My girls went for a lessons for their summer visit. Their lesson was tailored to their skill level…read more It was nice to see more advanced girls taking lessons at the same time too. The girls also learned a bit more about horse care and the equipment. I will be signing up for lessons too!

To be fair, the last time we rode with Misti was 5 years ago and things may have changed. I…read moregenuinely hope they have. The only reason I am posting is because I'm seeing her advertise a lot, and I think this is important information to have as a prospective riding student or parent of one.  When we rode with Misti, I was initially impressed. She was present, involved, knowledgeable/experienced, and had some incredible young helpers, some of whom she'd worked with for years. After the first lesson, I stopped seeing Misti at the barn aside from one-off's. She was not involved. She hired on various trainers. Notable: most only lasted for 6 months to a year.  Also notable, multiple horses were in unhealthy states: elderly (well beyond retirement due to age or injury), battling unaddressed health issues, missing a shoe, etc. I watched her tell a rider to "go ahead" and ride an elderly horse recovering from an injury after discovering he'd thrown a shoe. Multiple horses were also not young/green-rider appropriate, and yet used with young/green riders. This resulted in multiple falls and injuries.  Having grown up with horses, I knew this was not okay and left. Shortly after we left, I learned all of her teen and pre-teen helpers had left as well and gone to other barns. The hired trainers followed suit. It wasn't safe or healthy for rider or horse.  Yes, she is affordable and promises the moon in her adverts and social media posts, but there are far better facilities out there for riding lessons. Facilities that prioritize not only the safety of their rider, but that of the horse. Many offer more contact time, and one-on-one, higher quality instruction at a comparable price.  As a side note, I am posting this anonymously because I've noticed that she "goes on the attack" when people provide constructive feedback. I watched her lose it on a 12yo helper one time, and her responses to negative/constructive reviews on the various sites are biting (she's always right, never the customer). I left on good terms with her. I simply saw that this was not where we wanted to be and moved elsewhere.

We waited a couple months for a spot to open up for our 2 infants in foster care. The day one of…read morethem was supposed to start I was told they needed additional confirmation. I was standing in the daycare with my baby and her bag packed. I was told the boss notified them the night before that we needed additional confirmation to start. This was never communicated to us till I was in the building trying to drop my baby off... I asked them to give me an update that day. I called twice and left voicemail. I finally get a call back from them saying she is good to start... Communication is VERY poor which is ultimately why we decided for our babies to not go here.. HOWEVER, Jess was professional the entire time. I caution anyone sending their foster kiddos here.

if I could give a 1 star I would right now, I can't stress enough how important it is to watch how…read moreyou treat people. My family and I were getting ready for the tour, the lady named Jess only greeted my husband and my 5 year old son, while I'm standing there. she never made eye contact, never bothered asked if I'm the mom, meanwhile I was the one that recommended my husband to call and schedule a tour. My point is, I want to get to know the staff well so I know who I'm entrusting my kids to. However, it was already a red flag that I was being ignored. Thank you, but I'm taking my kids somewhere else.

I visited the Nisqually Reach Nature Center for the first time yesterday. The nature center is…read moreinside a large house. Piles of wet shoes lay outside the entry way. There were tanks filled with sea stars, crabs, and fish on display. A different tank housed a representation of a mud flat. Microscopes lined the perimeter on the inside of the building. Several children were peering into them shouting excitedly that "I saw this HUGE plankton!" "Look at THIS!" After I went outside and sat on the fishing dock, adult volunteers at the Nisqually Reach Nature Center took a group of children to the beach to explore. The volunteer staff at the nature center are excellent with kids. Their strong voices can be heard from a distance giving clear, fun instructions to their charges. I heard later from one staff member the kids were attending a summer camp. I didn't have a lot of time to spend at the nature center yesterday, so I will definitely be back! It's a nice area that has a surprising amount of great blue herons and even more seals. Keep in mind: This is a Discover Pass area. You will need a Discover Pass to park here.

I haven't visited the actual building, I visit the beach at least twice a week to take my dogs for…read morea walk near the beach and play. Great parking area for trailers and visitors, loading ramp for your boat, and nice starting point for kayaking near the nisqually delta...watch for the tide. No issues if you are taking the dog off leash, as long they are not near to the state park, plenty of room to play.

7 year old class instructor did not demonstrate even one skill. Allowed the 5 girls in her class…read moreto stand around, talk, play rock, paper, scissors. No instruction or organization. Waste of time and money.

We were at Black Hills for about a year. I have a 7 year old who has been doing gymnastics for four…read moreyears and a 5 year old who started and stopped gymnastics at Black Hills. On the good side, Maddie at the front desk is overworked but a wonderful and hardworking person. Also, it seems clear to me they are fostering incredible talent with young people. The level of skill for the kids who get attention is impressive. My 7 year old was accepted into Xcel prep team. She made a close friend and really found a passion for bars. Over summer, Coach Conner said she was lacking in focus. Most of the kids were out for the summer. My daughter was camping and attending art, math and sailing camps. Her world view was broadening. Also, I was kind of transient at the time and waiting for my apartment to come through. Our routine was disrupted. While she was happy, she maybe fell out of love with gymnastics for the summer. I thought about my run with soccer as a little girl and I fell in and out of love with it, but was still committed for over a decade. I think that alone is a valuable lesson. Coach C and I set up a system where I knew if she gave 100% during practice and would get her a treat if she did. She refocused but I think Black Hills gave up on her before the fall session. She was separated from her close friend and spent four hours a week doing stretches and beams. She didn't learn new skills and never returned to the bars she loved so much. Coach Conner stayed with a group of more focused children and a wonderful and kind young woman took over with my daughter's new group. My daughter became bored and restless. Her love of gymnastics dipped further than before. First, my youngest asked to take a break from gymnastics (I just don't think it's her thing). Then my oldest asked to take a break. I was terrified her love for gymnastics was forever altered. I asked her to talk to her coach. While young people make great coaches, they don't always know how to inspire the way perhaps an older coach might. The coach kinda shrugged her shoulders and told me my daughter wanted to try other sports. I was hoping maybe my daughter would get more encouragement. Anyway, eventually she asked to try another gym. I think that is the right choice. We had such a positive experience at the gym in Kirkland, I am sorry to see her love and enthusiasm dip. It is a life lesson though! The guest wifi doesn't work most of the time which can result in the commiseration of bored parents in the parking lot. My personal hell is the little room with the cubbies when classes transition. There are so many people and no personal space. I think if your child is ordained by the coaches, it could be an intense but enriching experience. My child, however, doesn't deserve to be left on the sidelines. And not for the same cost in tuition.

