Coach's mantra: "Play Hard, Respect the Game"…read more Exactly what you get at his camp. We've been going to Coach Max's regular weekly junior hoops sessions twice a week since he started them up - lots of high intensity workouts, in addition to lots of fun playtime and basics of basketball. All in an hour twice a week. This year we decided to step it up, my kiddo (9) was actually home for the summer and finally had an opportunity to check out Coach Max's summer camp (he goes from 9am-3pm). Let me just say, my kid is NOT sporty kid, he's not a lanky shrimp...I wouldn't go as far as calling him lazy, but he does prefer horizontal positions to vertical...This is kid not only LOVES camp, but he's the one waiting for me in the morning to get out of the door. 3 weeks in a row! When I pick him up, he's limping because he's sore and literally goes to bed at 8pm the whole week...up at 7am to get ready in the morning! Which kid does this over summer break?! Now coach...Max is a wonderful human, amazing friend to all, and someone all kids can look up - at any age. For any new kids, he is incredibly warm and easy to get along with. For parents, it's a joy to watch your kid interact. His crew of assistants are patient, friendly, but also mean business on the court. Kids learn teamwork, respect, create friendships, and begin a more detailed and rigorous basketball regime. Recommend to ANYONE. Boy, girl, teen, child... Hot tip: The most affordable camp in the Alameda/Oakland area by far for the kind of sessions offered. Thank you to Coach Max and his crew!!

My 5yo daughter and 7yo son just completed a week of basketball camp with Coach Max Camps and they…read moreabsolutely loved it! Initially, my daughter was a little hesitant to join because she does not know anything about basketball, but by the time camp ended, she got the basics down and made some new friends. It was also nice that they have smaller hoops for younger kids. As for my son, he now has a stronger understanding and appreciation for basketball after doing drills, running the ball and playing scrimmage. He also slept very well that week. Coach Max is such a down to earth guy! Kids tend to gravitate toward him. His staff are very welcoming, fun, and encouraging. I highly recommend this camp! It is a great way for kids to have fun and stay active. We will be coming back next year! My kids also enjoyed the snacks , stickers and Gatorade!

I cannot say enough about this camp only that I am sorry, as a parent, that I didn't know about it…read moresooner!! This is our son, Ezra's 2nd year going. He is currently 10 yrs old and he LOVES it. He's had some rough experiences with other camps (bullying) so I was trying to find him a camp that was a great fit for him and engage stimulating days and promote confidence in personal growth! Mike is wonderful. I don't know how to handles it all BUT the camp counselors are all youthful and very active with the kids! Thanks a MILLION again for creating such a great experience for Ezra! We'll be back next summer!! :)

You know a camp is amazing when your kid can't wait to go in the morning and is happy and exhausted…read more(in a good way) at the end of the day. My 9-year-old had a blast. He loved taking BART, the ferry, Muni, the bus, even hiking. He loved going to San Jose to the Tech Museum and to San Francisco to the Exploratorium and into the Oakland hills to the Chabot Space & Science Center. He loved the counselors. He would go back in a heartbeat. Thanks, UA team for a great experience!

Our twin three year old boys have been doing a weekly class with Coach Gio for the past year, and…read morethey frequently attend the No School Day camps. HoH has been great for them to learn the basic of gymnastics and build body awareness. It's a large and well equipped facility, and the community of parents and coaches is very welcoming.

I really wanted to like Head Over Heels, but our experience hasn't been great. For a place that…read moreworks with kids, the environment often feels chaotic and poorly managed. Several staff members also came across with a surprisingly rude or dismissive attitude. Even simple questions felt like an interruption, which doesn't inspire much confidence. On top of that, a few of the teachers seemed low-energy and disengaged, which made the classes feel flat and not particularly motivating for the kids. The facility is not clean either and some days there's a noticeable smell in the building that makes the space less inviting. Overall, the experience just didn't match the expectations we had going in. I hope they improve the staff culture, energy level, and overall organization, because the potential is there -- but right now, it's not somewhere I'd recommend.

St. Paul's has some of the best camps in the area. We've sent our two kids there for the past few…read moreyears and they love it! Fun in Sun provides the opportunity for kids to do what they do best - play outside!! Each day was well planned out and the trips took them to many fun local locations. Art Camp and Math and Science also provide a great, educational environment while at the same time allowing the kids to just have fun. The counselors have a great rapport with the kids and the administration is well organized, making drop offs and pickups seamless! We've been to many different summer camps in the Oakland area and St. Paul's is always a favorite of my kids. Can't wait for them to try out Hoop Camp this coming summer!

