There are few times in my life where I drop off my son for a camp or after school program and feel…read morelike he will be engaged in ways that he's never been before. That's how I feel about Tinkering school. My Son,6yrs old, literally talks my ear off after coming home from here. He talk about the human size Hungry-Hungry Hippo he's making out of pulleys and wood, about the working Air hockey table and how good he is getting at using real tools. Joshua and Nathan and everyone else there are kind, attentive and passionate about what they do. I leave feeling like I'm actually enriching my child's life instead of just leaving him with somebody to babysit him. Registration was easy and They are pretty good at getting back to my emails. Not sure why the bad review here said it was hard. I guess I'm just good at using a computer.

Our son attended this summer camp for the first time. We were so excited because he's always asking…read moreto build stuff using tools/power tools. Our experience was disappointing. Since the camp is an extension of Brightworks School, there are kids who know the ropes and are familiar with the way things work. Unfortunately, the camp isn't set up to really introduce kids who are new to the process of building. Every day our son came home and said he hadn't built anything because he didn't know what to build. Yes, some kids will dive right in and come up with something. Others need instruction, and that's normal. Brightworks has a reputation for being child-led to a very high degree, but I take issue with them not teaching our son about the materials and tools so he could feel comfortable and build something, which he did do on the two final days. When I asked for someone to give him some guidance or ideas, I was told they don't like to give the kids ideas because then they all do the same thing. Yes, yes, I agree, but that applies to the kids with experience, not a kid who's been there 2 days and has no idea what to do. That takes the concept of child-led too far. A school friend was with him at camp and they reported that the instructors were snappy with the kids. Sigh In addition, on their day at Crissy Field, he returned home with the worst sunburn he has ever had. When I inquired about why nobody had put sunscreen on him, I was told that they had given the kids sunscreen and he had applied it himself. He is not yet 7. He is not responsible for sunscreen application to protect his skin from damage. Adults are responsible for that. Even if he takes off his hat, it's the adults who have to enforce the safety rules. Given our experience, we asked if we could un-enroll him for the following week and get a refund. They declined, much to our disappointment.

My 9 yr old son had another fantastic summer with Evan & his staff at SF City Kid camp! We are…read morecontinually impressed with how relaxed and friendly all the staff members are, and how fun, educational and exciting the experiences are! My son always says he would go every week during the summer if he could; he learned so much and always comes home happy.. 2 of his buddies joined him at camp this summer for some of the weeks and they were thrilled as well. Thanks so much to the SF City Kids staff!

I was in San Francisco for work and signed my kids (8 & 9) up for the City Kid Camp. They LOVED it…read moreand asked to stay longer. They made friends and loved the daily trips and activities. They came home exhausted every day, but happy and excited. The camp is a unique format - the kids are out exploring the city, playing games, learning new things, and developing social skills. Evan and the team that run the camp are great. You can tell that they are really interested in helping the kids have a great experience and develop skills. The kids are definitely in good hands and well supervised and cared for. I also love that it is a device-free environment. My kids are already asking if they can go back next summer....

We had our child go to camp here and he came back so happy to discuss what happened. He learned so…read moremuch and was excited to tell me about it. We decided to then have his younger brother's birthday party there and it was the easiest birthday party I've ever thrown. All I did was order pizza and have it delivered to the place. Was such a great experience

After a number of years, our family we will not be returning to Stemful…read more This decision is based on my recent interaction with David. During the first day of a holiday camp, the front door was unfortunately vandalized. Not their fault! Was is in their control is how they handled it. 1. We received no communication about the incident until we arrived for drop off. They should have sent an email as soon as they discovered the vandalism so we don't show up in person! 2. When I did arrive for drop off, I asked about the status of the glass replacement, code compliance, and timing for completion. The questions I asked were reasonable and directly tied to safety and planning as a working parent. Instead of receiving clear information or empathy, I was met with condescension and a dismissive attitude. At no point was there acknowledgment of the very real constraints families are navigating--jobs, schedules, and the need for reliable, high-quality educational programs like the ones Stemful provides. The conversation centered almost entirely on David's personal stress in managing the situation, rather than on transparent communication with parents who are impacted by it. He essentially told me to go away and stop asking questions. 3. When I called back later to inquire about the status of the glass, he doubled down on his attitude, said "aren't you the person that was here before?" and demanded the name of my camper so we can "get this taken care of". It was incredibly threatening in language and tone and I didn't even feel comfortable giving my child's name. While we eventually got a refund, I'm not confident that me or my camper will be treated with respect and care in David's presence.

Just a great hyper-local spot that serves an excellent coffee complimented by a selection of hand…read morepies and other small bites. No indoor service, all transpires through a window giving onto the sidewalk. The interior is dedicated to woodworking classes for kids, another cool idea if you ask me. Service was friendly and prompt from barista Erin and you can tell this place has a lot of locals within walking distance. A cool, literally a sidewalk café -- the kind of place that feels like true San Francisco. Solid, friendly, quality.

