We had a horrible experience at this daycare. We experienced Ms Niva. There were times when my…read morekiddo didn't have water because the teacher put the water bottle up where she couldn't reach it. My kiddo told me later she took it when she looked annoyed at my little one and put it on the furniture she couldn't reach it. let the little ones cry it out instead of redirecting, comforting or even distracting when they have a hard time. I have seen a little girl cry infront of the gate when her mom left, 10 minutes later still infront of the gate crying with snot all over being ignored by the staff. My fear was ok the next person who walks through that gate will knock over this child. Ms Niva was passive aggressive and will ignore requests by parents or will laugh her uncomfortable, huhhuhhuh awkward laughter to gaslight an issue. St Patrick time this teacher will use the stupid leprechaun story to mess with your kids food, bedding, anything to mess with the kids. laugh and say its the stupid leprechaun. Um if I'm prepping food you better serve it, not splatter the food everywhere and blame a little green leprechaun and my child can't eat it. In the summer program there were bullying involved and not a lot of help from the staff. My kid came home with some bruises and when I addressed it there was no acknowledgement, no sorry I will address it with the kid. Horrible, horrible.. I am leaving this review so that maybe they can be more careful with kids and hopefully they can help kiddos grow instead of ignoring the needs of their growing minds. I wanted a place for my child to feel safe, heard, and liked with no drama, no bullying and basic water ready to drink.

We have been really happy with our experience at Hilltop! The teachers of the Dolphin class have…read moregreat energy. There is a good balance of academics and play. They advocate for our daughters BIG personality. Our daughter has learned better writing skills already in a few short months. The summer program is so fun for the kids as well. There is a wonderful park next to the school. The neighborhood is very safe. We were very lucky to find Hilltop.

My son did two weeks of camp here this past summer. He really enjoyed it mostly for the goodies…read morethey get to take home. The counselors we had weren't too friendly to me but as long as they take care of my kid I guess that's ok. They seemed to build a lot of knick knacks -- little marble roller coaster, a little night light type thing, etc, that they get to bring home at the end of the week. Just a tip, if you are absent one day they will not refund you but you are entitled to whatever they built that day. We had to miss a day and told them ahead of time so we could get the materials to build at home. They do their science thing for an AM session, then lunch and play time outside (they play games like freeze tag), and then the PM science session. I did have the same issue as the previous reviewer. I don't like that you can't get a hold of anyone at the camp in case of emergencies. You just have the general 800 number. My son says he enjoyed it so I don't regret it but what with the plethora of camp choices around I'm not sure just yet if this one warrants another summer.

I had same experience as previous reviewer. The staff is not friendly and without much experience…read more I registered my two kids for this camp for a week. On the first day, it's hard to find the location. I followed the instruction they sent in an email and asked to look for yellow sign. But it's very hard to find that yellow sign along the street and hidden in the back. In the email they also mentioned that there would be teachers to pick up, it turned out no teacher. When we finally found it, a coupe of high school students were helping sign in. But they were lack of experience, so we were just waiting for a long time. I also had the same concern as previous reviewer. If there is any emergency, it will be a concern because they play freeze tag in a empty place that close to the building. I definitely will not send my kids in next time due to all the above reasons since it's looks to me it's not well organized. Even the kid may be have some fun to build a couple of fun stuff, there are many other choices of other camps better than this. I saw some high ratings of previous reviews, but it was written 9-10 years ago. Many info is out of date. They don't provide extended care now

I think this would be a better place for kids to play at IF they cleaned the toys (play food,…read morekitchen, houses) I brought my grandson after this summer and the cars have no steering wheels and doors are missing to the kitchen cabinets. Like seven cabinet doors. Everything but the floors are dirty. I'd expect better being in Manhattan Beach. Please replace the old and bring in some new. Thank you!

My son and I used to love this place but the limited hours for drop-in play (plus you need a…read morereservation) just makes this more difficult. I definitely miss the pre-pandemic days. Employees seem more interested in socializing than monitoring the play structure so there's a lot of climbing up the slide and other general behavior that could use some reminders.

We've been attending Camp Awesome for several years now. We always go for a few weeks of August. My…read morekiddos just love it. They splash around in the waves with staff and the staff is wonderful. The highlight is when the ice cream truck comes by after lunch and everyone buys a treat. All treats are pre packed with easy to read ingredients, so very accessible for those kiddos with food allergies too. All the classics - big sticks, ice cream sandwiches, bomb pops, jaw breakers, snowcones, pickles, banana on a stick, cotton candy buckets, paletas, and more. It's also one of the few camps where you purchase by the day vs the week, so the flexibility is great. It's California. Going to beach camp is a rite of passage. So is the sand you bring home in your car too.

