Summer Camps

Marin's popular Camp Doodles, long a fixture at Mill Valley's Strawberry Point School, is branching out this summer and opening two additional camp locations: at Dominican University of California in San Rafael and Marin Primary and Middle School (MP&MS) in Larkspur. Camp Doodles will also offer extended weeks this summer, from June 14 —August 20.

Camp Doodles was founded in 2001 by David Hughes and his brother Jeremy. David, the “Chief of Fun”, has a Masters in Education from Dominican University and is a former elementary school principal and teacher. Camp Doodles was voted “Best of Marin” by the Pacific Sun newspaper, and is has earned national accreditation from the American Camp Association. A day at Camp Doodles is designed to provide campers with a healthy balance between structure in the morning and choice in the afternoon. Activity highlights include talent time, camper catch counselor, cool craft projects, capture the flag, parachute, science and nature discovery, "who wants to be millionaire", crazy hair days, an award ceremony, ice cream day, song fest, counselor skits and soap opera, dress-up days, daily slide show, and more!

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Are you confused about what camp to choose for your child? If so, don’t miss the Strawberry Recreation District Summer Camp Night on Thursday, March 4 from 5:30–8 pm.

Representatives of over 70 different camps will be on hand to offer parents and campers the opportunity to ask questions and gather information. This free event will help you choose the perfect day camp or overnight camp for your child.

Stop by check out this summer’s offerings. For more info, please call (415) 383-6494. The Strawberry Recreation District is located at 118 E. Strawberry Drive in Mill Valley.

Kids get a hands-on experience with a variety of animals with the Marin Humane Society's 2010 Animal Care Summer Camps. These popular camps teach children important skills in animal handling, care, and welfare. Children from 1st through 6th grades can attend Junior Animal Camp, Animal Care Camp, and Senior Animal Care Camp, where activities include animal-centered arts and crafts, games and activities, an introduction to careers involving animals, and the MHS's Animal Ambassadors. Older children in grades 6 through 9 can attend Advanced Animal Care Camp where teens will experience the daily work at an animal shelter. They will learn about animal related careers, animal care & behavior, and animal welfare. Daily hands-on experience with shelter and volunteer animals.

It's hard to believe, but it's time again to start thinking about signing the kids up for summer camp. Living in Marin, you don't have to look far for a camp that takes advantage of some of the amazing natural resources we have in our backyard. Parents have several outstanding nature and outdoors oriented summer camps to choose from. Here are a selection of our favorites. Of course if you have your own favorite let us know by leaving a comment to this post.

• Audubon Adventures Summer Day Camp is located at the Richardson Bay Audubon Center and Sanctuary in Tiburon. Camp sessions start June 14 and run through August 20. Week-long sessions for kids 4–8 take place from 9 am to 2 pm, include unique themes like Incredible Water, the Bugliest Bug, Sharks, Mudflats & Tidepools, and Wild Sanctuary. Fees for these sessions are $325 per week. They also offer a new Expedition Camp for children aged 9–11, where campers delve a little deeper into the varied habitats of Marin County and visit environments like the bay, ocean, redwood forest, and more. Expedition Camp is $375 per week. They also offer a Junior Naturalist Training Week June 15-18 fro ages 11-17 for $200 a week. Extended Camp, from 2 to 5 pm for kids 5–11, is available for another $60 a week or $16 a day. Visit their website for more information and download a brochure.
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Marin Mommies is pleased to present another great guest article, this time by Ally Kushin, Camp Director for Coastal Camp at Headlands Institute. She discusses the increasing problem of nature deficit disorder and highlights local opportunities to connect children to the natural world. Ally has worked in the field of environmental education for the past 9 years as a naturalist, park ranger, and camp director.

In 2005 the book Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv popularized the term “nature deficit disorder.” In it, he refers to the trend of children spending less time outdoors, resulting in a wide range of behavioral, social, and medical problems. Louv claims that causes for the phenomenon include parental fears, restricted access to natural areas, and the “lure of the screen,” referring to increasing electronic media consumption.

Children who spend more time in nature are known to develop increased concentration, memory, and self discipline. The latest research has established amazing connections between the amount of time spent in nature to everything from better grades to increased immunity to germs to stronger bones. read more »

Marin's ever popular Slide Ranch once again holds its 2010 summer day camp, with sessions taking place from June through August. Slide Ranch features programs geared for all different age groups, from the Ranch Rangers (ages 5–8), Junior Farmers (ages 8–12), and Junior Camp Counselors (ages 13–18). The Ranch Rangers program will allow 9–12-year-olds to enroll the week of June 28–July 2.

Program hours are 9 am to 1:30 pm for Ranch Rangers, 9 am to 3 pm for Junior Farmers, and 8:30 am to 2 pm for Junior Camp Counselors. Fees range from $125 to $400 per week.

Slide Ranch, located in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area near Muir Beach, is extremely popular and offers limited enrollment, so it's important to register early. All there programs usually sell out! You can find out more information about their summer day camps, including full schedules, and download a registration form at www.slideranch.org.

It's that time of year again—time to sign the kids up for summer camp! Sign-ups are starting now, and we felt it was a great time to launch the new Marin Summer Camp Guide. Browse camps by location, age level, and camp activities. You can also rate your favorite camps and share your experiences with other Marin parents.

We're continually adding more camps, so check back often. If you don't see your favorite camp (or your camp, if you run one), make sure you let us know and we'll add it to the list. We're also offering some great specials on advertising in this section, so if you want to get your summer camp noticed by thousands of Marin families, consider placing an ad with us.

Even though it's almost the end of July, there's still time for your kids to take in a late-summer camp session for fun and enrichment! Two camps offering late-summer sessions include San Anselmo's Le Petit Jardin French immersion program and Sausalito's Pine Point Cooking School.

Le Petit Jardin is a licensed preschool specializing in French language instruction for toddlers. Director Amber Smith-Lopata is now offering French immersion classes to grade school children in Marin. Students learn vocabulary and conversational skills through total language immersion in a small group setting. Hands-on learning activities include music, arts and crafts, games, reading, gardening, and occasional neighborhood outings. It's all totally in French, of course!