Last summer I signed my son up for Steve and Kate's. He was so unhappy to go the first day. But when I picked him up he said his day was 10 out of 10. Those were his words. And every time he's gone it's been a 9 or a 10, depending on the friends he meets. The camp has friendly staff and fun activities. Thank you to everyone who works there. He finished summer camp and I put him in Winter Camp for 1 day this year (Friday, 29th). When I picked him up that day I realized it was the last day of winter camp. Unfortunately, the dates I need for my son to be in camp are the first week of Jan. rather than the week of Christmas, since he's off both weeks. I think their schedule is different than my sons school, which is understandable. Either way, it's a great camp and he will be returning in the summer. read more

My 9-year-old LOVED the winter camp. Highlights were the sewing room (why don't all camps have this??), the super nice counselors, and the freedom to choose activities. It's a great place for kids who prefer things like video production, animation, and gaming instead of the usual athletic camp activities. It was also super easy to sign up online, it was affordable, and I felt very safe leaving my kid in their care. My ONLY complaint is that they haven't aligned their winter camp dates with the local elementary school vacation schedules. I realize it's likely an issue of location (the camp is held at a school on a different academic calendar), but this is such a great program, it would be life changing to have it available for us working parents of creative/indoor kids throughout the first week of January, too. Either way, we're looking forward to coming back soon. read more

I didn't see any recent reviews before I signed up my son for this camp, so I figured I could write to help other parents out. This is the 3rd summer camp that I sent my son to this year, and I think this is definitely a great option for some of those days when you just need to send your kid somewhere. Registering and paying is super simple and easily done online. You can check in a day before and the program provides lunch and snacks. Parking/drop-off can be kind of crazy depending the time you arrive (I found 9 am to be kind of the worst) because of the lines and potential confusion on where to go. However, you can park on a side street and walk over. To me this seems truly like a summer camp with a lot of kids basically all having free play in a large indoor and outdoor space with different rotating activities (bounce house, magic show, water play). If your kid gets overwhelmed with a lot of people and activity, this may not be the place to send them. There are a lot of staff, but there's also a lot of kids, so if you child is not good about caring for personal items, it will probably get lost. However, I appreciate the availability of this school and their hours can't be beat (8-6 daily). Plus you can get a refund for unused days. read more

We took my son here for a few days in 2019 and he really enjoyed the experience. Each day he would come home in excitement with his mysterious baking creation (imagine a 5 year old adding all sorts of weird color and extra salt in his bread...... and expect you to eat it and give him great compliment ..... lol) ....and tell us about all the fun stuff he did that day. It's super nice to have the flexibility to drop off any day during the summer and whenever convenient for you... takes away a lot of the stress away from planning. I also appreciate the fact that everything is already included in the price so you don't feel like you are being penny-and-dime'd for everything like extended care, lunch, special activities, etc. There are many activities available and they have special event each day (slip and slide, bounce house, video game, paddle cart, robotic, baking, sewing, etc). The only one he said he never got to do was the sewing activities (I remember him telling me he wanted to but that he never got a turn). However, with his age, I'm not sure if he just got tired of waiting or if any efforts were made to ensure every kid who is interested got a turn (if not, I hope they can work on that). It's really nice too that they sometimes post pictures of what they did that day. All in all I think it's a really nice program and would highly recommend it. read more

This camp has wonderful offerings but might not be the best fit for all children. The open-ended nature and flexible drop-in culture of this camp while a great point to some can make children who are slow to warm up feel intimidated. My daughter sadly felt lost in the crowd at Steve and Kate and while I hoped that would improve with more days there is just never seemed to do so. Some of the things we liked: Great check in policy, good food options, very careful of allergies, very upbeat personalities from the staff, beautiful site location. My daughter really liked the sewing and cooking studios. Some things we did not like: I could not stand the drop and pick up procedure and felt a person so easily could be hurt during all of the construction which is why I pulled my child mid-summer after really having high hopes for the camp. (NOTE: I assume this is a non-issue now that construction on the school appears to be complete.) My daughter did not like that some children who went a lot were allowed to miss the group meetings to go on the play structure or that those same children had the most time on the sewing machines, she also wished it had groups with a councilor to make sure all kids were at least given the opportunity to learn all the studios. I think most would be happy at this camp especially with an outgoing child. Also I wish they offered the cooking studio again instead of bread making...... read more

