From the moment we walked in--feeling secure with visible security and welcomed by friendly…read moregreeters--this experience was fabulous. Smiles were everywhere, setting the tone right away. My son and I went on a special date to see A Christmas Story, and it did not disappoint. The cast was incredible! Their energy was contagious and drew us into the story from the very first scene all the way to the end. I truly can't say enough good things about how amazing this show was. We will absolutely be back for more plays!

Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre is the largest of more than 70 community theatres in Indiana and one…read moreof the ten largest of over 7000 active community theatres in the U.S. It is also considered the nation's longest continuously active community theatre. In operation since 1915, Civic Theatre offers 90 performances and 500 opportunities to participate onstage or behind-the-scenes in a professional theatre setting annually. Since its beginning, Civic has had five different homes. In 1915, it started at the Herron Art Institute before moving to the 240-seat Hedback Community Theatre in 1924. In 1973, Civic moved to the 645-seat Showalter Pavilion at IMA before relocating in 2004 to a 490-seat theatre at Marian University. Finally, Civic moved into the Tarkington at the Center for the Performing Arts in 2011. The current theatre has 513 seats. Mainstage productions include everything from musicals to comedies to dramas with an average of 30,000 patrons annually. Education has also always been a strong component of Civic programming with education and outreach programs reaching over 20,000 people each year through classes, workshops, and educational performances for all age groups from toddlers through older adults. As someone who believes strongly in inclusive theatre (I was a drama minor in college myself), Civic does one of the better jobs in Central Indiana of addressing accessibility issues. They are known to offer sensory friendly performances, have offered audio-described performances (and have large print programs), and also offer accessible parking, accessible entrances, and accessible seating that can be reserved. They also offer shows with ASL and Assisted Listening. For those with disabilities, I recommend contacting Civic for more detailed information. I've seldom attended a show here without seeing other wheelchairs or individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities. I've never been on-stage at Civic, but I have worked behind the scene in years past. Most recently, I've attended as both an audience member and media member. My experience has been that Civic leans toward more well known, fairly mainstream productions. For example, the 2022-23 season includes The Diary of Anne Frank, The Cat in the Hat, The Sound of Music, and Murder on the Orient Express. Jr. Civic is an amazing opportunity for the kids to get involved. Civic Theatre is definitely one of Central Indiana's longtime stage gems. With an outstanding group of professionals and volunteers, Civic offers consistently high quality performances and a great experience for theatergoers. Located in Carmel, it's an easy drive and a great entertainment in a beautiful setting.

This is such a sweet spot and I love anywhere that promotes family bonding, new experiences, and…read morebaby friendship. I grew up going to The Little Gym and absolutely loved it. I used to go more when I was school-age, but I recently bought my one year old for a trial class. It was a good time and I enjoyed meeting some new parent friends and having a place for my baby to run around. It was a little more hands-off and a little less catered towards babies than other classes around town that we've tried and enjoyed. The teacher was super nice, but she kept looking at her phone to turn the music on/off, check what was next for the lesson, etc. I really try to not have my phone out around my baby and so I'd appreciate if they could just use a sound system or write notes on a post-it or something so that phones are out during a paid-for class experience. I understand that it's not usually a big deal but think that would help elevate the class. There was a lot of time to run around on our own, but my baby is too little for the bars, can't jump on the mats, and then there were only a few things to crawl on, so it could use with a few extra engaging activities too for younger ages. They did have a 'back hand spring' lesson that was cute/funny and my baby enjoyed rolling over the foam cylinder - LOL. So proud of that little nugget. The man at the front desk was nice and I liked that they had toys in the lobby for kids to play with after class. I also noticed a private room for parties and saw that they offer summer camps too. I can see my elementary-school age self loving coming here as a nice intro into gymnastics and would be happy to try it again when our son is a little older.

