Camp fairs are a wonderful way to get a lot of local camp information in one place. The camp directors and staff are there to answer questions in person and you are likely to get a better sense of the camp philosophy by talking to them directly rather than just poking around their website.
Sign Up for Camp will be at the French American International School camp fair on Saturday, February 4, 9:30-12:30.
- 50+ camps representing PreK 3 – high school
- Day and overnight camps, sports, arts & crafts, performing arts, science & nature, music as well as travel abroad programs and more!
- Entrance is free and you’ll have a chance to win $100 off your camp tuition
- The Summer Camp Fair is an annual parent initiative of the Lower School Parent Board of French American International School
Join us Saturday, February 4th 2012 from 9:30am to 12:30pm in the French American International School Gym located at 151 Oak Street at Franklin Street.
Win a Free Week of Summer Camp!
Two lucky families will win a free week of Camp Galileo, Galileo Summer Quest, or ESF Summer Camp.
Join Sign Up For Camp’s free email newsletter for a chance to win! Or write a camp review or share your camp calendar for more ways to win.
Deadline: Enter by April 30, 2012.
Prizes: Two winners will be randomly selected. The SF Bay Area winner can choose between a free week of Camp Galileo or Galileo Summer Quest. The East Coast winner will receive a free week at any ESF summer camp. For more details see the Official Rules.
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At Camp Galileo, campers grades preK-5th engage in hands-on art, science and outdoor activities every day, plus have tons of fun with camp traditions like dress up days, water day and the rubber chicken cheer. Camp Galileo has 20 locations in the San Francisco Bay Area. |
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At Galileo Summer Quest, 5th to 8th graders dive into majors they love, like digital filmaking, culinary arts, video game design, fashion design. Galileo Summer Quest has 10 locations in the San Francisco Bay Area. |
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ESF Summer Camps offer a unique assortment of customized camps that appeal to children of all ages with varied interests. We have filled our camps with the perfect blend of education, sports, and fun. ESF Summer Camps have 9 locations in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey and Maryland. |
Classroom Antics Tech Camps: Toby Foote
Every so often we conduct interviews with camp directors to collect advice for parents looking for unique experiences for their kids. We recently exchanged emails with Toby Foote, founder of Classroom Antics Tech Camps, which has 13 locations in Ohio.
I’m a technology professional with 20 years experience supporting engineering applications and enterprise data centers. After years of providing service to companies who paid handsomely for my service, I decided to educate our young children about technology and the incredible opportunities that technology can provide. We started providing small technology day camps in the Cleveland market in 2008, teaching video game design, LEGO robotics, and stop-motion animation movie making. Since then, we have doubled the size of our camp each year, with camps today spanning over Cleveland, Akron and Columbus, with plans to expand again to Cincinnati in 2013.
Classroom Antics Tech Camps gives kids the opportunity to learn amazingly fun technologies that they will use later in life. Kids love to play video games, so convincing a child to design a video game is very easy. They learn basic programming skills, improve logic-based thinking, and receive an introduction to geometry and algebra. Scratch programming and LEGO robotics expand on these life-skills as well. And stop-motion animation is an artistic technology skill that improves spatial awareness in conjunction with time. Math is used in movie making too because we have to calculate frames-per-second when filming to determine how far to move a character between camera shots.
Kids come out of our camps counting the hours until camp starts up the next day. I hear from parents, time and time again, that they had NO TROUBLE getting their kids out of bed to return to camp the next day. Dinner table discussions about what their child did in camp that day were easy and exciting. Absolutely rave reviews, some are listed at http://www.classroomantics.com/testimonials/.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Evaluate Your Summer Camp Experience
Choosing summer camps can seem like a second job. With all the researching, comparing and coordinating, many parents put in serious hours to find the right camps for their children. Once the camps are completed, it makes sense to track and evaluate the experience. Recording that information can help you when the next season of summer camps rolls around. Other parents often rely on personal recommendations and word of mouth comments when choosing summer camps. And parental feedback is an invaluable resource for camp directors and staff. It’s worth it all around to take the steps to monitor and report on your family’s summer camp experience.
