We reserved the Busy Bee space for a 3-year old's birthday party, and it was perfect. The place is…read morevery clean, has a ton of activity options for small kids. There is a separate room to serve snacks, drinks, and cake; bathroom is clean and convenient.

I hosted a birthday party for a toddler at Busy Bee. Would definitely recommend! A couple of things…read morethat stood out: - Booking/ planning/ prepping all went without a hitch - The play area is great, fun, and spacious. The party room where you would have food/ drinks is right nearby, so it's super easy to monitor kids and transition from one are to another (unlike other places where party room is more disconnected from play) - the center is located in a large shopping area. Which meant easy parking for guests and tons of options to order snacks/ food etc nearby so you wouldn't have to lugg stuff from home - I called several similar places in East Bay, and Busy Bee was by far the most uncomplicated wrt managing guest lists, number of attendees etc. Most importantly: kids LOVED it and were super tuckered out after that!

I came to The Sewing Room room after teaching myself to sew on YouTube, which really worked for me…read moreup until I wanted to create more complex, personal things. I'm a total self-starter, but but eventually I needed someone to walk me through the hard things, explain techniques they've learned by applying them directly to my garments, and help me understand why a particular method works for a particular fabric or design. I was nervous walking into my first class. I worried I wouldn't fit in or I would feel out of place. That fear disappeared almost immediately. I was warmly welcomed by Christine Knobel, my first instructor, and by the other students. The community here is genuinely kind, diverse, and supportive. Apparently sewists are just really nice people (or at least the ones who come here are). I expected to improve my sewing skills, and I absolutely have, but what surprised me most was how meaningful the community became. In a world where most of my interactions happen through screens, spending time learning alongside real people has been incredibly grounding and joyful. I also love that they offer a fashion studies track, where you can learn from the very beginning, designing a sketch, all the way through creation. The classes are clearly structured to help you grow into a true sewist, not just complete a single project. Plus, they're always adding new classes, which keeps things fresh and exciting. This place has been a gift, both creatively and socially.

I moved to Alameda 6 months ago and wandered into The Sewing Room while exploring Park St. I am a…read moreself-taught hobby sewer and was so excited to have a sewing store walking distance from me. They have a beautiful small selection of fabrics, notions, and patterns but they really excel in classes. I decided to take a garment class (the lined jacket), not for help, but for community, and I'm so happy that I did! Christine was a great teacher and I do pick up some tricks! My goal this year was to grow my skills, so I decided to enroll in the Sketch to Garment class. It has been so fun working with Julie Ann and my fellow students. I was worried I'd struggle because I don't have sketching or design experience, but I love how easy and creative they made it! I'm looking forward to more. Come to The Sewing Room for community, creativity, and knowledge!

Our son has been going to the after school program since TK and he loves the STEAM program (STEM +…read moreART)! He enjoys the van ride from Bay Farm to the big island with the other kids and now that he's in K, he spends about 2-3 hours after school there - playing with new and old friends, learning more coding, math, reading, and science and experimenting with art methods. It definitely fills in the gaps of public school with the stronger focus on academics. We are very happy with his progress. And of course, he loves his STEAM teachers, Ms. Yuan and Ms. Jamila, as well as the coding, art and math teachers (Mr. Francisco, Mr. Patrick, Ms. Emily, etc.). That being said, this school isn't for everyone and parents have to be open to finding the right school for their child (which can change over time). For our family, I appreciate that this school respects the learning environment best for kids who are ready and motivated to learn on their own. This means that the kids are ready to learn and appreciate the lessons prepared (not yelling, standing on tables, napping, or other disruptive behavior), responsible/sensible to sit in a van full of kids and listen to the teacher, get along and be respectful to others, etc. To keep the kids on schedule with the van and different subjects requires tremendous patience, planning and care from the teachers, staff (Mr. Long) and Director Sunny - we appreciate you! If your kids can focus and manage at YY, they can sit through movies, dinners, airplane rides, etc. - self-managed discipline is what I appreciate the most. The staff communicates well in advance and also is very responsive and accommodating (e.g. if I have to pick up early, miss school, have another parent pickup, etc.). They also have parent-teacher conferences twice a year with a newsletter about your child's class with photos. Also, when we first signed up for TK when my child was 4, I was worried about the transportation, but that's one of the best part that our kid looks forward to when he goes to YY with his friends - it's safe and the van is there early for pickups (and the fee is very economical for us working parents!). We also have friends in the Mandarin program whose parents are very impressed with their children's language and writing skills and enjoy their class performances! We also have a friend who moved their child here due to allergies. Our kid also has a mild allergy and Yuying is very good about keeping everyone safe with allergies (making sure there's no nuts in anyone's lunchbox, no sharing, educating kids about allergies and keeping everyone safe, etc.) and also keeping up with the parents for updated EpiPens and meds.

