Summer Camps

Is your child fascinated with horses? Has she always wanted to learn how to ride a horse, or if she already rides, would she like to improve her skills? Horseback riding is always a popular summer activitiy, and there are quite a few horsemanship camps throughout Marin for horse lovers.

• Morning Star Farm in Novato has a horsemanship summer camp for all those wanting to learn basic riding skills. Horsemanship camps run from June 7–August 20, and are for ages 8–14. Activities include daily riding lessons, grooming, saddling, games on horseback, trail rides, and bareback riding. The certified instructors and assistants will guide your child through the process of learning about horses. There will be a horse show complete with awards at the end of each week where campers show off their riding and vaulting skills. There are half-day (9 am–12:30 pm) and full-day (9 am-4 pm) camps. Half-day camps are $295 and full-day camps are $525 a week. For more information, or to sign up for a camp check out the Morning Star Farm web site.
• Willow Tree Stables, also in Novato, offers a summer riding camp for ages 7–16 from June 14–August 20. They offer full-day camps from 9 am to 4 pm M-F and the cost is $500 per week. Campers have the experience of caring for and riding their own horse for a week in a safe, supervised ranch environment. Handling and grooming are combined with riding lessons and trail riding. Willow Tree Stables are located at 3777 Vineyard Road. For more info, go to www.willowtreestables.com.
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One of my son’s favorite extracurricular activities is gymnastics. It builds confidence and coordination and, above all, it’s fun! There are numerous places in Marin that offer gymnastics summer camps. Here’s our selection.

Corte Madera:

• The Pyramid Gym in Corte Madera has 5 sessions of weekly summer camps that begin June 14- July 15, Monday-Thursday 10:00 am-noon. They also offer an afternoon intensive program for the more dedicated gymnast. These weekly camps will be offered over a seven-week period starting June 14 and ending on July 30.  Students will meet every day for one week, Monday through Friday, for a 45-minute or one hour class. Cost: $112.00. For more info, go to their website at www.thepyramidgym.com.

Novato:

• Cal Star Gymnastics in Novato offers 7 sessions of weekly summer camps that begin June 21- August 20 for ages 3.5 years and up. They offer a half-day camp from 9:00 am-noon for $150/wk and a full-day camp from 9:00 am-3:00 pm for $250/week. Each week is a different theme that includes: Sports Camp, Circus Week, Olympics Week and much more.  For more info, go to their website.

• Novato Gymnastics Center offers a variety of gymnastics and sports camps. The Preschool Sports Camp is for ages 3-8 years 10:30 am-12:30 pm M-F. This camp includes gymnastics, basketball and soccer. There is also a sports camp for ages 6-9 years from 10 am-3 pm M-F. They are also offering a girls gymnastics camp for ages 6-11 from 10 am-3 pm M-F. Prices vary.  For more information, go to their website. 
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Are you still searching for that perfect summer camp for your children? Looking for swimming or soccer lessons? Check out the local Marin County parks and recreation departments and community centers for tons of great camps for this summer. There are many wonderful and unique camps to choose from including: Fire Camp at the Marinwood Community Center, Angel Island Camp through the Belvedere-Tiburon Recreation Department, Healy Irish Step Dance through the San Anselmo Recreation Department, and Science Lab Explorer and animation at the Mill Valley Community Center. These are just a few of the variety of classes and camps to choose from. Just click on the links below to go directly to the parks and recreation department or community center in your town.
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Have your child experience Native American life this summer with Camp Coyote at Novato's Marin Museum of the American Indian. Open to children 6–12 years old, Camp Coyote will allow campers to experience Native American ways, foods, architecture, games, toys and art. Native Americans from different cultural regions of the United States, including California, the Southwest plains, and the East will be studied, and all foods, crafts, games and activities will be related to each region.

Camp Coyote is offering 3 sessions: July 12-16, July 26-30 and August 9-13. Daily camp hours are 9 am to 3 pm. Cost is $275 per camper, which includes materials. Space is limited, to enroll today by calling the museum at (415) 897-4064.

The Marin Museum of the American Indian is located at 2200 Novato Boulevard, in Miwok Park. For more information, call the number above or visit www.marinindian.com.

Golf is one of those sports that you have to try at least once, so you learn how to swing the club and understand the game. Some Marin summer camps programs offer golf lessons for kids starting at pre-K. Here are some of the choices.

• Marinwood Community Center in San Rafael offers a Junior Golf Summer Camp for ages 7–16. There are 9 sessions starting on June 14, Monday-Friday from 9 am–noon or 1-4 pm. The Junior Tennis Camp takes place at the McInnis Golf Academy in San Rafael. They focus on building the confidence of young athletes through training in proper technique and foundational skills. The cost is $325/per session. Go to their website to sign up or more info.
• McInnis Park Golf Club Summer Camp in San Rafael offers weekly camps for ages 7 and up Monday–Friday with morning and afternoon sessions. Their golf camps cover all aspects of the game with a low student to teacher ratio. Camp ends with a graduation BBQ and presentation of graduation certificates. The price is $325 and includes a daily snacks. For more info, call (415) 492-1800 or go to their website.
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This summer the owners and operators of iCAMP are offering Createch Studios and Summer Sessions—an after-school program and week-long summer camps out of their new studio space in San Anselmo. After running 5 years of iCAMP and the Children’s Technology Workshop enrichment programs in various schools around Marin, they have now branched out on their own and partnered up with the San Anselmo Recreation Department to offer a new space for kids to play, learn, and create their own projects. The after school program is currently running now and includes homework assistance, outdoor activities, and creative technology time. Createch offers families a free first visit to the after school program to check out the studios and see what it's all about.

Activities for children ages 8-14 include programming their own video games (and drawing their own characters!), designing, developing, creating, and animating their own stop motion movie, or exploring the world of art and design. At Createch, kids can even be a music producer by creating their own tracks, album art, and more.

Our friends at Camp Galileo are offering a special discount for Marin Mommies readers! Take $15 off your total purchase at Camp Galileo by using the coupon code GALILEOMM by April 30, 2010. Camp Galileo offers a mix of art, science, and outdoor fun, with two Marin locations: Corte Madera and San Rafael.

For more information or to sign up, visit them at www.galileo-learning.com or call (800) 854-3684.

Spend some time at sea this spring and summer! This year Call of the Sea, an educational non-profit based in Sausalito, is instituting a Voyage Camp designed for students 13 to 16 years old. This three-day, two-night voyage offers the experiences and challenges of a schooner adventure within the protected waters of San Francisco Bay.

Campers will sail on the 85-foot schooner Seaward up San Pablo Bay and through Carquinez Strait to the Mothball Fleet of retired naval vessels. The second day’s sail focuses on building sailing skills and teamwork. The final day is a challenge as the students plan and execute a passage under the familiar three main bridges of central San Francisco Bay, all under the watchful eyes of Call of the Sea's captain and professional sailor-educators.

The spring Voyage Camp runs from April 12–14, so sign up soon for this one if you're interested. The summer session takes place June 26–28. For more information, please visit www.callofthesea.org or call (415) 331-3214.