- Keep a journal of your child’s thoughts and feeling about each camp. Not only will this help you to evaluate the camp, but it will also illuminate your child’s interests as they grow and change over the years, making it easier to find those perfect camps each summer. Also note the quality of your own interactions with the camp: was it easy to get accurate information, to enroll, to converse with staff when necessary, etc.
- Post reviews of the camps where other parents can find the information. The summer camps website Sign Up for Camp, www.signupforcamp.com, houses a review section where your insights will reach hundreds of parents.
- Fill out any feedback forms that the camp distributes. If forms aren’t available, call or email the director with a few specific points about the camp’s strengths and weaknesses from your child’s and your own perspective. Often times people just go happily about their business when they are satisfied – so make a point to give positive feedback as well as to discuss any concerns.
Last minute summer camp specials
There are still some great deals on summer camps. These camps are offering special discounts for certain weeks and programs.
Delaware Valley Area Discounts
Curious Jane Camp, Springside (Philadelphia, PA) and Shipley (Bryn Mawr, PA)
Curious Jane still has spaces for July 11 – 31 at Springside and August 1 – 19 at Shipley! Discounts: $25-off per week for both multi-week and friends-and-family enrollment.
Curious Jane is for girls 8-11 and CJ Junior is for girls 5-7 – with great ‘themes’ like Toy Design, Life Science, DIY Fashion, Story Arts and Robotics.
Saginaw Day Camp, Oxford, PA
Children or grandchildren of active or retired personnel or employees of the U.S. Military, or any fire or police department receive a discount of $50 per week
Saginaw Day Camp provides a wide variety of activities including a comprehensive athletics program, instructional and recreational swimming, an adventure course and zip-line, ATVS, arts & crafts, Laser Tag, Go-Karts and much more.
Mercersburg Summer Programs, Mercersburg, PA
10% discount off on Mercersburg Adventure Camp Session 1(June 26-July 8), Teen Adventure Camp Session 1(June 26-July 8), Teen Adventure Camp Session 2(July 10-July 22), Mercersburg Summer Theatre Workshop((July 3-15), and our Young Writers Camp (July 3 – 15). Cannot be combined with other discounts and can only be used for new enrollments.
Nestled in the mountains of south-central Pennsylvania, our beautiful campus provides the perfect setting for a wide range of opportunities for learning, personal growth and, most importantly, fun.
San Francisco Bay Area Discounts
Rhythmix Cultural Works Summer Camps, Alameda, CA
$25 discount for Rockin’ Ukes & Circus Arts OR Capoeira & Thingamakids Eco-Instrument Building sessions. Write “SUFC-DISCOUNT” in the info box when registering before July 15.
Only a few spots left for ages 7-12. 9am-3pm, Before/After care available.
Golden Gate Tutoring Summer Camps, San Anselmo, CA
$40 off Lil’ Monet Art Camp on July 18-21
Children enrolled in Lil’ Monet Art Camp explore the world of color and painting through watercolor, acrylic and collage on illustration board, natural wood and stretched canvas. A snack and storytime break provide a relaxing moment between two guided art sessions each day. Students share their work in an Open Studio evening.
Peninsula Youth Theatre, Mountain View, CA
$50 off Magic Fishbone session on July 25 – Aug 5. Type code SUFC50 in the coupon field when you register. Valid for new registrations only.
Campers not only act, but also design and construct the sets, props and costumes
Dezign Kidz, Los Altos, CA
$30 off all Artistic Accessories sessions through 7/25.
Mention discount code LMC when registering.
Learn to design, sew and make original jewelry, scarves, purses, hair accessories and more! For creative kids 7-12.
The Dance Affair, San Jose, CA
Receive $50 off your camp fee when you mention Sign Up For Camp
Camps for children ages 3- 15. Half day and full day camp options. All camps are themed and packed with lots of arts, crafts, dance and good fun!
Pixie Hall Studios, San Francisco, CA
10% off when you mention Sign Up For Camp
Four themes to choose from: Textiles & Sewing, Heroes & Heroines, Puppetry & Theater, Inventions & Toy Making.