(NORTH) I been very nervous with our move to WA, since I have always had my family watching my 19…read moremonth old. We found this place, as it was very close to where we lived. I loved that they were so helpful in reserving a spot with my son even months in advance, and I was able to pay for his registration fee online a month before he started. The transition was rough, I had to message the girls which I felt like every hour to check on my baby. Every time we left him, he would cry . But they kept reassuring me that he was fine and that he will get used to it. Throughout the day I would receive pictures and updates on what he was doing and that helped me to "let go." The director Lei was helpful and told me that there was a program that could potentially help with child care expenses, which I applied for and got assistance with. I am thankful for these women who are so patient with us moms, I am sure they get it from us all but they do a wonderful job. I am put at ease with my baby being there, I have a feeling that he will be here for a while. Now, my 10 year old will also be attending during after school hours. I love how they have a bus that picks them up from school. I would definitely recommend this place for all moms! A PLUS, there is a coffee shop in the parking lot

Leí and her staff have been amazing to my family. My boys went through a transitional phase where…read morethey only had their dad because I was deployed. I appreciate the support that they have given both my Soldiers and my family while I was deployed. Thank you Childrens Courtyard for making our boys a part of your family. All daycares don't have the love and support for kids especially having dual military parents. I highly recommend send your kids her not only for the quality of care, but the family feel you have with both the staff & community.

Hands down this is the best day by far that I have enrolled my baby in! Staff there are very…read morehelpful,loving, and trust worthy! Thank you Mrs. Mugsy, Sandee, and Aaricka for the best and loving care that you provide for the center! Also thank you so much Mrs. Jessica and Mrs. Lacey for loving my Marvin unconditionally. I love how I can just show up and feel as if I'm dropping my son off to some family members! Love you all! Thank you ALL for your hard work. Highly recommend Cadence Academy in this location! Best one yet!

Love the staff and very clean. My granddaughter attended for three years. She has just started…read morekindergarten and still talks about it .

We are new to Olympia/ Lacey area and were looking for a good child care for our four-year-old son…read more We didn't like the first place we took him to. As soon as we realized that it was not a good fit we started to search for a new place and luckily for us found Cadence Academy of Lacey. We love this place. The staff here is very friendly and professional. You always come and greeted with big smiles. Teachers in our son's preschool class are exceptional. They give you good feedback about your child's progress and how his day went. Our son loves coming here, he learns a lot and have good rapport with his teachers. My husband and I would highly recommend Cadence academy. We could not be happier with them.

Our experience with Cadence Academy was extremely upsetting. The school claims to be NAEYC…read morecertified but doesn't reflect the values/standards that certification represents. My daughter is 3 and has ADHD and autism and they knew she had special needs and had behavioral challenges when we enrolled. Yet they would send her home after about an hour most days and would fully exclude her around two days a week, yet continued charging full tuition. This caused tremendous stress for our family -- emotionally, financially, and with our work schedules. The school felt extremely chaotic, with constant teacher turnover and little compassion or understanding for children with special needs. We never knew who her teacher would be or what room she'd be in- there was zero structure or educational enrichment. My 3-year-old daughter came home saying the teachers "didn't like her" and that she was "bad," which was devastating to hear. Since moving her to a preschool that truly values inclusion and care, she's thriving and happy again. I would never recommend this school to any family and will continue to share my experience with as many parent as will listen.

Great experience for my daughters 5th birthday highly recommended this business, they staff took…read morecare of everything while entertaining the kids.

I rented The Little Gym for my grandson's birthday. The whole experience was easy, seamless, and…read morestress free! The helpers that come with the birthday package engage the kids in play and games the whole time. They are amazing with the kids. They played parachute games that the kids loved and then set up a bounce house. The party room is a good size. We had a lot of adults at our party and there was more than enough room. The party decor was wonderful (comes with the birthday package). We chose the super hero themed party and the helpers had already decorated the party room for us before we arrived. Come time to eat and sing, the helpers led everyone to the party room, served everyone pizza, and drinks, led the Happy Birthday song, and then passed out the cake. When the party was over, the helpers packed up our leftovers and gifts on a cart for us to easily take to our car. They also cleaned up the party room. Everyone one had a wonderful time, but you know who made out the best? ME and my grandson's parents. We didn't have to do a thing but bring drinks, pizza and cake. Everything was done for us! We highly recommend The Little Gum for birthday parties. My grandson's party had kids from 2 to 12 and they all had fun and I was able to enjoy the party and not host.