There are few times in my life where I drop off my son for a camp or after school program and feel…read morelike he will be engaged in ways that he's never been before. That's how I feel about Tinkering school. My Son,6yrs old, literally talks my ear off after coming home from here. He talk about the human size Hungry-Hungry Hippo he's making out of pulleys and wood, about the working Air hockey table and how good he is getting at using real tools. Joshua and Nathan and everyone else there are kind, attentive and passionate about what they do. I leave feeling like I'm actually enriching my child's life instead of just leaving him with somebody to babysit him. Registration was easy and They are pretty good at getting back to my emails. Not sure why the bad review here said it was hard. I guess I'm just good at using a computer.

Our son attended this summer camp for the first time. We were so excited because he's always asking…read moreto build stuff using tools/power tools. Our experience was disappointing. Since the camp is an extension of Brightworks School, there are kids who know the ropes and are familiar with the way things work. Unfortunately, the camp isn't set up to really introduce kids who are new to the process of building. Every day our son came home and said he hadn't built anything because he didn't know what to build. Yes, some kids will dive right in and come up with something. Others need instruction, and that's normal. Brightworks has a reputation for being child-led to a very high degree, but I take issue with them not teaching our son about the materials and tools so he could feel comfortable and build something, which he did do on the two final days. When I asked for someone to give him some guidance or ideas, I was told they don't like to give the kids ideas because then they all do the same thing. Yes, yes, I agree, but that applies to the kids with experience, not a kid who's been there 2 days and has no idea what to do. That takes the concept of child-led too far. A school friend was with him at camp and they reported that the instructors were snappy with the kids. Sigh In addition, on their day at Crissy Field, he returned home with the worst sunburn he has ever had. When I inquired about why nobody had put sunscreen on him, I was told that they had given the kids sunscreen and he had applied it himself. He is not yet 7. He is not responsible for sunscreen application to protect his skin from damage. Adults are responsible for that. Even if he takes off his hat, it's the adults who have to enforce the safety rules. Given our experience, we asked if we could un-enroll him for the following week and get a refund. They declined, much to our disappointment.

I was in San Francisco for work and signed my kids (8 & 9) up for the City Kid Camp. They LOVED it…read moreand asked to stay longer. They made friends and loved the daily trips and activities. They came home exhausted every day, but happy and excited. The camp is a unique format - the kids are out exploring the city, playing games, learning new things, and developing social skills. Evan and the team that run the camp are great. You can tell that they are really interested in helping the kids have a great experience and develop skills. The kids are definitely in good hands and well supervised and cared for. I also love that it is a device-free environment. My kids are already asking if they can go back next summer....

My 9 yr old son had another fantastic summer with Evan & his staff at SF City Kid camp! We are…read morecontinually impressed with how relaxed and friendly all the staff members are, and how fun, educational and exciting the experiences are! My son always says he would go every week during the summer if he could; he learned so much and always comes home happy.. 2 of his buddies joined him at camp this summer for some of the weeks and they were thrilled as well. Thanks so much to the SF City Kids staff!

Enrolled my son in CAL Tennis and he's having so much fun and learning a lot. Coach Frank keeps it…read morestimulating for kids while teaching the fundamentals of tennis. He also emphasizes to kids be responsible & clean up after themselves (they need to pickup the balls at the end of the lesson) but does it in a way where my son has fun doing it. My son gets a lot of exercise, is getting better at tennis, and having fun while doing it. Definitely recommend this to other parents.

We had tried a handful of tennis instructors in SF through various tennis sites that link you to…read morelocal pros, as well as group lessons through parks and rec, and none of them come anywhere close to being even half as good as working with Frantz has been. He did in one lesson more than any of the other instructors could do in months of lessons, he's a fantastic teacher and manages to keep things upbeat and fun. I do not think you could find a better instructor anywhere in the Bay Area. Frantz is able to help improve your game no matter what level you are at, it doesn't matter if you are an absolute beginner or an experienced player who has been playing competitively for years, with his coaching you will see results.

If you're looking for an art summer camp or after school program, look no more. Artifact is THE…read moreplace to go. My kids have been going since they were in preschool and I have to say I single-handedly credit Lauren for my kids' interest in and competence at art. The pieces they have produced over the years are mind blowing for their age, and Lauren's creativity is off the charts. She simply knows how to keep kids engaged, no matter the age or gender. She can pivot programs to tailor kids' interests like no other. Truly impressive place and such a positive contribution to society. When my kids went to Paris last year and insisted to going to the Picasso museum over anything else, I almost cried from joy. Thank you Lauren! We love you.

The owner, Lauren, was very generous with us when my son was three years old and just starting art…read moreclasses. He's taken many classes at Sharon Art Studio since, as well as one at Fort Mason and one at Chris Babcock's Art Studio. My absolute favorite piece of his is his first painting, a self-portrait "Picasso" that he made at ARTifact when he was three. He still remembers the monster truck piece and was just talking about it the other night (!). We will definitely be back to ARTifact. Thank you so much, Lauren!

