We had our child go to camp here and he came back so happy to discuss what happened. He learned so much 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 read more

We held our child's birthday party at STEMful and the team exceeded our expectations. It was well run. The activity was fun. And everyone had a chance to connect. I'd recommend the location for a birthday party or special event. read more

STEMful - Kids Activities Near Me - San Francisco, California

After a number of years, our family we will not be returning to Stemful. 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. read more

STEMful - Glass clean up - Kids Activities Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We love STEMful! The staff are knowledgable and patient and most importantly make science approachable and fun.

Wonderful science based facility for children to grow in curiosity and exploration! I highly recommend STEMful! Go and experience it yourselves.... Children will LOVE it! And so will you' read more

On paper, STEMful seems great. Kids get to do fun, hands on experiments on STEM topics. What parent wouldn't want their kids to learn AND have fun? Similar to another review, we found the summer program to be all marketing, which is disappointing. I was hoping my kid would come back with more unique science projects but let's just say I got a lot of artwork. The 1 star is for the cussing. At least one of the lead teachers cussed in front of my kid, who then told me when we got home. Words used were: dumb, stupid, frickin, and fucking. No, my kid does not use these words at home. And No, my kid doesn't lie. Think what you want, but we're at that age where we can extract the truth out of my kid (before they really know how to lie). My kid has nothing to gain from lying. I'm sure STEMful would claim that this isn't true, but again, my kid wouldn't lie (and I checked several times). And if that doesn't do it, the one star is for letting a stranger talk to my kid. They all walked to a nearby playground and my kid saw a familiar adult there, who ended up talking to my kid. STEMful did nothing to check if my kid was okay, if they knew this adult, etc, which is dangerous. What if it was a complete stranger?! To top it all off, STEMful was the most expensive camp we signed up for this summer. It was around $900 for a week once you add in aftercare and all the other fees. read more

We are so glad to have discovered STEMful's day camps that provide childcare on days when school is not in session! My husband and I both work full-time, and holidays when there is no school, but we both have to work, are challenging (e.g. Indigenous People's Day). These days camps are meeting an important need for two working parent families. Thank you, STEMful! read more

Our 3 year old daughter went to summer classes for a week in June 2023. She seemed to have enjoyed the first day and then probably the 2nd day and part of the third day. On the 4th day she started crying and refusing to go back. On the 5th day, I received a call from the school asking me to pick up our daughter because she would not stop crying. I am not entirely sure what happened because we are not able to get any information from her. We are not happy primarily because there was no follow up from the school to let us know what had happened. The summer program mentioned on their flyer is mostly marketing because only a few hands on activities were done as opposed to what was mentioned in there. We were also surprised to learn that there was screen time at school which was not mentioned before. Also felt that it was expensive for what we got. Overall experience was not great. read more

STEMful does not deliver as advertised. The staff, especially Dave, promised tech experiences for my 9 year old child in the afterschool program. They did not provide her with any exposure to the technologies advertised on their website or promised by phone and email. They do not have the staff they need in order to deliver what they promise. read more

Our family *loves* STEMful--and our son does, too. To qualify this review, my 6 yr old attended STEMful's daily after-school program for one year as a TK student, then for the summer as a camper, and now as a day camper throughout the school year whenever we need additional full-day childcare coverage. Here's everything I have come to love about this program, and the community we have come to be a part of: -The teachers are excellent communicators, attentive to our son's individual needs, greet our child warmly when he arrives, and send him off with the same warmth at pickup. -The STEM curriculum is challenging, fun, and our son comes home chatting excitedly about the new things he is learning about the world. -The pickup service for the after-school program is a hug bonus, and I have peace of mind knowing that my child's teachers are picking him up and walking him to the after-school program Bottom line: Our son is still happily recalling memories from STEMful aftercare, and summer camp, and can't wait to go back next summer! read more

