How have I never written a review!?…read more Colony Acres Family Farm is an NL staple-- having been around for over 25 years! In the summer it boasts sunflowers. In the fall there's games, food/drinks, pumpkin patch picking, a market and of course, the corn maze. In the winter Colony Acres offers fresh-cut trees and Santa. I've only event ventured here during the fall-- tickets are $11-16. (*Pro Tip: order online to save a few bucks a ticket.*) My kids adored the zip line, slides, train ride, bouncy pad and corn maze. We typically don't get pumpkins here but there's a wide selection of those-- mums, corn stalks, hay bales and more. The farm is closed Mondays and Tuesdays during the fall. It allows dogs! There's plenty of parking. Staff is uber friendly. Stop by.

I am going to review this as if I had kids. If I had kids, this place would've been awesome! There…read morewere tons of activities for the kids to do, things for them to play on, some kind of bouncy thing(that's a fairly technical term), just a lot of really cool stuff for kids. However, if you don't have kids, save your money as there really isn't anything for adults to do. Sure, there is a corn maze, but that is really it. Like I said, though. If you have kids, check this out as it looks as if it would be a blast.

While I've only been here once, I've been hearing about it for years from my better half and the…read morelittle squirts. We came on over after a coffee date with the kids and it's great spot to burn off some energy before bed! My exploration has been limited to the front play area with the delightful large frog. It's free to get in and the kids are able to run around and climb on stuff to make sleep come a little easier that evening! The other available activities include swimming, a track, ball courts and plenty of other rec center type stuff. We'll be frequenting anytime where in the area and need to run off a little energy.

I purchased an annual couple's membership to access the gym equipment (no pool) for an extremely…read morereasonable price. You can purchase memberships that include the pool, too, but you can also just pay the daily pass if you use the pool sparingly. There is a diverse selection of weights and machines to choose from, as well as a well-kept track on the second level. I also really appreciate the placement of a number of mats throughout the space to allow for stretching and ground workouts. There are a few cubbies and coat racks available as you enter the second floor, which work perfectly for me to leave a few items. Locker rooms are also available on the first floor with locks for rent form the front desk (or just bring your own). The two gymnasiums are also clean and in good shape. Open gym times are posted at the front desk and online each week. You can also reserve the space rather simply. I've participated in Flag Football practice in the gym the past few weeks, and it was easy to navigate where to go.

This place is so much fun. I've gone to two painting classes now, once alone and once with a date…read moreand I had a blast both times and came home with a beautiful painting. The teachers are great and show you exactly how to make your painting look like a professional painted it. An evening well spent!

I hadn't been to this new location of Brush & Barrel before (they moved to this location from the…read more1st Ave location in 2021), so this was a great chance to check it out. My husband and I had such a great time testing out our creative brains as we painted Picasso-inspired faces. Thankfully, the staff were generous with the paint! I think I asked for more paint 3-4 times... maybe I just like to glob in on, though. :) The space we painted in fit approximately 20-25 people. There was another room where splatter painting occurs. I think every one of us in our group said, "OooooOOOOooooo," as we passed that room on our way out. I will be curious to check it out sometime.

I placed an order on Saturday for a limited item that finally came back in stock. I have been…read morewatching for it to come back in stock as it sold out very quickly the first time. I never received a confirmation email confirming my order (FAQ on website said it would come through to my email within an hour) but I did receive a confirmation order on screen and money was taken from my account. I screenshotted the order number which I am thankful I did. I tried to contact someone over the weekend but they were closed. I spent hours online with their Customer Service Chat first thing this morning and called Customer Service only to be told that their website overloaded with orders over the weekend or something so it "glitched". So yes, they took my payment but the order "failed" and never went through. Their only solution was to cancel the failed order and refund me the money, which will take 7 - 10 business days to return to my bank account. But at that point, the limited edition item will be likely out of stock and gone as it has gone out of stock multiple times already. When I brought up this point several times, their solution was for me to place another order in the meantime and my refund will go back to my card in 7 to 10 business days. I had to save up for that item, I don't have enough money to just place a 2nd order in hopes it goes through this time on a whim. I implored for help from management but their solution was to wait 7 to 10 business days for the refund to come through and I can "hopefully" place my order for the item. That does not solve my issue. I placed my order, I provided my payment. It is not my issue that the website failed and didn't submit my order correctly. I wanted my limited edition item and can't just shell out another wad of money to pay for a 2nd order in hopes it'll complete this time. I am extremely upset with how they handled the situation and their refusal to try to solve the problem. I do not recommend this company and will no longer support them in any way.

