The Yummiest Summer Camps in Jacksonville

Kona Skate Park

★★★★★ 4.8 (12)

"I was skating Kona before it opened back in the 70's. I was a lifeguard (at jax bch) with one of the designers. The place was rad when it first opened. It quickly died because there was no vert (vertical) walls anywhere. So they built the tombstone. They did a pretty lousy job back then. It had a major kink (bump) in it. The snake run was awesome and you could really create a lot of speed and use a lot of your surfing moves while going down the run. There were many contest way back when and it's where I turned pro. Back in those days if you won money you automatically turned pro. It closed and they dumped tons of sand in it and it was a bitch getting it all out. It was Jacksonville's first skate park and it is still an icon in the skating world. Now I have seen a lot of really good skaters there and more have come out of Kona. The whole Dogtown gang was out here for the first ever pro-am contest. It was a true test for all of us local skaters. Today the place has improved a bunch when they added a half pipe and put a pool in the end of the J bowl. We were asking for that back in the late 70's. Now you can take your kid and skating in great workout and you might learn a thing or two from the kids. They rip."

La Petite Academy on St Johns Bluff Rd

★★★☆☆ 3 (2)

"I'm shocked no one else has raved about this place yet! This isn't my first La Petite my child has attended as he spent the summer at a location in Northwestern South Carolina that always looked and sounded like an ABSOLUTE FREE FOR ALL!!!! My child has been at this location for almost 2 years now and I couldn't be happier! The staff is amazing! The curriculum is teaching my child more than I ever expected in a early preschool setting (in the fall, my child will be in PVK).It's nice to see the same staff (teachers) over and over again meaning the turnover rate is limited. There is a great outdoor playground for all children to enjoy.The only issue I have is the location. It is 5 or 6 car-lengths from a stop light with a left turn median. This all boils down to a nightmare to get in and/or out of the parking lot on a regular basis. However, I'm not gonna fault La Petite for this issue.Ask me anytime anywhere and I'll say this location is great!"

The Children's Courtyard on Lady Lake Road

★★★☆☆ 2.6 (8)

"I can't say enough about these guys. I truly love taking my son there. The teachers are fantastic and take such good care of him.I really hope the other tutor times are as good as them once we move."

5th Element Studios

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"Amazing Indian Food. Lots of choices to try and a great lunch tray. Where you get a little bit of everything. Just wish the buffet was back open. We never got to try it."

T's Learning Center

★★★★☆ 4.4 (5)

"Love this place, love its location, prices, curriculum.... especially love his teacher Miss Tia, and the director and assistant director- Miss Shannon- are both very lovely people and I've never had a single issue they weren't able and willing to resolve. It's clean, huge, closed classrooms and a large well trained staff always present and smiling. You will not be disappointed in T's!"

Urban Youth Park

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"My kid loves coming to his mini ninja class! He looks forward to it all week and it's such great exercise. The coaches have all been really great, especially Coach Addison and Coach Nick. They are all very patient with my 4 year old son and work hard to keep the kids safe. The facilities look well kept and clean, especially from all the classes they have. This is a place I hope to bring my children to for a long time!"

La Petite Academy on Beach Blvd

★★★★☆ 3.7 (3)

"I love, love, love this daycare. My daughter is 2 1/2 - she has been going here for over a year and I cannot believe how good she is doing! She is thriving!!! Her vocabulary and speech are amazing, not only in English but her Spanish is quite impressive as well! She is so happy and learns so much! I hate being apart from her but am so comfortable leaving her in the hands of the teachers, assistants and coordinators at this school. I am so blessed!"

Kidz Klubhouse Daycare and Learning Center

★★★★☆ 3.9 (7)

"Best Daycare and VPK facility in Northeast Florida. All three of my children have attended this facility over the past 8 years. Our children's safety and education is their top priority. Extremely reasonable rates and friendly staff!"

Kiddie Academy of St Johns

★★★☆☆ 3 (6)

"Our kids have loved going to Kiddie Academy over the last few years. They have wonderful teachers, curriculum, resources, amenities etc. for the kids. Professional staff and clean facilities are a big plus as well. They have various after school activities to promote community involvment and family interaction. Convienant location off of US1 as well. Mr. Joe and Ms. Rita are a joy to depend on!"

The Goddard School of Ponte Vedra Beach

★★★★★ 5 (6)

"We love this school. We have 3 kids and this is our 4th school and it's hands-down the best we have ever had. The teachers are great, the owner is amazing, and the activities and level of care is second to none. If you are looking for a school, I can't say enough about Goddard PVB."