My daughter is in aftercare at STEMful and had done summer camps there as well. She loves the teachers, kids, and activities. She comes home talking about volcanoes, planets, chemical reactions, etc. The STEMful teachers are attentive and caring. Overall a great environment for all kids. read more

I purchased a week at stemful for the summer time. The first two days went smoothly, but the third day my son didn't want to go back but wouldn't tell us why. Tried to encourage him the fourth day to go, he had visceral response to the teachers there who put their hands on him and didn't expect a physical response in turn. Trying to teach him body autonomy, but when someone disrespects his body, he reacts. I understand the 6 year old had a strong physical response and I had to pick my kid up from the class. I spoke with Kim and she told me I could come back on Friday and observe to make sure things went smoothly. When I showed up on Friday, the manager had me wait about 15 minutes to tell me my kid wasn't allowed back, with no sympathy or call to tell us he couldn't be there. Kids have big emotions and it doesn't seem like this place knows how to handle it, just exacerbates it more. Or instead of assuming it's the kid, what's wrong with the program, where he was having fun and enjoyed the program and then something shifts without any "curiousity" as to why, just kick him out. Addition to Kim's comments- I should've read the previous reviews of this place of bullying and stressed teachers. Not sure how he was having a good time and then having an almost visceral response to it. He is also 6 years old, and you are adults handling children. Paying 600 dollars a week, you would think there would be better instruction on how to handle kids. I understand he shouldn't have been hitting and I am sorry for the adults. I even asked the manager at the door if he could at least apologize to them. He said "no." Trying also to teach my kid responsibility for his actions. And the discussion with the manager, never mentioned that we shouldn't be there the next day or to give her a call back. She said there was a place for me to watch to make sure things went smoothly, even made a joke that it defeated the purpose of dropping them off at camp. Other than ranting about my situation. This place has a great concept. Just need better instruction or on how to handle kids with big emotions or to pay attention to bullying amongst the kids or to have a smaller ratio teacher to student ratio. And better communication. I understand the safety of the staff and kids and to keep my kid from the following day. Would've appreciated more compassion and sympathy from the staff. And the idea that a kid based program doesn't understand that kids who are acting out need more love and less judgement is just beyond me. read more

Why don't we have a business like this where I live??? What a wonderful idea. I was visiting San Francisco with my 6 year old daughter when we happened by STEMful. We stopped in just to look and ended up hanging out for an hour and half while my daughter built lego contraption after lego contraption in their clean and beautiful space. I used their free wifi and sat on their super comfy couch and took an adult timeout (minor nap, coffee then snack). Total bargain at a cost of like $8 for my daughter and a couple extra bucks for snacks. While my daughter didn't get to partake in any of the classes because of our timing, I would have signed her up for the coding class in a heartbeat had I been able to. Any chance you guys can open a branch in Chicago? We desperately need your services. Probably also a great place to host a birthday party for a child. Well done STEMful! read more

I sent my 9 yr old son to a 1 day camp here on 1/24/20, as his school was closed for Chinese New Year. On my return, my son burst into tears and said it was the worst day of his life. When done w a LEGO project, he was told to sit on a sofa--but NOT to lie down on it. He was very bored. He overheard a staff member complaining on the phone about 'over-aged kids' and was worried that he was going to juvenile hall. He asked to call me and was told 'no'. He has been to many camps in SF over the years and likes some more than others but has never reported an experience like this one. When I emailed the staff feedback, they basically blamed us (or who they thought we were) for the situation--noting that I had said my son was ill when I dropped him off (that was not my son but the one in front of us in check-in) and that my son's energetic disposition made him a poor match for the program. He's a pretty normal 9 yr old, but, regardless, I would expect a camp catering to the public to be inclusive of (ie, able to engage) all dispositions. read more

My 6 year old has been going to the STEMful after school program for almost 2 years now. We and he loves it. Everyone that works there is professional and they definitely know what they doing. He's never done the same project twice, they constantly come up with new things to keep them busy. Now of course things happen sometimes. When the air quality is bad or it's too hot to be outside they'll keep them inside. I actually appreciate their concern for my kids health. Not sure where the 1star reviews come from....if your kid is bored don't blame STEMful. I'm happy to have STEMful around the corner from my house and I know my child is well taken care off. read more

