Updating this review just to let people know Animal Encounters is still incredible! This is our…read moresecond time hiring them although we've been to several more parties where they were there. Always incredibly friendly and professional, the animals are so well taken care of and friendly. A huge hit with kids and adults. The staff is so easy to work with, setup is easy, they do everything, we just sent photos beforehand and discussed where the setup would be. They constantly have someone cleaning up any poop from the animals, it's just a Betty lovely experience and the most popular thing at our parties.

This was my second time over the years hiring Animal Encounters for my children's large birthday…read moreparty. John did an outstanding job accommodating our group from start to finish. The team was attentive to the various age ranges of children, patient with all of our questions, and clearly prioritized the well-being of both the children and the animals. The cleanup was handled efficiently, as if it never happened. Overall, I highly recommend this company for this service. Their attention to detail, professionalism, and warm hospitality made the party fun and memorable!

We had a fun time visiting this holiday season pop up! I don't know how necessary it is because we…read morewent at noon when they opened, but you can prepurchase your tickets online (I'm guessing they might "sell out" at busy times but I don't know). Our first stop was gas pump cocoa with whipped cream and sprinkles! Stand back because the pump is old school and can slosh when the workers fill your cup. We played games outside and inside, having to wait a bit for skeeball to be available. We did not opt in for the two paid photo ops but did get some good free photos ourselves. Snacks were available but limited. The staff were dressed in on theme pump station outfits and all quite kind and helpful. Very cute idea--would love to visit in the evening time!

Super fun! Hot chocolate, games and a dj. It was silly but good fun. Unfortunately parents were…read moreallowing their children to takeover the ski-ball without taking turns and throwing the wooden balls overhand, moving them from one machine to the next and just behave completely out of control which was unfortunate but not the fault of Kringle's. Everyone on the staff was friendly and helpful.

Such a fun place for the kids to burn energy! Workers are super friendly and quick to help!read more

I can't believe we live so close and I'd never even heard of this place. We usually go to Elevated…read moreSportz or Flying Squirrel, so Sky Zone wasn't even on my radar. Another parent mentioned it during an Easter egg hunt, and I figured we'd check it out so my kids could compare before deciding where to have their birthday party. We came in this morning, filled out the waiver, and the staff walked us through the pricing and membership options. Then, out of nowhere, they told us not to worry about paying for today (thanks Claire) --just grab the grip socks. That honestly caught me off guard. You don't really see that kind of approach much anymore. It felt like they were confident enough in what they offer to just let the experience speak for itself. My kids had a great time and ended up choosing this as their birthday spot. So while they let us try it out for free today, they probably just locked in a party that'll cost me over $1k. Customer service was great all around. Only small downside--it was a little cold inside.

So, it's not the most fun, but maybe if you're a tourist and you're looking for something that will…read moretake you around to different sites around the city, this might be good for you. The questions weren't very "puzzling" - they weren't very clever and brainy which was a little disappointing. It was a little tricky clicking through the app and when to click because they give you some time to walk to places. Most of the answers were really easy once you get to the spot, but occasionally it was tricky trying to figure out exactly what answer they wanted. We actually tried this in another city as well, and it was roughly the same experience - just mediocre.

UPDATE: They apologized and gave me a refund so I'm adjusting my rating. I do hope they've fixed…read morethe glitches that caused this to happen and have made it easier to reach customer support on the weekends so this won't happen to others but they were professional in their response, even though it was too late to save my party. Original post: Thanks for ruining my birthday, Puzzling Adventures! I purchased the Puzzles by the Glass (21 and over) adventure for my birthday party as it seemed like it would be a fun time. What I wound up with instead is some sort of walking tour of the sculptures at the Seattle Center. It was a total snooze fest and definitely not what I wanted to do for my birthday. Basically, it has you walk from one sculpture to the next, read the plaques, and then answer a reading comprehension question for each one. Freaking ridiculous. I thought I was purchasing basically a pub crawl and thought it would be a fun way for my friends and I to go on an adventure and check out some places we might not otherwise go to. After 30 minutes of walking from sculpture to sculpture, our group finally decided it was clear they weren't leading us to a bar so I tried to call but (surprise) nobody works at Puzzling Adventures on the weekends when folks might actually be using their products so there was no way to get support to get us on the correct adventure so we chose our own adventure instead. What a waste of money (not just the cost of the "adventure", but also the $22 parking at the lot it has you start at).

Hey are you or your kids looking for music lessons over the summer or into the fall? If you like…read moresupporting local businesses and know how important music can be, I suggest this local business as it is Madison Valley's hidden gem. Here is a little bit about me. I have been a student of The Music Factory for 5 years. Here are three things that set them apart from the rest. One, they are super flexible. Lessons can be taken from The Music Factory, online, or even at your own house. Two, the staff are super kind and friendly. Every interaction I have had with them has been wonderful and supportive. Three, The Music Factory is located in a house. It feels like you are at home and the environment is really calming and warm. Click the link below to learn more! https://musicfactory.online/studentsignupgreen

I started at the music factory after seeing some of their flyers, and was taking lessons there for…read morearound a year. I really enjoyed my time with the music factory, and I was connected with some awesome people/great musicians and mentors. I was able to explore many new concepts and even a new instrument, and every step of the way was guided by first class musicians. I highly recommend TMF to anyone, but especially adult students who want expert, in-person lessons! I worked specifically on guitar with Blake and drums with Tim, and both of them were really great at gauging where I was at coming in and helping me figure out where I could grow.

