Our experience with Young Chef Academy and Chef Deb has been absolutely fantastic! Chef Deb is…read morepassionate, knowledgeable, and incredibly engaging. She creates a fun, supportive environment where kids can learn essential cooking skills while having a great time. The lessons are well-structured, hands-on, and full of valuable tips that even parents can appreciate. My children have gained confidence in the kitchen, developed a genuine love for cooking and broadened their palate thanks to Chef Deb. I highly recommend Young Chef Academy to any parent looking to inspire their little ones and teach them lifelong skills in a positive, nurturing setting. Five stars all the way!

My oldest is 9 and has always had a thing about helping in the kitchen. His stepmom happened to…read morecome across an ad for this summer camp at Young Chefs Academy and we jumped on the opportunity to sign him up. For us it was an hour drive each way but it was totally worth it to see the smile on my sons face. What I loved about here is that everyday after class they got to eat what they made so my son was always very proud and they teach kids how to really cook! Everything is made from scratch which even in Highschool classes I remember most things were always made from a box or jar. This summer program ran Monday-thur and at the end of the week they were given a cookbook with all the recipes they made during the week. It is a tad bit pricey but really sooo worth it.

Camp Long is the biggest park in West Seattle most people don't know about. It's not on the water -…read morebut that's not a bad thing. Within the boundaries of the park are miles of trails that most people drive hours out of town to walk on. Not to mention owl spottings, blackberries, bathrooms, cabins to camp in, a natural rock climbing wall and a cool events space. I had dear friends get married here and it felt like they had rented a overnight camp to celebrate - but it was a ten minute walk home. Weeds are a bit overgrown with COVID having Parks only doing essential maintenance but not too bad. Spend an hour or an afternoon here - it's worth it!

I grew up in Burien and have lived here all my life. As a teenager with lots of energy and nothing…read moreto do, I can remember going to a church group who took kids, like myself, on weekend trips camping. I can remember going with the group to camp at the park and fell in love with the beauty of the park and all the fun we had playing games and camping. This was in the mid 70's and I haven't been back since but I should revisit the park to remember the great times I had there that helped me stay out of trouble and be productive in life as I got older. Great place to take the family to back then.

Would never go through pinnacle exploration outdoor school. Management is slow and not organized…read more The owner is not responsive and ignorant. Would not recommend!

I am updating my 1 star review to 2 stars. This review is not about the camp experience because my…read morechildren could not attend due to testing + for covid the weekend prior to the camp starting. My 1 star review was based on lack of communication/follow through from management. After my kids tested + for covid, I provided the evidence and email requesting a credit, per the covid policy. The management never responded to my emails (I sent a few follow up emails), yet I kept receiving reminders for my kids to attend that week. The camp session was actually the last of the summer - late August. I basically assumed my money for camp (X2) was gone. Out of the blue in early November I received a one-line email stating my registration for camp was going to be refunded. No signature or contact details. I just checked my credit card statement and confirmed that both registration fees were refunded. I am happy that they followed through, but the 2 star review is because of the poor communication.

I wanted to come back and update my review now that we've picked up our finished pieces. We're…read moreseriously so happy with how everything turned out! The full process took about 3 weeks total. Our pottery class was on March 29th, we came back to paint on April 12th, and then picked everything up on April 17th. It honestly felt like such a fun extended experience getting to come back and see everything through. The painting portion was super enjoyable too. They offer a variety of glazes, some classic colors included at no extra cost, plus a few specialty options for a small fee. My fiancé chose the "Safari" glaze (just $1 extra), which had these cool glass pieces that melt in the kiln and create such a unique pattern. Definitely worth trying if you want something a little different! Pickup was easy overall. My only small suggestion would be to clarify the pickup hours on the card that's handed out after painting. Google hours seem to reflect member hours, while the hours posted on the door are different. When I arrived, they technically weren't open yet (my mistake, I'm sorry!), but the person at the front desk was super kind and still helped me find my pieces, which I greatly appreciated. Overall, such a great experience from start to finish. Thank you so much Creative Hands Studio, we'll definitely be back!

Yabayabayabayabayaba, yaba! Yabayba? Yabayabayaba. Yabayabayaba, yabayaba. Yaba/yaba, Yababa!read more

Our kids attended the Wilderness Survival Craft Day Camp at Wolf Camp this summer and had an…read moreamazing experience. They came home excited each day, sharing what they learned, from edible plants to fire safety and survival skills. The camp makes learning hands-on, engaging, and fun. The staff and founder were friendly, welcoming, and clearly passionate about creating a positive environment. We're so glad we found Wolf Camp, and our kids are already asking to return. Highly recommend for a unique outdoor camp experience.

I've been going to wolf camp for 3 years now, and on the second to last day of my overnight camp,…read morewe all cried on how much we would miss the place wolf camp was. We were told most of the instructors would be leaving, they were some of the nicest people I've met. Also the children there are really nice and the staff there know what there doing and are really really nice.