Studio 4 Art, Novato CA
$25 discount for referring a friend in the month of August. Not to be combined with any other offer or discount.
Explore, Educate and Experiment are encompassed in Studio 4 Art’s summer camp program. Low child to teacher ratios. Project lead learning with choices in drawing, cartooning, painting (acrylic and oil), ceramics, wheel throwing, sewing, collage, mixed media, mosaics, silk screening and printmaking.
Wheel Kids Bicycle Club, San Francisco, CA
10% off sessions in August if you mention Sign Up For Camp on your registration form. Weekly camp sessions available until Labor Day.
Wheel Kids is an adventure and exploration summer day camp focused on bicycling and improving bicycling skills and self-confidence.
Urban Adventure Camps, Oakland, CA
Sign up for one of the weeks below, put “SPECIAL DISCOUNT” in the referral box and we will send you a $50 refund check for each camp you sign your camper(s) up for. Weeks available for the special discount are:
7/18 – 7/22: History, Physics/Technology
7/25 – 7/29: Art, History
8/1 – 8/5: Art
8/8 – 8/12: Bio/Natural Science, Physics/Technology
Urban Adventure Camps is a unique day camp that take campers on daily field trips around the Bay Area to major museums, science centers and urban attractions.
Trans-Atlantic Soccer: ‘Coaches in Kilts’ Soccer Camp, Corte Madera & Campbell, CA
Two campers for the price of one! Trans-Atlantic Soccer are offering two campers for the price of one at all of their ‘Coaches in Kilts’ Soccer Camps in Corte Madera and Campbell. Simply download a mail-in form from the website at http://www.transatlanticsoccer.com/coaches-in-kilts-camp/ or call Camp Director Liam Hughes. Our ‘Coaches in Kilts’ Soccer Camp is the most culturally rich camp experience available to children ages 5 – 15. Imagine learning the training secrets of Europe’s top soccer clubs from professional Scottish soccer players, taking part in ancient Scottish Highland game-themed challenges, and experiencing life as part of a Scottish clan – all in one action-packed camp adventure!
Take My Word For It! Oakland, Piedmont and San Francisco, CA
Bring in two other campers and receive 25% off your child’s tuition (they do not have to attend the same session as your child). When your fellow parent(s) register, kindly tell them to mention “sweet deal” in an email to us and to use your name as a referral. Also, 10% sibling discount and 10% discount for kids who’ve been enrolled in one of our after-school or community classes.
Looking for a creative adventure for your child this summer? Check out Paper & Palette: Creative Writing and Art Camps in East Bay and San Francisco.
Preparing Your Child for Camp: Communication is Key!
Sign Up For Camp has interviewed dozens of Camp Directors for our blog over the past few years. One of the questions we typically ask is, “How should parents help kids prepare for camp?” The directors always have good advice based their experience. While each has a slightly different perspective, there are certain responses that come up time and time again. Since we’re in the beginning of summer camp season, we figured we’d now compile the advice and share with our readers.
Clearly, from camp director perspective, the most important thing you can do to prepare your child for camp is to talk to your child beforehand about the camp.
Let your child know what to expect at camp.
- Review the camp website or brochure with your child, showing them pictures and discussing the activities that they will be doing.
- Let them know what the camp day schedule is like. Many camps have an example of their daily schedule on their websites.
- Discuss what there will be in terms of snacks and meals. Are meals from home or provided at camp?
- Tell them how long will they stay. Will they be picked up after a half-day, even if other campers stay all day, or will they stay until late afternoon? Who will pick them up?
- Especially for younger children, many camp directors encourage visiting the camp before it begins. Some camps have specific orientation days, and most will allow visits. Meeting the camp staff beforehand can be very helpful for both the child and the parents! Try to attend the parent information session if there is one.
Encourage your child to be independent. Talk positively about how much fun they will have.
- A child is more likely to have fun if that’s their expectation. Mike Dobson of Urban Adventure Camps describes it like this:
Help kids get excited. Children feed off of what parents tell them. If a parent sends them off in awe about what a great experience they are going to have on that day or that week, the child arrives at camp with a great attitude that is immediately contagious throughout the group. The same goes the opposite way, if a parent is hesitant when they are leaving them or says things like, “I am going to miss you so much” or “I don’t know what I will do without you”, the children take them literally and it can really stress them and put a damper on their entire experience.
