After visiting an endless amount of day care facilities in the Lacey area, I couldn't have been…read moremore thrilled to end up at Children's Courtyard South. From the moment I entered the facility I knew they were far better suited to care for our daughter than any of the other locations I had toured. The area was clean and the management was friendly. As for the infant room the ladies that care for the babies make sure you feel comfortable. As a new mom I'd spend at least 10 minutes each day getting a play by play of our daughters developments. Kayla and Alissa work hard to know your child and provide them a safe and loving environment. With daily activities, from bubbles, to paint, and outdoor adventures, Childrens Courtyard has got it right!

Update 7/29: We are still loving the Children's Courtyard…read moreSouth, specifically my son's Pre-K class and teachers. The teachers truly care about their students and want them to thrive. My son loves going to school and loves his teachers. Can't say enough good things, if you're looking for childcare with a quality pre-k program please consider The Children's Courtyard South. ------------ We really love The Children Courtyard SOUTH. My son started at the North center and he was not thriving there at all. Then he was bit on the face by another child and they didn't do enough in our eyes to protect our child from further incidents. He had been bit a total of three times in about a two week span. The first two incidents weren't reported to me and I found out by my son. When the child bit my son's face I had had enough and was very furious with the North center. They opted to not remove the boy who kept biting my son so we removed our son and began care at the South center. Anyways, we were really hesitant to give the South center a chance because we were just not happy with what had happened at the North center, but the two facilities operate completely separately. Because they are separate it gave us the confidence and hope to give CCY South a chance. We are so glad we transitioned to CCY South. Initially it took awhile to get our paperwork transitioned over to the South center. It was a little confusing and we weren't guided through the process as well as I had hoped, but eventually we got it all figured out with the director Samantha. The staff and teachers at CCY South are amazing. My son absolutely loves his pre-k teachers Ms. Brittany and Ms. Larissa. They give all the kids so much care, attention and kindness. My son missed a day of school while we were visiting family and he told me he had to go back to school because Ms. Brittany would miss him. Tip: 1. Sign up for the Brightwheel App so you can easily communicate with the school. They also send you photos and videos of your child throughout the day. I love the communication regarding naps and meals. I feel connected even when I am away at work. It is secure and you only have access to your child. 2. Sign up for the WatchMeGrow App so you can see a live video feed of your child throughout the day. It's a great way to stay connected while you are away from you child. If you have a need for childcare and want your child to receive quality care and an education geared toward their age level, please check out CCY South. My son loves his school, his teachers, and the staff here. He is now thriving and we love CCY South. Oh and I should add that they handle incidents very well and communicate with the parents each time and incident happens.

My girls went for a lessons for their summer visit. Their lesson was tailored to their skill level…read more It was nice to see more advanced girls taking lessons at the same time too. The girls also learned a bit more about horse care and the equipment. I will be signing up for lessons too!

From the owner: Chastain Mist is a leader in the industry of youth horse camps and instruction. Operating for over…read more20 years, they bring years of experience and can be trusted to provide a safe and fun environment for your horse crazy child. Summer camps, day camps, riding lessons, polo lessons, and the opportunity to play on a youth polo team await you!

We waited a couple months for a spot to open up for our 2 infants in foster care. The day one of…read morethem was supposed to start I was told they needed additional confirmation. I was standing in the daycare with my baby and her bag packed. I was told the boss notified them the night before that we needed additional confirmation to start. This was never communicated to us till I was in the building trying to drop my baby off... I asked them to give me an update that day. I called twice and left voicemail. I finally get a call back from them saying she is good to start... Communication is VERY poor which is ultimately why we decided for our babies to not go here.. HOWEVER, Jess was professional the entire time. I caution anyone sending their foster kiddos here.

if I could give a 1 star I would right now, I can't stress enough how important it is to watch how…read moreyou treat people. My family and I were getting ready for the tour, the lady named Jess only greeted my husband and my 5 year old son, while I'm standing there. she never made eye contact, never bothered asked if I'm the mom, meanwhile I was the one that recommended my husband to call and schedule a tour. My point is, I want to get to know the staff well so I know who I'm entrusting my kids to. However, it was already a red flag that I was being ignored. Thank you, but I'm taking my kids somewhere else.

