Realm is a place like no other -- if you can't imagine middle-schoolers being caring with each…read moreother or can't imagine a community (including students) that doesn't tolerate bullying, then you might want to take a look at Realm. Realm asks: what if students could love learning, embrace challenges, and be active in creating a strong community because they want, not because the teachers tell them to?! As a former tenured professor, I can safely say that I have no worries about how well my kids will be prepared for college and beyond. I love Realm -- the only danger is that once kids come to Realm, it's hard to get them to leave.

The Realm has been an amazing place for my son to grow, learn, and thrive! The teachers are caring…read moreand so dedicated to making every student feel valued. They all love what they teach and it shows. There are so many fun and unique classes such as philosophy, film making, and improv comedy. There are also traditional classes such as math and science but they are made to be fun and engaging. You can choose what works best for your child. The Realm is truly a magical place and I feel so lucky that we found this school!

This gym is so self-important. We booked a trial class. When we arrived there, it took us nearly 20…read moremins to find a parking spot, because this gym is located in a very busy mall. Therefore we were a bit late for the class and we were told they have strict 10-min warm-up rule, which was never mentioned in our email communication. They refused us to join the class because we missed the warm-up, no matter how we tried to explain the situation, and only offered an option for rescheduling. Also, the gym is very small, the parking is so hard, not to mention homeless people hanging around the parking lot.

This place is a gem. The staff is so wonderful and the space is large and clean with a nice viewing…read morearea for parents too. I actually live in walking distance to one in Culver City and choose to drive here because of the more reasonable price and individual care they give. My daughter is 5 and has been going for about a year and loves it. The classes are small and they get to move around to all different equipment in the hour log class. So glad we found it!

Parent feedback: staff and counselors were very helpful, have great engagement with the kids,…read moreresponded well to a first aid incident that we had, and the children expressed how much fun they had every day. Feeback from the kiddos: Loved the instructors who were very nice and really enjoyed water games for learning (dodgeball, soccer, and searching for softballs). Two small wishes would be to buy paper plates or containers so we don't have to use our hands and having extra water. Overall, definitely a 5 from us, and we can't wait to come back next summer!

A friend of ours highly recommend Perfect Day Surf Camp. These guys definitely know what they are…read moredoing and do it well! Ed was so attentive, knowledgeable and friendly with our boys. Immediately after the first day, the boys shared their experience and asked to go back for the rest of the week. It's not a babysitter on water. These guys are very engaging. They provide surfing skills and have lots of fun too. I felt so comfortable having my 7yr old and 11 yr old there all day. We'll be back!

Our family will always be incredibly grateful for our experience at Tocaloma Day Camp. It has truly…read morebeen one of the most special parts of our kids' childhoods. From the moment they arrived each summer, they were welcomed into such a positive, encouraging environment where they could try new things, build confidence, and just be kids. They've had the chance to do everything from archery to outdoor adventures, and every activity is approached with so much care and enthusiasm from the staff. What makes Tocaloma so special, though, is the heart behind it. It never feels like a big, impersonal program. The counselors genuinely know and care about the kids, and that creates such a warm, supportive atmosphere. Our children came home every day full of stories, laughter, and excitement for the next day. They've also made wonderful friendships that have lasted far beyond the camp days themselves. Tocaloma isn't just a summer camp -- it's a place where kids feel seen, encouraged, and inspired. We feel so lucky that our children got to grow up with this experience, and we will always be thankful for the memories and community it gave our family.

I'm coming back to update my review after our second Summer at Tocaloma. This year both my son and…read moredaughter went to camp and again it was a wonderful time for them. The first thing that stands out to me is the wonderful staff. You can see all the detail and thought that goes into the camp from the time you drop them off. Every staff member is uniquely caring and attentive. I am a teacher and I feel that I can spot good childcare workers pretty well. Even after the long hot days of summer camp, the staff was still friendly and helpful all the way through pick up! I loved seeing the diversity and representation on the staff as well. To me this is a kid's summer camp dream. There's no work or desks. This time isn't spent catching up or getting ready for the school year. It's a time for your children to play and experience so many things. They had themed spirit days and fun activities to go along with them. They did activities like giant soccer, age appropriate ax throwing, water polo, flag football, a silent disco dance, arts and crafts, Gaga (IYKYK), inflatable water slides, they swam daily, and more. The variety was wonderful to keep my kids engaged and interested. Another great summer at Tocaloma in the books! Thanks Tocaloma for making my kids' summer so special.

