Camp Edmo tinkerers gape as their rockets blast off. Photo by Sara Statler.
Young ones? Camps with preK and/or K programs
- Coastal Camp partners with the Bay Area Discover Museum (PreK and up)
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Camp Edmo (K and up)
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Camp Galileo (K and up)
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Sarah's Science (age 5 and up)
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Tree Frog Treks (preK and up)
After our article on How to choose an outdoors summer camp in the Bay Area, here is a more detailed report on camps with a science and arts focus. Outdoors summer camps with a science or arts specialty are are hybrid animals in the outdoors summer camps crowd. Including outside and inside activities, they can have kids do cool things such as build solar panel robots, design toys that fly, create edible coral polyps or connect bottles with dirt, seeds and insects to study micro-habitats. Science or arts camps are fun throughout and great choices for young curious minds who keep asking the question "Why?"
This short list introduces a few of the major camps in and around San Francisco.
Camp Edmo: with 8 locations throughout the Bay and 2 in San Francisco, Camp Edmo's themes for grades K through 5 will be "Super Spy", "Cosmic Creations" and "Underwater Wonders." The latter will explore the relationship between rainforests and the ocean during the summer of 2010. The particularity of Camp Edmo is their relationship with the California Acadey of Sciences to develop an enquiry-based, environmentally-aware curriculum.
For instance, campers of "Underwater Wonders" will explore relationships between rain forests and the ocean, with science projects that delve into preserving the rain forest, deforestation, ocean polluting, sustainable fishing and protecting coral reefs. "In our coral reef section, campers develop hands-on skills in the scientic process by analyzing coral specimens, then creating their own edible coral polyps!" says Eva Vander Giessen, Development program manager at Edventure More. Note that most activities are done with recycled materials to minimize waste. Camp Edmo offers programs from June 14 through August 6, 2010.
Camp Galileo: known for their mixture of outdoors, art and science, Camp Galileo is present at 21 locations across the Bay Area, offering fog-happy San Francisco parents the opportunity to send their kids in the sun should they choose to. Summer 2010 themes include "Aventures in Flight & Egyptian Art", "Amusement Park Engineers & Medieval Art", "Mission to the Moon & Psychedelic '60s" and "Ocean Expeditions." These intriguing themes will pique the imagination of children and make them learn basic scientific and physics concepts without even noticing. Be ready for experiments in gravity and flight at home! Camp Galileo offers programs from June 14 through August 6, 2010.
Coastal Camp - Marin Headlands: "Art Expedition" is a week-long camp that will take young campers on the trails of the Marin Headlands to perfect their sketching and observation skills. The week finishes at the Headlands Center for the Arts where the campers create a stop-motion animation piece with a resident artist. See full description of camp in article Outdoors summer camps with a nature/environmental education perspective.
Crissy Field Center - San Francisco: See full description in article Outdoors summer camps with a nature/environmental education perspective.
Sarah's Science - Oakland, Berkeley, San Ramon: this camp seems to be every parent's favorite. The "This Land is Your Land" theme blends science and nature studies with arts, sports and music at great East Bay settings. "Sarah's Science tops all the lists for multiple reasons," says Stacey Luce whose two children attended the camp. "Sarah not only believes in science but in the benefit of kids exploring nature in all ways - running through woods, staring at clouds, playing massive games of tag on the field." This camp gives a true camp experience with song sesions in the morning, free time to play and age appropriate science projects based on the week's theme. Sarah's Science is one of the only camps to conduct gadgety science projects in an outdoor setting.
Tree Frog Treks - San Francisco: See full description in article Outdoors summer camps with a nature/environmental education perspective.
See also:
- Outdoors summer camps with a nature or environmental education perspective
- Outdoors summer camps with a "Let's play!" attitude
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