Our older son (8) attended Steve & Kate's for the first time last summer and we can't wait to attend again this summer. As a parent, convenience, safety, and fun are at the top of my list when it comes to summer activities. I love the flexibility that S&Ks offer in terms of buying days and showing up whenever it fits into the schedule (no need to call ahead, book a day/time, just show up). And, it is convenient to be able to do that on-line. As far as security goes, each day my son is given a wristband and only those designated to pick-him up may do so. The campus, in/out, seems quite secure. As for fun, which is the number one goal for my son, there is so much offered at S&Ks. He has been able to make break, sew, play drums (which he enjoyed so much that he got a drum kit for Christmas), do stop motion animation, and all sorts of other things (go-karts, climbing wall, water slide) that it really was non-stop fun. The cost is comparable to other day camps in the area but the best thing is that if you don't use all the days you buy you get them refunded at the end of the season. Oh, and the food that is served for lunch/snacks is very good. My son has never complained and they categorize the meals around genres of food (Italian, Mexican, etc). Our son has attended some for of summer day camp for the last 4 yrs and this is far and away our first pick these days. (I do wish they offered swimming but understand they are restricted do to location. Horseback riding, archery would also be on my list, even having a putting green for golf practice would be fun). read more

Best camp ever. My older one went to another camp and HATED it. And I hated having to drag him to the bus pickup location, even though it was close to our house cause I was always worried I'd miss it (which we did once in a while, meaning I had to drive all the way to pasadena or la canada), and I couldn't stand making the lunches every day. I was very worried about how he'd like this one and he loved it. So did his little brother, who got to hang out with his big brother because they don't separate the ages. More importantly, I loved it. You drop off when you want (they don't care) you pick up when you want (they don't care), you don't have to pack lunch (woohoo!) as they have a different cuisine each day that cycles every week (french, american, mexican, asian, i forget the last). They have a smart and safe-feeling check in and check out system. they have walkie talkies and wrist bands. And there's tons for them to do that they decide upon. So it's relatively unstructured, but the kids feel like they get to do what they want. When my boys created animations in the stop motion workshop, I got email updates within a day or two where I could download and watch their work. INCREDIBLE!!! And, because it's a huge network of camps, they have all kinds of cool activities that travel from camp to camp that they call weekly specials. Those usually involve a monstrous inflatable apparatus of some kind that no individual camp could afford on their own. Same with weekly performances that travel around their camps. So I think you get a pretty good value for the dollar. An all around well balanced camp that clearly had parent logistics/communications/needs in mind. Really first rate. And it is so nice knowing exactly what I'm doing next summer. For once. read more

I could not have asked for a better camp for my son. The staff was attentive and enthusiastic. There were tons of activities for him to choose from and i literally had to tear him away at pick up! I had one complaint during the summer about another child...the staff acted swiftly and professionally. I truly felt that my son was in good hands. We are looking forward to another great summer at Steve and Kate's! read more

