes with the full expectation this initial great experience will only be surpassed. Husband & wife team Matt and Chelsea (owners) and Matt's sister Stephanie are lovely. It's a really great space and Matt is preternaturally good with younger kids. I shadowed my son for a bit in the studio to observe both my son's behavior in a structured environment and the instructors' teaching style. My son is both young and inherently independent (and often distracted) so this was bound to be revealing. Matt and Chelsea's approach to teaching is closer to informed guidance and it seems to work very well with my son and the other kids I observed. They let the child initiate their creative intent and then equip them with the technical information they need in a manner that is both empowering and not overwhelming. As for my son's proclivity to essentially 'not listen,' Matt in particular was excellent at focusing my son's attention on the task at hand and contextualizing what needed to be done so that he could 'own it.' It's clear his forthcoming studio experiences will be about so much more than learning and enjoying ceramics. This isn't 'OK class today we're going to make a coil-built pot. First I want you to take your clay and...'. Not at all. In an hour and fifteen minutes, my son made two objects in distinctly different techniques: a bowl thrown on the wheel and a slab-built shark. In the course of building those two pieces he was exposed to: centering clay on the wheel; managing the clay to expand, compress, elongate and widen his bowl; keeping his eye on his work; keeping the clay moist; the effects of various pressures applied to the clay on the wheel; scoring and attaching separate pieces with slip; scribing; use of various tools; under-glazing; clean-up, and more. I imagine he'll have to revisit every one of those lessons in subsequent classes but it's a gentle teaching style that works well here. Matt and Chelsea always had an eye on each of the kids and were great about transitioning between them to give guidance in a way that seemed very natural. The space itself is wonderful and can only be described as luminous. Well, that and clean. This is not a stereotypical 'mad potter's studio,' nor is it an anal 'everything in its place mausoleum.' Instructors have a clear view of everything going on in the space at all times. There's a front seating for parents/nanny's to hang out (WiFi available) and get some work done if you want to wait. Parking in the neighborhood doesn't seem to be a problem. The most critical measure of Kids-n-Clay is the reaction from my son, who really didn't want to leave and spoke of it more or less non-stop the rest of the day. Looking forward to what's next here. If you attend a drop-in class, be aware it takes about 2-3 weeks before pieces cycle through the process and can come home with you. But that's just ceramics. Highly recommended.

My kid loves this place! The kids can use the pottery wheel or just mold clay on the table. There…read moreare assistants there to guide the newer sculptors, and the owner, Matt, encourages the kids to design what they feel.

This park is just really cool. On afternoons and weekends it's usually packed full of people. It…read morecan be hard at times to find a parking spot but shouldn't be too difficult to park on a side street if needed. There are several parts to this park. One is a flat area with a play scape and a cement slide. There's actually a tunnel nearby that goes under the road and crosses over to the rose garden, which is really cool. The cement slide is a must see for anyone with kids and even if you're an adventurous adult. There are plenty of cardboard boxes around for you to try it out. When I first heard about the cement slide, I didn't think it would be very fun, (cement and sliding didn't go together in my mind) but it is great! Then just a little bit south, above that play scape area, there's a baseball field. So many different people come here to meet. Some people for picnics, some people play soccer, some people play softball, some people bring their dogs. And then inside the woods behind the park, there are a picnic benches. I have a friend who had her wedding reception there. You can reserve them with the city. And then behind the picnic area, there's a hike and if you're very adventurous, there is a waterfall hidden, but it's not easy to find if you don't know about it. I highly recommend this park. During the winter, the baseball field is blocked off with Fence to protect the grass but other parts of the park are accessible.

This park gets busy. And why shouldn't it? It's great! Nestled in the Berkeley Hills overlooking…read morethe cities and the bay below, amongst the huge trees, you'll see all walks of life enjoying this Berkeley staple. It's made of a lot of different parts - basketball courts, a baseball field, a grassy field across from some great play structures and a huge, long concrete slide. It's epic and built into the mossy hill. When your kids are old enough, they will just do the slide. FYI. Over the bridge, you walk up a hill to some bbq areas, which you can reserve online for parties. The shaded one is so beautiful with this beautiful, huge, old outdoor fireplace. Bbq area #4 has more sun, fyi to those planning. The tunnel leads you to bathrooms, tennis courts and the rose garden. What a great place for a great day. Something for everyone.