This is a welcoming environment and a community. The teachers know my kiddo, like really know him--his needs, his learning style, his personality. He is accepted for exactly who he is and we haven't always seen this throughout his schooling/care. When he arrives, he is greeted by multiple teachers and when he leaves, it's a warm goodbye. He begs to return, leaves interested in new topics, and feels safe. We care a lot about social emotion health, even more so than STEM. So for a place to support both means a lot to us. Our only complaint is that he's 10 and will soon be too old to return. Sad:((( read more

My son, 6 yrs old, attended STEMful during the pandemic when public schools were hybrid. The program and teachers were great with my child. He loved the activities and making new friends. I would not have gotten through the academic school year without STEMFUL. I will always be grateful . read more

My 4 year old and 7 year old have spent many happy days at STEMful during the Summer months doing camps. The space is bright and clean - it feels like a happy space for kids to build and learn. The programs are varied, original and fun. I love that they spend plenty of time at the park too. The staff are friendly and well-trained. The 'a la carte' option has been really helpful when we need just the odd day of camp during the Summer months, or childcare has fallen through at the last minute. The owner Kim seems really kind and conscientious. I can't recommend STEMful enough! read more

This review is for their cancellation policy. We cancelled within 30 minutes of registering for a camp and we're still charged 100 dollars. The camp starts in June. It's March. They have months to fill our slot. This is an exorbitant fee. My husband and I both wrote and asked for a refund, and they (Kim, I'm told) did not even reply. I feel this cancellation policy is predatory, an attempt to profit off parents. In a pandemic, when many families are experiencing changing plans and financial precarity, the policy feels especially cruel. If Stemful shows such little regard for parents' concerns or the reputation of their business, how will they treat your child when you're not there? read more

My child attended Stemful for one month in Spring of 2021. Stemful would not let me see the room downstairs where the younger kids, including mine, spent the day. I had singed my child up because STEM is cool. Unfortunately, they did STEM projects only TWO of the days during the month that my child attended. I was told they would go to the park each day but they did not, which means many days were spent downstairs in Stemful for the entire day. They only went to the park about half of the days. A few of the days they told me they went to the park but they actually went to Guerrero Park, which is the paved median area where the very busy streets of Guerrero St and San Jose Ave meet. They teachers seemed stressed out and miserable, they were not friendly with the children or the parents. My child was miserable there. Parents of four other children reached out to us asking if our child was miserable like theirs was. We had intended to have them there for 1.5 months but pulled them out early. I absolutely cannot not recommend this place. At pick up one day I was told that my child was mad at another child who kept leaning on them. The teacher was reprimanding me/my child because the other child wasn't causing any harm and my child was over reacting. I told the teacher that at home, we teach my child to not touch people without their consent. UPDATE: I'm not sure why the response keeps referring to my "friends". My review is based on my individual experience. I signed my child up to do STEMful activities, which we did not get. The children also did not go outside to the park each day like they were supposed to. We were very disappointed by the program and the staff. This is a review, not an opportunity to "get your frustrations off your chest". I will add this to my review: They are insulting. read more

5 stars isn't enough, not even close. My gratitude for STEMful is off the charts. Our 8-year-old daughter loved LEGO camp this summer and then, as Covid continued into the school year, we enrolled in their learning pod 5 days a week. When I pick up my daughter each afternoon she is happy, chatty and clearly relishing in the social engagement with other children. Her tutor Lily is as conscientious and kind as can be with great encouragement for my daughter's learning (and all her homework is perfectly completed each week without any cajoling from me -- I get to be a Mom and not a teacher, yay!) The owner Kim is super responsive and considerate and goes the extra distance to make it a safe, fun environment. I wholeheartedly recommend STEMful -- they are a true saving grace for my family. read more

