Stayed one winter weekend with a group from Chicago. Nice easy drive from Chicago. Came to do cc…read moreskiing on beautiful wooded trails, but enjoyed seeing bald eagles and lounging in wood-fired sauna on their picturesque lake.

This is a nature lover's paradise for kids and counselors alike…read more This center is a big part of my family. My brother went since he was 8 years old until he was a teenager. He then was a counselor in his early to late 20s. My brother and my SIL are an integral part of this community. My niece and nephew have been and still go most summers for 1-2 week stays every year and many other events throughout the year too. The counselors here are amazing, friendly, such great support systems for the kids, emotionally, psychologically. They push the kids to participate in social activities as groups and be their own ambassador and fully partake among nature. The center fosters community, communication, openness, cooperative learning and lifelong experiences. It's a great platform and place for kids to become more independent and to help them build lasting relationships too. The counselors are there to help guide the kids and be there if needed.

Five Pines is a great place all year round.  In the summer they have camps (which I went to as a…read moreyoung lad) with an abundance of activities including swimming, a rock climbing wall, and a ropes course.  The middle school I went to even took us out here back in the day as a field trip.  My church would take the middle and high schoolers out here in the fall for hay rides which is always a fun treat. As for the winter, they offer tubing and other winter activities on a large hill on property.  They also sell warm beverages during this time to warm up between activities.  Five Pines is simply a great outdoor place with numberous fun things to do.  Let the adventuring begin! Ps.  Something cool: in the lodge there are pictures of campers.  I'm up there a few times :)

Love this place Me and all my sisters have go here 1st grade…read moreal the way up. Three of us worked here too.

This is THE BEST PETTING ZOO/learning farm I have ever seen. Critter Barn animals, staff,…read morevolunteers, and property all exceeded expectations. Very reasonably priced, tons of handwashing stations and a wonderful experience all around. My kids both want to volunteer here now. Worth the drive and the price of admission--without question one of the best attractions in the area.

This is a must see. We have come back year after year. This is great. Please go and enjoy. Feed…read moresome animals and enjoy the farm feeling. The new space is fun and way more room and more animals.

My 12 year-old daughter has gone to Camp Geneva two years in a row. Both years she had an amazing…read moreweek of being with God, making friends, and enjoying the outdoors. She has come home with so many positive memories! The counselors are excellent role models and are great at spreading fellowship. I think the price is well worth an entire week of camp. The campers are kept very busy with a wide variety of activities. They even get to pick special interest groups. The lake and grounds are very well-kept. My daughter loved the challenge coarse and zip line! The cabins are very homey and have their own bathroom and showers. My daughter is a picky eater and she never went hungry. A great camp!

From the owner: The mission of GENEVA Camp & Retreat Center is to create an environment where the presence of God…read moreis experienced, the love of Christ is demonstrated, and a Spirit-filled life is inspired.

My Son and I came here over Memorial Day w.e with about six other families which equated to about…read more25 total in our group. This place is awesome and the *only* reason it's not getting a 5 spot is bc some of the Camp Leader "oversight" is a bit much but I guess better safe than sorry, etc. But every kid had at least one parent with them so things like the 2-hour long "swim test" could have been avoided by just having a parent sign a waiver...esp when they had at least 3 lifeguards watching a relatively small area of kids. Whatever, small detail but something to consider. The other reason is for the food which was essentially passable but you have to factor in the cost. Each family paid about $70 TOTAL for EVERYTHING for our two night three day stay! Food, lodging and all the included programs, i'm saying 3 days/2 nights stay all included for $70!! (i still can't get over that) Apart from those two minor critiques, the place is an absolute gem in a beautiful setting. Sat outside the town of Middleville (aka "Middle-of-Nowhere's-ville) that is situated in between Grand Rapids (to the North) and Kalamazoo (to the South). As alluded to this place is strictly business. But also FUN. And the counselors do make it fun. The kids were over the top excited and had almost no downtime (unless tey chose to). Highlights - per the 10 y.o when asked: 1. Nightly Camp Fire Stories 2. Horse trail ride (his first, barely did it but was so happy when task was accomplished 3. Zip Line 4. Kayaking 5. Swimming (just add water and there's a 0% chance you're child won't be content 6. Tie Dye 7. Daily Meal Time 8. Archery 9 Indoor Climbing Wall 10. Outside Climbing Wall For me, it was all around fantastic and I got the chance to ride some single track at nearby Yankee Springs which is an awesome Mountain Bike trail about ten minutes South. [X] Without a doubt we'll be back

