Steve & Kate's Camp - Minneapolis
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
Steve & Kate's Camp Minneapolis stands out for its unique 'self-directed camper' philosophy, empowering children to choose their activities from a diverse range including baking, coding, water play, stop motion video, and sewing. This approach, combined with a weekly rotating activity schedule, ensures children remain engaged and unbored even when attending daily for an entire summer. The camp provides exceptional convenience by including all meals and snacks, and is staffed by consistently praised, friendly, and attentive professionals.
Key Highlights
- ✓Empowering 'self-directed camper' philosophy where children choose how to spend their time.
- ✓Wide variety of engaging activities offered, including baking, coding, water days, stop motion video, sewing, playground time, and outdoor games.
- ✓Dedicated groups for younger children (e.g., 4-year-olds) ensure they thrive and receive appropriate attention.
- ✓Activities are varied weekly, preventing boredom for children attending for extended periods (e.g., daily for an entire summer).
- ✓All meals and snacks are included, providing seamless convenience for parents.
- ✓Staff is consistently described as friendly, professional, communicative, kind, attentive, and genuinely loves kids.
Standout Features
- ⭐All meals and snacks are provided and included in the camp experience.
- ⭐The 'self-directed learning' model that allows children agency over their day.
- ⭐Diverse array of creative and active pursuits (baking, water days, coding, stop motion video, sewing, playground, outdoor games).
- ⭐Dedicated programming and support for younger campers.
- ⭐Highly rated staff for their friendliness, professionalism, attentiveness, and positive interaction with children.
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →If your child has specific dietary needs, especially complex or requiring more than a basic salad for gluten-free, communicate this clearly with corporate HQ or consider supplementing with your own food.
- →Be prepared for potentially chaotic drop-offs and plan extra time or a relaxed approach during these periods.
- →For immediate, on-site issues, be aware that you may not be able to reach local staff directly and may need to escalate through corporate channels.
- →This camp is ideal for parents seeking a 'self-directed' and flexible approach to summer activities for their child.
Things to Consider
- ⚠Reported poor coordination and chaotic drop-offs.
- ⚠Very limited and inadequate gluten-free (GF) meal options, specifically noted as only a garden salad with no meat.
- ⚠Lack of direct local staff contact; all calls are routed to corporate HQ, making immediate on-site issue resolution difficult.
Price & Value
High perceived value due to the extensive range of engaging activities, the unique self-directed philosophy, and the all-inclusive nature of meals and snacks, which simplifies logistics for parents. Repeat bookings and enthusiasm from reviewers indicate strong satisfaction with the investment, although specific pricing details are not mentioned in the reviews.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •Concerns regarding the limited and inadequate gluten-free meal option suggest potential limitations for other specific dietary or accessibility needs. No other specific accommodations are mentioned.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •All meals and snacks are provided and included by the camp.
- •A significant concern was raised about the very limited gluten-free meal option, which was described as only a garden salad with no meat.
🚗Parking Info
- •Chaotic drop-offs were reported, indicating potential challenges or disorganization during peak arrival/departure times. Specific details about parking availability (e.g., lot size, street parking) are not provided.
👥Crowd Levels
- •Chaotic drop-offs suggest potentially busy periods or poor flow management during peak times. The existence of dedicated groups for younger children implies the camp manages different age groups effectively within the overall environment.
🛡️Safety Features
- •The camp is described as providing a 'safe and fun environment'. Staff are praised for being 'attentive' and 'professional', contributing to a general sense of safety and oversight. No specific safety protocols (e.g., wristbands, secured entry points, first aid stations) are explicitly detailed in these reviews.
⏰When to Avoid
- • Families who require a highly structured, rigid schedule with minimal child choice.
- • Children with strict or complex dietary restrictions, particularly gluten-free, if a basic salad without meat is insufficient.
- • Parents who require direct, immediate communication with on-site staff for daily coordination or issues.
What People Say
What's Great
- Friendly and helpful staff (mentioned in 6 reviews)
- Fun and entertaining activities (mentioned in 4 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Sarah Toov
a year agoWe loved Steve & Kate's for summer 2023! Our 4-year-old had a blast. She especially loved the water days, baking and playing on the playground. I was worried that as a 4-year-old she might get lost in the shuffle, but there was a group just for the younger kids and she thrived. There were fun activities planned each week, so even though she went nearly every day for the entire summer, she never got bored. We will definitely be going back next summer!
Kari Heck
2 years agoWe love Steve and Kate's Camp, our son has attended in California for several years and Minnesota now. The 'self-directed camper' philosophy is a perfect fit for us, allowing for kids to make decisions about how to spend their time and grow confidence within a safe and fun environment. There's a great mix of activities from baking to coding with plenty of outdoor time and games. Lunch and snacks are included which makes things easy. The staff is wonderful, always very friendly, professional and communicative.
Leah Garczynski
a year agoOur family loved Steve and Kates Minneapolis! The staff was kind, attentitive and loves kids! The program had fun things planned everyday but also gave children choices as to what they wanted to do. They provided all meals and snacks and made everything seamless! We can't wait to come back again next year!!!!
Chelsea Marcott
2 years agoThis camp is amazing. My son has attended to cover the gaps in care throughout the summer and doesn't want to go anywhere else. In his first few days he got to make a stop motion video, baked cookies, had a water day and got to try sewing. There are endless things to try for self directed learning and he spends the rest of the night raving about everything he did during the day. The staff is fantastic. Can't wait to take him back!
Stacy Rebeck Garrels
10 months agoPoor coordination. Chaotic drop-offs. The only GF meal option every day at a child's camp is garden salad with no meat and with dressing. No number to call or text local staff. (You can call it and you get directed to corporate HQ.)