First experience, great experience. The staff was attentive and mostly everyone knew our son within…read morea short period of time. Being on the younger side of a pre kinder, we weren't sure how he'd keep up. He came home using new vocabulary and gained confidence in himself. Thank you to Mr Young and the staff!

Our son started his AAU journey with JustHoop at 7 years old. We left for a while but came back…read morewhen he turned 10 because of Coach Will. He has helped elevate our son not only as a basketball player, but mentally and physically as well. If you're looking for an AAU program that truly develops kids and takes their game to the next level, JustHoop is the place to be. We're here for the long haul and highly recommend it!

My son has been with JustHoop for about a year and a half. We started with group practices twice a…read moreweek, and we enjoyed the program so much that we decided to join the club. Last season, he played on the 8U team. Over the past year and a half, we've learned a lot about the club--the coaching, practices, team management, and overall culture. We have also experienced several other clubs( my other kid (13yrs)had been a different club) but none felt like the right fit. Some had strong training programs but lacked experienced, professional coaching. Others had decent coaching but struggled with game organization and overall team management. JustHoop has been the first club where we've truly felt confident in every aspect of the program. The team practices and TTA sessions are well organized, the coaching is highly professional, and the coaches genuinely pay attention to each player's development. We especially appreciate how fairly and thoughtfully they manage playing time while helping every player improve. We're excited to be trying out for next season and are looking forward to the new adventure ahead!

My very picky, opinionated daughter loves Alameda Makering and Ms. Deneese. This is our second…read moresummer and she's gone to a couple pop-up workshops throughout the school year, and she comes home beaming with pride on all the incredible, high-quality crafts and delicious cooking she's done that day. Ms. Deneese curates every class with creativity and thoughtfulness. We highly recommend Alameda Makering, especially Ms. Deneese.

My daughter has a great time at Makering camp! She loves all the crafts and comes home excited to…read moredo them with me. The baking activities are also really fun and have led to us enjoying the recipes at home.

We attended Gymboree Play & Music at Lakeshore for a year, from when my daughter was 18 months to…read more30 months old, and it was such a wonderful experience! The teachers are fantastic--Ms. Leah in Play & Learn and Ms. Muna in Music class were both patient, energetic, and great at leading activities that kept the kids involved while fostering social and motor skill development through Gymboree's catchable bubbles. The classes struck the perfect balance between structured routines and free play, making them ideal for school preparation at an early age. At some point last year, a new owner took over and made some really thoughtful improvements that elevated the space. They spruced up the otherwise plain walls, added a baby gate to prevent little ones from running in and out of the play area without their adult, and even replaced the circle time carpeting. These small but meaningful upgrades made the environment feel even more welcoming and safe. One of the things we really appreciated was the flexibility in choosing which class to attend. Most of the time, we could just drop in, which was incredibly convenient. That said, for busier days--especially when it was raining--it was a good habit to book a class in advance through the app to make sure we had a spot. At first, it took about a month for my daughter to feel fully comfortable, which I think is completely normal. She started by observing and then gradually joined in after watching her peers interact. It was amazing to watch her growth--learning problem-solving skills (like navigating play structures, balancing, and safely calculating jumps), improving her motor skills, and practicing taking turns and following directions. A big plus is that the play area is always so clean and well-maintained--much better than the park. And while socks are usually required in indoor play spaces, I appreciated that kids could go barefoot here, which helped with my daughter's stability and movement. My daughter loved it so much that she would sing the songs at home and even ask for parachute time outside of class! Now that she's moved on to preschool, I do wish there had been a transition class to help bridge that next step at a younger age. Otherwise, our time at Gymboree was truly special, and I highly recommend it for little ones and their parents looking for a fun, social, and enriching experience.

My baby loves Gymboree! We has so much fun singing (the instructor sings great!) and especially…read moreloves the bubbles. It's clean, fun, and always a great time

Took a beginner silks class here and had such a great time! I was a little intimidated at first,…read morebut the excitement quickly took over. The instructor was super kind, encouraging, and explained each step clearly, which made it easy to follow along even as a total beginner. A few years back, my kids also took the parkour class and absolutely loved it--it was the perfect way for them to get moving and burn energy. Overall, this place has such a fun and welcoming vibe. Highly recommend for both adults and kids looking to try something new!

Really cool spot. Took a handstand class here which was excellent but there are also a ton of other…read moreclasses I want to take. Friendly folks, great facility.