Our two boys started in the YuYing Preschool and had an excellent experience with Ms. Pearlie, Du…read moreLao Shi and all of the teachers there. Our boys came home teaching us Chinese. We learned about how to talk about dinosaurs, vehicles, continents, money, plants, photosynthesis, Chinese culture and poetry--it was incredible. Our boys also learned to dance and learned their letters and numbers (in English), thanks to Ms. Pearlie's diligent efforts. It was a wonderful place for our sons to grow and learn. Our sons are older now, one is in TK and the other is in 1st grade and are now in the afterschool program. They both love taking the van from their school to YuYing. I appreciate that the staff is attentive to our kid's needs. My younger son was expressing that he felt bullied by another kid. The staff addressed our concerns by mediating between the boys and making changes in the classroom to build more safety for the kids. Our kids have also been teaching me how to read and write simplified Chinese. My 1st grader came home with his workbook. I was impressed at how proficient he was in doing his assignments--making sentences and word pairings in Chinese. I don't think he would know how to do that with English textbooks! Lastly, we appreciate how thorough they are about making a plan for emergencies and communicating them to us. When Alameda had Tsunami warnings or there were concerns about ICE, we appreciated that YuYing made sure to let us know what their plans are in all of these situations.

I have two issues with Oaktown Boulders: communication and organization. It was impossible to get a…read morehold of them by email or phone to sign my daughter up, so we drove there and showed up to talk to someone. I signed my daughter up for a class, and after she attended one session (and after getting her excited about climbing), they emailed me to say they messed up, and the class was full. So they cancelled her enrollment and gave me a partial refund. Totally unacceptable! My daughter was so disappointed. After that experience, we joined another climbing gym and asked Oaktown Boulders to take us off their email list. They have literally emailed me half a dozen times, promoting new classes and letting me know about openings. EVERY SINGLE TIME, I ask them to remove me from their email list! No response. Also, unacceptable! Get your sh*t together, Oaktown Boulders!

Part of loving Oaktown Boulders is loving that they are aiming to make climbing something that ALL…read morekids have access to. And doing so by providing quality and fun instruction - there's no compromising in what they offer. It is exciting to see the growth that they have achieved over the past couple of years and moving locations, hiring/training new staff is never easy. If I wanted big box climbing lessons for my kid I'd go elsewhere. Yet, in addition to wanting this confidence boosting and camaraderie building experience for my kid it matters to me to give my money to a place also working to do good in our community. Have you read the Mission?

Summer 2025 the staff seemed unqualified to be working with children as they were mostly children…read morethemselves. I am sure the pay scale is low because it was all teenagers teaching my Johnny. I was nervous leaving him every time because it all seemed unprofessional. We will be looking elsewhere next summer.

This was a pretty disappointing experience. We tried this camp for the first time this summer…read more We're pulling our kids out early and will not be returning. The most minor problem is that "because of COVID" they're asking all kids to register as if they were in last year's grade, not the grade they will be in at the end of the summer. I don't think most parents followed this instruction. Thus, my 10 year old is in a group with absolutely no kids his age. When I brought up my concern, I was told there was no way to fix this. My older kid has been bored out of his mind. My younger kid has spent the week thus far being bullied by another camper. This other camper has kissed a girl without her consent, filmed this same girl on his phone without her consent, kicked my kid in his shins, and in numerous other ways physically assaulted him. This has occurred all week. On Thursday, at 11:53am I had to step out of an incredibly important work meeting to take a call from the camp. They informed me that this problematic camper was getting into it with my son and they wanted me to talk to my son about staying away from him. When I spoke to the camp director, she told me she wasn't aware my son had been hit repeatedly by this other kid. And she didn't feel she had the ability to keep them separate. Needless to say, my husband is on the way to retrieve both of my kids because we're concerned about their health and wellbeing. They will not return for the last day of camp. All and all, this was a total waste of money. I was nervous they weren't safe all week, and today my fears were confirmed. They cannot keep kids safe and healthy, therefore, we will not be returning for the last day of camp.