Drove out from Newcastle on Friday afternoon when my wife got off work. Her name is SUN & she…read moreloves sunflowers for obvious reasons! Leaving Bellevue it was sunny, but quickly changed to rain, thunder, and lightning. Arrived at the location, signs indicated that they were Open, but a young man greeted us with the news that because of the weather they closed early. My wife explained that we had just driven out from Newcastle; her namesake flowers were her favorite, and she's a City Councilmember! Besides, the rain had stopped and it was clearing! A quick call to the owner resulted in permission to walk out through the gardens, livestock, chickens, and braying burros--at no charge!! Various types of sunflowers available for viewing, but quite a walk out to the currently blooming acreage! Lots of areas still growing for future displays this fall. Lots of photo ops with the setting sun and sunlight playing on area hillsides behind multitudinous Sunflowers! Looks like a fun place, with Shave Ice and Weiner World SuperFantastic Hot Dogs! I'm sure even more fun stuff when the weather cooperates! Thanks to the Lora Lee Family for their kindness! (I'm going to have to come back out for a WW SF Hot Dog!!)

Beautiful farm, but I'll never be coming back! The owner (man) was so mean; it's not right to yell…read moreat customers. Very bad experience.

We ultimately decided to stop because the class no longer felt consistently safe to us…read more The head coach appeared to show clear favoritism toward certain children, while other kids received far less supervision and assistance during activities. During hanging and obstacle exercises, there were moments when children needed help but no coach was nearby to assist or spot them safely. For a ninja-style program involving climbing, swinging, and elevated obstacles, consistent supervision and equal attention to all children should be a basic expectation. What was also disappointing was the lack of concern or follow-up when we chose to withdraw. No one asked why we were leaving or seemed interested in understanding our experience, which left us with the impression that parent feedback and individual student experiences were not being taken very seriously. For parents considering this program, I would recommend paying close attention not only to the facility itself, but also to how consistently all children are supervised, guided, and included during class.

Amazing and my boys loved it! Will go again and the instructors were just next level awesome with…read morethe kids.

We had such an amazing experience at Slime Factory! It was just my two kids for the last…read moreappointment of the day, and we never once felt rushed--in fact, it felt like such a personal, special experience. Lily truly made it unforgettable. She was incredible with my kids--so patient, fun, and fully engaged with them the entire time. Even at the end of the day, her energy and positivity never dropped. She made each of my kids feel confident, included, and excited about what they were creating. It's not easy to keep that level of enthusiasm, especially for the last appointment, but Lily went above and beyond. My kids haven't stopped talking about how much fun they had with her! Highly recommend Slime Factory, and if you get Lily, you're in for an amazing experience!

Such a fun indoor activity for young kids (and honestly, me too). Pricing felt reasonable…read moreespecially since we got two slimes out of our visit. Our girls absolutely loved mixing everything together and picking out the extra add-ins like glitter. The place is clean and well kept. Staff was so friendly and age-appropriate with my young kids which I really appreciated. Would definitely go back.

I visited Pump It Up and had chicken tacos with me. When I arrived, I was told I could not bring…read morethe food inside due to their policy. While I understand businesses may have rules regarding outside food, I was disappointed by the way the situation was handled. The staff member who spoke with me came across as rude and disrespectful. The explanation felt abrupt, and the interaction lacked the courtesy and customer service I would expect. My concern is not the policy itself, but the manner in which it was communicated. I hope management can provide additional customer service training to ensure guests are treated respectfully, even when enforcing policies.

This is one of the places both of my nephews frequent in recent birthdays as they are both winter…read morebirthdays & it's easy for their classmates to get to. The kids definitely have a great time every year & Pump It Up has a schedule for each reservation; the kids are introduced to the concept/safety/rules, led into one of the rooms where they get to play for about 30-40 minutes, then lead into a bigger room where they have other slides and additional activities to choose from (a 'high wind' simulation, photo booth), then lead upstairs to have food/cake with their friends. Those who work there are mostly high school kids doing the best they can & do just fine. Some of the cons is the parking is terrible; even when I was told by my family to come early to help set up & they have a few "reserved" spots up front, that can vary by the staff who aren't very kind about it even when it's discussed by the payor of the reservation & there is signage to park against the wall near an apartment building next door...or you have to park across the intersection about half a block near some other apartment complexes. So, basically the place is packed with large parties from morning to close so just keep in mind of this if you're planning to come out.

What a fun experience - my grandson and I had a blast! Thank you and don't forget to make a…read moredonation

Hey this little train ride is pretty fun! After seeing this on TV, it was added to our list of…read more"cheaper things to do on the weekends" and it's totally worth it! First thing I suggest is to make sure they are running the trains, their schedule is only on select days so it's worth it to check it out before heading over. Second, get there early! We got here right at opening and the line was already getting long. Though it moved pretty quickly once the trains started running. And finally bring the kids lol, our two year old did just fine and he had a blast! The trains are easy to sit on and once it gets going there's plenty for the little ones to see. They operate via donations so keep that in mind and support this awesome service!