My husband and I extensively researched summer camps for our 4 year son in 2014. In marketing, we call this "Competitive Landscape Analysis" but say that with an English accent ;) We looked at pricing, flexibility, lunch options, food quality, activities diversity, accessibility, location, pick up, drop off timing...and this camp really has the best overall value in ALL of Pasadena. BUT we had some reservations - first and foremost, he would be the youngest of ages, and I worried he would get lost in the crowd of older campers. So, just like any other crazy mom, I immediately called Colin (Pasadena Director) and GRILLED him about my fears and all the things that could go wrong with a fearless and independent 4 year old. He acknowledged all of my fears with respect and re-assured me that the "self-directed" structure of the summer camp program allowed for each child to create their own experience and that the children were always supervised no matter how young or old. Our son started each day in a huddle with his counselor (5:1 ratio) and other kids in his age group (4-5 year olds) and from there, they can choose their own activity studio and move around freely based on their interests or feelings for the day. The camp doesn't provide nap time for the younger kids, but since he was so active during the day he passed out earlier in the evening. He camped at Steve and Kate's 2x a week for a 10 week period* and it changed his life. Literally! He loved it, and he looked forward to every Tues/Thurs that he went. When we picked him up at the end of the day, he didn't want to go home, he loved the "world" they created for him. He loved sharing and showing us all the things he did, made, or accomplished during his day there. He made friends with other kids in his huddle group that continue to meet-up with to this day. He made friends with the older camp kids (8 years +) who took care of him and showed him how to play basketball and encouraged him while he scaled the rock wall, rather than bully. One of his camp counselors is now a trusted babysitter for us. We feel really fortunate that we found the perfect place for him, and the best solution for us as parents! P.S After summer they sell-off a lot of the electronics, organizational equipment and some toys for crazy cheap prices. It really incites that flea market impulsive buying reflex, so be careful and patient and wait for the SALE email! *He only attended 2x a week, because we wanted to enroll him in a part-time summer program at a local school we were interested in attending for kindergarten. FYI, the camp operates on the Sequoyah campus, but is not affiliated with the school. read more

Mine two girls went to this camp for two days this summer. I really wanted them to like it as I loved: (1) great security (2) meals are included (3) great location (4) you can pick and choose your schedule (5) camp director is very nice and proactive. Unfortunately, the camp's format (unstructured activities, the children pick what they want to do) was not a fit for my daughters. The activities stay the same, except for a weekly "themed" activity which was go-carts the week mine attended; by the end of their two days, mine were done with sewing and bread making (two of the activities offered that mine liked) and asked to try something new. I think it is a great camp and the good news is that you can try it out for a day or two and not have to commit of weeks on end if your child does not like it. read more

This camp is great! The philosophy of the camp is what sets it apart. My 9-year old son has attended a few summer camps over the past few years that are run like extended day cares. The groups do all the same activities together, with the same kids, in the summer heat, day in and day out. Steve & Kate's Pasadena was welcoming and open, had an array of interesting and exciting things for them to do and my son was the one who got to pick the activity he felt like doing that day. Some of it was indoors and much was outdoors. Every day a different group of kids were in the mix which kept the socialization nice. Meals and snacks were healthy, drop off was super easy and the counselors were engaged, and got to know my son well. We look forward to returning this summer! read more

I agree with all the negative posts. It's definitely not worth the amount you pay and the majority of the 18 years and up kids are not dependable to be watching any kids under the age of 7. They did an excellent job on their website and I was truly excited to have my daughter join, but sadly they cannot live up to their marketing hype. Kudos to the marketing firm that they hired! read more

At the suggestion of a friend I attended a luncheon given by Steve & Kate's Camp at the Sequoyah School. I met the camp director Collin, he was friendly and answered many of my questions that first meeting. It was VERY important that the counselors were well trained and had a friendly demeanor. My son had rave reviews after his first day at camp. My son is an independant 6 year old, he liked the idea of getting to lead his day. He was introduced to animation, bread making, chess and drums. The camp offers weekly specials like go-carts, water slides and hockey which he enjoyed. He met many friends his age group during the morning huddles. He also loved playing Antlers up at the end of the day, he actually won a scooter... it was incredible. He has great memories and can't wait to go back this summer. The counselors were very attentive. My work schedule is never the same and this camp gives me the flexibility to choose the days he attends camp and my money refunded for days that are not used. Did I mention lunch is included. He is looking forward to this summer at Steve and Kate's and is already talking about making a movie and learning code. read more