We celebrated our daughter's 5th birthday here, and it was absolutely wonderful! They truly thought…read moreof everything. They provided cupcakes, a Happy Birthday sign, candle, and party favor bags--items I had already purchased myself, but I could have saved so much time and money! Elianna was an absolute dream to work with. She kept us updated on the flow and timing of the party, and she was warm, attentive, and fantastic with all of the guests. This location was also incredibly accommodating. Our party fell during Thanksgiving break when most nearby Tutu Schools were closed and unwilling to host events, but this team graciously allowed us to book during that time. We're so grateful!

Ms Eliana is and was very welcoming for my daughters first time and continues to be thrilled about…read moregoing to ballet school. Thank you we appreciate you!

My little one just joined, and I had the chance to sit in and observe. Right away, I noticed all…read morethe kids were truly living their best lives. You can clearly see how much they love and respect Mrs. Dee. My daughter jumped right in and instantly felt at home, which meant everything to me. If you're looking for someone who genuinely cares about the children in the community and pours her heart into what she does, you've come to the right place. It's an amazing environment, and your little one will absolutely love it!

My kids have loved being a part of the fall and spring musicals with Mrs. D. I'd highly recommend…read morethese classes for kids getting started with and expanding their theater experience.

I'm so glad Alameda has an indoor playground. Both my kids have been enjoying since 6 months to 5…read moreyears old+ Can get busy on rainy days so definitely call to make sure they are accepting open play. It's not huge so it's easy to keep an eye on your kids but lots of variety. Love all the benches and comfy seating for caretakers. There's even a paid massage chair. You need trampoline grippy socks but we've invested pairs sold here and used them plenty. Some favorite areas for the kids are bounce house, kitchen area, ball pit, and slide. There's a clean kitchen area to eat your food. I haven't come or hosted a birthday party but there's a room in the back for one.

This place is fantastic, such a great addition to the east bay. I came here for the first time…read moreyesterday with my 4 year old and 8 year old and they both loved it. Especially my 4 year old which I think is probably more of their target audience, kids below 6. There are a lot of physical activities like a slide ( more suited for kids under age 5), a ball pit, swings, rock climbing wall, and a whole jump house in the back. There is also a painting station and sensory room to calm down and take a break. They have a lot of chairs and couches throughout the place so if you have some work to get done there is definitely room to do so while your kids place. All in all, my kids and I enjoyed this place had we'll definitely be back again.

I just can't say enough positive things about Ozzy and his Music Academy. I am so grateful that my…read morechildren landed in such a welcoming and supportive container for them to explore and get comfortable with music and many different instruments. Ozzy is a true visionary in his way of teaching and somehow leads the kids to see the inner rock star inside of them, fearless and powerful. It has been a joy to see my kids perform and with Ozzy's guidance my daughter now writes songs and has even performed at Alameda's Got Talent! Her confidence is soaring~what a gift! I would say to any parent in the Alameda or Bay Area, treat your child to the best music school in the Bay, your child will learn a lot more than music, they will learn inner confidence, breathing techniques and gratitude. Thank you Ozzy and staff!

My son Kailo did the summer camp few weeks ago and he absolutely loove it!! Ozzy and the all team…read moreare amazing! The kids get to try so many instruments, the environment, the level of knowledge of the instructors create a phenomenal learning experience for the kids. We registered Kailo to the kids band classes twice a week and he comes home practicing naturally every night! Every morning he is asking me when he will go to class! He has new friends and we are so fascinated by how Kailo become so passionate about music !! We are so thankful and grateful to have met Ozzy!! He changed Kailo's life!! Thank you so much Ozzy and the all team we greatly appreciate your FUN and intense work!

Kid: I love Miss Patrice and Studio Time so much. I really learn a lot and can't wait to go there…read moreagain! Mom: My daughter just LOVES her Studio Time art class, it is by far the best part of her week. She's so happy and she feels so proud of her work. I'm so touched by it. So much positivity and creativity abound! Miss Patrice is a magical fairy and her magnificent instructors are fabulous with the kids.

Today I took a class with Patrice in her fantastic studio. The classes are very small and…read moreintimate. I worked on a Day of the Dead Teatro for Dia de los Muertos. It was fantastic. I am sad the class is over and more inspired to create than I have been in a L.O.N.G. time. I can't wait for her holiday gift making classes. She also offers classes for kids (morning/afternoon/saturday), call early to register early, because space is very limited and the offering is like nothing else in Alameda.