I took a wax ring casting workshop where I got to design my own ring. It was challenging but lots…read moreof fun! The entire class consisted of step-by-step instructions on how to size, carve and etch a design on a wax mold. Once complete, you attach your name and contact info on a card so that it can be shipped to you once it has been cast into a brass (or silver) ring. You really learn what goes into designing a piece of jewelry- would definitely take this class again. Will have to remember to post a photo of the finished piece after I receive it!

I took the pressed flower candle making class. It was very easy to follow instructions, fun, and…read moreeveryone's candle turned out lovely. You are given a kit that includes all the items you need to make the candle in class and for you to use at home. I knocked down one star bc I ended up paying a minimal fee ($2) for parking as the class went just a little over 2hrs which is the validation period.

One of my favorite YMCAs to go to. This facility has a lot of different equipment and space. There…read moreare also beautiful views of DTLA. The staff are always friendly and able to help with account issues or questions about the gym.

It's fun to stay at the YMCA, especially in DTLA…read more Open 5:30 am - 9:00 pm Monday through Friday and as early as 8 to 9 am Saturday and Sunday til the afternoon. The Ketchum location, named after the late Stuart M Ketchum, a huge philanthropist, civic leader and real estate mogul. Is very modern and stylish on the outside and the in. If you want to volunteer for various programs you can do so via their online portal. Opportunities from Sports Assistant to Food Distribution and more. YMCA Downtown LA partners up with great groups such as the LA Food Bank, LA Civil Rights, Students Run LA, American Red Cross and numerous others. Passing through on a Saturday morning, the fitness area was filled. And they offer some great wellness programs including group exercise, various indoor sports and even online programs. Check out their youth and adult programs ranging from hobbies and sports to summer camps and workshops. Additionally the DTLA Y has monthly, annual and day pass memberships. And their layout as well as the outdoor landscape with beautiful statues, colors, designs, etc... that make all feel welcome.

My son attended his first season at Camp Adventurewood in 2023 - it was his first experience at a…read moresummer camp and he was a little nervous and shy but all his counselors made him feel so welcome and comfortable and after the first day he was hooked! He loved the variety of activities and made so many new friends. He came home with fun stories each day. I loved that they offered a variety of options from 2 days/week to 5 days. We returned last summer and an unexpected and sudden medical event threw our summer for a loop. They were beyond kind and accommodating. Michael, the owner, personally made sure we were taken care of at a very scary time and was just incredibly kind and communicative. I can't thank him and his staff enough for the support. I would recommend this camp for any family. Its like a classic, old-school summer day camp experience!