- Avoiding a long separation process during drop-off can help with this as well. You can even plan with your child beforehand for how the drop-off will go, so they know you won’t be staying past the sign-in procedure. You can even discuss exactly what you will say to send them on to their day.
Talk to your child each day about their experience at camp and give the camp director feedback if needed.
- Each night ask your child what they liked at camp, and what the plans are for the next day.
- If they are not having a good time, let the camp director know. In general, camp directors are some of the most kid-friendly people you can find, and they really want their campers to have fun. They typically want to know right away if there is an issue. Talking to them at the beginning of the week could hugely impact how much your child enjoys the rest of the experience.
Here are a couple other suggestions, particularly for the first day.
- Read the camp materials well ahead of time so you know what your child needs to bring with them to camp. Is any special equipment or clothing needed? How about a hat and/or sunscreen if outside all day?
- Make sure your child knows what’s in their backpack. Even very young children can help pack it up themselves so they can find what they need.
- Allow extra time the first day to make sure you are on time. If your child arrives late it can feel stressful to everyone, and your camper might miss important introductions and/or instructions.
For sleep-away camp, prepare for possible homesickness ahead of time.
- Most sleep-away camps are well-prepared to handle homesickness, since it’s not at all unexpected. Read what the camp has to say on their website about how they handle it and how you can help ahead of time. Talk to the camp director if you are particularly concerned.
- Take a look at interviews with directors from these camps to read more about homesickness and other issues specific to the sleep-away experience: Blue Tree Camp, Mercersburg Academy Summer Programs, The Experiment in International Living.
Summer camp is fantastic experience for the kids. A little communication with both your child and the camp can assure that everyone starts having fun right away.
The Handwork Studio: Laura Kelly
Every so often we conduct interviews with camp directors to collect advice for parents looking for unique experiences for their kids. We recently exchanged emails with Laura Kelly, summer camp director at The Handwork Studio, which has six locations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Laura spent her entire life working with kids so it was only natural that she became a camp director seven years ago when The Handwork Studio took their year round arts education program and developed it into a summer camp program.
With so many camps available, how can parents find the right camp for their child? Any specific advice on selecting an art and fashion camp?
Knowing what your goals as a parent are for summer camp will help you find the camp that is best for your child. Think about what you need: child care, enrichment, a unique experience, to learn a specific skill (SAT tutoring, math, science, art, horseback riding), sleep away. If you don’t know exactly what you would like, but you just want your child to have fun, then the good news is your options today are really endless! In that situation I’d suggest looking for something that is convenient for you as a parent. How close to is the camp to your home? Do they have before and after care if you need it? Are they reputable?
When looking specifically for an arts and fashion camp you’ll want to ask:
- What skills and techniques will my child learn?
- If machine sewing or fashion, will my child have their own sewing machine?
- If taking a fashion program, will my child get to design, create and sew their own fashions?
- What is the experience of the fashion counselor?
- Will I have to buy and bring my child’s own supplies or will everything be provided?
What other questions should a parent ask a camp?
- What is the ratio of campers to counselors?
- Is someone CPR certified?
- Do you do background checks on your counselors?
- What is your peanut policy?
- What is the mission and philosophy of the camp?
- How will my child’s day be structured?
- Are they listed with the Better Business Bureau? If so, what is their score?
Some kids attend as many as 10 weeks of summer camp. The summer can seem long. Any tips on preventing camp burn-out?
Pick a camp where the curriculum changes from week to week. With all the different choices available, have your child try all kinds of new experiences. Go to camp with different friends on different weeks.
How should parents help kids prepare for camp?
Camp can be scary for young children or first time campers. Perhaps finding a camp that can introduce the idea of camp gradually would be helpful, those with half day or afternoon programs. If your child is really young, find out what the camp policy is about a parent staying at the camp until the child is comfortable. If the camp is unwilling to let you stay for a bit, you may want to choose a different camp that lets the parent stay for a transitional period. If your child is especially nervous, have them come by and meet their camp counselor before camp begins so that is one less thing they have to worry about. Sending them to camp with a friend can also be helpful.