I visited the Nisqually Reach Nature Center for the first time yesterday. The nature center is…read moreinside a large house. Piles of wet shoes lay outside the entry way. There were tanks filled with sea stars, crabs, and fish on display. A different tank housed a representation of a mud flat. Microscopes lined the perimeter on the inside of the building. Several children were peering into them shouting excitedly that "I saw this HUGE plankton!" "Look at THIS!" After I went outside and sat on the fishing dock, adult volunteers at the Nisqually Reach Nature Center took a group of children to the beach to explore. The volunteer staff at the nature center are excellent with kids. Their strong voices can be heard from a distance giving clear, fun instructions to their charges. I heard later from one staff member the kids were attending a summer camp. I didn't have a lot of time to spend at the nature center yesterday, so I will definitely be back! It's a nice area that has a surprising amount of great blue herons and even more seals. Keep in mind: This is a Discover Pass area. You will need a Discover Pass to park here.

I haven't visited the actual building, I visit the beach at least twice a week to take my dogs for…read morea walk near the beach and play. Great parking area for trailers and visitors, loading ramp for your boat, and nice starting point for kayaking near the nisqually delta...watch for the tide. No issues if you are taking the dog off leash, as long they are not near to the state park, plenty of room to play.

We were at Black Hills for about a year. I have a 7 year old who has been doing gymnastics for four…read moreyears and a 5 year old who started and stopped gymnastics at Black Hills. On the good side, Maddie at the front desk is overworked but a wonderful and hardworking person. Also, it seems clear to me they are fostering incredible talent with young people. The level of skill for the kids who get attention is impressive. My 7 year old was accepted into Xcel prep team. She made a close friend and really found a passion for bars. Over summer, Coach Conner said she was lacking in focus. Most of the kids were out for the summer. My daughter was camping and attending art, math and sailing camps. Her world view was broadening. Also, I was kind of transient at the time and waiting for my apartment to come through. Our routine was disrupted. While she was happy, she maybe fell out of love with gymnastics for the summer. I thought about my run with soccer as a little girl and I fell in and out of love with it, but was still committed for over a decade. I think that alone is a valuable lesson. Coach C and I set up a system where I knew if she gave 100% during practice and would get her a treat if she did. She refocused but I think Black Hills gave up on her before the fall session. She was separated from her close friend and spent four hours a week doing stretches and beams. She didn't learn new skills and never returned to the bars she loved so much. Coach Conner stayed with a group of more focused children and a wonderful and kind young woman took over with my daughter's new group. My daughter became bored and restless. Her love of gymnastics dipped further than before. First, my youngest asked to take a break from gymnastics (I just don't think it's her thing). Then my oldest asked to take a break. I was terrified her love for gymnastics was forever altered. I asked her to talk to her coach. While young people make great coaches, they don't always know how to inspire the way perhaps an older coach might. The coach kinda shrugged her shoulders and told me my daughter wanted to try other sports. I was hoping maybe my daughter would get more encouragement. Anyway, eventually she asked to try another gym. I think that is the right choice. We had such a positive experience at the gym in Kirkland, I am sorry to see her love and enthusiasm dip. It is a life lesson though! The guest wifi doesn't work most of the time which can result in the commiseration of bored parents in the parking lot. My personal hell is the little room with the cubbies when classes transition. There are so many people and no personal space. I think if your child is ordained by the coaches, it could be an intense but enriching experience. My child, however, doesn't deserve to be left on the sidelines. And not for the same cost in tuition.

7 year old class instructor did not demonstrate even one skill. Allowed the 5 girls in her class…read moreto stand around, talk, play rock, paper, scissors. No instruction or organization. Waste of time and money.

(NORTH) I been very nervous with our move to WA, since I have always had my family watching my 19…read moremonth old. We found this place, as it was very close to where we lived. I loved that they were so helpful in reserving a spot with my son even months in advance, and I was able to pay for his registration fee online a month before he started. The transition was rough, I had to message the girls which I felt like every hour to check on my baby. Every time we left him, he would cry . But they kept reassuring me that he was fine and that he will get used to it. Throughout the day I would receive pictures and updates on what he was doing and that helped me to "let go." The director Lei was helpful and told me that there was a program that could potentially help with child care expenses, which I applied for and got assistance with. I am thankful for these women who are so patient with us moms, I am sure they get it from us all but they do a wonderful job. I am put at ease with my baby being there, I have a feeling that he will be here for a while. Now, my 10 year old will also be attending during after school hours. I love how they have a bus that picks them up from school. I would definitely recommend this place for all moms! A PLUS, there is a coffee shop in the parking lot

Leí and her staff have been amazing to my family. My boys went through a transitional phase where…read morethey only had their dad because I was deployed. I appreciate the support that they have given both my Soldiers and my family while I was deployed. Thank you Childrens Courtyard for making our boys a part of your family. All daycares don't have the love and support for kids especially having dual military parents. I highly recommend send your kids her not only for the quality of care, but the family feel you have with both the staff & community.