Summer camp 2014 is a thing of the past yet my girls STILL talk about Steve & Kate's all the time. Every time we drive past Sequoyah School, they remind me they want to go back to camp. They even ask how Collin, Michelle and Hilaria are doing. So funny. There was just something special about the camp that called to them and they loved each and every day that they were there. Their favorites studios were Animation and Style. Baking bread each morning was also great fun. I would have thought the kids would get tired of the same ol' studios but they seemed to be able to entertain themselves well and managed to be quite busy and productive. We have all their sewing projects at home, which they still play with/use. I had no idea about S&K and short of taking the girls to my not so exciting office, I had to find a safe and fun camp/day program. I stumbled across S&K while doing research and we couldn't have been more pleased. They provide a safe & secure environment for the kids. However, I feel pricing is a tad high unless you purchase more days and then the rate per day goes down. It's nice that you can drop in as needed. The flexibility is great. Another thing, perhaps it was because of construction, insurance or Sequoyah's agreement with S&K, but the grassy play area on the south side was not open to campers. Hopefully that section will be open this time around. Kids like being outdoors and should be able to enjoy nature and green space. Staying in the various studios is fine, but I'm sure they'd like to be running around outside too. While we love S&K, I believe the thing that keeps kids excited is variety. I sign them up for various camps during summer. Perhaps it's a week+ at swim camp and then maybe three+ weeks at S&K. If you can, keep mixing things up to keep it fresh! read more

Update: Like I said in my previous post, not receiving a call after an injury is one thing, but also troubling is that Brittney didn't seem to express any concern; her immediate response was that I'd have to talk to Pasadena. To elicit some interest in the matter, I asked her if there is a policy in place to contact a camper's parent if the camper suffers a head injury like the one I'd described, and she just said, "yes." She didn't ask for any details, didn't offer any thoughts about what our daughter had said. I don't expect anyone to make a decision to send their child to S&K's based on my review, and I certainly don't have an axe to grind because my daughter really did have a great time these last two summers. Perhaps this incident will result in better staff communicative skills so we parents can feel like we're dealing with "one" Steve and Kate's Camp and not separate locations reluctant to address incidents that didn't happen at "their" camp. By the way, after my first post I was called by Nick Jackson--I assume to follow up with me. I called and left a VM 3 days ago and have not received a call back. read more

It is sad because the idea sound so good but they can't pull off the marketing hype-it is not good for little kids under 6 who need some oversight- the college age staff is not prepared to work with kids and their development stage and were more interested in socializing with other staff. I would pick my son up and his shoes would be lost- his clothes would be off and he was sunburned. They did not take bathroom breaks and sometimes he would be soaked in pee even though he was completely potty trained. Colin the supervisor and manager of the camp was completely checked out and did not show the many times we arranged meetings. To say we were disappointed is an understatement. read more

We had a great experience at this camp, for a few reasons: This camp has a very modern business and logistics model, in that they really take into account that many families have one or two working people, so they use e-mail and online tools, such as sending links to projects online (my girl made a movie) answering emails and phone calls. Given the crazy summer schedules we all have, they have a flexible 'pay by day' structure (no more rigid 'sessions' and were already there ready with a refund the following September for days I didn't use. The front desk staff went out of their way to know her name, knew what she did that day. Given their use of bar code technology to check the kids in and out (which flows smoothly for those hectic drop off mornings) they had a back up plan when their internet was down. They clearly value customer service, which I appreciate. The counselors seemed to enjoy being there and seemed to have a good work ethic. So all in all, a great experience for us. My only slight regret is that there isn't much yard or green or nature to be had at the school location, so I wish there were a little more campy feeling. Also wouldn't mind if they could commandeer buses or vans and do a field trip. read more

Steve and Kate's Camp was such a good experience for my daughters! They enjoyed the different studios that they got to participate in (music, movie making, bread making, and coding). I love how they encourage interest based learning for the kids. The counselors are extremely friendly. They met my kids where they were whether it was when they were shy at first and missing us to when they were able to come out of their shells and participate more fully in the studios. The water slide time was a ton of fun for my kids. Lunch is provided as part of the camp experience. Their hours were also very helpful (7:30 am - 6 pm) for our family with two working parents. I would highly recommend parents to take a look at this camp. read more

