This summer we signed Holden up for one week of Camp Galileo (with a curriculum developed in partnership with DeYoung, The Tech museum, and Klutz) after I fell in love with the promotional video and was offered a free week to take the camp for a spin. Based on positive word of mouth, I expected him to love it.
I was right. Holden loved Camp Galileo and its mix of Maker Faire fun with outside play. Camp sessions have different themes each week with focus on science and art. Holden’s week was toy building. Yay! The projects they came back with were fabulous. Throughout the course of the week, he built a target with launcher; puppets; race track and car; and several experimental iterations on each task. Now, if I could only figure out how to properly preserve and display them, we’d be all set.That said, I’m not too sure why he came home with vampire face paint.
Other themes this summer include Chinese Art & Building Design, Impressionism & the Science of Sleuthing and Urban Art & Environmental Engineering. Last year was different with Egyptian Art, Amusement Park Engineers and Mission to the Moon themes.
Holden didn’t know anyone going there but quickly discovered a few buddies in his group and felt at ease. Camp G has an enthusiastic young staff of team leaders made up of predominantly college students. Lead teachers and directors tend to be educators, a little older but just ask perky. From the outside looking in, there were many peppy camp activities and chants. I suspected Holden would slink to the perimeter during the “ra ra” sessions, but he told me he had the loudest voice in the group. (Aww, just like his mama!)
[camp director, emily, wore the ever-present chicken hat]
The Berkeley camp is hosted at Cragmont school and offers curbside drop-off in the morning – loved it! Being pregnant, I didn’t want to climb up all those steps. I also think Holden loved the big boy feeling of getting out of the car and going. The afternoon pick-up is much different requiring an in-person sign out with ID check every single time.
[one of the closing pep sessions on the cragmont lawn]
Disclosure: I was grateful to receive a free week of camp because the price is rather high: more than $350 per week. There are incentives for multiple weeks. Other coupons are available; we have one on our site and there are additional promotions sent throughout the year.
Have you been to Camp G? What was your experience like?
