A very good learning institution, my children practice mathematics here, not only feel happy, but…read morealso increase their interest and confidence in learning mathematics. The teacher is also very professional and responsible. If it weren't for the driving distance, I would have let the child persist. So, when my schedule is ready, I will probably have my kids over again.

Great tutoring for my son! He enjoys the classes and he enjoys getting prizes for his work.read more

The Summer Program is great. I am sure the regular…read moreafter school program is great too. I just haven't witnessed it as closely as this program. lil Ryan always has such great stories about his day and a great smile on his face. He seems to have made a bunch of friends and the whole entire staff just seems really great. He really loves the swimming. They even have this fun worship time with the kids which I think is pretty spectacular. I've seen them all rocking out, dancing , and having a great time. It seems like a place that helps the kids grow a bit and learn about god which is great. Being introduced to things like this is how my faith just grew with me naturally. It seems like they're always going on cool field trips also.

My children LOVE the swim gym summer day camp! My children had a blast! Well thought out program…read morewith caring,loving staff.

I have lived in the Peninsula for years and had no idea this place existed until I chaperoned my…read morechild's 2nd grade field trip here. The visit was very educational. The kids participated in a variety of hands-on activities, including working together to pull a fishing net and small fish out of the water. They were able to touch different fish, shrimp, and even small sharks, and observe plankton under microscopes. The staff were knowledgeable and engaging, and the kids had a wonderful time throughout the visit!

What a hidden gem in Redwood City! I got to visit the Marine Science Institute with my 3rd grader…read moreand her classmates. I never knew this place existed. We had the best interactive learning experience here. Children were split up into 4-5 groups with an educator from the institute. We were lucky to be in Emma's group. The kids got to see and touch shrimp, fish, spider crabs, mussels, clams, sea sponge and more! We also learned about the leopard shark and got to pet one. The kids worked collaboratively to collect samples from the bay and even got to look at plankton under a microscope. At the very end of the field trip the children all pulled on ropes together to reel in a giant net. They caught a few fish. It was such a fun experience. Thank you!!! Highly recommend

My 4th grade daughter attended a circus camp session and absolutely loved it. Asking to do it…read moreagain, actually. She rotated through a few different circus-themed activities then they had a performance for parents at the end where she was proud to show off what she'd been learning. The team was supportive and welcoming; she loved her group lead. Highly recommend.

Best circus camp we've used. Best team and amazing family owned place. Would come back every year…read more Love this!

My first experience with PFBS was during Covid, when we needed a summer day camp for our oldest…read more They basically just hung out at a local beach every day, exploring the length of it, nearby tidepools, discussing rocks, etc. She enjoyed herself despite the setting being fairly mundane. Now my Kindergarten student attends a weekly pod at the Coastside Moss Beach location and we are really happy to be sending her. The location--Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and the neighboring forest--is spectacular, and I am constantly being surprised at the random nature knowledge she casually spits out. They visit the tidepools whenever the tides allow, make secret hideouts in the trees, make dams in the sand, etc. I wish I could go to forest school!

My son (started at 2.5, now is 3) has loved every minute at PFBS, he asks to go every day! We…read moreappreciate and trust the teachers and he is cared for with love and affection. He thrives in the beautiful forest classroom. In just a few months has become deeply aware of his surroundings in nature and has developed a true curiosity for the ocean, animals, bugs and plants. Now that he is 3, we planned to send him to a traditional preschool full time, but because of his love for this special program, we are continuing part time at PFBS to foster his love for the outdoors.

Mini-Madness is a great summer experience, especially for first-time campers. This camp caters to…read moreages 4.5-6 and is affordable. It offers a weekly field trip, a variety of recreation activities, fun weekly themes, and good counselors. In addition, it's a great intro to City of Menlo Park offerings (kids go to the gymnastics center and/or swim at Burgess). I would definitely recommend this camp as my daughter has enjoyed it for the past two summers.

From the owner: The program specializes in our Mini Madness (ages 4.5-6) and Menlo Madness (ages 7-12). We also…read morecater to parents who work full-time with out Extended Care Madness. Our CIT program for youth ages 12-15, is a great way for young teens to gain working experience as a camp leader. Campers spend their summers taking field trips, cooking, creating arts & crafts, playing sports, visiting the gymnastics center, swimming, and establishing new friendships!

ever since i started taking swim classes last fall, i've had a strong desire to make time to…read morepractice. after doing some research, i found this community pool, right next to burgess park in menlo park...a very short drive from home. there are 2 large pools, one for classes/instruction and families, and the other for lap swimmers and swim team practice. the former is heated to 87 F, and the lap pool is ~80 F. i usually go to the shallow end of the lap pool which starts @ 3.5 ft. the deeper lanes increase to 7 ft. there are kickboards and pull buoys available for swimmers to use. the locker rooms have lockers to use (bring your own lock), showers, sinks and toilets. there are also some lockers out on the pool deck, or you can just put your things on a table/bench, near where you are swimming. i've always felt very safe here and never had anything stolen while i was swimming. pricing: menlo park residents $7 ($6 with student id) non-menlo park residents $8 ($7 with student id) most weekdays, they are open til 20.00 and most weekends, they are open til 16.00. parking is free in the dedicated parking lot for burgess park, and i've never had problems getting a closer spot whenever i came. great location and facility, very family-friendly!

in comparison to other pools in the bay area, menlo swim is decent...not overly crowded...no time…read morelimit...pay $9 adult or $5 child resident and just $1 more for non-residents...check for drop-in schedule...go and pay before you entre...pool water is very warm...lap pool, fun pool and a separate gated toddler pool....swim laps or swim around in the open pool...grass area to picnic...lockers available, but bring your own locks...bathroom have open showers, so no privacy...soap provided...