Tell us what is special about The Handwork Studio camp?
The Handwork Studio is a needle arts and fashion camp. We teach kids arts such as knitting, crocheting, embroidery, machine sewing and fashion in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. We are as much about loving, nurturing and making your child feel special as we are about teaching needle arts. Our instructors are trained to patiently teach the kids different skills through the completion of really cool projects. Our days are structured around a series of activities and breaks so the kids are engaged throughout the day. Our curriculum changes from week to week so if you need multiple weeks, projects won’t be repeated.
Read more about The Handwork Studio at SignUpForCamp.com.
Summer Music Camps
Summer is a great time for your child to have a week filled with musical fun. Many, many camps incorporate some sort of music into their regular day. But some children can really enjoy (and benefit from) a week that is primarily about music. “School of Rock” type camps are becoming more and more popular for school-aged children and up, and can be a great time to experiment with playing in a band.
For middle school and high school students, music camp may even be required for school participation in band, orchestra or choir. Such a week of strong focus can really result in a boost in skill, advancement in theory understanding and increased confidence playing alone and in different ensembles.
There are many, many types of music camps. Here’s a sample of music camps (and specialized camp sessions) from SignUpForCamp.com. Many more camps of all types are listed on the website, so make sure to browse there too. For additional ideas, particularly for older children and teens, check with your local schools and music schools. This article about some prominent music camps may give you some ideas of what to look for.
San Francisco Bay Area Music Camps
La Playa Music Summer Camp, San Francisco
Offers children and youth 5-16 years of age an opportunity to explore their creativity, meet new friends, learn to play an instrument and develop skills through fun activities.
Jingle Jamboree: Exploring Music, Albany
This camp features music reading and writing, new folk music games, simple piano lesson,instrumental performances on some or all of the following instruments: violin, trumpet, clarinet, saxophone, flute and piano. Grades K-5th.
JAMCamp with Charity Kahn, San Francisco
Created and guided by award-winning family musician and educator Charity Kahn of “Charity and the JAMband,” JAMcamp offers music, dance, art, yoga and creative drama experiences for kids aged 4-9.
Jam Camp West, Loma Mar
This is a 7-day co-ed sleep away music and dance camp held in the stunning redwoods of Loma Mar California. JAM CAMP WEST offers a creative and fun experience for youth ages 10 through 15 exposing them to contemporary musical trends along with the cultural underpinnings of jazz.
Bay Area Discovery Museum: Summer Time Rock Out, Sausalito
Together with professional musicians and entertainers Brian Gorman and Marcus Stoesz (aka Rainbow Beast) campers will form a rock band, write an original rock song, and get creative with fun music and performance related games and activities. Grades 1st-5th.
Delaware Valley (Philadelphia Area) Music Camps
School of Rock, Fort Washington and Berwyn, PA
Summer Performance Camp focuses on improving performance and musical skills by covering music theory, instrumental and rehearsal techniques and performance practice. It’s a great way to learn a lot in a short amount of time but is meant for students who, at a minimum, are able to play basic chords and rhythms. Grades 6th-12th.
Summer Spree at Community Art Center: Rock and Roll Summer, Wallingford, PA
This program is an introduction to rock band performance, open to musically-inclined students ages 10-17 who are interested in developing multi-instrumental skills. Some previous experience is necessary and the goal is for each student to work toward performing one song on every instrument (vocal, guitar, bass and drums).
Georgia E. Gregory Interdenominational School of Music, Philadelphia, PA
Music instruction in keyboard, percussion, voice, dance and recorders with weekly camper performances. In the afternoons there are chess tournaments, Scrabble, swimming, cultural trips and recreational activities. Sliding fee scale and scholarships available. Ages 5-13 years.
United Friends Summer Camp: Born to Drum, Quakertown, PA
Got a kid who loves music? Let them embrace their “inner Ringo” at Drum Camp. From Tito Puente to Ringo Starr, learn to play at the beat of your own drum. Campers will create their own percussion instruments and take several walking field trips to explore the hidden music all around them. There’s also a performance by guest African Drummers. Ages 4-9.