The Children's Courtyard on Windsor Commons Court

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (5)

"I have my child at this center- she was 13 months old when we brought her here. In 4 months she has been bitten a total of 6 times 4 of which were reported. That was the first thing. It seems that every time during bath time I would find something new. The last straw was their staffing . I noticed my child wasn't sleeping well at night and I couldn't find out why. The answer became obvious when I came in the middle of the day to drop off diapers and found that the director had for the last several weeks had removed kids from the classroom . Because the classroom ratio was over the state limit of 1:6 she would rotate 4 children at a time in a buggy in the hall. My child would essentially spend a portion of the day restrained. I naturally complained and was told that their were staffing issues. I told her that attrition is to be expected but should be planned for, she agreed. 2 weeks later (4 weeks total)- same issue. The last center I was at had a hands on director- it seems that this one would rather stay in her office while our children are restrained. I will be pulling my kid out of here but not before I talk to some of the other parents in my child's class. If I hadn't come u expectedly in the middle of the day - no one would have been the wiser."

5 Tool Training

★★★★☆ 4.3 (6)

"5 stars for 5 tool training. Our daughter trains here weekly since their opening. Not only is the staff here top notch but the facility is just awesome. They have everything we need plus more! As a longtime softball mom who moved here 3 years ago shocked to find the indoor/outdoor training facilities were obsolete here I'm so glad to find this place so close to home! Florida weather during sports seasons calls for covered options and now that 5 tool is open I don't have to worry about my daughter's practice/training time being interrupted by the occasional shower storm. And just to reiterate the staff here are the best I've found in town. They are tough and patient but not afraid to push the kids to their top performance. Very happy to be a part of the family here!!"

The Children's Courtyard on Watermill Blvd. South

★★★★☆ 3.7 (6)

"My child is now 9 months. We have had him enrolled since he was 3 months old. We absolutely love his teachers. They treat all the children like they are theirs. The staff is very friendly and informative. The rates are a little high, but they are military friendly."

The Goddard School of Saint Johns

★★★★☆ 3.8 (9)

"I was so nervous about putting my little guy in preschool especially post Covid but I am so happy I did. Goddard is so great. Every single staff member has been so sweet and caring. My son is happy when I pick him up and his teachers are so attentive. I've been so over the top about his food intake and need to eat because of some weight concerns and his teachers have committed to feeding him every single hour. Honestly I'm just grateful and 100 percent recommend this school."

Tumblrz

★★★★★ 5 (5)

"The skill and genuine caring for the kids with this staff is amazing! From the first day my daughter started here, I witnessed how attentive coaches were with the children. My daughter has improved so much with her tumbling because the coaches are giving critiques and assisting her over and over again to help her complete a stunt correctly. The atmosphere is great, the gym is clean and everyone seems to love what they do. Any interactions I've had with coaches wether after practice or at the desk has been very friendly and helpful. We hope to continue at this facility for years to come!!"

Brooks Family YMCA

★★★★☆ 4.1 (65)

"This is the best Gym I've ever been a member of. My son and I were both members. They based the monthly fee my upon my salary, which really helped. I really liked the locker room and the warm fresh towels they would give you when you needed one. I have been thinking about re-joining. Ernie and I both need to start working out. I love the pools as well. They have an Olympic size pool and then a smaller heated pool. The only bad part it is, it's not real close to home. But, it truly is worth the drive. *Highly recommended"

Jewish Community Alliance

★★★★☆ 3.9 (20)

"Tonight I had the privilege of watching my G-D daughter perform in the summer musical, Suzical. The kids did an outstanding job, this was the best show of the last three that I have seen there. The choreography was outstanding and the participants knew where to be and when there was very minimal mistakes. The young man who played the elephant is truly a talented performer! The entire cast was great and I was most impressed with how the camp counselors and staff put together a show with such a large cast and to make it look so effortless. Kudos to everyone, the actors the camp counselors the staff the lighting the sound and the young man who painted the scenery. Huge shout out for he is a very talented individual."

The Children's Courtyard of St Augustine

★★★★☆ 4.2 (5)

"My toddler loves attending Tutortime. When we ask him if he likes it he says "it's his favorite thing to do". Tutortime has a caring staff and they provide updates throughout the day to let you know how your child has been doing along with sending photos. Getting the updates and the pictures are my favorite part of the day to see that he is interacting with peers and how long he napped for. They have reasonable prices and are not too far from our home. He is more talkative and outgoing now that he has been in daycare. This was one of the best decisions we made."

La Petite Academy of Orange Park

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (10)

"The teachers here are amazing they share a close relationship with the parents in helping each child succeed, my daughter has been attending since VPK and she gets excited going everyday. The hardest part was trusting someone with my infant son and when he started they sent pictures and I knew that he was getting fed and changed with the app they offer which put my mind at ease. I would recommend La Petite Academy off U.S 17 to anyone."