Build A Bear is an amazing place for young and old this is an amazing store that really encompasses…read morethe meaning of magic. The staff are warm and friendly and they are always welcoming. This might seem like just a store but it is so much more. I have been a dedicated Build a Bear customer at this location and many others for my entire life! Build a Bear is a great store the prices are high but the experience is worth it. Recently I went there to find my Dory from the Finding Dory collection . I love how they always have new merchandise and new things and they keep they products changing and progressing. This is really a great store and with or without kids go and check it out you'll be happy you did

Is there anything better than watching gymnastics?! Rhetorical. There's not…read more My seven year old decided she wanted to do it and Synergy Gymnastics checks all the boxes. 1. Pricing is on point. Registration is online and painless. 2. Class offerings are fun and at convenient times. I sometimes worry we push our kids into being super serious at sports earlier than we should? I don't get that vibe at Synergy. 3. Convenient, just off the interstate NL location. There's a plethora of parking. 4. Staff is knowledgeable, friendly. With a good mix of seasoned coaches and younger athlete coaches. 5. Safety first! Since a lot of kiddos that take classes there are not able to be vaccinated-- they require masks, regardless of vaccination status, for all folks inside over 3 years old. Honestly, this is the most efficiently run kid's activity I have ever witnessed. There are like a dozen groups going at any given time and your child is ALWAYS active. I'd recommend as a parent, but most importantly my daughter would as a participant, too!

We're big fans of this delightful gymnastics spot in North Liberty! While our kiddos haven't gone…read moreall in for gymnastics, we've been here for half a dozen birthday parties and from this aspect, we can confirm the place is solid. Having only memories from childhood against which to compare, I can confidently say this spot is better than the gymnastics gym I went to as a kid, though I feel like we had as much fun as our little dudes have! The gym is well set up for any age group, be it little ones who just need to run around or a Shawn Johnson-esk gymnastics prodigy, they seem to have everything in both big and little sizes. Highlights of the place include the splendid foam pit, a giant inflatable castle and the trampoline run - a 50 x 5 ish foot trampoline. It's something I'd like to have in a house someday! Very nice folks running the place that are exceptionally good at corralling children, which seem akin to herding cats. Well worth checking out, especially if it's for a birthday party and the kiddos need to run off some energy!

This was our second time here now with grandma and also youngest one too. This place is the best…read morechildren's museum in central Iowa. Des Moines tried with a newer one but we love this one inside the coralridge mall. It is super convenient to have lunch or grab soda or coffee to recharge. Admission was half off with ACM reciprocal children's museum membership. Gift shop is a bit overpriced and lacking toys. Our kids loved the grocery and bank. Also upstairs has toddler and also quiet room for baby nursing or just peace and quiet.

It was torrentially down pouring and time to take a stop on our cross country road trip, we got off…read morethe exit to walk around a target since a playground was out and saw signs for The Iowa Children's Museum. So glad we saw the signs this place was amazing it was just what our 2 year olds need to burn off some energy after 2ish hours in the car with many more to go. It was surprisingly large, has so many different rooms with different themes for the kids to explore. We let the kids play for close to 2 hours than grabbed food at the mall food court and went back on our way.

I did my birthday party here with maybe a dozen ladies. I sent a photo of spring tulips I wanted to…read morepaint and the two teachers did an outstanding job of making it so easy for all of us (only 1 is an artist!) We would love to go to another event at Big Picture. They are so caring and allow food/drink and fun for all ages.

Big Picture is such a great place! My two daughters have taken several different art classes here…read moreand have loved all of them! They've done once per week classes for a month at a time and also special theme days. We've also done a painting birthday party here which was a great time. I've also done an adult ceramic class. Ms. Becky has been fabulous to work with and I highly recommend Big Picture for art classes and birthday parties!

Years and years, multiple kiddo sports teams and swim lessons later-- this is still my Rec Center…read moreof choice in the Iowa City area. I stand by that the staff here is insanely helpful and courteous, as well. You can't go wrong with signing up your kiddo for: - SWIM LESSONS. The times are convenient, the staff is knowledgeable, pricing seems right. My only knock on this is you can't register online, only via the phone. - SUPREME LEAGUES. My children have participated in basketball and football leagues through the Coralville Rec and I can say from experience of signing up one season with another rec center in the area-- they do it best. Communication is on point. -FREE PARKING. The Iowa City Rec Center is a nightmare to park at most times. And honestly, the NL Rec Center (while it is free) is chaos as well. -SPARKS CAMP. This is hands down the best camp offered in the area. The price is right. It is offered ALL summer. They do field trips, pool visits, library days and tons of fun activities. The staff is always great, too. Be sure to sign up right away! It fills up fast around March. I think my biggest knock is just that the facility itself is pretty dated. Get your kid active and thriving, sign them up for programmed at the Coralville Rec Center.

We visited the facility during Spring Break. We were visiting family and this was a great way to…read moreshare time in the pool. Gorgeous facility! Clean and friendly staff. $5 guest passes.

Penn Meadows Park is a solid location for softball tournaments!…read more It boasts nine well maintained baseball/softball fields, plenty of space for warmups, a few batting cages, trees for shade between games and plenty of bathrooms. My only three qualms are that 1) parking can be a bit crazy on tournament days, 2) the dugouts are insanely small with only one entrance and 3) the fields are numbered however they are named, too. You really have to scope out the map to figure out where 'OPTIMIST' field is or 'Pizza Ranch' field. (I get sponsorships, but let's just keep fields numbered as it's more intuitive...) I believe it is the largest park in NL. It has: picnic shelters, a few soccer fields, a playground, a volleyball court and some newer tennis courts. Additionally, there is a trail around the park. My 10U softball team took second place at the tournament here this weekend! We definitely enjoyed playing at Penn Meadows Park.

Very nice pickleball courts and friendly people. I believe there were 6 or 8 dedicated pb courts.read more