We live in San Francisco but would go down to LA every summer so my boys can attend Camp Awesome!…read moreThat's how much they love this camp. Since I don't attend the camp myself, I asked my 10-year old what he liked about it and he said: "the staff is really friendly because even if you make a mistake and do something wrong, they don't yell at you. They let us play in the sand, there are tons of games and activities (there's a game where they said a certain type of action and you have to do it or you lose; there's also a game where we pair up in teams and capture the flag), we go to the ocean two or three times a day to swim and play games there. They're really nice and there's ice cream truck every day and pizza on Friday." Speaking of the staff, they are truly one of the best (especially Jessica!!!) and so responsive! Truly one of the best camps around. (I wish they have them in the Bay Area). Highly recommend!

We cannot say enough incredible things about Code Ninjas. From day one, the team has created such a…read morepositive, engaging, and inspiring environment for our son, Nathan. He absolutely loves going each week--what started as hands-on STEM activities like robotics and science projects has grown into so much more. We've seen his confidence, problem-solving skills, and creativity flourish in ways that truly impress us. What stands out most is how intentional and thoughtful the staff is with each child's development. They meet kids where they are, encourage curiosity, and make learning genuinely fun. It's rare to find a place that blends education, excitement, and personal growth this well. We also want to specifically recognize the incredible effort that went into the Northrop Grumman Space Park Tour. It was an unforgettable experience for our family and clearly the result of a tremendous amount of coordination, planning, and care. Offering something of that caliber to the community--at no cost--is truly above and beyond. On a personal note, the event meant even more to us than you may realize. Bringing Nathan to Northrop was deeply meaningful--my mother, who recently passed away, dedicated 43 years of her career there, and my father also spent over 20 years with the company. To be able to share that connection with our son in such a thoughtful and inspiring setting was incredibly special for our family. We are so grateful to be part of the Code Ninjas community. The impact you're making on kids--and families--does not go unnoticed. Thank you for your passion, your effort, and for creating opportunities that truly make a difference.

My kids have returned over the years to join Code Ninjas for coding, Minecraft camp, mobile app…read morecreation camp and the annual El Segundo great puzzle hunts. The summer camps are great! It's a balance of brain exercises and fun. My boys have said each year that these are the best camps all summer. Being snarky pre-teens, my boys are pretty hard to impress on a daily basis - take it from me, this is high praise. I expected my boys to have rated coding above chess, biology, chemistry and sewing camp. I make them do those camps to learn and prevent the summer slide. But, guess what, my boys rated Code Ninjas above surfing (!), karate, tennis, beach play, and soccer summer camps. They are avid soccer players and have friends in those team sports. I just assumed my boys would rank those camps the highest. Year over year, my kids say Code Ninjas hosts the best camps and they beg to return. Code Ninjas offers a range of courses and camps. They accept a broad age range - younger than I imagined. Youngest kids can start with Scratch-based activities. The after school program, I hear, is rigorous and more academically oriented. Facilities are well lit, colorful and filled with new technology. There are areas with good games for brain breaks. Teachers are attentive and caring. Owner is involved in the day-to-day operations. The owner's dad takes all the pictures as a proud dad and social media king. :) It's a nice family owned business. I like that Code Ninjas hosts events to inspire and challenge kids: - speaker events from entrepreneurs - show and tell events with high school robotics teams - community building events like the great annual El Segundo Puzzle Hunt -- it's fantastic (and tricky) screen-free fun for the whole family all around town - service events like making meal kits with Rise Against Hunger with the local Rotary Club - STEM events like visiting the local water treatment facility Coding is pretty hot right now. This was a nice place to let the boys try their hand at it

I can't say enough about Hoops413! I think I have told every mom and dad in the South Bay that I…read moremeet...Hahaha! In all seriousness, we LOVE this basketball clinic! As a mom, I look forward to it week after week! Coach Kaitlin, Coach Miguel and Coach Eric are awesome!! I am so competitive, emotional and a sore loser, and unfortunately (or fortunately), my son inherited this traits from me. All of these coaches are helping him with that. They teach fundamentals, how to win and lose, a work ethic and discipline! My son has been going since he was 4, and in two years, he's improved so much and has so much fun playing on a team. And...it's nice that they end every class with a team chant, "My dream, His Glory!" We love the faith based messages built in.

My kid loves basketball so I sent my kid here due to the high ratings. I wish it were better. Here…read moreare the flaws that I think everyone should be aware of prior to signing up: 1. They don't speak to your children with respect. There is constant berating and talking down to children. A child in the class asked a reasonable question and the instructor responded sarcastically. The instructors clearly expect the children to misbehave and believe punishment and threats is the way to get what they want. It reminded me of a boot camp with drill sergeants, which is not something I want for any young child. 2. It's chaotic. They split the class into 3 stations with different instructors. They don't clearly explain the drills and then punish children for doing it wrong. Going pack to the previous point, they intentionally don't or are incapable of answering the children's questions properly, which further confuses the children. Also, one of the instructors brings her two young children, the younger of which cries and demands her attention during the session. She eventually picks her child up and tries rocking the child to sleep while attempting to do basketball drills with the students. I thought this was a one-off but its happened week after week. 3. They end the class with a silly chant. Needless to say, we cut our losses and stopped going. I didn't want my kid to hate basketball.