I am only commenting on the coffee shop.... the owner Danny is really friendly and makes you feel…read morewelcome. You order thru the window counter, street side. This is a true family owned, neighborhood cafe. I had an iced Americano, good light blend, really smooth.

Once my son joined the YPAC YMCA team a year ago, I signed up for gym memberships for us and the…read moreswim team for him as a package deal. I can't remember details other than the difference was negligible to do both and it made sense. I've gently eased myself getting back into working out. I used to train hard, 5+ days a week. Let's just say it's been a glacial progress getting back into a routine; I need to improve. Presidio YMCA is a great gym, not too crowded and it's clean. And with my son now working out 3-4 times a week before he trains with the swim team, I don't have an excuse not to go more often. Fitness goals..

The gym and pool are nice. However, I have been trying to cancel my membership since February 18th…read moreand no one seems to listen. I submitted a cancellation request online on February 18th and heard nothing. In April I called and was told that my membership was cancelled, but refunds would take time because some board had to approve them. Today (May 21) I received an email from Thomas Jacobs telling me that I have a past due balance for the month of May. I would advise not going here.

As other reviewers have mentioned, Kelly and her team are magical. I have an 8 year old daughter…read moreand 11 year old son and they have been going to GGAN's summer camp for multiple weeks every summer for the past 6 years. My kids are very different in temperament and interest and this is the single camp they both want to do over and over again and so do their friends. Kelly and all the counselors as so nurturing of children's natural curiosity and desire to explore both in the studio and out in nature. As an arts and crafts lover myself, I wish I could hang out in the art studio, it is truly a magical space. I'm not sure what the prior counselor review was about, but I personally have found the counselors to be extremely skilled, the space very clean, and my kids feel very well cared for.

My name is Laura Abangan, I was a camp counselor due to me being sick I was fired, Kelly runs her…read morefacility in an unorganized manner she doesn't know how to properly treat her staff nor does she run her business properly her bathrooms are not clean. Her workspace is very unorganized. She wants her counselors and the children to go outside in the rain and eat their lunch. Regardless on how cold it is or even if it's pouring down rain she's not equipped to run a summer camp because I don't think she has any children to even know how to treat children, nor does She respect her staff, and take what they've learned in consideration. She has no morals or no respect for those and I would like to say I was the only African-American person that was working in that facility . I wouldn't send my kid there if I were you. Due to how poorly she is regardless of her background and she went to school for this particular business. She does not know how to run her business.

Our family couldn't be happier with Spire School, a fully outdoor forest preschool based in the…read morePresidio. Our son has been in pre-school for two years and we've loved the program's play-based, emergent curriculum deeply rooted in nature connection. Our son was timid and introverted when he started this program and it's amazing to see his physical and emotional confidence build through exploring in nature and experiencing the physical range of weather. What most struck me was the growth in the expansiveness of his imagination through the program which was an unexpected outcome. Watching his ability to play imaginatively within the constraints of the nature classrooms has been amazing to watch. I've also been so impressed by the quality of the educators at Spire. Teacher Kristyn, in particular, is so intentional about how she uses the outdoor environment to develop the various components of early childhood education. She's very clear how she uses various parts of the forest to work on fine or gross motor skills, for example, or how she engages the children in various play-based scenarios and activities to work on cognitive function or various interpersonal skills. The school is also very flexible, inclusive and supportive of families. The lack of rigidity in the school has been a huge plus for us. They are very supportive of each child's individuality and focus their time on adapting to each child's unique interests and needs. The school has a very low student to teacher ratio so the level of individualized support and the depth of relationships is wonderful. I feel very grateful to live in a place like San Francisco where the weather allows for a school like this. I figure my son has years of sitting inside at a desk so why not let him spend as much time outside in his early school years as possible. Nature is powerful and healing.

Spire is an exceptional fully outdoor preschool that excels in nature connection and…read moresocial-emotional learning through responsive language and teaching practices. Spire/Parks plus creation is one of the first forest preschools in San Francisco, and as a result, they really know what they are doing on many levels. This review is coming from a mom of active twin boys. I also hold a masters in early childhood education and taught at a prominent preschool in San Francisco for a decade, which speaks to my passion for the importance of these early years-- This program is truly top-notch. All the educators our boys have had are fantastic which speaks to Megan and Mark's leadership of the school and their ability to both hire kind, passionate teachers as well as their ability to lead with love and kindness and to train their teachers mindfully. Having administrators that are also parents whose children also went through the program, as well as being current teachers at the school, is a major benefit. Megan and Mark can relate to both parents and teachers on many levels as a result of these combined experiences and involvement. Spire is a unique and creative program that truly partners with families. We couldn't be happier with the 3 years our children, and all the children in the program, have been nurtured and am amazed at all they have learned. They have developed critical thinking skills through their ongoing classroom projects, life & social emotional skills, and deep nature connection. We love this community and all the teachers' passion for learning alongside children outdoors. As we move on to Kindergarten in fall of 2026 we plan to stay connected to Spire as we have been parenting less alone in this community and highly recommend sending your young child here as they will love going to school every day.

