Why 5 stars? Because we will definitely miss taking our son here…read more --- --- --- As of this writing, our son is about 2.5 years old and had been going to Kiddie Academy since he was about 5 months. The only reason I say all of this in the past tense is because we just moved out of state. If not for that, we definitely would have kept him here indefinitely. Back when my wife was pregnant and we were touring all of the daycares in the area, we truly could not believe how expensive they were. Literally, the cost of daycare was the same as a monthly payment for a luxury sports car. Heck, it was even on par with my first mortgage. How does anyone afford this?! But fortunately, while still cheap by no means, Kiddie Academy was definitely the most affordable option in the area. And as first time parents, we *immediately* learned that not only was tuition worth it, but we were probably under-paying. Being able to leave our son in the hands of these lovely people for up to 50 hours a week was invaluably helpful for two working parents. We knew he was in great hands and we knew he was having a lot more fun at school than he would have been at home with us. If you're in the Carrollwood/Northdale area, be sure to stop by for a tour here before you decide on visiting another school. We are excited for our new adventure but sad for our son to leave his first group of best friends. This is my last review of a Tampa Bay business. I wanted to save a place that was incredibly important to us for my last review, and there was no place more crucial to our family than Kiddie Academy over the last two years. Now, it's off to writing about a million businesses in the Houston area!

Kiddie Academy Carrollwood is AMAZING! We have been taking our daughter there for the last year and…read moreher and us have loved it! The teachers and administrator Linda are amazing!

Traditional Taekwon-Do has been such a blessing to our family. Both of my boys love it and always…read moreenjoy themselves while learning so much. My oldest also attends the summer camp and he loves all the activities and field trips they take weekly. Master Toni and his staff are all great and treat my children with kindness and respect.

We love the Traditional TaeKwonDo and curriculum! They are great with kids and teach respect,…read morediscipline, gratitude, practice, speed, coordination and teamwork. They also have regular instruction on how to handle bullies and strangers. The annual tournament is always a positive growth experience as well, much appreciation for this place and all of their staff!

Love this dance studio! Growing up in NJ, I went to a family owned studio so it was nice to find a…read moreplace similar in Tampa for my daughters. The owners are wonderful, as is the entire staff. And the demonstrators, who are some of the older dancers at the studio, are also so amazing with the kids. They offer a wide variety of classes (tap, jazz, ballet, acro, etc) once the dancers are of the right age to start them, as well as having a killer competition team. This summer (2021) they offered camps in addition to summer classes. Both of my daughters participated in camp, and they loved sharing all the fun activities & dancing they did during the day. I recommend Dancemakers to all of my mom friends in the area when they're looking for a local studio. We look forward to our many years at this studio!

The studio is good we've gone for years, except for the passive aggressive emails I've gotten from…read morewhoever answers their emails or runs their office when I've had just basic questions. Other than that, the dance TEACHERS have been nice.

I purchased a Groupon deal for a few horseback riding lessons for my daughter on a whim last…read moreAugust. She was just 4 at the time but loved horses and the website for Avalon said lessons start at age 5. I figured I would purchase the deal and use it when she turned 5, boy was I glad I purchased this deal! My daughter turned 5 in the first few weeks of December. We had our first lesson at Avalon just before Christmas. Lonna was my daughter's riding instructor for her first horseback riding lesson. Fun and engaging, Lonna made my daughter feel comfortable on top of the giant horse Evan she was riding. I might mention, my daughter is terrified of heights and Evan is impressively tall. Before riding Evan, my daughter was given the opportunity to groom a different horse with another riding instructor. She was shown how to brush, curry, and comb out the horses coat. She was also shown how to pick up and pick out the horses feet to get them ready to ride. After her first lesson she was hooked on horses and we signed up for a monthly lesson program. The staff, the facilities and the riding instruction is top notch. The Stables are always clean and the grounds are beautiful. The riding staff is trained in beginner to advanced riding techniques. They are welcoming, knowledgeable and friendly. We are happy to have found Avalon Stables for our daughter.

Best. Barn. Ever. You can tell that this barn is different from the first visit. Stables, grounds,…read moretrainers and groomers are world classtrainers. If you're brand new to the horse world or a World Champion, this barn is qualified to help you achieve and maintain riding goals. We couldn't be happier than we are to have two ASBs stabled here with our young daughter training here.

Clean-ish environment, well-trained horses, however the staff was mildly rude and unwelcoming.read more

My daughter attended a horse riding camp this summer at Suncoast Stables and had an incredible…read moretime. What did we love about it? -The themes. Each camp had a different theme and kids could sign up for the one they liked. -Covered riding area. Rain or shine, the kids could ride. -Kona Ice day. The truck came out and the kids could purchase a treat halfway thru the week. -End of the week presentation. Parents were invited to a Friday performance that showed off what their kids had learned. So why not five stars? Mainly because of the lack of communication. Leading up to the start of camp, the only information we had was from the sheet we filled out months before to reserve our spot. An introductory email would be incredible. Also, the paper handed out to parents about the presentation had the wrong time on. I was only able to confirm the actual time because we attended with a good friend who had the owner's phone number. Tightening up the communication would take Suncoast's Summer Camps from being amazing to perfect!