Amazing! Best Chinese school nearby…read more Our 4.5 years old son can only understand a little Chinese at the beginning, after first day's after school, he asked me to read some Chinese books at night, which is incredible and he never asked me to do that previously. We really like their "learn and play" project based language program, and they keep their classroom so clean and organized. So many activities ( cooking class, art, airplanes museum trip, etc). And we highly recommend families trying out.

From the owner: Introducing the Chinese language to young learners in a way that keeps them motivated and engaged…read moreis our mission here at Menlo Chinese School. We believe that the most effective way to help our students begin their exploration of Mandarin is by using small-group teaching methods. In this way, we can ensure we always give personal attention to each of our students. With our carefully designed curriculum, we help our young students on their learning journey with a wide variety of imaginative and engaging activities in a Chinese immersion environment.

This is far from the best kept, nicest, newest Y -- nonetheless, this is by far the *best* Y I've…read moreever been to. The parking is terrible, and there's some pretty strange patrons, but the employees are amazing, it's quiet, never overcrowded, and doesn't stink, which is say a lot for a Y.

UPDATED REVIEW: After a month of coming here, I can say that…read morethe weight room is dangerous. Let me elaborate: the weights are not racked in order; there's heavier weights on the top shelf and all the dumbbells are scattered miscellaneously. I've p racked BOTH weight racks three times now and truly it's disappointing to have the community not re rack it correctly. The first time I re racked it was because I noticed a child, elementary school I'm assuming, was trying to grab the 40lb on the TOP rack. ... yes ofc I brought this up to the front desk and even prefaced it with this case. No, I didn't want to be THAT person who pointed it out but it really is dangerous. They responded saying they'll keep an eye for it but can't help it bc members are the ones who mess it up. &that they'll ask the director to put up a sign...we'll see if that happens or not.. To the teenagers who were throwing and kicking the weights, please don't. It was such a scary Thursday since I was pretty close to them. Even though there are signs with phone courtesy etiquette, it's still ignored by grown men who blast their music. Overall, avoid the weight room. If it wasn't for the monthly price and proximity I would not come.

My son has attended three weeks of Galileo Summer Quest as follow. My son loved 2 of the 3 courses…read moreand we will likely be back to try others in future years. Course: Chefology When: 2013, entering 6th grade Son's Rating: 5 stars My Rating: 4 stars Framework: Cooking a couple of different veggie-based things each day in a set group of 4-5 kids Pro: Exposure to full range of cooking skills (cutting, sauteeing, boiling, baking, doing dishes, etc), safety, fun, excited to cook more at home Con: Menus were pretty basic - like ranch dip and pizza, so definitely intended for novices (which my son was, so it was fine) Video Game Design When: 2012, entering 5th grade Son's Rating: 3 stars My Rating: 3 stars Framework: Designing a video game on an older PC-based platform (I forget software name) in teams of 2 or 3. First 2 days involved mostly artwork and overall mapping, almost no programming. Pro: Exposure to video game design; had fun during days 3-4, which were the most programming focused Con: First 2 days were really slow ("boring"); 2-person teams not ideal for programming since one person is watching by definition; software not usable on Macs so we couldn't take the program home Go Kart Builders When: 2012, entering 5th grade Son's Rating: 5 stars My Rating: 5 stars Framework: Build your own go kart (like a soap box derby car you can sit in) from wood and metal. Pro: Exposure to woodworking and general construction techniques (sanding, sawing, nailing, painting) with safety/supervision; opportunity to be very creative/independent; lots of fun; pride of taking home a completed product Con: Storing the completed go kart. :-)

I signed up for this camp because apparently it was very "popular"…read more I cannot emphasize enough how disappointed my daughter was when she came back from her first week of camp here. She was going on and on about how there weren't any outdoor activities and it was just like summer school. She took digital photography. In that class I realized that it is difficult to make friendships, since you have to express your emotions in the pictures. She didn't meet any new friends, she just hung around some people that went to her school. When she came home she complained about how boring it was, at first I was shocked considering how many people there were at this camp and how full it was, but then she explained her reasons. I don't recommend this camp to any sports players, or people who like action and games. I recommend YMCA camp for those types of kids, my kids loved it! it was full of action, and they go swimming twice a week, they do team building games, and they take field trips to places! My daughter told me how she could relate both of these camps to school. Galileo was basically the electives and a normal school day without P.E, or Music. But YMCA was like their spirit days, field trips, and end of the year parties. [By the way, YMCA is only HALF the price of Galileo Camp] I think that this camp is probably just popular because of the many ads that are displayed all over the internet. I am leaving 2 stars because the councilors do try and be energetic, but they don't try and get the kids energetic. I hope all the parents out there take this review into consideration when picking summer camps for your kids.