Search for more music camps at Sign Up For Camp.
Summer Camps with Flexible Schedules
The traditional summer day camp scheduling requires planning on a weekly basis. Most camps are priced per week, and there are many that require multiple weeks. But family life does not always correspond to this standard schedule! Have you ever had a vacation that started mid-week and found yourself in a fix for child-care for two or three days? How about parents who work part-time and would like to have their kids attend camp for just 3 or 4 days, and use the other weekdays to do their own fun summer things with the kids? Sometimes we even need drop-in care when there’s an unplanned day we need to work.
Luckily, camps are starting to respond to this need for more flexible scheduling. Below are a few examples of Bay Area and Delaware Valley camps which offer more options than just weekly registration. A couple are so flexible you could actually drop your child off at the last minute for a day of camp. Most require some pre-paid days, registration, and/or some notice so they make sure the camp is properly staffed. At a few camps the one-day registration process may not be very clear on their website, so don’t hesitate to call them for help. (We find summer camp folks to be pretty friendly!) So read the fine print and do the leg-work ahead of time if you think you might need to take advantage of one of these camps.
Bay Area Flexible Camps
Create it Ceramics
This paint-your-own-pottery and glass fusion place in Palo Alto, CA accepts daily campers (upon availability) at the rate of $70 per day, all materials included (ages 5 to 13, 9:30am-1pm, or ages 10-13, 2-5pm). It is an all-art weekly camp designed to inspire the creativity of each artist. Open to boys and girls ages 5 and up. Right now they are also offering 10% off registration for any weekly camp. Must use coupon code: signup10. Cannot be combined with other discounts and can only be used for new enrollments. Deadline: June 15th. (No discount available on daily rate.)
Camp Doodles
Three locations in Marin, plus now three convenient pick-up locations in San Francisco, provides many Camp Doodle options. Register for any number of weeks ($300 per week before 6/1) or days ($75 per day). Their whole-summer option is $1800, plus a bit more for extended care. Optional hot lunch is available for purchase at all locations. Camp day runs from 9:00am – 3:30pm, with earlier/later pick-up/drop-off from San Francisco.
Kids Outdoor Club
This camp meets in Speedway Meadow of Golden Gate Park, but travels within the park and elsewhere in the city. There’s a 5-day punch-card option ($425) which you can use any time during the summer on a drop-in basis. Full day camp runs from 9am – 5pm, with an extended day option. There’s also a punch card for their half-day program (9:00-1:30) for a bit less ($325). Once you have the punch card you can drop-in any day without advanced notice. Note: There’s a punch card discount of 10% through May 30th.
One Martial Arts Day Camp
At this camp in San Francisco you can sign up by the day, half-day or week ($375). You do need to register in advance to allow proper staffing, so this isn’t one you can drop-in at the very last minute. Camp runs from 7:30am – 6pm for no additional charge.
Andy Harader Tennis
This camp in Palo Alto, for kids 7-16, has a daily rate of $70 available. You can register in advance on their website to let them know the dates you are planning to attend. This sounds like a perfect option if you have another full week of tennis camp and want to add on a few more days for extra practice. Camp is half-day only, 9am – 12pm.
Marin Horizon Summer Day Camp
Marin Horizon has themed weeks of camp for preschoolers through 3rd grade. They have a 4-day per week option, but no single day options. This might be a great choice on a week you head out for vacation on a Friday or come back on a Monday. Half-day options for preschoolers are available too. Camp runs from 9:00am – 3:00pm, with extended care available.
Steve and Kate’s Camp
With 19 Northern CA locations, Steve and Kate’s sets the bar for maximum flexibility. They’ve been going strong since 1980 and have the logistics down pat. You can buy any number of days ($75 per day) and use them anytime at any location. Unused days are fully refunded automatically. Alternatively, the “20-Day Bundle” is just enough to get in the groove and is a great deal at $1200 ($60 per day). But the best value of all is the All Summer Membership at $2100. (This is less than $50 per day, if you take full advantage.) Camps are open from 7:30am – 6pm and include all lunches, snacks and drinks. (And the food sounds fantastic BTW.)
