I took an online class through Zoom to learn how to make fresh baguettes and loquat jelly. It was…read morean adult class and I had my 17 year old son engaged as well, mostly because he wanted to impress his girlfriend. My son and I worked side by side on our own batches, watching and listening to chef Pascal as she walked us through the process. Bake Austin provided a way for my son and I to spend special time together during quarantine. Not only that, we learned a great deal and have become better cooks because of it. Since the class I purchased an oven thermometer and a scale. I leaned that my oven takes much more time than I thought to come up to temp! My younger son watched a recording of a brownie class from Bake Austin and made a batch of brownies. The next day he flipped through my cook book and made a 2nd batch of brownies. He's baked at least once per week since watching his first Bake Austin video. I think the video made him realize he could bake, and bake he has! During our strange quarantine period Bake Austin and Chef Pascal have been a bright spot in our lives. I'm incredibly grateful for their time and effort and I hope they receive enough paying customers to make it.

Chef Pascal offered donation based quarantine camps for the kids. They were an absolute blessing…read more My daughter is hyperactive she and doesn't entertain herself well. We have a house with five kids so that led to many fights. Chef Pascal's classes kept her focused on something she has been interested in since she was little. They kept her busy, planning, buying, organizing, and led to nice treats for the family. While not everything she made was easy or worked out, she learned to work through it and learned from the mistakes for next time. She has grown much more confident in her abilities and excited to try new things in the kitchen. We look forward to Bake Austin's summer camps and other future opportunities.

Great FREE option in Austin for kids!…read more One of the best parts is you can see an axolotl (two, actually) in their visitor center building. Then you can head over to the birds of prey, the reptile/fish building, and the animal enclosures. There's also a little lake and a large sand pit (dino dig). There's a cool room in the visitor center that has all sorts of nature items (bones, dead bugs, shells, rocks, etc.). You can bring in your own stuff to trade! Is it a huge amount of things to do/see? No but for a free attraction, it's pretty great. Parking is across the street -- lot is shared with Zilker Park and all the nearby attractions so it can get busy.

I didn't know what to expect from this place. Some science centers are kids-only affairs (despite…read morenot being billed as such) while others have more to offer visitors of all ages. Fortunately, the Austin Nature & Science Center ended up falling in the latter category. The main building houses an assortment of bones, shells, and rocks (as well as an axolotl tank) and another building is home to various reptiles. Outside areas include a dino pit (where kids can dig for fossils) and several animal enclosures. What makes the latter unique is that the animals are rehab/rescue cases. They include everything from a bobcat to a porcupine to a 34-year-old one-eyed owl (!!) and more. Granted, Austin Nature & Science Center does offer more for a younger crowd, and it isn't particularly easy to get to by bus, but it's hard to argue with a chance to take in flora and fauna for free.

My daughter absolutely loved this camp and Skylar Bossen is such an amazing camp coordinator. We…read morewill definitely be returning.

We've been testing out several summer camps around the N. Austin area and I have to say, Neuron…read moreGarage (Avery Ranch location) has been the absolute best. Hands down. My kiddo has had some challenges with socialization, but he's blossomed & become the confident kid he once was. The camp director, Robin, and their staff are so caring and fun. They even share great tips on mindset growth via email with parents. We're a little sad this is the last week, but we'll be back next summer. We can't wait! Big thanks to this awesome team!

The environment and the camp counselors are the best! My son enjoys every chance to spend time on…read morethe KHS campus.

We have heard about Kirby Hall from a friend whose son goes there for school. This summer, I found…read moreout I had a week of gap in my 8 years old daughter summer camp schedule. Like a skillful project manager swiftly scheduling a resource to fill in a gap in his/her Gantt chart, I quickly went on Kirby Hall's website and signed her up for her first Art & Craft camp at Kirby Hall. My daughter had a blast. Her art camp had only 5 kids in it, so the kids get plenty of one-on-one with the teacher. She learned to knit and was and is still hooked. I knew zilch about knitting and I had to turn to internet and her teacher so I could help her during her first few days of knitting at home. Her teacher was so supportive and corresponded with me throughout the week to keep me informed of the progress. The kids learned paper mache, weaving a basket from used T-shirts, creating paper arts from cut up magazines and paint samples. Such a creative program!

I took the beginner bungee class Cata (sp) and had the best time! Highly recommend! Lots of laughs,…read moresome sweat and time just flew by.

Wow this place is so cool! I loved how much freedom you have here. The instructor Erika was really…read moresweet and helpful. I was well guided and loved getting to hang upside down. The facility is clean and airy and light. Definitely going to come back!!!

