My Unfiltered Review After Using KidPass for Over 12 Months
As a busy parent of two grade schoolers, I‘m constantly seeking out ways to nurture my kids‘ education and growth. Especially with today‘s over-reliance on technology, getting them off screens with meaningful activities is an endless challenge.
Over the past year, I‘ve relied on KidPass and its extensive catalog of live online classes to keep my 8 year old son and 6 year old daughter engaged in positive learning. With over 30,000 enrichment sessions spanning academic, arts, sports and life skills subjects, there‘s unlimited potential for trial and error until we pinpoint their passions.
In this in-depth KidPass review, I‘ll share our first-hand experiences as members to help you determine if it suits your family‘s needs. I‘ll provide plenty of specifics around popular classes for different ages, how the points/credits system works, hidden subscription traps to avoid, and whether KidPass ultimately delivers educational value relative to its price point.
How This Parent Discovered KidPass
As a busy marketing consultant constantly traveling for work pre-pandemic, I used to rely heavily on screens to entertain my young kids during my long workdays. I knew deep down so much solo iPad time stunted their learning and creative development, no matter how "educational" the apps claimed to be.
When COVID-19 hit and my kids faced endless Zoom schooling, their imagination and curiosity suffered noticeably without social outlets. I grew desperate to find supplemental learning activities that could withstand short grade school attention spans. We tried several child development apps, but the novelty quickly wore off, unable to hold interest once the initial excitement of the games faded.
Then I discovered KidPass and its promise of convenient at-home access to live, interactive online classes taught by qualified instructors. With consideration of each child‘s unique interests, skills and pace, these sessions could provide the mental enrichment lacking from today‘s socially-distant, extracurricular-limited world.
I‘ll expand on how KidPass specifically aims to foster well-rounded learning across cognitive, social, creative and physical development pillars as we dive deeper.
Who Started KidPass and Why?
KidPass comes from New York-based edtech company BEGiN, which focuses on early childhood learning apps for ages 2 to 6. BEGiN acquired KidPass in 2021, uniting its research-backed educational foundation and technology resources with KidPass‘ expansive supplemental learning marketplace.
The beginnings of KidPass stem from two fathers, Chhay Chhun and Solomon Liou, uniting in 2014 over a shared priority – their young kids‘ holistic growth and success. With new babies on the way, they brainstormed how to inspire children everywhere to pursue their passions and reach their highest potential.
This mission converged with the rise of the digitized "sharing" economy led by disruptor startups like Uber, AirBnb and ClassPass. The parallels of on-demand transportation and temporary housing access matched well with short-term enrichment classes for youth. With kid activities historically limited to slow, inefficient offline searches, Chhun and Liou sought to create a centralized hub matching families with learning opportunities instantly.
After several rounds of venture capital fundraising, KidPass officially launched in 2016 to provide affordable, flexible access to extracurricular activities through one seamless site. Let‘s explore what exactly KidPass offers today and how the model aims to benefit parents.
What Does KidPass Provide to Families?
At a high level, KidPass serves as an online marketplace connecting parents and kids with enrichment programs taught by accredited teachers and partners. Subjects range from academic topics like math, reading, writing and sciences to creative arts such as sculpting, painting, filmmaking and music. You‘ll also find camps focused on leadership, entrepreneurship, social justice and specialized skills like coding or podcasting.
KidPass curates online sessions in over 500 interest areas with new classes added continuously. Both recurring multi-week semester courses and flexible weekly camps keep children engaged over school breaks. Parents can browse offerings and book sessions instantly without long-term obligations. This flexibility helps determine children‘s true interests before committing extra funds on individual sports, instruments or tutors.
Over 8,000 qualified instructors contribute classes across subjects they specialize in for age groups from toddlers to high schoolers. All content undergoes extensive vetting to meet program standards and safety policies.
In my experience, KidPass provides:
- Convenience: Instant access to live instructor-led classes from home on flexible schedule
- Creativity Development: Exposure to diverse subjects that spark curiosity beyond school curriculum
- Affordability: Ability to try new hobbies without long-term financial commitments
- Customization: Sessions and teaching styles tailors to each child‘s abilities and pace
Now that you understand the mission behind KidPass and basics of what the platform offers, I‘ll share examples from some of the more popular classes my children have attended over the past year.
Our Favorite KidPass Classes So Far
As an avid reader and writer growing up, I was thrilled to instill early literacy skills in my kids with KidPass reading camps. My 1st grader attended the Book Explorers Adventure where theatrical teachers brought famous stories to life through animated discussions, engaging worksheets and creative crafts. Their witty voices coupled with funny impersonations of characters kept her captivated the full 60 minutes. I noticed her vocabulary and comprehension strengthen as she built confidence conversing about plots and themes.
However, when my son tried the next level Advanced Book Club reading series, he quickly lost interest and became distracted despite excelling in this subject during normal schooling. We realized the faster pacing and mature dialogue exceeded abilities for a 2nd grader just beginning chapter books. This allowed us to try a more suitable introductory level where he could practice foundational literary concepts like setting, conflict and resolutions without the pressure to keep up.
Having struggled with anxiety speaking up in class at school, my shy daughter broke out of her shell in Show and Tell Toastmasters. The playful group setting gave her a safe space to build presentation abilities one step at a time. Starting with short "All About Me" speeches, she gained courage to speak up volunteering answers to teachers‘ questions. The patience and encouragement from instructors kept anxiety at bay until she confidently led show-and-tells teaching homemade crafts. Her teachers and I noticed a monumental boost in confidence that I credit to this class.
