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 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!

I have taken a few classes at the sewing room and absolutely love it there! I like how it offers a…read morelarge variety of classes, different time slots to choose from, and provides almost everything you will need for the classes. My instructors Julie Ann and Christine are very experienced in both fashion design and teaching. They are patient, sweet, creative, and knowledgeable. I'm currently working on a two piece fitted wool dress and blazer set, which I'm super excited about! I can't wait to go to my classes each week.

Our Three Years at YYY -- A Full Journey Review…read more This review reflects our complete experience watching our son grow from a shy two-year-old into a confident, bilingual kindergartener, all within the walls of YYY. Choosing the School When we began touring preschools in Alameda, YYY stood out immediately. We loved the structure -- the cleanliness, the balance of learning and play, and the Montessori-based approach. The fact that they conduct live scan background checks on all hires gave us added peace of mind. Our only hesitation was the bilingual curriculum. Neither my husband nor I speak Mandarin -- we're an English-only household -- and at two years old, our son wasn't talking much yet. We worried that introducing a second language might confuse him. Still, something about YYY felt right, and we decided to take the leap. Year One -- Group 1: Finding His Footing When our son started at YYY, he had just turned two. He was still in diapers, not very vocal, and still getting steady on his feet. The first three months were the hardest. Every morning brought tears -- he didn't want to be dropped off, and it was the first time he'd ever been away from home in a care setting. By month three, however, something shifted. The crying stopped, and in its place, we began to see a little boy growing more independent and comfortable each day. The first year, we measured success differently. It wasn't about academics -- it was about care. Were the kids safe? Were they being guided toward potty training? Were they learning to feed themselves, follow simple directions, and transition between routines? On every count, YYY delivered. Our son became especially fond of his teacher, Ms. Emily, and that bond told us everything we needed to know about the warmth in that classroom. Year Two -- Group 2: The Emotional Roller Coaster Around the time our son turned three, Ms. Emily pulled us aside with exciting news: he was ready to be potty-trained. We were thrilled. We reinforced the process at home, and within a short time, he was fully trained. Shortly after, he moved up to Group 2, where Mandarin learning began in earnest with Ms. Du and Ms. Chen. At three-and-a-half, a new challenge emerged. Our son was struggling to manage his emotions -- when he didn't get what he wanted, he had a hard time expressing himself, likely because he was still working on his verbal communication. We found ourselves questioning again: was the bilingual environment too much for him? Were we doing the right thing? But the teachers met him exactly where he was. They worked with him patiently -- teaching him to speak up, take a breath, drink some water, and step away to calm down. We mirrored these strategies at home, and gradually, the tantrums gave way to something better: self-regulation. The turning point came in October. The kids were asked to talk about their Halloween costumes in both Mandarin and English, and when we watched the video of our son confidently describing his costume in both languages, we were genuinely amazed. We checked in with Ms. Du, who reassured us: he understood Mandarin well -- he might not always speak it aloud, but he could follow along and even sing songs. That was enough for us to commit. We stayed, and we're so glad we did. By age four, our son was singing songs in Mandarin, making friends, managing his feelings, and coming home to tell us about his day. Year Three -- Group 3: Exponential Growth The final year at YYY brought it all together. The focus shifted toward English readiness for kindergarten, and the growth we witnessed was nothing short of remarkable. One of our most memorable moments came when the kids performed on stage at a church. Our son -- the same boy who once cried every morning at drop-off -- stood up there without a trace of stage fright, belting out a Mandarin song at the top of his lungs, complete with all the dance moves he'd learned from Ms. Pearlie, Ms. Du, and Ms. Chen. My husband and I looked at each other in disbelief, the proudest we'd ever been. The rest of the year unfolded in the same beautiful way: daily journal writing, reading his first books, learning to count, drawing, coloring, and deepening his bonds with every teacher and assistant in the school. The graduation performance was the crown jewel -- every child had memorized speeches in both English and Mandarin and performed choreographed dances with joy and confidence. Talking with the other parents that day, it was clear we all felt the same thing: these teachers had given our children something extraordinary. Not just academic skills, but a foundation -- emotionally, socially, and linguistically -- that will carry them far. We couldn't be more grateful for everything YYY gave our son, and our family.

Our son spend 3 year at Yu Ying Learning Center and beneficiate a lot from the highly trained and…read moreprofessional teachers staff. I would recommend for every family!!

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?

My daughter attended camp last week. I picked her up and was exhausted playing out in the direct…read moresun in the afternoon. I would appreciate more structured activities and keeping them indoors during the very hot hours in the afternoon. I was hoping for more art projects and science exposure for the price we are paying. Will not return next year.

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.

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 just can't express enough how much we love this place! First of all..owned by a woman of color is…read morealready a green flag in my book. I have literally done almost every single thing this place has to offer from open play, to preschool, OT, hosting a birthday party there and special events like the holiday party and carnival. In terms of birthday parties, it was SO easy. Literally one of the most stress free kids parties I've hosted. The staff were so so kind and super helpful. They helped with everything from setup to clean up so we could just be present and enjoy the day. The party room is super spacious with room for kids and adults. We had a pretty large group and were totally comfortable in the space. I appreciated that we could bring all our own food and decorations and the crew literally helped me setup everything. For open play there is an awesome variety of things for kids to do. I especially love the quiet room. It's great for my neurodivergent kid to have space to both jump in the bounce house and move that energy out and chill in the quiet and calm area. We're big fans and have really enjoyed all aspects of this whole place for 5 years now. Keep it up yall! You're doing great.

We celebrated my child's birthday at Swings & Wings and it was honestly the easiest, most fun party…read morewe've ever hosted! We booked the private party package and had access to the whole play space -- bounce house, ball pit, climbers, all of it. Our host took care of setup and cleanup so we could actually enjoy the party instead of running around. The kids had a blast, and I loved that there was a quiet/sensory room for anyone who needed a break from the excitement. My daughter and her friends had a BLAST! If you're looking for an stress-free, kid-approved birthday spot in Alameda, Swings & Wings is it. We'll be back!