My 9-year old (4th grader this fall) loved this camp. She went for just 5 days all summer long…read more(never more than once in a week), and that was just right for her (she otherwise felt it was a bit repetitive). It's even better for younger kids. She made bread every time, and loved learning the animation station and using a sewing machine. She did spend one day in the Bellevue location. I thought that campus was amazing - wooded area, huge fields...and everyone was great there, too - but my daughter thought this Seattle site was even better because "it wasn't as confusing to find things" (Bellevue has a larger campus split in two buildings, and Greenlake is in a single, "vintage" school building). Granted, the day she spent in Bellevue was her first day ever of Steve and Kate's camp, which might have been a reason it felt confusing, but she chose Greenlake for the remaining 4 days. Highly recommend this location - the staff even seemed to know us after day one, even though we were only there once a week!

My (then) two 5-year-old kids had such a bad time in 2014 at the Daniel Bagley Elementary location…read morethat my daughter remembered a year later and specifically told me she didn't ever want to go back. Here's why: - One of our kids has a speech delay and was bullied by older kids (name calling and physically hit) and none of the staff intervened or did anything - The camp counselors didn't engage with the kids, they just left them in a room all day and didn't check on them or encourage them to do anything - There wasn't much for younger kids to do In addition, as parents we had a bad experience with the Seattle staff: - They gave us conflicting information - First they said would let us use one kid's account for the sibling, then they changed their minds and tried to charge us extra - The head of the camp was extremely rude in all of my and my partner's interactions with her - The staff told our children (we are a blended family) that they weren't really siblings Overall it was a horrible experience. I was so excited to find out about this camp because of the flexibility, and their marketing is excellent, but it was such a bad experience that it stuck with my daughter as something she never wants to do again.

I swam at Wedgwood Swim Club for 12 years as an away swimmer through the Seattle Summer Swim League…read more(SSSL) approximately 1999 to 2010. My Grandad lived in Wedgwood, and my parents, my sister, and I lived in Innis Arden. So it was fun coming to swim here because my Grandad lived near the pool (now my sister owns the house) and would come to see me swim. So Wedgwood has always felt like a home-away-from-home pool to swim at for me. The pool deck stands out in my mind from the other SSSL swim team pools because of its smooth texture. Concessions were well run and locker rooms well maintained during swim meets. The amount of grass/sitting room is good for dual swim meets (two teams competing) but could get very crowded for the end of the season events such as Prelims, Northerns, and All Cities. The tiered grassy area made viewing the pool during races comparatively easy, though the edges of the pool were typically lined with spectators so we didn't always see the end/turns of every race. All around fond memories of swimming here both in terms of family and competitive sporting events.

If there's one thing I always tell young families...or even couples when they move into the View…read moreRidge/Wedgwood neighborhoods of Seattle is to put your name on the wait lists for the local community pools. Now. Had someone given us that advice upon moving into NE Seattle, we might have had an opportunity to get into the View Ridge or Wedgwood Swim Clubs when our children were actually interested in being at the pool during the summer. Unfortunately that was not to happen. When we finally did have kids and finally did think to put our names on the wait list for these swim clubs, we were jarred to learn that the wait was a decade or more. I kid you not. Each spring we would get an update from both swim clubs altering us to our status on their wait list and every year we would look at each other and ask why no one gave us advice to get our names on the lists earlier. The lists moved in an excruciatingly slow manner, sometimes opening up fewer than a dozen new slots a year. In 2009, at the absolute height of the economic depression, we were finally notified by the Wedgwood Swim Club that our family was eligible to join and we were given a week to decide if we wanted to plunk down the $1700 it would cost ($1000 for membership and $700 for dues). Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. Spend $1700 that we really didn't have at that point, or lose our slot that we had been waiting on for a decade. Pay now or go back to the end of the line. Ultimately we decided to buck up and join and we really did enjoy that first summer. The weather was great, the kids were still young enough to want to hang out with their parents and, the novelty of belonging to a pool was still fresh. But, by the summer of 2011, our attendance at the pool had dropped precipitously. It took a very long time for summer to actually arrive in 2011 and combined with summer camps and other activities, I estimate that we only used the pool a total of 10 times all summer. That's $70 per swim based upon our $700 dues. Talk about a bad investment! The situation repeated itself in 2012, so when it came time to re-up our membership in 2013, we opted out. Our decade+ long wait to become members was over with a whimper after just four years. Our disappointing run at the Wedgwood Swim Club was not a reflection on the pool or community in any way. It had more to do with crappy summer weather and the fact that our kids were older and interested in other activities by the time we became members. In fact, I only have praise for the Wedgwood Swim Club. First of all, the facility is great. The pool is spacious, clean and warm. The clubhouse can be rented for a low fee for private parties. The locker rooms are clean. The staff, both year round and summer is terrific. The Board of Directors takes their job seriously and is committed to making sure the facility is around for decades to come. Everyone does a great job communicating to the membership. There are BBQ's available for picnicking and there are many community events throughout the summer, from swim meets to pie eating contests. It's really too bad that the Wedgwood pool didn't work out better for my family. Had we known about the wait list and had we become members when our kids were younger, including getting them on the swim team at a young age, we undoubtedly would have gotten more out of the pool. Pro Tip: The Wedgwood Swim Club offers swimming lessons to members and non-members alike throughout the summer. It's a great option for anyone who lives in NE Seattle.