My son attended Adventurewood camp for the first time this week. For the most part he enjoyed…read morehimself -- particularly the characters they introduce throughout the week. However, we decided to pull him out for next week because of a very disturbing situation. He shared that a counselor had pushed him with both hands on his shoulders during a capture the flag activity. He had dropped his flag and was putting it back on when a counselor (he didn't know her name) pushed him back hard enough to make him lose his balance and fall. She also barked "you need to reset!" She didn't ask if he was ok or help him up. You'd think if this was an accidental push and he fell over she would say something like "sorry bud are you ok? Here let me help you up" but nope, not a word. A friend he's attending camp with witnessed the whole incident. Since I pick them both up in the afternoons they both recounted this situation to me and both of them noted how inappropriate her behavior was. I immediately reached out to Michael, the owner of the camp. He said he wanted to identify this counselor and get her side of the story. Understandable. My son felt uncomfortable going back the next day but I reassured him it would be handled and offered to drop him off in the morning and stick around to talk to Michael and the counselor. I wanted him to feel safe. Michael identified her (her name is Carson) and said he wanted to talk to her first, which he did a few feet away from me. I heard her say she didn't push him. They then walked over to me and she again denied everything. So we asked both kids to come over and recount what happened. They both did -- in front of her -- and reiterated she pushed him. She denied even touching him. So Michael suggests at this point that perhaps it was an accident and my son responds by saying "how do you push someone like that by accident?!" No response. So I ask her, are you saying these kids are lying? She again said she didn't touch him and at this point we send the kids away. I'm incensed because not only does she gaslight both of them to their face but tells this bold faced lie to her boss in front of the campers and me. I tell her I believe them and I think she's the one lying. At this point she gives me this dirty look - angry, irritated and almost rolls her eyes at me. I turn to Michael and say "and now she's giving ME an attitude?!" Unbelievable. In a follow up call, he tells me how good of a person she is and that this is shocking for him to hear but that she doesn't seem like someone who would do something like this...that she's getting her teacher credentials and he knows her really well. I am getting the vibe he doesn't actually believe any of this and he sounds very skeptical. I respond by telling him that it's almost always surprising when people exhibit bad behavior and that even teachers do bad things...that doesn't make her any more credible in my eyes. He acknowledged that. In fact, it's worse because I would be really concerned to have someone like that teaching a kid. Lack of empathy, accountability, and integrity. I mean, I think it's great he's trying to have her back but there are moments in life when you need to draw a line and act swiftly...these are one of those moments. Because ultimately, this impacts the reputation of your camp. I told him that it would be good to offer training to his staff in case this ever happens again in the future and honestly he sounded baffled and asked me to clarify...I said well maybe tell your staff not to give dirty looks to a mom who's clearly upset that her son just got pushed by a grown adult at summer camp?? I told him that the response to this situation could've resulted in a totally different outcome. Had she said something like "I really don't recall pushing you but if I inadvertently did and made you feel bad I'm sorry - I didn't mean to do that" - I would've went home that morning feeling fine about the situation. When I told him this he said that he's not going to police all her reactions, that she's still young, that she's still learning and made all kinds of excuses for her. Exhausting. Apparently she got a "warning" and will sit out of the flag activity (umm, ok...). He seems like a smart guy and wish him nothing but success in the future and I was earnestly trying to offer advice for how to handle a situation like this better but it fell on deaf ears. I really hope that some kind of learning comes out of this for both of them. Oh and to top it off, my son's friend told her mom that Carson was giving her looks several times throughout the day today and when she asked what kind she said "side eye" looks. NOT COOL. My son also said she was kind of mean to him but wondering why they were even in close proximity when Michael said they'd absolutely be separated and would not see each other? Validates we both made the right choice by pulling them both out. He offered a refund but I'm still pissed about the situation.

Not happy with this year camp. Please refer to East Valley YMCA yelp page for detail experience…read morereview.

Camp Whittle is owned and operated by the Los Angeles YMCA and has an excellent sleep away summer…read moreand winter camp program for kids of all ages in Big Bear Lake! My child has gone for years and has enjoyed learning so much from so many incredible staff!! I highly recommend camp whittle for children of all ages even teenagers looking to learn how to be a camp counselor!! Camp whittle gets kids away from iPhones and into the forest where they have fun and make friends!!!!

This summer camp program grew out of an in-school knitting club at my step-daughter's elementary…read moreschool. She has been attending and it's a really sweet program where she has learned to knit and crochet. I'm excited for her to attend this camp this summer.

From the owner: Downtime without the Screentime. We host in-person knitting…read moreand crochet circles for teens and adolescents.

OMG where to start? Manu is the real deal, warm hearted, smiley, and after a week away with her my…read morekids (8 and 9, completely different personalities and likes) both ADORED her. Manu's helpers felt great too. I liked SO much about this camp. My kids still talk about the amazing camp food, still clutch their little tins of survival tools, and still walk a little taller because they know a little more about the nature we live in and how to handle it. Go Camp Manu!

What a wonderful, cool, resourceful person Manu is. I contacted her during quarantine to find some…read morelow population river spots to bring my four year old daughter and Manu sent me exact locations of beautiful adventures and spent an hour on the phone with me, going over all kinds of safety suggestions for outdoor adventures. I now have an emergency kit packed in my backpack that makes me feel so much more at ease when I go exploring I so hope we can be a part of her Camp next year.

I know my son isn't always the easiest, but to arrive and find him unattended in the parking lot is…read moreF****** UNACCEPTABLE!!!! Oh, and they didn't even call us till 3 hrs later to ask if we took him without signing him out?!? 3 hours before they noticed he was gone! For the money they are charging, the lack of care and the councilor's lack of training is appalling. My son said the councilor yelled at him and called him a bad kid in front of everyone... not ok. So done with this place.