This is a review for Code Rev on Federal Ave. LA 90025. Saved up money to send my child to an…read moreexpensive summer camp in Minecraft Modding. They were very disappointed. Using the MCreator app was fine. Okay, I get it, it's visual and teaches simple concepts. But the instructor (maybe a college or high school student) was not an expert on it, was managing 10 kids in two different classes, seemed distracted, overworked, and sometimes on their phone. The quality of instruction was equivalent to a much cheaper program at the LA Parks, etc. My child specifically and kindly said to the instructor, "I love coding. May I learn more?" But this was not really heard. Most of the kids played Minecraft all day (9AM - 3:30PM), except during the breaks outside. But there was not much programming going on, just playing the game. My child stayed on task, tried to fix issues during the "tests" (a Minecraft Modding term), but found it hard to get assistance, except once or twice the entire day, each day. They did a little bit of Scratch coding one day. For the price this program costs, go to Asteme nearby and take their coding class, where there are professional, full-time teachers and the instruction is worth every penny. My child was so disappointed, because they had begged me to take this class. Code Rev management shouldn't punish this instructor. They should revamp the way they train instructors, pay them more so they can hire better ones, develop a half-page syllabus with an organized curriculum, let parents see it during registration, and not call this a coding class, unless there is coding. How about a little more Scratch even? If we wanted to play video games all day for 5 days, it would've been cheaper to go to Dave & Busters with friends. I should've listened to the negative reviews when I signed up. There is no care or respect for the real intellectual curiosity of the students. They think kids just want to play video games all day, and I don't think this is true for most (at least some) of the kids. But when this is what you're handed, your curious, enthusiastic child feels crushed. Do better Code Rev or reduce your prices in half and bill this more as daycare. (I rarely, if ever, write reviews, because who has the time? Also, I want to support small businesses or the franchisee. But this was just too disappointing. To prevent other parents and kids from making the same mistake, I had to say something. )

Signed up for one day of camp at the very last minute. My daughter was excited by the sample…read moreitinerary on the website, which included things like "outdoor games" and "pair and share." When I went to pick her up, the group (including the instructor) looked like zombies staring at their computers... no acknowledgement I was even there as I'm looking for my child in a sea of office chairs. I'm willing to take my daughter's claim that she didn't learn anything new and was told she could just "play in her Minecraft world" all day with a grain of salt, because there's probably more to it than that. But she did confirm that there was no outdoor play and that she sat in the same seat for five hours. Overall, she called it "boring." I give it a few stars because they kept my kid safe, but we won't be going back.

Did a group lesson and 3 people and it was so fun! I knew nothing about surfing and the other 2 had…read moresome experience. Matty and Luke were great! They were both very calm and fun throughout the whole lesson and adapted to everyone's level. Luke expressed that he likes to talk/teach a lot and gauged our comfort with receiving all of the information. Personally, I loved it and wanted to absorb all the tidbits he had to share. He was very open to questions and repeating himself if I needed him to. I honestly learned so much about the ocean and surfing. I went from very clueless and lowkey scared of the ocean LOL to comfortable and excited to head back out. Would totally recommend :)

BEST experience!!! Matty went above and beyond to give my son and his friend the best birthday…read moreexperience. He was so patient and passionate teaching these boys. They both rode waves!!! They were so happy!! My son wants to be a surfer now. When you are a passionate teacher your students will leave wanting to do it for a living. Thank you Matty!!! I can't wait to bring my son back for another lesson. It will be worth the 2 hour drive.