Of the camps that are the summer equivalent of fancy babysitting (H20, Ymca, etc) this is probably the best. I was most impressed with how careful they were to greet new campers, always ready to give a tour and show the kids the ropes, no matter when they first arrived. Plus it's extremely nice to be able to drop in at any time, no coordination needed. And the food is included. All around the easiest camp as a parent. Only complaints are that the website over-promises a bit (not all the activities are always available), and for kids who aren't as boisterous the open-ended nature of this camp can be intimidating (easier to get lost in the crowd). read more

We've sent our daughter to the Altadena/Pasadena camps for three years and have been very happy with it. She loves that she is able to pick whatever activity she wants to do. The staff does theme days, which my daughter enjoys. I absolutely love the convenience of being able to pick which days to send her and at what time. Last year I got a check back for all of the days I paid for and didn't use. We'll be back next year! read more

My son had the best time. Came home dirty and tired! He learned how to sew and make films. What more... or yeah a talent show.

Our very "picky" 6 year old (last summer; now 7) loved this camp. For her, it was the ability to have the choice of what to do during the day, great food, and being able to participate in constructive activities such as movie making or baking bread, or just going to the lounge and do nothing for few moments! She can't wait to go there again this coming summer. For parents, it's the flexibility, good food for the child and happiness of the child is all they can ask for!! read more

I was so delighted to find Steve and Kate's Camp in Pasadena last year for summer camp! My daughter had a great time at camp and ended up being just what I was looking for. The flexible schedule worked well for her and the activities that changed weekly were especially fun! The food was great and not having to pack a lunch every morning was even better. Collin and Brittany run a great summer camp not to be missed!! The counselors are so welcoming and fun for the kids to be around. All of this and it is totally affordable! You won't find a better deal in town. The kids come home with stop animation movies daily and homemade baked bread! Plus it is very easy to have friends join for a week or a day in their flexible day rate. If you are reading this review and are considering Steve and Kate's in Pasadena, I highly recommend this camp and cannot say enough good things about it! read more

This was seriously the best camp my daughter has ever been to. This was the FIRST year I have not had to hear whining and complaining about camp. She was formerly at a camp at her school and has been to a couple others. I work full time and needed a full-day camp. I had never tried Steve and Kate's and had ALOT of questions regarding safety, etc. The Director emailed me back almost immediately with a very long response. I assumed it was a canned message, but then read further and he actually responded, in detail, to each and every question I had. I felt so much better. the Director was ALWAYS present and interacting with the kids. The staff was incredible. The counselors were SO hands on and ALWAYS interacting with the kids. I never once saw them huddled up talking while leaving the kids to play (which you find at many camps). At Steve and Kate's, you can see that KIDS MATTER. Not only do they get to choose what they do for the day and for how long, they bond with the other kids and counselors. It was like a family. I usually do no like summer (as a working mom) because my daughter has never liked camp. She LOVED it so much that she wanted to keep going (too bad it ended last week). The process for checking in and out is GREAT and left me feeling very safe that my daughter was in good hands. They REALLY ensure your child has a fun time. Every day my daughter came home with happy stories of the fun day she had and the silly things the counselors do (they have pie throwing at the counselors on Fridays). She actually was excited in the AM to go to camp! That has never happened before. The food is amazing! They get five choices and can have some of everything. They provide healthy fresh snacks too! It is seriously amazing. Take it from a mom (whose number one concern is always safety) who has a picky daughter who has never liked camp...you will not regret taking your child to Steve and Kate's. I only wish I knew about them sooner. I cannot say enough wonderful things about each staff member, the Director, and even the owners who came for a visit to see the camp and kids. It seemed too good to be true...but now that we have experienced an entire summer at Steve and Kate's, I can say it is the BEST camp ever. Believe it. We were at the Irvine location (Sand Canyon) and I HOPE they will be there next year!! read more