Love.This.Place!! We have been looking for a non competitive place for our youngest (3 yr old) to…read moredo gymnastics classes and we have definitely found the perfect place. They let us try a class for free and if you sign up for class on the day of your free class, they waive the annual membership fee. Note that there is a lot of emphasis on developmental play, meaning it's fun!!

Absolutely amazing experience !…read more My 10 year attended a baking class at the sprouts cooking school. This was her first time ever doing such a thing. She loved it. The class allowed the students to be independent "chefs" and work mostly independently under supervision. My daughter felt a since of accomplishment and developed more confidence in the kitchen after class. The best part (for me) was the food. Oh my gosh~ the food was AMAZING. They made a chocolate chip cookie cake with icing and a mini fruit pizza. Chocolate chip is not my favorite, however I had several bites. The cookie could not had been any more perfect. It was moist, soft and just delicious. At the end, the kids took the recipes home. The class started and ended on time. It was a great experience.

We were invited to try a kids cooking class at Sprouts Cooking Class today. Baking with Barbie was…read moretoday's class and we can't remember a time we've had more fun in the kitchen! This class was for ages 3-13 and the kids learned to bake three recipes. The best part was that parents could drop off their children and head out for 2 hours of errands or a nice brunch! I was impressed right away by how bright and clean yet playful the space is. There is a wall along the back with 4 microwaves and 4 ovens which is perfect for some of the larger camp classes or the older kid's cooking classes. There is plenty of counter space with their large islands that hold a sink at one end and a convection stove top at the other. This class had little tables and chairs set up for the preschoolers while the older girls sat on stools around the island. Perhaps my favorite part of the kids cooking class was watching the teachers interact with the kids. They did a great job keeping the kids listening, learning, being safe and having fun all while baking! I know that can be a feat with just a couple kids at home! The way they interacted with the girls gave them confidence in continuing to bake at home.

We have been attending classes at Palette for 2 years now. We love the new location. Both kids…read more(ages 4 and 10) have enjoyed all of the various classes they have signed up for. She has adapted her business practices to meet COVID19 guidelines and we continue to attend. The most important thing is the kids continue to have a social and artistic outlet during this time. Rebecca does a great job with all ages of children.

Palette is such an amazing place for kids!! Rebecca goes out of her way to make every experience…read morespecial. My kids (ages 3-13) have done classes/camps and parties at her studio, and every time, everything is perfect! Perfectly age appropriate, tuned to their interests, and engaging! Rebecca is simply magic! If you need something to engage your budding artist, or you want to help a child develop a love of art, this is the place to go! Her parties are seamless and stress-free and totally unique! I cannot say enough good things about Rebecca and Palette! 20/10 DEFINITELY RECOMMEND!

The Zionsville Nature Center just opened last week at their new location in the Hussey Mayfield…read moreLibrary. I took my granddaughter over to visit for Earth Day, today. The new center is on the first floor of the library near the children's section. Rachel was on duty and is super knowledgable about nature and eager to visit with the kids (and adults). She told us that the new location is temporary until they move into a new dedicated facility in a few years. The center has displays of animals that are native to Indiana. There about a dozen live reptiles in the center including turtles and snakes. There are several hands on exhibits for the kids to explore. I enjoyed seeing the native birds up close. My granddaughter asked many questions that Rachel was happy to answer. The center offers monthly programs for all ages to help get kids interested in nature. You can find out and sign up for the programs through their website. We frequently sign up for the nature kits that are available over Spring Break and the holidays for a small fee. The kits come with video instructions narrated by Rachel. We just finished a kit to make a hummingbird feeder. Zionsville is fortunate to have the Nature Center.