Of course I always Yelp before I go anywhere but I found it interesting there were no recent…read morereviews for The Activity Center. We were invited to a 5 year old birthday party and it's a cool spot. There's lot of fun activities such as air hockey, basketball, a doll house. magnetic tiles, jumbo jenga tiles, foosball, a VR headset, an art room, big screen TV, and a crafts table. Yes, there's lots of stuff to run around and play with and to fit whatever interest your LO's heart desires. My LO just turned 3 so a lot of the games really weren't for her but she LOVES crafting so we spent most of the time at the craft table The art room looked cool but would be cramped if a bunch of kids ran in there There is a connected room with a long table where the kids eat and pizza and cake are served The owner and his family are super nice and helpful. One star off for no longer having a parking lot. My friend said it had been converted to an outdoor play area but we came on a day it had rained so maybe that's why it wasn't available for the party. Parking is a pain but persistence paid off and I found a spot two blocks down. Be careful of permit only parking areas I don't live in the area so I don't see myself coming often but it think it's a neat place to take your kids but I feel age 5 and over would appreciate it more

For less than $100/day per child, you can enroll your child in a day camp from 830am-5pm. They…read morealso have a 3pm or was it a 330pm option for less. You can also throw a bday party. I took 2 kids (not mine) age 7 to this camp. The facility is huge with different rooms, activity areas, and even a kitchen to make lunch as a group. The day the kids went, it was lasagna rolls. Before choosing this place, I looked at other day/summer camps like Zooga or options like Pamper N Play. I asked some questions via email and they were pretty fast in responding and being very helpful. Upon arriving, there were a couple kids who were "regulars" and all seemed happy and excited to be there. The facility looks like a very equipped community center/rec room. Clean, well maintained, a huge plethora of toys to keep a kid very busy. During the day they leave the venue to go to the beach, a local park, zip lining, etc. Seems very well run, organized, and they start the day off by having a meeting as a group to talk about the day's schedule and activities. I came to pick up the kids 15 min early and they were having such a good time, I let them play until it was time to go because they did not want to leave. Worth trying out to see if your kid enjoys it!

*** 2025 review #9 ***…read more I walk by all the time and finally popped in one day to find out more about the BAC. They offer classes for young and old, with the option for drop-in, 4-week or full 8-week package signup. We attended their Open House that happened to be the next day and enjoyed meeting the staff as well as try out some activities such as coaster painting (ceramics) and creating a vision board. Oh and very much enjoyed the charcuterie board and wine + there was even cake that a staff member brought for someone who mentioned it was her birthdsr

I want to share a terrific find at the corner of Olympic & 17th. It's Brentwood Art Center and they…read moreoffer an array of adult classes. I've been taking the handbuilding pottery class (as opposed to the wheel throwing class which they also offer). The handbuilding classes are taught by an incredible artist named Rob Homsy who is a patient and fun instructor. There is an assortment of people in his classes - all ages and an array of skills. Some of us are total beginners and others could sell their pottery because it's so great. What I especially love about this class is that Rob doesn't do the thing where "this week we're making wind chimes" and that's what the entire class must do. He definitely teaches us all of the basics and suggests what we may want to build, but he also genuinely supports whoever wants to make a giant cup, or an elephant for a gift, or a planter, or whatever one really has their mind set on. I will never be a great potter but I'm having such fun in the classes and working with many nice people. Classes are on a monthly schedule but you can enroll at any point. I take the Tuesday class from 1 PM - 4 PM but they also have an evening class. The phone number is (310) 451-5657 and the link is https://www.brentwoodart.org