Five stars for their birthday parties…read more We've attended a couple birthday parties here now and they're always a blast. The woman who leads it has always been the same (and I feel terrible for not knowing her name.) She is high energy, great with kids, and her super power is knowing every child's name. It's amazing! The kids are led through a ton of different gymnastics courses that pretty much any age can do. My son is four and loved it. It's interactive enough that they usually aren't just standing in line waiting but always moving. The room upstairs is then used for food and cake time. Then back downstairs for free play, which the children always love. Parents can keep their shoes on, which I appreciate. Kids are barefoot. They always take a group picture that they organize so the birthday party walks away with a wonderful picture.

I went to watch my grandson have his weekly gymnastics class, and it was quite an adventure. This…read morewas my first time, and I was surprised at how crowded it was for the kids, yet it was very organized. I went upstairs to the sitting area for watching the kids below. It was very crowed up there, too. The class started on time, and for a small group of 2 years olds, they really got a workout. (and the parent too) The rule is, no one on the floor without a teacher and for the little ones, a parent also participates as an extra helper. There was a routine that the group went through, which included fun and challenging activities. They use a balance beam, a rock wall, a zip line into a foam pit, and a bunch of floor exercises. My grandson was very happy to be there, and I was really happy to have been able to come see him burn off lots of toddler energy. The parking area was quite crowded but there was enough parking and there was also a swim school attached to the gymnastics building. (He also does swim lessons, which he also loves.) The facility is not very modern but then, it has everything at reasonable prices.

I write this review not to bash Lutz Montessori, but in the hope that their leadership and…read moreprocesses might evolve to prevent similar experiences for other families. What my family went through caused significant stress, anxiety, and sadness, and I would not wish that on anyone else. Overall, Lutz Montessori is a good school. The teachers appear experienced and genuinely care for the children. My son was enrolled in the VPK class for nearly a full year (with just two months left) and we had planned for him to continue into kindergarten there. Toward the latter part of the school year, we began receiving concerns from his teacher about behavioral challenges--such as difficulty sitting still during circle time, interrupting, or hesitating to transition indoors after playtime. The teacher offered several strategies, including using weighted blankets, sand timers, and even seeking occupational therapy. We followed through on all of these recommendations. I stayed in close contact with his teachers, frequently asking for updates and doing everything I could to reinforce positive behavior at home. I even raised concerns multiple times about whether the Montessori method was the right fit for my son, wondering if he might do better in a more traditional classroom. But I was reassured by staff that he was thriving within the Montessori environment . Like many four-year-olds, he had moments of energy and impulsivity. Still, his pediatrician, the occupational therapist, and a county counselor (whom the school referred us to) all offered consistent advice : "He is a young boy. He's too young to diagnose with ADHD, and many children outgrow this behavior." None of them felt alarmed, and importantly--his behavior never interfered with his academic development. Unfortunately, things changed drastically. Just eight weeks before the school year ended, my husband and I were called in for a meeting with the leadership team. During this meeting, we felt pressured to pursue ADHD testing for our son. Statements were made that strongly implied a diagnosis--despite the fact that no one on their leadership team was qualified to make one. The tone and approach of the conversation left me feeling so uncomfortable. Despite my concerns, we decided to allow him to finish the school year, not wanting to disrupt him socially or emotionally so close to the end. But during those weeks, we noticed changes in him: biting his nails, chewing on his sippy cup straw, and acting out in uncharacteristic ways. Then, I received a phone call from the school director. She informed me that she had recorded my son's behavior on her personal phone--without my knowledge or consent. The video was heartbreaking. I saw my son overwhelmed and unable to express his emotions. Rather than offering him a break or comfort, the director questioned him repeatedly and continued recording, placing the camera close to his face. I was shocked. I pulled him out of the school immediately. It's now been almost 3 months since that decision, and my son is in a new school where he is thriving. His new teachers speak highly of him, and I have not received a single behavioral complaint. I will likely always carry disappointment in the actions of the leadership team at Lutz Montessori. Writing this review was not easy. But these are children, and how they are treated during times of emotional vulnerability matters. My hope is that by sharing this necessary changes will be made so that no other child--or parent--has to go through what we did

My granddaughter., who I've been watching while my daughter, who is active duty Air Force, was…read moredeployed for 6 months loves this school. They were happy to work with us when she returned home.

Master Michelle is an amazingly gifted instructor. She knows how to motivate, support, challenge…read moreand have fun with her students. Not only does she teach the fundamentals of TKD, but she also teaches kids how to be good human beings. Kindness and respect are important parts of her guidance. My son learned so much from Master Michelle.

Very passionate and skilled teacher. Highly recommended! Master Michelle comes from a distinguished…read morelineage of TKD masters and she continues to pass down her knowledge to the next generation.