My daughter and her two friends attended camp this summer and came back each day with so many fun…read morestories to tell about what they had learned! It was a great experience and all three said they want to go back next year! It's a gift to be able to have our children in such a lovely park as Wilderness. They got to see a turtle laying eggs! Nature is the best teacher so we just loved this!

Eco Kids Camp exceeded our expectations. It was engaging, educational, and genuinely fun. The…read morecamp's setting offered the perfect environment for kids to explore nature and learn about protecting the planet. Through hands-on activities, children discovered practical ways to be more eco-friendly at home. Kathleen, along with the other counselors were outstanding, thoughtful, and inspiring. We created wonderful memories and left empowered to make sustainable choices in the future.

My son attended his first season at Camp Adventurewood in 2023 - it was his first experience at a…read moresummer camp and he was a little nervous and shy but all his counselors made him feel so welcome and comfortable and after the first day he was hooked! He loved the variety of activities and made so many new friends. He came home with fun stories each day. I loved that they offered a variety of options from 2 days/week to 5 days. We returned last summer and an unexpected and sudden medical event threw our summer for a loop. They were beyond kind and accommodating. Michael, the owner, personally made sure we were taken care of at a very scary time and was just incredibly kind and communicative. I can't thank him and his staff enough for the support. I would recommend this camp for any family. Its like a classic, old-school summer day camp experience!

My son attended Adventurewood camp for the first time this week. For the most part he enjoyed…read morehimself -- particularly the characters they introduce throughout the week. However, we decided to pull him out for next week because of a very disturbing situation. He shared that a counselor had pushed him with both hands on his shoulders during a capture the flag activity. He had dropped his flag and was putting it back on when a counselor (he didn't know her name) pushed him back hard enough to make him lose his balance and fall. She also barked "you need to reset!" She didn't ask if he was ok or help him up. You'd think if this was an accidental push and he fell over she would say something like "sorry bud are you ok? Here let me help you up" but nope, not a word. A friend he's attending camp with witnessed the whole incident. Since I pick them both up in the afternoons they both recounted this situation to me and both of them noted how inappropriate her behavior was. I immediately reached out to Michael, the owner of the camp. He said he wanted to identify this counselor and get her side of the story. Understandable. My son felt uncomfortable going back the next day but I reassured him it would be handled and offered to drop him off in the morning and stick around to talk to Michael and the counselor. I wanted him to feel safe. Michael identified her (her name is Carson) and said he wanted to talk to her first, which he did a few feet away from me. I heard her say she didn't push him. They then walked over to me and she again denied everything. So we asked both kids to come over and recount what happened. They both did -- in front of her -- and reiterated she pushed him. She denied even touching him. So Michael suggests at this point that perhaps it was an accident and my son responds by saying "how do you push someone like that by accident?!" No response. So I ask her, are you saying these kids are lying? She again said she didn't touch him and at this point we send the kids away. I'm incensed because not only does she gaslight both of them to their face but tells this bold faced lie to her boss in front of the campers and me. I tell her I believe them and I think she's the one lying. At this point she gives me this dirty look - angry, irritated and almost rolls her eyes at me. I turn to Michael and say "and now she's giving ME an attitude?!" Unbelievable. In a follow up call, he tells me how good of a person she is and that this is shocking for him to hear but that she doesn't seem like someone who would do something like this...that she's getting her teacher credentials and he knows her really well. I am getting the vibe he doesn't actually believe any of this and he sounds very skeptical. I respond by telling him that it's almost always surprising when people exhibit bad behavior and that even teachers do bad things...that doesn't make her any more credible in my eyes. He acknowledged that. In fact, it's worse because I would be really concerned to have someone like that teaching a kid. Lack of empathy, accountability, and integrity. I mean, I think it's great he's trying to have her back but there are moments in life when you need to draw a line and act swiftly...these are one of those moments. Because ultimately, this impacts the reputation of your camp. I told him that it would be good to offer training to his staff in case this ever happens again in the future and honestly he sounded baffled and asked me to clarify...I said well maybe tell your staff not to give dirty looks to a mom who's clearly upset that her son just got pushed by a grown adult at summer camp?? I told him that the response to this situation could've resulted in a totally different outcome. Had she said something like "I really don't recall pushing you but if I inadvertently did and made you feel bad I'm sorry - I didn't mean to do that" - I would've went home that morning feeling fine about the situation. When I told him this he said that he's not going to police all her reactions, that she's still young, that she's still learning and made all kinds of excuses for her. Exhausting. Apparently she got a "warning" and will sit out of the flag activity (umm, ok...). He seems like a smart guy and wish him nothing but success in the future and I was earnestly trying to offer advice for how to handle a situation like this better but it fell on deaf ears. I really hope that some kind of learning comes out of this for both of them. Oh and to top it off, my son's friend told her mom that Carson was giving her looks several times throughout the day today and when she asked what kind she said "side eye" looks. NOT COOL. My son also said she was kind of mean to him but wondering why they were even in close proximity when Michael said they'd absolutely be separated and would not see each other? Validates we both made the right choice by pulling them both out. He offered a refund but I'm still pissed about the situation.