Meanwhile, my sports-obsessed son explored athletic interests like tennis, soccer and basketball in various KidPass camps. His favorite became Beginner Parkour where he built flexibility and coordination conquering obstacle courses set up in his teacher‘s backyard. I watched in awe as he fearlessly stuck tricky landings off ramps and climbed towering rock walls in the experiential video sessions. The patience and care from the safety-conscious instructor provided reassurance allowing my daring son to test limitations while protecting joints and bones. His sensory processing disorder requires this physical self-regulation impossible with standard class restrictions.
My kids explored numerous other subjects from Minecraft mods to marine biology, stop motion filming to stock trading basics (requested by my precocious pre-teen investors). KidPass served up engaging sessions that held their focus longer than anticipated. Next I‘ll break down how we determine which classes suit their evolving phases.
Finding The Right Classes By Age and Skill
With 30,000+ class options at your fingertips, the sheer variety can prove daunting for time-strapped parents. But KidPass‘s filters make tailoring your search fast and effortless. You can specify parameters like:
- Child‘s Age: Filter by age groups from infants through high schoolers.
- Class Length: Choose 10-15 minute quick bites or longer 60+ minute sessions
- Group Size: From 1-on-1 tutoring to large 20 student lectures
- Class Occurrence: Single lessons, multi-week recurring semesters or flexible weekly sign-ups
Here are examples of filters I use regularly:
- Preschoolers: 30 minute Imagination & Creativity Sessions, Small Groups of 4 Students
- Elementary School: 45 Minute Science, Writing or Coding Classes, Medium Groups <10 Kids
- Middle School: 60 Minute STEM, Investing or Drama Camps, Large Group Discussions
Browse your search results and preview class overviews, instructor bios plus photos and videos from previous sessions. With free cancellation on new trials, don‘t hesitate sampling various options before the monthly membership renews.
Next, I‘ll break down exactly how the KidPass pricing model works and where hidden subscription traps sometimes catch parents by surprise.
Demistifying KidPass Pricing & Memberships
KidPass employs a subscription-based membership program that unlocks access to discounted class rates you can redeem withpoints or cash credit. Four tiers exist offering from 2 credits per month up to unlimited use priced annually or monthly:
KidPass Memberships
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price | Points/Credits Per Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base | $49 | $468 (-5%) | 2 Credits = ~2 classes |
| Core | $89 | $850 (-5%) | 6 Credits = 4-6 classes |
| Plus | $119 | $1,140(-5%) | 10 Credits = 8-10 classes |
| Unlimited | $189 | $1,700 (-10%) | Unlimited Credits = Unlimited Classes |
Savings calculated based on individual class rates averaging $25+
The more points your plan includes, the higher percentage class discounts get – up to 70% certain cases. For context, popular single classes average around $20-40 for 25-45 minute sessions.
What catches many parents off guard is how KidPass manages unused credits, automatic subscription renewals and unclear termination processes.
- Leftover credits do NOT roll over if you change/cancel plans
- Free trial periods often default sign-ups to recurring charges
- Pausing (rather than fully closing) accounts still deducts monthly fees
- KidPass makes contacting support tedious to prevent quitting
My advice:
- Start with the cheapest Base Plan
- Use 1-2 new member promo codes to test sessions before committing
- Book classes individually instead of points to control spending
- Fully cancel instead of "pausing" account to avoid hidden billing
I‘ll expand more on common complaints from parents around accidental overcharges and sneaky practices in the next section.
Potential KidPass Downsides and Complaints
Despite its educational offerings, you‘ll find over 1,500 KidPass complaints on popular review sites like TrustPilot and the Better Business Bureau.
Most critiques relate to two key areas:
-
Billing & Refund Issues
- Being charged incorrectly or past cancelation dates
- Difficulty securing refunds for unused credits or accidental sign-ups
- Delayed response time from KidPass customer service
-
Inconsistent Teacher & Class Quality
- Instructors showing up unprepared, distracted or disengaged
- Classes too advanced or juvenile for advertised ages
- Technical issues like laggy video streams or sound cutting out
Consider this sampling of parent complaints:
"KidPass makes it extremely difficult to cancel a trial membership. You cannot completely cancel a trial membership online self-service." – Lauren D.
"It is hard to get classes refunded even when the teachers don‘t show up." – Linda R.
"We had technical issues in most of her classes. One teacher was so distracted by her own child, she did not actually teach." Anna S.
"The classes don‘t work for us overall. Many are too juvenile for my 6-year-old." – Amber T.
In responses to critical reviews online, KidPass maintains its positive reputation pointing to thousands of delighted members finding enrichment their children love. As with most edtech platforms, however, the technology enabling simplified access delivers imperfect experiences at times.
I believe KidPass still works to improve billing transparency and teacher excellence. But do exercise caution reviewing details before purchasing to mitigate frustration.
Final KidPass Review Verdict: Who is it Good For?
Given the pros and cons covered in this extensive, first-hand KidPass review, you likely wonder whether signing up will benefit your family.
I recommend KidPass for:
- Parents of children 3-15 years old stuck on screens needing enrichment options
- Busy moms and dads lacking time to coordinating extracurriculars
- Families new to areas without connections for activity ideas
- Kids showing early passion for certain arts/sciences
- Parents laid off due to COVID-19 needing budget-friendly resources
Alternatively, KidPass may disappoint those:
- With toddlers under age 3 (limited engaging offerings)
- Having children hate learning or attending classes
- Wanting extremely advanced specialized programs
- Seeking intensive in-person interactions
In closing, KidPass eliminates headaches narrowing down quality online programs for kids. But ensure you monitor billing details closely given common accidental overcharges. Lean on intro discounts to determine if classes capture your child‘s focus before paying upfront.
I‘m happy to answer any other questions you may have in the comments from my first-hand experiences using over 50 different KidPass classes with my young learners so far. Wishing you the best in your adventures parenthood ahead!
