Stephanie Joseph

as a homeschooling helicopter mom and early childhood educator, who’s very involved in my childs education and personal development. this was our first camp experience. i have so many thoughts and feelings. let’s unpack an honest review. piers sailing center has so much to offer and they’re accessible. they educate children about sailing, water safety, sea creatures and they even learn how to fish. in between this they have time blocks dedicated to play. there are different groups of activities to do. to my knowledge the kids are allowed to choose where they would like to be. the program runs from 9am to 4pm monday through friday. they’re also super flexible with modifying your child’s schedule and days they will attend. i believe the camp is divided into different age groups. there’s even a “cool down ” area for the kids to retreat to in the office if they’re feeling overwhelmed or need a break. i heard about this program from our visits to piers park. which sparked me to enroll my kid who loves all things outdoors. omar who is the education director assisted me in doing so. he was very kind, helpful and gave me a brief run down of the program during the springtime. i was told that they allowed parents to be close by which was a plus for me. however i can tell it was a bit off putting for some of the employees. personally i think it’s strange when programs don’t allow it. so i lingered around like a fly on the wall throughout the day. i wish there was an onboarding orientation or debriefing for newer parents or families. so we could know what the day to days would actually look like before camp starts. what protocols are taken when children are having tough times, etc. i think it would be a really great opportunity for the parents to mingle and to become better aquatinted with the staff. as once the camp started i was really confused about what my child would actually be doing. i didn’t realize that he would be on a boat sailing his first day. my mommy nerves were not prepared for that. there was a bit of miscommunication of what i was told parents were permitted to do. i did have to ask a few times to get more of a clear response. i also didn’t realize that the staff would primarily be teenagers or younger adults. although it’s amazing that they’re embarking on a journey of learning how to be responsible and well rounded teenagers to adults. i personally wasn’t prepared for the level of responsibility they’re given. i ask alot of questions especially when it comes to who i’ll be trusting to care for my child when i’m not present. i know this is pretty uncommon this day and age. catherine who is the director of youth programs and omar sat down with me and answered every single question i had. which definitely eased my nerves a bit. i was told that all of the counselors or staff have either been apart of the camp themselves or have gone through extensive trainings and continue to sharpen their skills. i appreciate how mindful they are about allergies and ensuring every childs dietary restrictions are being considered. i know it’s camp, it’s hot and there’s a lot to handle. however the energy can sometimes feel a bit chaotic, unwelcoming , stand off ish or incredibly awkward. especially from certain staff members. i’m warm , bubbly and very friendly. so it throws me off a bit when folks who work with children aren’t. people skills are incredibly important when working with children and families. so i hope everyone continues to sharpen them and remember that if you don’t want to communicate with kids or their parents working with children and family’s probably shouldn’t be the proper career path. although i’m grateful my son is enjoying it, learning new ways to coexist with peers, remembering his manners, how to follow directions or rules, making new buddies and having new experiences. i’m not entirely sure if we’ll be back next year but it’s definitely left quite the impression and i’ve certainly got my steps in from walking around the park so far this summer.

This place is really cool. It has a little bit of everything and isn’t just for children who enjoy building. They have a fun laser maze that has many levels and it isn’t tough to navigate. They also have a movie theater, areas to sit, read and or build with your little ones. It’s really cool to see boston in lego structures. They have an fun area for toddlers with tiny rides and structured gyms. It’s super cute. There’s also a tall indoor playground. There’s about two levels, a maze, a slide and a few other things they can adventure through. Remember to bring socks because they do have to remove their shoes to play in there. I would also recommend bringing your own snacks or food. The cafe area is helpful when you forget to bring a snack but the prices aren’t gas station prices. The bathrooms were clean and cute. They even had a whole lego theme. The employees were really helpful and friendly. There’s also a quick ride you can go on with your children to save the princess. It’s a cart that guides you around through different scenarios or scenes and you have a blaster to help the princess. It’s fun. If i could change anything it would be the price of admission. It’s about $30 per person. Which feels a bit excessive. Especially if you’re not spending the whole entire day there. I’m not sure of the exact dates or schedules but they do have adult nights. Which is super cool and you should stay on the lookout for.

this playground is so simple, yet it’s a ton of fun. the huge metal slide takes the prize for my seven year old. he loves how fast he flys down and how easy it is to climb up( safely). there are two slides that aren’t as long as the metal slide and as much fun for the younger ones. there’s somewhat of a contraption on-top of the slides to keep it from being too hot but i wish there was a bit more sun protection. especially for the big metal slide. climbing up is a journey itself. all the kids seemed to really enjoy it. at the top it’s like a little play/ tree house. it’s really cute and seems very durable. there’s also some nature at this play scape. which is really nice to see. there’s a little serene pathway. i think there may be a splash pad there in the summer. this play scape is big enough for kids to get put there energy somewhere and for parents to sit close by and see everything. the concept is pretty open and there are gates enclosing it. it’s also right across from the boston public market and places to eat. this is definitely a trip via transportation unless you don’t mine garage parking which can be a bit on the pricey side. this is definitely one of our new favorites.

piers park is one of the few parks i’ve been to in east boston that has a decent amount of greenery and nature. they do a good job keeping it pretty clean. there’s geese poop but that’s inevitable. folks clean up after their dogs. which is amazing and you would think it should be common sense but it’s not so common these days. there’s so much space for a picnic or even outside gatherings with friends. we’ve seen photoshoots here and i can only imagine how the pictures turn out. i appreciate the two different sides of the playground. there’s a tall side and mini side for the babies that older kids could still play in. which is cool. my seven year old bounces back and fourth. in the warmer weather there a splash pad and picnic tables in the playground with a bathroom right behind it which is so convenient. the scenery is also gorgeous. it’s worth the trip. you’ll spend at least a few hours there so pack a lunch and some snacks.

ehh, i wish the food was better as good as we thought it would be. from the pictures online it looks pretty decent. i ordered 3 taco dorados and they were really hard after three bites the crunch was too much. the chicken was marinated and seasoned well. i wasn’t a fan of the american cheese inside of it. my partner got the steak and shrimp fajitas. he said it was “okay”. it was seasoned and a basic fajita. we also ordered a side of broccoli which was seasoned well and steamed with a tiny crunch. the plaintains weren’t under or over ripe. it was just right. the fries weee also crunchy but a light crunch which was perfect. we also ordered alcoholic pina coolatas which i was really excited about and it came out as virgin coolatas. i didn’t finish mine because it just wasn’t what i was expecting. some of the employees were really kind and sweet. there was one who was a bit stale and made me feel like we were asking for too much. our bill came out to $68.00. this location is in a nice spot. street parking can be a little tricky but it’s a quick walk and there’s a park right next to it. overall i don’t think we’ll be visiting again. especially if we’re looking for gourmet food. this unfortunately wasn’t it for me. if you’re starving and have limited options. this spot will keep you alive.