Our 4th grader had a fantastic time during his week of summer day camp with ATX Kids Club and we…read morecan't wait for the next opportunity for a field trip with Tammy's wonderful crew. What's so great? 1) Small groups with a low child-to-teacher ratio. During our week, there were approximately 8-10 kids and almost always 2 or more counselors at each outing. The curriculum has an educational/health & fitness focus, and the well-trained counselors are managed by a certified teacher (Tammy) who is often present during the week. 2) Exercise & being outdoors. The kids are moving most of the day, walking around town to see the sights, playing on splash pads & playscapes, or taking a hike. ATX Kids like to move it, move it! 3) Being a tourist in your own city. The kids (ages 4 - 12) learn to use public transportation and recognize city landmarks while exploring many of the cool destinations available in their hometown. During our week in Summer 2016, our child toured several art museums and historical sites, visited a few parks and walked urban trails. A highlight at the end of the week was visiting the Governor's Mansion and having snack time with the First Dog of Texas, Pancake. 4) Supporting a community-based, local nonprofit. ATX Kids Club offers discounts for children whose families might otherwise be unable to afford this kind of summer camp. They also serve as a CCMS provider through the Texas Workforce Commission. 5) Having a "normal workday" schedule for a reasonable fee. Summer camp hours are 9a-5p ($275/wk), and you can add extended care for 8a-6p for an additional fee ($65/wk). This is such a relief compared to other summer camps that require parents to juggle work hours for drop-off and pickup. I do recommend the extended care unless you work very close to the drop point. Downtown rush hour traffic is horrific! It was fun for us to see the play-by-play pictures of the kids in action on the ATX Kids Club FB page each day, confirming that our child was enjoying camp and making new friends. We're looking forward to signing up for Summer 2017, as well as trying out some of the school holiday and Saturday adventures later this year.

Did two days over spring break for our 6.5yo boy and he loved it. We were lucky enough to get Ms…read moreMiller herself, the program director/founder, as the spring break sessions are smaller than the summer ones. (That's also why we were able to enroll for individual days.) She's selective in hiring guides, and extremely creative in finding things to do around the city, many accessed via public transportation. Kid came home tired and happy each day, with stories to tell about the "main" activities and the "bonus" activities which they keep in their back pocket depending on how the day goes. Will be back!

My kids just wrapped up a week at Camp Indigo and I could not be more happy with the love and…read moregenerosity offered by the Amala community. Our family has participated in several events and offerings at Amala and it is always an experience of enlightenment and grace. I encourage you to discover for yourself what Vanessa and the entire organization has to offer, and to open yourself to their gifts.

After searching for months for the perfect venue, I stumbled upon Amala Foundation while searching…read moreonline for a unique setting for our wedding reception. After our initial tour, I fell in love with the location and atmosphere of the space. Jessie assisted my mom and I in every part of the planning process. He was immediate with responses to emails and phone calls. We chatted back and forth for roughly 8 months to ensure every detail could be accommodated for our wedding needs. The weather was perfect on our reception evening, which was great considering the outdoor setting. We were able to set up a photo booth outside of the main house, as well as several cocktail tables and bar stools for our guests to enjoy hors d'oeuvres and cocktails before the dancing and party began. The beautiful exterior plants and trees embraced what we love so much about Austin-nature. The yoga studio was a perfect space for our DJ and dance floor. We set up a bar on the upper deck and vignettes with a fire pit for groups to sit around and chat between dancing. The space was just large enough for our 60 guests. We had originally expected 100, but it would have been a tight fit and almost uncomfortable for dancing, etc. We are still receiving compliments on our choice of such a beautiful setting and celebration. The cost of the location was much closer to our needs and budget, as well as offered more of a unique experience for our guests than hotels and other outdoor venues we'd looked at. Overall, we were very pleased with the location and service we were provided by Jessie and his staff. I'd recommend this location to anyone for any type of event!

We have taken classes here and frequented open play. Both are great for different reasons, but the…read morecoaches and their friendly enthusiasm carries through both. The gym is nice and open, and it is a safe space for toddlers to learn to trust their bodies. Falling down here is less dramatic- almost every surface is soft and padded. The class is a little more structured but it's sort of a "here's the skill and activity" and then we do it in a rotation. The open play is a little more chaos BUT the kids love self led play. I like both!

Our 5-year old kiddo likes the weekly parkour classes. He really enjoys the various activities and…read more"obstacle" courses he's presented with. There's a large ramp wall that challenged him, but he worked at it weekly and can climb it not without any issues. This gave him a great sense of accomplishment. The core staff are great. They get to know the kids and work with them closely. Even larger groups are supervised well. Our kiddo did well here. Give them a try and see if your kiddo enjoys it. I'm thinking they will!

I love this park. It's spacious, clean of garbage and debris and welcoming. They often have a…read morevariety of events taking place from political to holiday events and so on. The rec center itself has basketball courts, offers programs for kids, classes for adults and kids alike (yoga, karate, and so on) etc. Everyone involved seems to really want to be there to help the community in any way they can. PS: Our dog gives the park area two paws up.

I visited the Pan American recreation center Park for the Dia de Los Muertos festivities. This is a…read morelovely spot with a big stage area and playground. It was a lovely setting and easy to get to by bus or parking in the nearby neighborhood.