Choosing a right summer camp has become difficult with so many options available. My goal for this summer was to introduce Swara to new activities, lot of outdoor play and strictly no academics! I believe strongly that summer should be all fun and hand-on-learning that teaches life skills and help boost their personalities. And hence, this blog posts has. a list of options – both paid and free, in-person and virtual that are solely focused on having fun and building memories!
I hope you find this helpful. Please share this with your mom friends and please use my referral links as they help both you and me 💜 Thanks in advance!
Indoor and Outdoor mix
There are many options in this category. Many local day cares and preschools offer summer programs and also cities too have their own programs. Here are some options that have multiple locations in Bay Area.
Galileo
Camp Galileo’s mission is to help kids grow as creative, confident problem-solvers capable of turning their ideas into realities. I like that they have a good mix of hands-on learning and fun activities where kids spend 75 percent of the day outdoors! They have lot of locations to choose from and the camps are filling up fast. https://galileo-camps.com/our-camps/bay-area-locations/ We are continuing with Galileo for the rest of this summer.
💜 Use my code MYHOMEMANTRA30 and get $30 off your registration. 💜
KidzToProse
This camp also offers many locations and weekly themes and are not focused on academics but rather have hands-on-learning activities and also some outdoor sports. From my personal experience, their customer service is not existent and is extremely poor. They have neither returned any voice messages not replied to my emails. I want to switch Swara’s registration from one location to another and I have not been able to do this for days.
Outdoor Adventures
Avid 4 Adventures – If you are looking for “outdoor-only” activities, Avid 4 Adventure offers many options – from “learn to bike” to kayaking, stand-up paddle-boarding, rock climbing to hiking. Their camps are designed to keep kids active, introduce them to different outdoor activities and build their confidence and resilience!
✨ Be careful while choosing this camp. Staying outdoors for 6 hours in the scorching sun hiking, kayaking is not at all easy at at all and is extremely strenuous for kids who are not used to regular outdoor exercises.
We did their 2-weeks Explorer Camp. Swara had a great time, kayaking and yoga was her favorite things to do. Their group had 7 kids and 2 instructors. She learned new games every day and came home with a big smile and lots of stories to tell.
💜 Register here and get $25 Gift Card 💜
Stay tuned for my top tips and must-haves for an outdoor camp. I have linked UPF 50 gear, swim suits and healthy nut-free snacks.
Free Online Options for India and US
Here are some websites that have weekly themes and many resources available for keeping kids engaged, all are free!
- Summer learning with Camp Khan Kids – a free, self-paced summer learning program for children ages 2–8. Click here for more info.
- Summer of possibilities by PBD Kids – Lots of fun activities, printables and online shows and games around different themes supporting literacy, math, science, and life skills. Click here to get started.
- 5 Days with Camp KiwiCo – you can follow along their curated activities for free. And for additional fun, get their crate for more hands-on projects perfectly hand-picked for summer. You will save $10 using this link 💜
- Summer with KidPass – Summer with KidPass is a series of weeklong (and completely free!) “mini camps” in a variety of topics—from a Princess Mini Camp and Solar System Mini Camp to a Reading Mini Camp and Tae Kwon Do Mini Camp—and there’s no limit to how many mini camps your kids can join.
Speciality Weekly Classes
These are some of our favorite tried and Loved-By-Swara classes – #notsponsored
Kids Table – Virtual Cooking Class
Kids Table is based in Chicago where they offer in-person cooking classes for kids and families. They have wonderful instructors and the recipes are a fun twists to classics and yet easy to follow. They are offering half-day summer camps and also 1hr cooking classes for all ages. Check out more information here https://www.kids-table.com/
Making Deep Dish Pizza cupcakes from scratch was so much fun 👇🏻
Making Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting with the Kids Table in Insta Live 👇🏻
Creative Culture Kids
Megha @ Creative Culture Kids hosts 2 hr sessions many times during a week. She is based in Singapore where she hosts in person classes and also virtual classes that are US friendly. Her passion for teaching arts, science and Indian mythology coupled with easy-to-do crafts make these classes so much fun and interactive.
Tinkergarten
Tinkergarten in-person classes have begun, These are all outdoor classes specially designed for young kids. Their main focus is on “learning via play”. They start with circle time, one or two focused activities for the week and end with circle time. Parent participation is required for these 1 hr classes. Get a free t-shirt when you join using this link. 💜
You can find more options here – Activity Hero has listed many options across bay area – both in person and online.