Delaware Valley Flexible Camps
Kids on 12th at the Philadelphia Kids Club
This camp for kids ages 3-12 years has both half-day and full-day daily-rate options. The early bird discount of $40 (half-day) and $60 (full-day) is still in effect if paid in full by 5/31, but goes up to $52/$67 after that. You do need to pre-register your camper for specific days. Full days run from 8:30am- 4pm with an extended day option.
Camp AIM-Performing and Visual Arts (Arts in Motion)
This is a very flexible camp in Cherry Hill, NJ, offering everything from hip hop to ceramics. They offer a good 10 week discount ($2000 for the summer), a classic weekly schedule, a T/W/Th option, as well as a daily rate of $70 and single classes for $14 per hour. They also have a great 50% sibling discount. Standard full-day camp runs from 8:30am – 5pm.
Club La Maison
Club La Maison in Wayne, PA, is swim camp plus much more for children ages 3-10 years old. They offer a traditional 5 day week, plus T/Th or M/W/F options. Half-days or extended care are also available.
Ellison Explorers and Little Explorers
Ellison has themed camps for age 2 through 6th grade. Due to popular demand they now offer 2 and 3 day per week options. A full day is 9am -3pm (weekly cost $175) with extended care from 7:30am, and until 5:30pm, for no additional charge.
DezignKidz: Kathy Bonte
Every so often we conduct interviews with camp directors to collect advice for parents looking for unique experiences for their kids. We recently exchanged emails with Kathy Bonte, co-founder of DezignKidz Seventh Avenue Summer Camp in Los Altos, CA. Kathy tells us that the camp was the brainchild of her friend and business partner Durga Kalavagunta, whose young daughter loves everything related to art and fashion. Both Kathy and Durga have a background in design and have logged countless volunteer hours working with kids. So starting a camp program like DezignKidz seemed a natural way to utilize their professional backgrounds and do something rewarding as well.
Any specific advice on selecting a design or art camp?
I would look for a camp that teaches techniques but also inspires creativity. Look for instructors who are supportive, encouraging and allow children the freedom to express themselves. Some art/design/crafts camps are oriented toward the completion of a very specific project, while others are more concerned with the creative process and less with the final results. At DezignKidz, every camper leaves with a completed garment or accessory but it’s one that bears the stamp of each child’s unique personality. We try to strike a balance by giving campers lots of creative latitude within the scope of a project. And we always make it fun. It IS a summer camp, after all.
Tell us what is special about DezignKidz camp?
There is nothing more empowering to a child than sketching out a design and then actually being able to turn that idea from a two-dimensional sketch into a real life object. Fabric, scissors and thread are the tools we use at DezignKidz, but that same creative process can one day be applied to everything from an iPhone App to a website to a skyscraper. The projects are unique to each child and the teachers actively engage each and every student in the decision process and help them achieve their goal.
Some people try and classify us as a sewing program. But the name of our program is not SewKidz.
While we DO teach sewing skills we are different in that we place a high emphasis on the design aspect of the process. In addition to sewing, we teach related skills like jewelry making, weaving, fabric dying and other textile arts, all with an emphasis on the design element first.
Some kids attend as many as 10 weeks of summer camp. The summer can seem long. Any tips on preventing camp burn-out?
It’s always good to mix it up—-maybe alternate a week of a more sedentary camp with one that emphasizes physical activity. And many experts recommend having some unscheduled time during the summer for kids to just be kids. Chances are the school year is already chock-full—kids need some time to just lie back on the sun-warmed grass and gaze at the clouds.
How should parents help kids prepare for camp?
Read camp emails carefully and make sure the child shows up on day one with any necessary materials or clothing. Be on time—-your child may feel out of sorts if they miss any early instruction or orientation. Parents should make sure kids know what they can expect will happen at camp, what the daily schedule will be, what time the camp ends and who will be picking them up. It also helps for shyer kids to sign up with a friend-that first day in a new camp is much less daunting with a buddy beside you.