I would be cautious of this camp. While we never had issues in the past, we recently had a bullying issues with a child who was a repeat bully. The camp said the child once had issues with other and then had an incident with our child who was significantly less younger. My problem is, at what point does this camp no longer allow students who continue to behave in inappropriately. How are new parent assured that their child will be safe. This child has been allowed a third chance, how many more times do issues need to arise before they say enough is enough? Reply to your comment: Kim I called you twice you never returned my call. I spoke with your camp director and also read her email. Her email and when speaking to her referenced this child as having had a previous problem. So perhaps you should start keeping a log of children who have missed behave. If you are telling me that your staff and my son lied about this older child laying on top of my son, pinning him down and telling him he will perform penis and butt surgery on him, then I suggest you talk with your staff again! Where is the justice that was done on my child?! He's 5! read more

No sign of ever getting simple questions answered. Just because they carry a franchise name doesn't mean it's the same as the original birthplace. Ahem, east coast & Canada. read more

I have been sending my girls to Stemful's programs for a few years now.  They attended the learning hubs during the pandemic and were successful in their pod with their teacher and podmates.  Not only was it a place for them to receive support with their online learning, but a place for them to socialize with their peers.  Also the owner of Stemful went above and beyond with the health and safety guidance plus installing an air filtration system.  Although both of my girls are back to in-person learning, they still attend the holiday camps as they miss their programs, but mainly the teachers who showed them academic and emotional support during an uncertain time. read more

Amazing program and teachers. Both my kids were in the school pods during the pandemic and benefited greatly from the Stemful teams thoughtful approach. read more

I love this place for bringing my 2 year old daughter for playtime because STEMful has so much to offer! So I decided to celebrate 2nd birthday there and it was AMAZING! Such a convenient set up of the kitchen and ability to have a dessert table. We had about 50 guests and all had plenty of space! I really appreciated the fact that we could drop off all decorations and a cake the day before. Also Kim allowed us to arrive earlier to decorate the dessert table and setup the food. While I was working on the setup(and running late on that) she watched my daughter and welcomed guests. Kim was extremely helpful and accommodating for quite a big celebration. The activity was a hit for kids! STEMful has enough variety of toys to entertain toddlers of different age. Plus the place is bright, colorful, full of light, so warm and welcoming! Thank you Kim! Lots of great memories were created! We are definitely coming back! read more

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A fun place for our 2.5 year old, lots of fun and interesting activities ranging from legos to puzzle to books and STEM activists. So nice to have someone like this in our neighborhood that's locally owned. read more

STEMful is one of the best place for toddlers. They have a great team who comes up with wonderful activities every week ,which helps kids to learn about colors, numbers etc .,Most importantly, the teachers encourage kids to speak up new words, sharing and being nice with other kids.The 2 years old that I take care of really enjoys the place. read more

Signed my kids up for Stemful this past Dec. The staff seems unmotivated, and not dedicated to the project. They don't really care about science- they reprimanded my kid because he doesn't believe in Santa and they said "we teach Santa here." They constantly made mistakes with scheduling, very inconsistent. The listed activities didn't happen when they were supposed to. One staff member was very condescending. I was also due a refund and they didn't provide until I insisted after two weeks of waiting. read more

Our 10 year old and 7 year old love STEMFUL! The people there are so caring and thoughtful. They also do a great job of educating. Our kids have gone to multiple summer camps there but also spent their shelter in place going to their education pods. It was the best part of the pandemic. It was truly a safe and enriching environment. read more

Parents be warned!!!! I booked my daughter for one week of camp July 22-29th. Be sure to read the fine print!! Apparently if anything changes in your summer schedule you are unable to receive any refund no matter when the camp is after the June 1st date passes. Although I called 30 plus days ahead to cancel no refund was available. Stemful will also would still be selling my daughters spot to someone else at the same price of $510 for the week so they would be double dipping. I booked this reservation on 4/29/19, per their policy at the time of my booking, I would have only received 50% refund had I cancelled the next day even. I feel this is very bad business. I could see a 30 days prior having no refunds, but just after June 1st no refunds?? Bad business. We will be keeping our spot in this camp and changing our families plans for the summer. Warn your friends when considering this option for summer camp!! read more