We've had our kids go to camp Manitou-lin for the last three years. The first year was just day…read morecamp and then the over-night camp the last two years. The kids really enjoy it and we feel comfortable that our children are having a safe and fun experience. The camp is well organized with a myriad of fun activities planned. Both of my kids really love the food, although it sounds pretty standard by their description. The kayaking/canoeing, archery and outdoor skills activities are things they particularly liked. The staff are very friendly and competent and keep the kids entertained and engaged while instilling good values. If I had any complaint, it would be the staff-to-child ratio and apparent lack of a reasonable bedtime for the kids under 10 years old. There are 10-12 kids in each cabin and both my kids complained that they never got to sleep before 11:00 or 11:30 pm. If this is a concern, then a day camp might be a better choice. Despite this, both our kids have asked to go to camp for a second week each summer.

I cannot say enough good things about Canterbury Creek Farm School. Our family is still new-ish to…read moreGrand Rapids -- we moved here two years ago from Chicago -- and Farm School quickly became like a second family to our 3.5yo son. Born a COVID baby, he has always loved to play independently, but struggled in group situations. The staff and owners are incredibly compassionate and caring -- encouraging our son to play with others, but at his own pace. He has completely come out of his shell over this school year. It has been a joy to see the daily updates on the Brightwheel app (which teachers update during the school day), so that even when I am at work, I can relish in the absolute joy of a time our son is having at school. Time spent outdoors and with the animals is not only great for our high energy boy to blow off steam, but teaches so many life skills (outside of a classroom) that are so necessary to early childhood development. Their approach to early childhood education is incredible -- keeps all the content fun for kids, but with incredible impact. To compare his self-portrait and handwritten name from the beginning to the end of the year is insane! His end of year book brought me to tears -- and made me feel even more blessed to be a part of the Canterbury Creek family. In fact, this morning on our way to drop off, he told me he was so sad that school was over and that he would miss it over the summer. Good thing we will be back for Summer Camp and next school year. I cannot wait to sign up my 2.5yo daughter next!

We love Canterbury Creek. Its so cool that the kids get a full education here not just for…read morethemselves but for the animals too, it' so important at an early age to make sure kids have respect for all lives and they do with their interaction, feeding and caring for the animals here. Totally unique school, wonderful education, loving and caring instructors and overall a great, first class school all the way around. Our 4 year old daugher was at preschool there and will go again for young fives next year. We will do two summer camps with her and 6 year old sister.

Next Level provides a positive environment for the pursuit of enjoyment and improvement in golf,…read morepickleball, volleyball and any sport with a ball and a bat. They're knowledgeable, friendly and are constantly striving to improve the customer experience. It's refreshing to have management interested in hearing consumer feedback and evolving. This is my go-to oasis for short game and full swing practice, not to mention playing bucket list courses on Trackman and obtaining useful data about my swing tendencies. Thanks for all your efforts to be better!

I have our seven year old in quite a few sports and this one's the worst. $143 and sneakily make…read moreyou pay that amount for three months! What is wrong with these people? The training was mediocre at best. How disappointing to prey on families. We just moved to the area and we're trying different activities and there are a lot of good ones here. This is not one.

Friday Open Studios a worthy adventure as this slice of creative summer camp for the art…read moreinstitute of Chicago offers a glimpse of what's been going on. Usually food and beverage for ssle. Auction offers opportunity to support this fine example of local endeavor. Feed the fish from the dock while the sun sets over the pond. Good looking crowd wows

Spent time this summer with art here. Friday open studios fantastic and free . kids love it...take…read morethe interurban easy in out free. Free? Stop it. ..#summer #surprises

I love this place so much! The staff is so sweet and kind. I've come here for my birthday and a few…read moretimes before that and the staff has also been so sweet and helpful! The prices are around $15+ but it's definitely worth it for birthdays or if you want something to do that's not shopping! The process is really easy once you finish the painting you pick it up in about a week after!

Came here as a family for my wife's birthday. She and the kids had a blast picking and painting…read moretheir pieces. Make sure if you come you listen to the instructions and understand them before getting started so you don't have any issues with your art pieces. The only thing I will caution is expect to pay a decent amount per piece. I don't believe I saw a piece less than $20, but those were small and if your younger kids are anything like mine, they will want to paint tons of them, or a really big (read expensive) one.