My daughter attended three weeks of spy camp and LOVED every single day! One week was co-ed at the…read moreFlorida St location; the other two weeks were girls only at the Hayes Valley location. My daughter came home every day excited to tell me what she did at camp. The activities she did over the course of three weeks included laser mazes, stick fighting, snowboarding, learning actual spy skills (tailing, surveillance, dead drops), and going on simulated spy missions. The camp is super communicative: you get email updates every day with pictures and summaries of what the campers did that day. She says she definitely wants to go back next year. My daughter is open to trying new things, enjoys problem solving activities, and has a high frustration tolerance. I could see this camp being less appealing for kids who are more cautious or who get frustrated easily.

My 8yr old son's favorite out of 5 camps in past 2 yrs. We signed up online after a bad experience…read moreprevious week with steve and kate camp (Feinstein location). $550 each week was worth every penny. All mask and COVID protocols in effect was comforting. Mix of outdoor and indoor activities, great low ratio of student vs instructors. They rotate each week Thurs/Fri is the snowboard or skiing so was happy to sign up for 2 weeks. Great intro to winter sports for son with zero prior experience, learning without the discomfort of cold and fear of falling. We plan on getting additional endless slope time slots before Tahoe. The kids learn to put on the boots and ski by themselves and proper sizing. Free Parking tight but always available at 9am and 4pm within a block. Highly recommend for elementary school aged, or older CIT experience. Most of the camp is spy activities and outdoor playground games. Don't expect a proficient skier after, but a very happy camper!

Camp for incoming 6th graders was good…read more Camp for incoming 4th graders is boring and basically like a babysitting camp. Disappointed in staffs unwillingness to work through this with us despite saying we wanted to keep our one kid in but didn't want to keep our other kid in who was having such a lame experience. Very expensive for what it is for anything under incoming 6th graders

I am a kid who went to Camp Galileo. Here's a knock knock joke:…read more"Knock knock" "Whose there?" "Camp Galileo" "Camp Galileo who" "Camp Galileo is poo poo doo doo dusty musty crusty rusty usty lusty fusty chusty moldy oldy foldy zesty preppy googlechrome chromosome ice cream cone chicken bone all alone on the phone no way home" In their ad, they have a giant grassy field, but in reality, they have a tiny playground no bigger than half a basketball court. Their ad also shows kids making stuff with power tools, but actually we spent 5 minutes making stuff out of cardboard and the rest of the time was spent in a tiny room with everyone in the camp going crazy. Another thing you should know is that you don't take home most of the stuff you make. Also all of their things are knock-offs: their mascot is called Clucky which is obviously copied from Steve and Kate's Camp's mascot, Chucky. The also have things called cluck bucks which are copied from Steve and Kate's Camp's Moose Bucks. We didn't even play the games that they said we would play today. In idea lab, they said we would make a game involving our heads and take them home, but instead we built towers out of paper and threw them away. On Friday they have pie day where kids are supposed to pie teachers, but the teachers make a list of kids they will pie without permission. There are so many more things that are wrong with this camp, but I'm too slow at typing to list them all.

Highly recommend Advanced Watercolor with Luka. He's an amazing instructor and I learned a lot in…read more10 weeks, including new techniques, breaking down reference photos, and a values study process. I grew a lot from this class, and received specific feedback and guidance for my needs. I loved the format of this class and how it challenged me to take on complex subject matters. By the end, I had more confidence, a more experimental approach, and an even greater love for watercolor. I'm excited to take more classes here!

My almost 7-year-old has been attending this school since she was 5. Why? Because she genuinely…read moreenjoys it. She loves that she is never bored. Every week she learns something new: new styles, materials, and techniques. Sometimes they focus on painting, other times on sculpture or different forms of art. Katia and Sara have both been her teachers, and she has felt happy and supported with all of them. Like with many activities at this age, it took a couple of weeks for her to fully adjust and feel familiar with the environment but consistency made a big difference. As parents, we appreciate seeing her come home excited and proud of what she created. It is easy to notice how much she has progressed over time and we get very excited when we see her project. We also appreciate the communication style of the school. They provide a high-level overview each week of what the kids will be working on, which keeps parents informed without overwhelming us with too much information. On the administrative side, tuition payments and renewals are simple, and the staff has always been friendly and helpful whenever we have had questions or needed help resolving any mistakes on our part. We also love the location. Depending on the day and who is with me, it is easy to wait nearby at the library, a coffee shop, or a restaurant while class is in session.