If you are serious about your child's music education and are contemplating this camp, please read…read moreon. We had been excitedly about the Santa Monica Music Camp for my almost 6 year-old son, but the reality turned out to be far different from what was advertised. Before the camp, we as parents were asked to complete a form to indicate the child's instrument. I selected keyboard/piano because that's what my son had been playing since he was younger, and I thought this week at the camp would be a great opportunity for him to hone his existing piano skills. However, I found out later in the week that my son had actually been playing guitar, completely different from what I had signed him up. The problem lies in non-disclosure about the switch of music instrument from their advertisement materials or pre-camp forms. In *none* of the forms does it state that your child might play a completely different instrument than the one that the parent had indicated. I wrote to the director but received no response. One staff told me "whatever instrument the child wants to play, they can play that." One staff member pointed to the language on the website that the child can experience all sorts of instrument as the reason that they don't need to inform parents if the child switches the instrument than the one for which the parent had signed the child up. The staff do not ensure that each child plays 3 hours of music, as advertised: What drew us to this place is that on the advertisement, it states "your child will enjoy playing music 3 hours". This sounded incredible since many of us parents needed to cajole our kid to practice their instruments at home. But, what one staff member informed me was that, "if you child does not feel like playing the instrument, we don't make them play the instrument." Okay, I understand that it can be difficult to encourage a reluctant child to play an instrument, but there seems to be general lack of effort to encourage reluctant children to engage, to actual play music. I was told that if the child walks away during rehearsal, the staff will just let the child walk away and do other things. When I asked, "then it is possible that they could learn nothing because they are not practicing?" The staff responded, "Ma'am, this is a camp. If you want your child to learn something, you should sign up for our individual lessons." I was dismayed at the attitude of the staff member who kept emphasizing that this is a *camp*, effectively asking me to not have much expectation of what my child would learn from the music camp. It seems that they do not pay much attention to the learning objectives of the campers, unless we sign up for individual lessons. Recital: The music camp touts itself for the end-of-the-week recital. However, you need to be aware that your child might not be in the recital. First of all, no audience is allowed at the recital. Second, after the recital, along with the videos of the recital that the staff sends out, the staff email states that "If your child is not featured in the instrument recital, it is because THEY made the personal decision to opt out. We did not want to force any kids to participate if they did not want to." This needs to be made transparent and known to the parents *before* the recital and in the advertisement materials. Other things that I wished I had known before signing up for Santa Monica music camp: --Early care and late care/ AM-PM care (before 9 and after 3pm) It currently costs $10/hour. Sounds great and affordable. However, early and late care is literally TV-care! They have a large television area where the TV is on with a bunch of seats around it. And I see the early care kids all sitting around the television, with little engagement from the staff. Late care? Same thing. It should be renamed "TV-care." --General level of disorganization: The school makes a binder for every child. My child's binder was missing the first day, and no one knows what happened to it. I was promised that his re-made binder would have music sheets in it. However, the whole week went by without any music sheets. Overall, the reality is a far cry from the advertisement. Unfortunately, my son did not learn much from this experience. Even though it was one week, it was one week of precious time lost. If you have a child on the younger side (5,6,7), I do not recommend this camp for the reasons above. They seems to be understaffed to teach the instruments, and some (not all) staff do not seem to have the motivation to help re-direct the younger children. There were some staff member who tried to address my concerns, such as David, which I appreciate. However, there were other staff members who unfortunately do not have any expectations or goals for our children.

My son has been going to Santa Monica Music Camp for the last 3 years and loves it. He doesn't…read morewant to do any other camps. They have so much fun playing their music and learning theory in a fun and relaxed environment. They really get to enjoy learning music and playing their instruments without the stress and pressure of school. He is already looking forward to going again this summer. I love the added bonus of him getting so much extra Cello practice in. I barely have to bug him to practice over the summer! I highly recommend this camp if you have a child interested in music.

We went back to Destination Science this year, and it was great again (with different, but still…read morefantastic instructors). This time around, my son loved it so much that he hasn't wanted to leave. We've ended up attending all four of their educational weeks -- and can't recommend the place highly enough. We love it so much that several of my son's friends now attend. (Actually, I wish DS provided referral bonuses or frequent buyer discounts. That is the one thing that would make it a little better!)

From the owner: The fun science day camp where kids ages: 5-11 experience "Aha!" moments of understanding,…read morecreativity and curiosity while engineering, building & experimenting with astonishing gadgets, and fantastic gizmos. Our top notch, enthusiastic educators and leaders make STEM learning an adventure! Topics include: -Science Makers & Inventors Camp! Build soccer-bots & Rube Goldberg-like contraptions. -Amusement Park Science Camp! Roller coasters, carnivals & marine explorers. -Transforming Robots Camp! Build & train 4 robots & engineer with techno toys. -Rovers Rocketing to Space Camp!Build a dinosaur roverbot & launch a rocket to a fantastical planet. -Minecraft 101: Mod Design Camp! for Southern CA campers entering 5th, 6th, 7th grade only .