NOVA Dance and Wellness Academy

★★★★☆ 4 (1)

"Another ClassPass session for the win visiting Nova Dance and Wellness. I've mentioned on other reviews that I'm already a member of a local gym in Jacksonville and we train hard! All gas, no brakes! I've been trying different workouts to get more variety and focus on specific areas for toning and building. With all the work put forth, I'm trying to remember to prioritize stretching and resting. I visited Nova for a Stretch Roller class with Tony that was just the fix. We used lacrosse balls, rollers and yoga blocks to stretch and massage pesky areas in the legs and hips that are hard to really reach. What I really loved what the education shared and being able to experience the relief in real time. The class was intimate and everyone was friendly. Tony is super professional and pays very close attention to details with respect to form while stretching so not to injure yourself in the process. He also does sound bowl sessions with Crystal sound bowls that I'd love to experience in the future. It would've been nice to chat with someone about the benefits of joining the family, but at least I was able to save down their membership rates. I hear great things about their dance classes. I'd definitely go back for another stretch roller session. It's basically a massage and a workout. Ha!"

T's Learning Center

★★★★★ 5 (2)

"My 5 month son has been in the great care of all the caregivers and staff at this location and I have never once picked him up crying or screaming. He has been so happy to be there and I am so thrilled of how gracious all the employees are!One of the best features they offer is their Kids Report App that sends me notifications of what is happening with my son throughout the day. For any new parent that can keep your nerves at ease. They keep my son active and don't just let him sit which makes me happy he's so engaged all day. Place is always so clean and sterile and it's well decorated. Beautiful environment filled with the energy of the staff and how happy they are to care and love the precious children. If you need a great and loving daycare this place/location is the BEST one. If you want a place that your child is so well attentive while learning social skills with fellow peers this is the place!!!! I was so nervous leaving my son (first time mommy) to go back to work but knowing how happy my son is and how great the communication is with the staff I never worry which makes me one happyMommy!!!"

The Goddard School of Jacksonville

★★★★☆ 3.6 (7)

"I absolutely love The Goddard School! Our situation is a bit different and they were very accommodating. We ended up taking a temporary spot for the month of November, and I hope that a full spot opens soon for my child. The teachers are so caring and they make sure that they treat your baby with care! We were in the "lovable lobster" room, and each one of his teachers were awesome. I enjoy the tadpoles app that they use also - which is where they upload your child's daily report... how much he ate, diapers, and pictures of your child following the curriculum. Whenever my baby comes home he is tired but happy! I also have never questioned the cleanliness of the school. This school has def set a high standard for me when looking for daycares in the future!"

T's Learning Center

★★☆☆☆ 1.8 (6)

"Our son attended T's for 5 months. While he seemed to enjoy going there, we dealt with a number of issues while in attendance. They were bought by Kindercare and are going through some changes so maybe some of our issues are due to that. Nothing was consistent- his teachers changed constantly, they would transfer him (and only him) to another room to meet ratios, events in the app weren't updated (they claimed internet issues), and their curriculum was rarely shared. Two year olds live for consistency, structure, and a nurturing environment for learning but we didn't find that at T's. Every day at pickup the kids were running around wild with loud music on. Absolute chaos. Every time our son had a bowel movement at daycare they said he had a "blowout" and they had to change his clothes- this never happens at home but was happening 2-3x per week at daycare!! Come to find out, they were not putting his diaper on properly. On more than one occasion we observed (different) relief teachers yelling across the room. One even abruptly grabbed several children by the arm to line up, without verbally telling them what was expected of them before doing so. Communication about staffing changes were rarely upfront- when they reorganized the classrooms a few months ago, they sent out an email the night before all kids were moved to different room locations and assigned different teachers. There was no indication to families before this happened so everyone was unprepared on Monday. On a positive note, the administrative staff (especially Ms Latroya) were very sweet and always willing to listen to our concerns. Unfortunately, while some of our concerns were addressed, the changes that were promised to us were never implemented nor communicated to us as to why they weren't implemented. We have since moved to another daycare center and are wondering why we didn't move sooner."

La Petite Academy on Girvin Road

★★★★★ 5 (3)

"I changed to this La Petite around my first daughters birthday. My 2nd has been here since she was 6 weeks old. They are almost 2 and 4 now. I am very glad to have found this place. Michelle and Shauna are amazing. The staff is terrific too. I love Andrea, Autumn Jessica and the rest of them..too many to name. They do an amazing job. Both with professionalism and humor. I love how they can laugh but switch to business in a heartbeat. Sometimes at the same time. Very glad I found this one."