Dynamite2 is AMAZING because it fosters a wonderful community. Our kids have been going here since…read morethey were young toddlers in the parent/tot classes and have bonded with their teammates and also the coaches here. The coaches are consistent, reliable, and most importantly, fun! I love that there are many options to drop in here, whether it is days that MCPS is closed (single days and breaks), and also fun movie nights. You can also set up birthday parties here for a reasonable fee, which was guided and safe fun. Both of my girls have built a lot of strength, self esteem, and friendships here.

My daughter has been attending dynamite 2 for a little over a year and I must say the instructors…read moreand staff here are beyond great. The confidence that they bring out in the younger kids (7 and 8 age group) is very encouraging. One of the main reason I wanted to enroll my daughter - to help build self-esteem; and Dynamite has definitely contributed to that goal. They also have many skill level girls that practice techniques and perfecting their craft which is amazing. If you are considering enrollment- Dynamite 2 definitely worth a try.

St. Peter's Summer Program is absolutely the best place to send your kids. Both of my kids have…read moreattended the St. Peter's camp, and it is far and away the most engaging, enriching, and fun camp that they attend. The staff is engaged and helpful and do such a good job of making all of the kids feel safe and accepted. The St. Peter's program, while focused on creative and fun activities, instills values of teamwork, kindness, and enthusiasm. The program is not religious indoctrination, and you do not have to be Catholic or Christian to attend, but the joy that this program shares is a real thing.

Highly recommend. My son loved his time there as a camper, and my daughter really enjoyed being a…read morevolunteer. The camp leaders were great with the kids all around. They were respectful and I saw them being good role models for the younger ones. I love that it is a faith-based summer program where kids get to have fun and relax, too. We'll definitely be signing up for more weeks this summer!

Carpool is a disorganized mess that backs up into the road. No pickup system, no letters or numbers…read moreassigned. Sometimes the kids aren't at the pickup location on time. Sometimes they lose a kid and the entire car line sits for 15 minutes while they search the property. Only one counselor works the pickup line for some reason. Instead of apologizing for being late and losing kids the staff is rude, abusive, incompetent, and endangers the children.

Valley Mill is the BEST. I was an "original camper" when it first opened and operated out of the…read more the family home on the property...we were picked up and dropped off in "borrowed" Landon school buses! and had the best time ever. Over the years "graduates" of Valley Mill came back to be Counselors. Truly, no child was left behind and there were counselors that fostered creativity, positivity, and helped campers actually have fun and learn skills they never knew they had. I couldn't swim and was afraid to even try...but...long story short I went on to be on a college swim team. It wasn't about being competitive, but just for the sense of knowing I could do it...that is the success of Valley Mill. About positivity!

The Cabin John Brookmont Children's Program has been a wonderful, supportive, and enriching…read moreenvironment for our daughter. The teachers are creative with their classroom activities that are built around educational "units" for several weeks, such as world cultures, dinosaurs, and outer space. The class size and mix of ages provide opportunities for the children to grow and socialize. They also offer activities from outside groups at the school, like dance, soccer, music, and art classes.

Cabin John Brookmont Childrens Program is a wonderful place to start your child's school…read moreexperience. My two boys attended preschool there. The small, nuturing environment was just what they needed as a first experience away from home. Located in the Brookmont Community Church it offers wonderful outdoor play opportunities truly unique to the Bethesda area. The teachers have been with the school forever and truly love their work. Its a special community. While not a coop parents do participate in field trips and special events at Halloween, Thanksgiving and throughout the year. I would encourage anyone to call Dawn Page at the preschool for more information.

So much fun. Every detail AMAZING! We signed up for an hour and had so much fun we extended to…read more2!! Great Creative active play.!!! Not I front of a tv!!! Loved it!!!

We visited on a Tuesday afternoon. I actually ended up getting a Groupon deal which was really…read moregreat so I saved some money. We were there for a two hour play block. There was lots of rooms and things to do. They also had cars you could ride on. My 4 and 1 year old had a good time. There definitely was a lot of various ages of kids visiting. I do think it's good for younger ages but you do have to have a watchful eye on younger kids due to kids ridging those cars everywhere throughout the place and can get wild. They had tons of workers cleaning up while we were there as well.

We are now in our second year of sending our son to Summer @ Sandy Spring. Everyday he comes home…read moretelling us he had a fun day. There's a good variety of activities for the kids. It feels like a very solid staff-to-camper ratio. My son really likes the counselors and they seem very friendly and professional at pickup and drop off. One big selling point for us is they have a lot of indoor space to take the kids on extremely hot days or when there's bad weather, significantly more than other summer camps we looked at in the area.

Excellent Camp!!! Great variety of activities, plus new one added in response to parent requests!…read moreFriendly staff. And they serve hot meals daily which I don't know of another camp that offers such a combination.

Camp Sonshine has amazing staff and joyful environment where my daughter feel loved and have lots…read moreof fun. The staff are exceptional and always greet my children with a smile.

Back in 2010 our daughter visited us in Washington, DC from Houston, TX and we were able to…read moreschedule her to attend Camp Sonshine for July and August & OMG, she absolutely loved it. She started getting up earlier and earlier each day as she was so excited to go back each day/each morning. She met so many great friends and loved the staff/teachers. Each day was a fun adventure and by the time we got home after work, she crashed out. She loved the swimming, the play time, the story time, everything was fun!!! In 2010, she was 7 years old. We still have the photos that her teachers gave us. I highly recommend this option for your child if you are seeking a summer camp. No complaints. Nothing to criticize. Simply the perfect camp for kiddos!

Calleva is an awesome adventure-learning organization based out of Poolesville, Maryland, with…read moresites everywhere from the Chesapeake Bay to National Harbor. Their Farm in Dickerson is home to one of the better Ropes courses I've seen (not to mention Markoff's Haunted Forest in season). Somehow I ended up in charge of our annual "outdoor adventure" field trips this year. Instead of our usual outfit, I decided to give Calleva a go with our gang. Some of the great folks working there actually came to our school last spring, taking the time to sit down with us and talk about the programs they offer and how they could best meet the needs of our unique population of kiddos. That they wanted to tailor their programs to our students impressed us right off the bat. Once I started planning our field trips, it was really easy to coordinate with Calleva via e-mail and telephone. They were proactive, responsive, and flexible. I even received e-mails and calls from each day's individual Head Facilitator in order to gather more detailed information about our overall goals, how we envisioned the day would go, and specific activities they had planned. Both days of our field trips, we arrived with busloads of active kids, ready to go. The Calleva facilitators were equally ready: fully prepared, organized, and full of energy. They led our students through a really fun, well-thought-out day of team-building, creative problem solving, and testing personal limits. All the facilitators did a great job of explaining the activities, and then -- more importantly -- debriefing at the end, so the students better understood the point of each. We did both high (Zip Line, Big Swing, Balance Beam) and low (X-Games, Think Tank) elements -- and adults even got to play. I also have to mention that hot coffee was ready for us both mornings; Calleva obviously knows who they're dealing with, and that educators run on little more than coffee and adrenaline. The property itself was worth the extra drive it took to get out to Dickerson. The Ropes course is spread throughout somewhat dense woods, up and down hillsides, and over creeks. Whether it's a field trip, company bonding, or a crew of you and your friends, Calleva Farm is an excellent place to challenge your fears and work up a sweat.

This is my kid's second home. They offer team building programs, after school programs, summer…read morecamps, the famous Markoff Haunted Forrest, the equestrian program, and more. My kids have been involved in the equestrian program for a few years, taking lessons, leasing, building their work ethic and learning some great life skills. Great, caring people, great programs, love this place.