Great Camp. What matters to me the most is whether my kid is having fun.... She Had A Blast! We…read moreenrolled 4 wks ( Galileo Makers: Materials Challenge , Road Trip Adventure , Space Explorers , The Incredible Human Body). She had so much fun each day and I also enjoy seeing all the projects she brought home on Friday. Stuff are super friendly and passionate. You can tell they enjoy be part of the camp. I do wish they have more activities during the extended hours, seems the activities are limited and they just go out and play. None the less, still a great camp. We will come back next year. See you next summer, Galileo!

We've been coming to Bloom for a long time, since my kiddo was maybe 2 or 3? We started with a baby…read moremusic class, then moved on to ballet for a year. We recently came back and tried various classes from broadway - music. All of our teachers have been very nice. If you're looking for a professional well structured school, I'm not sure this is the place for that. If you're looking for a place for your child to be creative and socialize, I think this is the place for you. Parking would be on the street/meters. The weekends are a bit difficult to find parking with multiple churches and lots of restaurants around the school. There are tv monitors so you can watch your child while they're in class. There are lots of places to sit inside and outside while you wait for your child. Class sizes are fairly small. The cost is typical of LA prices. We take classes in another city as well and the cost is $40 less/month, however, class sizes in affordable studios also have triple the amount of students.

Such a great place to take our son Saturday mornings. He loves the baby classes with Lev! Highly…read morerecommend!!

Virginia Garcia is absolutely the best pool lifeguard I have ever met in all my years as a member…read moreof the Glendale YMCA. She is always punctual, attentive to the needs of all the swimmers and even teaches little children how to swim. She has a wonderful personality and is always available to help out anyone with any issue at the pool. Anyone who hires Virginia will be more than pleased with her performance. Even this five star review does not begin to do her justice.

Based on my personal experience, not just once but twice, this place has had some of the worst…read morestaff I've ever seen. They are unable to properly handle or resolve even basic issues when problems come up. Unfortunately, there seems to be almost no real supervision or management in the gym at all, and there are absolutely no proper standards for maintaining the environment. The staff do not appear trained to deal with conflicts or unexpected situations, and when problems happen, they seem completely unable to resolve them properly. Honestly, this has been one of the worst gym experiences I've had. The environment feels chaotic, unprofessional, and poorly managed overall. I would absolutely not recommend this place.

10/10 environment and facility. We had a birthday party there for my son and the kiddos had a blast…read moreand left tired! The gym is clean with a great set up for all ages from 2- adult. The coaches are amazing with the kids and keep the vibes high. I recommend this place to everyone that has a kid that loves to move and have fun. Thanks Coach Mayo and staff!

Attended a bday party here. My teen girls did not want to participate as this seemed more geared…read moretowards younger children. My 12 year old son joined in the courses and activities and he stated the Parkour portion was too long and he enjoyed more of the nerf wars. The party was 2 hours indoors on the course. It is very compacted in a small space for the taller kids. They only allow one kid to go at a time because of the spacing. At the end of the indoor activities they had everyone go to the back patio and this is where food and cake was done at for one hour. Not enough seating for everyone in the back and many had to sit on the asphalt or the dirty fake green mat they had out there. Getting portable benches or tables for the backyard would make it more appealing for parties. The stairs don't belong to the business and some staff came out rudely telling the kids to not sit on there. Perhaps a sign or a plastic chain across the bottom rail will also help prevent the frustration of the staff being taken out on the kids to not go on the staircase. The staff did help with the clean up after the event which was nice. Another reason for the removal of a star was because the door leading to the patio doesn't have any safety features on it. It swings inward and has no resistance to it and is the perfect height to nail a kid. Which it did hit the birthday boy right on the forehead. An adult going in while he was going out opened the door and he got a big bump and gash on his forehead. During parties a pool noodle or cushion over the door handle could prevent a lot of injuries. Also placing a tension spring on the door would also help so the door doesn't go full force inward. Easy fixes if they don't want to put a window in the door. This place is geared for younger kids. Age 8 and below. For older kids not much for them to do. Easy fixes can be done to alleviate many issues.