This place is amazing. It's a hidden gem in Zionsville. If your kids like nature, and animals, and…read morehandling animal skulls and skins, then you will love the Zion Nature Center. This is a small, cottage-like nature center, but there are lots of little exhibits set up throughout. One room is all about pollinators, so you can see a honeybee hive through glass, and touch wasp nests and peer at (dead) monarch butterflies up close. Another room has a pair of microscopes set up to view pollen and spores. That same room has animal skins (shed snake skin, coyote hide, etc.) that you can pick up and touch. There's a basket full of animal feet (so hardcore) there too, like deer feet and a giant poultry claw. It's kind of gross and cool at the same time. The best room, according to my kids, is what they dubbed the "play room," because it has a bunch of toys, games, puzzles, stuffed animals, puppets and kids books. If you have young kids, you can probably stay in that room for at least an hour or more. There are wooden blocks to play with, and also a giant chalkboard wall that you can draw on. Zion Nature Center also offers educational classes and summer camp, too. Check their website -- they have an updated list of what they offer on their site. Adjacent to the nature center is a small playground with slides, a climbing wall and other fun stuff. There is also a hiking / walking trail (Zion Nature Sanctuary) several steps away, where you can go creek stomping and traversing through nature. One thing to note is that Zion Nature Center sits on the grounds of an elementary school, and the hours of operation reflect that. The nature center is only open on weekend and select holidays when school is out. Call or visit their webs try to make sure they are open before you visit.

This art studio and their instructors have been great. I love that the students can choose what…read morethey are interested in most and the instructor guides them along their artistic journey. They are encouraged to branch out when they are ready and meet so many good friends. The instructors are engaging, talented and kind. Highly recommend!

My daughter has been going to MyArt since she was five years old (she is now 15) and she still…read moreloves it! She has done some amazing things and continues to grow and learn more every day! We love Miss Sylvia!

I work here (full time now), so I can't give a true review. BUT I've been really impressed with how…read moremuch the owner cares about the kids learning about science and loving science. I've talked to other "mad scientists" from other franchises in Canada and the US, and they've even been impressed with the amount of programs that are offered and the quality of the take-home science projects the kids get. Every time I go into a school to teach kids, something happens to "make my day." If you have any questions, let me know. We do summer camps, in-school workshops for pre-schoolers through 8th graders, birthday parties, after school programs, library programs, stuff for Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, and really BIG science shows for audiences at schools, community centers, etc. It's so much fun!! Science shows are far superior to magic shows.

So far I have loved all the teachers at the school. My daughter started here at 5 months old and…read morewas in the infant room with Linda & Iman. They are so loving and caring for these little babies. My daughter has since moved up two classrooms but every morning we walk by and my daughter wants to stop and say hi to Linda & Iman. We both adore them. Her next class she was in with Carmen and Makayla and unfortunately it was only for a few months because my daughter adored these teachers as well. Especially Carmen! In the mornings, my daughter would go straight to Carmen and turn around and waive me. Goodbye. Although that made me sad it also made me so happy knowing she loved being at school. These teachers were so interactive with their kids and really had fun with them. We just moved up to our third room and I can't review yet on those teachers but I have no doubts I'd give them 5 stars too. I will admit when we joined earlier this year the place was a bit chaos, but since they've gotten a new Director and it has been an entirely different experience. The teachers have remained the same and the communication is way better. I'd highly recommend this place for anyone needing care for their kids.

Before getting into the review, I just want to say it's been a roller coaster trying to secure a…read morespot for our daughter in daycare. Kiddie Academy was one of our top choices when we got on 4 waitlists in October 2022 (8 months in advance of our daughter's due date). We ended up needing to move up our start date by 3 weeks due to our daughter's early arrival. All of our waitlist placements fell through and we were in a total panic. Erica at Kiddie Academy got us in when we called in June 2023, and we are so happy with the care provided for our baby. Lynda and Iman are amazing with all of the infants. They are absolutely wonderful caregivers and we could not be happier with them. I trust them when I drop off my now 4 month old. I can peek into the classroom using the webcam service and if the teachers aren't feeding or changing an infant, and the infant isn't napping, they are playing or cuddling with each one! I second the other reviewer who states the new administrators are doing a great job. I know staffing/turnover is an issue across the industry and I hope Kiddie Academy can do whatever it takes to retain their caregivers.