During Covid, Stemful really gave our daughter a much needed outlet. She learned a lot of interesting things, fostered great friendships, and had a blast! The Stemful staff is always responsive, responsible, understanding, and flexible. This program has truly been a wonderful bright spot in an otherwise challenging year - thank you Stemful! read more

My son loves this place. We have been going for about a year now. Not too regularly but I would say once or twice a month. Before his nap today he said "mom can we go to stemful after nap". How could I not? We just go in for the open play time and I can't wait until my son is more comfortable (and old enough) to start a camp. Kim is such a great owner and really sweet. Definitely 5 stars! read more

We had a wonderful 9th birthday party for my son at STEMful, with a Lego robotics themed activity. The free play space was ideal for both my son and his friends and his younger sisters, who could entertain themselves with bricks, trains, books, and tents while their brother's activity happened. We had time during free play and activity time to set up food in the dining / kitchen area downstairs. I would highly recommend the place and will try to do their camps and babysitting nights in the future! read more

STEMful - Wonderful separate dining / kitchen space downstairs for setting up food & treats (Lego-themed treats by dianashomeassist at gmail dot com). - Kids Activities Near Me - San Francisco, California

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STEMful is great for camps, a daytime playspace and an event venue. My 8 yo son has done camps at STEMful and loves them. The staff is friendly, patient and helpful. I also work from home so it is nice to come to STEMful where there are fun and educational activities for the kids and a space for me to work. My kids love their science-centric toys and Legos. This summer I am planning on bringing my 5 yo to camp. STEMful has flexible options for single day camps which works well with my schedule. I have also attended a party in the STEMful space. It's perfect for adults and kids. Adults can hang out downstairs (we used the big screen TV) while the little ones are entertained upstairs. I highly recommend STEMful! read more

After my daughter went to camp here, I'm updating my review to 4 stars. They have a great curriculum and every day my daughter came home with crafts that she had done there. They've really added to the space since they first opened and they have interesting activities and experiments each week. I love the flexibility of the camp - they have daily and weekly options with extended care. read more

My daughter is enrolled in a pod at Stemful due to Covid. I could not be happier with the care and attention devoted to my girl. Her tutor Lily is exceptional; engaging and dedicated. In these terribly peculiar times Stemful has proven a godsend. read more

My son has been going to STEMful for summer and holiday camps over the past year and a half. He loves attending STEM, and his teacher Arissa is his favorite. Arissa is knowledgeable and encouraging with the kids, and they have so much fun exploring the topic of the day. We hosted his 5th birthday at STEM. The downstairs space is huge, clean, bright and festive. We had a dance party and food downstairs and the kids played and did an activity upstairs. Arissa was our leader for the party, and went the extra mile in helping me set up and run the party. She went above and beyond. We had a wonderful experience. We've always loved STEM- I highly recommend it. read more

My grandson enjoyed the time in the park as well as the experiments back in the STEMful space. The staff we very engaged in helping the kids have fun and learn. The Zum driver school pick up was an additional benefit. They were always prompt and helpful. Overall an excellent after school program. read more

We absolutely love STEMful! All summer my twin 5-year olds have chanted, "STEMful, STEMful, STEMful!" EVERY DAY! STEMful has offered them the mental and creative stimulation they love, along with some great free play in-doors and outdoors. My twins are very vocal critics, and they have literally talked about this every day, even when we aren't enrolled that day. Above all else, the STEMful site and staff have made this a safe, clean and engaging atmosphere and activities. We've participated in drop offs and all day camps, and I am delighted to always have a place my kids enjoy, learn and feel safe! Thank you STEMful! read more