This review is primarily for my experience with their competition and the atmosphere around when…read morethere were competitors from Cal & Stanford. I highly enjoyed my experience here as well as many of my friends who normally climb at Touchstone gyms. I've had the opportunity to try out their SF location early when they first soft launched during the pandemic and it was great albeit smaller than other gyms I've been to in the Bay. I will note that this isn't quite as corporate as Touchstone or Movement so they may not have the same level of funding which I see as reasons their sets are a bit more adventurous comparatively and membership can seem pricey Overall, the aspect I like the most about the gym was the sets for the comp. It really had a huge variety of non-traditional climbs with toe catch starts, partner climbs, lache, and run up dynos. All in all, I very much enjoyed the variety that is less typical comparative to the sets you'd see at Movement or Touchstone gyms. The fact that they have these unique sets despite the small space is what makes me enjoy it more I would recommend people who want to expand their skills check out this place. I didn't feel like they had any sets that were more inherently dangerous which I sometimes feel with some run up dynos at other gyms. Furthermore, not all the climbs were jugs which really helped to find fun ways to improve. It's also close to Indian Rock if you wanted something more natural and being so close to Berkeley campus it's a quick walk to good eats I find the diversity of climbs here the best of all the climbing gyms seem so far, including gyms in NYC/Texas. The interior space also seems to welcome students or people who treat it as a third space with a large table, small but adequately sized parking lot, and essential gym equipment. The one con I may say is the price may not be as cost-effective as some other corporate gyms in the Bay but having smaller gyms that have an inviting space and good diversity of climbs will be reasons I'd continue to come back

I visited Benchmark twice while in Berkeley for a holiday stay. I was glad to find a decent place…read moreto climb close to the house I was staying at. I was able to take advantage of a special 2-week pass that was the same price as a day pass, which was a great find. The staff is helpful. The toilets and lockers are small, but clean. The climbing space itself is also small, but adequate for two visits. There is a good range of difficulties represented. My two beefs with this gym: 1) the mats are thin and HARD. I felt nervous trying anything slightly outside my comfort zone as I was afraid of falling. That really detracts from the experience. 2) there is no rhyme or reason to the colors of the problems. You have to get close to the all and squint to see what V rating it is. Yellow here might be V2 and the Yellow over there is V0. Why?! I much prefer my regular gym where Yellow is always the same level. That way you can easily scan the whole room to see which routes will suite.

Space to Grow Therapy now has an on-site facility, filled with lots of fun for your kids providing…read morecolorful sensory gyms and playrooms! There are slides, swings, rock climbing walls, and plenty of toys to keep your kids busy. The site has plenty of parking out front. In addition to free play, they offer occupational and speech therapy services, on-site and in home. The therapists have extensive experience, and are passionate in what they do and ensuring they are providing a quality experience. I would highly recommend this business if your child needs any services, or a fun place to play!

Amazing place for my kids! Sensory seeking and the owner is amazing! Super accommodating and…read morefriendly! We will definitely go many more times! My daughter's friends are begging me to take them since she's talked about it so much!!

We had a team building event this weekend and were looking to have some outdoor fun. Nathan brought…read moreeverything we needed and set up a great spread. We had a great time running around and I got to shoot my manager in the butt. Definitely recommend!

From the owner: We are proud to host Nerf events across the bay area! We use 3D printed blasters made in-house from…read moreour team here in San Jose. We also offer custom printed blasters as well if you want to have a party favor that everyone talks about!

My husband brought us here. We loved our time. So great that…read morethey sold cold water !!! We enjoyed the train ride so nice and we were the only ones since we came in a week day! I'm looking forward to coming back and bringing more family. Great photos and the ride is definitely worth the price.

Came here on a Saturday morning around 11am. Tickets for train and carousel is $5 per person and…read morefree for kids 2 and under. The train ride is less than 10 minutes with no cover so we brought our hats. It's a quick ride and you pass by the parking lot and a park. My girls enjoyed it. After we played by the nearby park. There is a bathroom close to the train ticket booth and lots of tables to enjoy a snack or even lunch. They were just starting the grill to cook the food for lunch but our girls were hungry so we left to get food elsewhere.