Professor Lee (Lee laoshi) was a great teacher for me and other adult Chinese language learners…read more Thanks to her, I was able to communicate effectively with my wife's relatives and properly participate in funerals for extended family in China. Previously when working with her, I learned enough to travel on my own in Beijing and surroundings. I highly recommend working with her if you want an intensive, focused program of learning spoken or written Chinese.

My children age 9and 10 had been going to this establishment for over two years . I originally was…read morepleased with the place and their teaching . As time has gone on my kids had not picked up as much of the language as I thought they should , so I had contemplated moving else where ... but the class is super close to there elementary school so we stayed . Then the worst thing I could have imagined was made clear to me. My kids let me know that The owner Celine who instructed my kids had been SWATTING the back of their heads with her hand to get them to pay attention!! I was and am in SHOCK , no body touches my kids. IT was hard enough to frighten them Both and this is why I strongly feel other parents need to know this happened . Please do not be fooled by her kindness this will eventually be to your child's disservice . Also I have emails and voice messages with Celine the teacher apologizing! She even went so far as to have a mutual friend try to get me to forgive and forget! Probably knowing I'd write this very sad true information. Be warned ..

This school is amazing! The warm, welcoming director and staff are really offering an excellent…read morefirst school experience to our 2 yr. old granddaughter. The care and detail in the program is exemplary!

We have been so happy with our experience at Peekadoodle! The teachers and staff are so warm and…read morewelcoming and genuinely care about all of the children. I had no idea what I was doing when it came to finding the right preschool. But after having one conversation with the amazing director, Stef, I knew this would be a great fit. Our son started at Peekadoodle when he was about to turn 3 and the change in him over the past 2 years has been remarkable. His vocabulary and social skills exploded and his little (big) personality really started to shine. He loves all of the teachers and staff so much and really looks forward to school. He surprises us almost daily with the things he's learned! I've also been lucky enough to meet some amazing friends in the parents and staff. We'll be sad when our son is done with his time at Peekadoodle but luckily we're having another one so we get to start over. At least we have their preschool figured out!

Easiest review I've ever written, if I could give 6 stars, I would. The educators and the school's…read moreapproach to social emotional development is beyond what I could've hoped for my kiddo. Not only is my son developing and flourishing, I am a better parent because of what I have learned. The element of being in the forest is so beautiful and unique. My kiddo was confused at first "how a school could be closed on the weekend if there are no doors" :), but I've grown to really adore the benefits of a fully outdoor school. From pointing out where sour grass is in abundance to spotting dark-eyed junkos, my son has a beautiful appreciation for the natural world around him that is not something that I would've instilled in him. They have a book station, a "mud" kitchen, and sometimes structured art activities (and I can't speak to what they do in the older classes yet), but I love that the majority of their play is imaginative. There is space to run, climb, and explore. The educators really follow the lead of the kids interests too and bring in books, conversation, art within that space. I am grateful to have stumbled upon such a magical, intentional place. It is a community that we are so glad to be a part of and couldn't imagine life without.

Our family couldn't be happier with Spire School, a fully outdoor forest preschool based in the…read morePresidio. Our son has been in pre-school for two years and we've loved the program's play-based, emergent curriculum deeply rooted in nature connection. Our son was timid and introverted when he started this program and it's amazing to see his physical and emotional confidence build through exploring in nature and experiencing the physical range of weather. What most struck me was the growth in the expansiveness of his imagination through the program which was an unexpected outcome. Watching his ability to play imaginatively within the constraints of the nature classrooms has been amazing to watch. I've also been so impressed by the quality of the educators at Spire. Teacher Kristyn, in particular, is so intentional about how she uses the outdoor environment to develop the various components of early childhood education. She's very clear how she uses various parts of the forest to work on fine or gross motor skills, for example, or how she engages the children in various play-based scenarios and activities to work on cognitive function or various interpersonal skills. The school is also very flexible, inclusive and supportive of families. The lack of rigidity in the school has been a huge plus for us. They are very supportive of each child's individuality and focus their time on adapting to each child's unique interests and needs. The school has a very low student to teacher ratio so the level of individualized support and the depth of relationships is wonderful. I feel very grateful to live in a place like San Francisco where the weather allows for a school like this. I figure my son has years of sitting inside at a desk so why not let him spend as much time outside in his early school years as possible. Nature is powerful and healing.

Such a wonderful place to explore art without expectations or pressure! We loved their open studio…read morebecause my kid got to be truly messy!

I've only visited once, but I was pretty impressed with how put together this was. My toddler…read morewasn't too comfortable quite yet, but I can't wait to bring her back for more fun. They had many fun stations, the only thing that got me wondering was how often do they sanitize their aprons.