Camps for Marin County kids
As the cold, wet weather of winter gives way to warmer days, Marin’s parents are already busy eying summer camps for their kids. And with school soon to be out of session, it can’t hurt to highlight a few unique summer camps for children in Marin County:
Coastal Camp
A local children’s summer day camp that’s all about the ocean, the coast and appreciating nature as a whole, Coastal Camp is the perfect place to be. Campers can spend the day in the great outdoors, exploring national parks and learning all about fascinating earth science topics like marine biology, coastal ecology, conservation efforts and the cultural significance of all these concepts combined.
Coastal Camp is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2006 and is partnered with the National Park Service. The camp hopes to continue to engage children in their curiosity about nature and the coast by providing fun and immersive educational opportunities taught by experienced and passionate staff.
Coastal Camp is located at 1033 Fort Cronkhite in Sausalito. For more information, visit the website at coastalcamp.org.
Flynn Creek Circus
For the children who dream of running away with a circus or simply want to have fun and learn a unique skill set that is as enjoyable as it is useful, Flynn Creek Circus is worth considering.
Flynn Creek Circus will see those kids flying, twirling, flipping, tumbling, walking the tightwire, juggling and more—all of these acrobatics are guided under the careful supervision of professional performers and in the best environment for lessons like these…in an actual circus tent. This is one camp that kids will remember for quite some time, especially when sharing what they did over the summer: “I joined the circus,” they’ll say, before backflipping away.
For more information about Flynn Creek Circus, call 707.684.2115, email [email protected] or visit the website at flynncreekcircus.com.
Marin Humane
Although all the spots for this year’s youth summer camp at Marin Humane are filled up, it’s still worth adding this summertime activity for all the animal-loving children of Marin. Those who want to enroll their kids in a program that fosters compassion, consideration and care for animals can keep Marin Humane’s summer camp youth program in mind for next year, or possibly even make it through the 2024 waitlist.
Marin Humane is located at 171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd. in Novato. For more information, call 415.883.4621 or visit the website at marinhumane.org.
Marin Shakespeare
To the more dramatic children of Marin who want to learn to channel the bard before school starts up again in the fall, Marin Shakespeare has it all. Ages five through eight can participate in the Stories Camp, while ages eight to 12 may enroll in the Youth Camps. Teen Camp is open for those aged 12 to 19 and will include working with a professional director to perform Much Ado About Nothing and dive deep into the dramatic arts.
Marin Shakespeare is located at the Forest Meadows Amphitheatre at 890 Belle Ave. on the Dominican University campus and at 514 Fourth Street Theatre in San Rafael. To learn more about Marin Shakespeare and its summer programs, call the educational director at 415.499.4487, email [email protected] or visit the website at marinshakespeare.org/summer-camps.
Mountain Camp Marin
For kindergarten through 8th grade kids in Marin, Mountain Camp Marin offers daytime coed activities to inspire them to stay active, try new things and get all those priceless memories, friendships and oh so much more from this fun in the sun summer camp.
Activities include archery, arts & crafts, dance, live-action roleplaying (aka larping), time spent in nature playing sports and creating, science, music, yoga, drama, pickleball and many more enriching activities for kids K-8. Plus, Mountain Camp Marin’s Wacky Wednesdays include ice cream and spa activities.
For more information about Mountain Camp Marin, call 415.906.2667, email [email protected] or visit the website at mountaincampmarin.com. The summer address of Mountain Camp Marin is Mark Day School at 39 Trellis Dr. in San Rafael, while the winter office can be found at 1480 Moraga Rd., Ste C #392 in Moraga.
Osher Marin JCC Kamp Kehillah
Osher Marin JCC’s Kamp Kehillah (kehillah meaning “community” in Hebrew) offers a place for children of all ages to come out and have, as the website says, “chuggim, Hebrew for choices with a world of fun options.” This unique Marin County camp has summertime classes in art, music, sports, dance and cooking, as well as Jewish cultural programs. Kids over the age of five are eligible for swim lessons, and those between 1st and 10th grade may participate in Kamp Kehillah’s overnight outings.
Osher Marin JCC is located at 200 North San Pedro Rd. in San Rafael. For more information, call 415.444.8000, email [email protected] or visit the website at marinjcc.org/summercamp2024.
Terra Marin Camps
Those looking to catapult the Mandarin language skills of their children aged three through eight can send them to Terra School’s Mandarin Mania Camp. This fun and immersive language camp is suited to all levels of skill and includes games, songs, stories and cultural lessons as well.
Alongside the Mandarin Mania Camp, Terra Schools offers other summer programs like the Earth Discovery Camp, where young kids can engage with nature and connect with the natural environment around them.
Terra Marin is located at 70 Lomita Dr. in Mill Valley. For more information about the Mandarin Mania Camp or other programs, call 415.906.2220, email [email protected] or visit the website at terraschools.org.
WildCare’s Wildlife Camp
For animal-loving children who want to spend some of their summertime learning all about the natural wildlife that lives in Marin, look no further than WildCare, the locally beloved nonprofit organization for wild animal rescue. WildCare is where unwell or abandoned wild animals are either nursed back to health or, when too adapted and/or dependent on human care to be released, kept as “animal ambassadors.”
Children who attend the WildCare summer camp can expect a rich education with weekly camp programs taught by experienced, impassioned and engaging wildlife experts. Children can come, play games, engage with wildlife and go back to school in the fall with fond memories of a summer spent with wild animals.
WildCare is located at 76 Albert Park La. in San Rafael, though this year’s summer camp will be located at 80 Olive Ave. (Angelico Hall) due to construction. To learn more about WildCare’s Wildlife Camp or any other programs, call 415-453-1000 ext. 190, email [email protected] or visit the website at discoverwildcare.org.
