Flexibility, independence, and fun stuff to do. Kiddo went to a lot of different camps last summer:…read morescience center, living history farms, gymnastics (some others I can't think of right now). This is the one and only camp she asked to go to this year. And she asked to go all summer. (She isn't doing that much yet but will fill in there at least a week every summer month.) The flexibility is so great. I buy a bunch of days. More than I need because there's a refund at the end for unused days. Then I tell Steve or Kate that Kiddo is coming the day before. Pick her lunch, or let her pick, and that's it. Maybe check to see if there is a water activity planned because good dads shouldn't forget to send a suit and towel. lol Drop her off any time in the morning and pick her up anytime. So. Convenient. Kiddo gets to pick out her day. If she picks to be on a tablet all day every day, that's a conversation for her and one of her grown ups. Independence means she can make less-than-perfect choices and learn from them. Last summer, Kiddo picked baking in the afternoon every afternoon she went. She was so excited about it. Every day. So excited. Maybe this summer she will sew. She did see a baby raccoon hopping out of a Greenwood park garbage can, so I know she was outside at least once. Haha! The staff was young but dedicated last summer. And I expect it will be the same this summer. They were all really on their games and made sure kids were safe while letting them have space to flex their independence. I'm so glad Des Moines has this option. The weekly fun activities are worth paying attention to--the inflatable water slide was not to be missed last summer. And I sort of wish I could get in on the pies in the face!

This place is a rip off. The staff are rude, my kid comes home and says he was on a tablet pretty…read moremuch all day. They offer the kids garbage food like takeout pizza and takeout bagels and he didnt see a single vegetable. Everyone working here is an underpaid teen. We tried to cancel 2 days in advance and it wasn't til after the submission screen we got a pop up message there would be no refund or recredit. We tried to call to at least get the day we paid for back and they said no literally laughed in our face and suggested we pay for the day again.

We had our college retreats here and it was great!! Very accommodating and the staff was very…read morehelpful! Perfect for any size group and has different kinds of housing for all of your people. I believe most of the camp is wheelchair accessible as well.

I grew up at this camp. Spending a week as a camper there from as long as I could remember till I…read morewas a teenager. Then I started to work for the camp and worked there through high school and college years. It was such a blessing on my life and forever shaped my life. I don't think I ever made any better friends than I did at Hidden Acres. I will never forget my time spent there, nor the friends I made.

Moingona girl scouts are fond memories over in the Boone, IA area. We sold more cookies than…read moreanyone else because we ordered a ton of cookies and then went door to door at the college dorms. We made out nicely and got to go to camp for free because of it.

My granddaughter attended Wesley Woods horse day camp in 2024 when she was 10. She'll go again this…read moresummer - but wants to have the week-long overnight experience. She's already decided that after beginner, and now intermediate, she wants to go on to advanced - all the way to becoming an instructor!

Came here for horseback riding with my family. This is a Methodist Church camp that offers…read morehorseback riding year-round for a price way lower than anywhere else I've ever been. This is a great outing for anyone new to horseback riding or to do with your children. It's also a price that makes this a great weekend activity for the whole family. Our guide led us around the large acreage of the camp for around 45 minutes on a very easy and beautiful ride.

Camp is one of my favorite places! The staff is amazing and I look forward to seeing them every…read moresummer!

I went to this camp when I was a child, and most of the counselors were good. However, there was a…read morevery dorky counselor who would make random people sit outside during events because 'they were talking.' He was completely arbitrary with picking on children and if he heard a whisper, then he would send you outside.

Magic and Comedy Show at the Temple Theater, the comedian and the magician were both extremely…read moreentertaining. They did a great job interacting with the audience and really keep everyone in awe and laughter! All in all is was a really fun evening....

small theater, saw the twilight zone unscripted. Super talented cast. Challenging to pull off…read moretwilight zones off the cuff.

Prairie Flower Children's Center is a wonderful, Waldorf-based preschool that emphasizes time in…read morenature and imaginative play. All four of my children have attended Prairie Flower, and I am so grateful they were able to have non-traditional preschool experiences that do not focus so heavily on learning letters and numbers but rather focus on educating the whole child and nurturing the magic and wonder of childhood. I can't imagine a better experience for little ones.

When my daughter went here, she was relatively happy with it (although frequently confused by the…read morerules). As a parent, though, I was not happy. It felt very judgmental and clique-y. We got in trouble for dressing our daughter in tshirts with cartoons on them, for bringing non-homemade snacks, because she watched a video while at her grandparent's house (gasp!), and we were admonished for not showing up to things like the Harvest Forest Walk (or whatever they called it) because we had to work. This place feels like it's for parents with more time on their hands than the rest of us can reasonably hope to have. We believed in the philosophies of Waldorf, but needed something that worked in real life. Real life... where sometimes you set your kids in front of the TV. Real life... where you don't have time to make organic homemade gluten-free sugar-free cupcakes because you have to WORK. Real life... where you have to make compromises. When compared to other childcare places, I really appreciate that they have a philosophy that gives the kids the chance to connect to the seasons and the outdoors. But, ick. They give the idea a bad name, and our time there felt like a visit to Guilt City.