Hands down this is the best day by far that I have enrolled my baby in! Staff there are very…read morehelpful,loving, and trust worthy! Thank you Mrs. Mugsy, Sandee, and Aaricka for the best and loving care that you provide for the center! Also thank you so much Mrs. Jessica and Mrs. Lacey for loving my Marvin unconditionally. I love how I can just show up and feel as if I'm dropping my son off to some family members! Love you all! Thank you ALL for your hard work. Highly recommend Cadence Academy in this location! Best one yet!

Love the staff and very clean. My granddaughter attended for three years. She has just started…read morekindergarten and still talks about it .

Our experience with Cadence Academy was extremely upsetting. The school claims to be NAEYC…read morecertified but doesn't reflect the values/standards that certification represents. My daughter is 3 and has ADHD and autism and they knew she had special needs and had behavioral challenges when we enrolled. Yet they would send her home after about an hour most days and would fully exclude her around two days a week, yet continued charging full tuition. This caused tremendous stress for our family -- emotionally, financially, and with our work schedules. The school felt extremely chaotic, with constant teacher turnover and little compassion or understanding for children with special needs. We never knew who her teacher would be or what room she'd be in- there was zero structure or educational enrichment. My 3-year-old daughter came home saying the teachers "didn't like her" and that she was "bad," which was devastating to hear. Since moving her to a preschool that truly values inclusion and care, she's thriving and happy again. I would never recommend this school to any family and will continue to share my experience with as many parent as will listen.

We have used Cadence academy for a little over 7 months and have been far from impressed. The…read morecurriculum for my 4 year old was almost non-existent. They have staffing issues which all centers are faced with currently but it made the center unreliable at times. They often had to shut down and ask parents to keep their kids home due to staffing (this happened on a monthly basis). They do not have cameras in the classrooms and with the constant turnover I am not sure that their staff is really properly trained to work with kids. Ultimately I believe daycare workers should be paid more to work with our children but that is another rant... My son hates to go to daycare and occasionally has referred to himself as a "bad boy" even though we have NEVER name called in our home. We had the last straw when we picked our son up from daycare and we walked in on a teacher restraining him. He was screaming and when we asked why he was being restrained it was because he was "running around and not listening". Further digging with our son we found out this isn't the first time they have held him down for basically no reason. There have been no incident reports given to us which is detailed in the parent handbook whenever a kid is restrained. I was so upset by this and worried for his welfare I called the director Shelby who didn't really have any solutions and promised to get back to me that afternoon. Instead of making this issue her top priority she, did NOT get back to me or look into it since it was a "busy day". I immediately yanked him from the daycare after that. (There have been other red flags but this was it for me).

Great experience for my daughters 5th birthday highly recommended this business, they staff took…read morecare of everything while entertaining the kids.

I rented The Little Gym for my grandson's birthday. The whole experience was easy, seamless, and…read morestress free! The helpers that come with the birthday package engage the kids in play and games the whole time. They are amazing with the kids. They played parachute games that the kids loved and then set up a bounce house. The party room is a good size. We had a lot of adults at our party and there was more than enough room. The party decor was wonderful (comes with the birthday package). We chose the super hero themed party and the helpers had already decorated the party room for us before we arrived. Come time to eat and sing, the helpers led everyone to the party room, served everyone pizza, and drinks, led the Happy Birthday song, and then passed out the cake. When the party was over, the helpers packed up our leftovers and gifts on a cart for us to easily take to our car. They also cleaned up the party room. Everyone one had a wonderful time, but you know who made out the best? ME and my grandson's parents. We didn't have to do a thing but bring drinks, pizza and cake. Everything was done for us! We highly recommend The Little Gum for birthday parties. My grandson's party had kids from 2 to 12 and they all had fun and I was able to enjoy the party and not host.

I simply cannot recommend this preschool enough. Both of my kiddos attended Pathfinders and as soon…read moreas my daughter started there we realized that we were a part of a very special family. With the low teacher-to-student ratio it is clear that they get to know the children and nurture them as individuals. They do a wonderful job of developing curriculum, covering the fundamentals of education, and make the extra effort to celebrate all of the special holidays (the Christmas celebration and Mother's day tea are SO wonderful). My daughter was absolutely prepared for Kindergarten having attended this school which is all we could hope for as parents. Tammie and the rest of the staff are excellent communicators, trustworthy educators and we just consider ourselves so lucky to have had such wonderful people be a part of such a precious time in our children's lives!

We are so grateful to have found and have our twins attend Pathfinders Preschool. They are such a…read morefriendly and nurturing environment where you truly feel a part of a loving community. My kids come home with such creative, thoughtful art projects and I appreciate that they do celebrate and recognize birthdays and holidays. Staff provides prompt communication. When compared to our experiences with the public schools my husband calls Pathfinders staff "Angels".