Experience the Golden Gate National Parks in a new way, every day, at Crissy Field Center Summer Camp. Our two-week day camps are designed to give children in-depth experiences in our urban environment and local national park. Through a rich combination of outdoor investigation, field outings, and fun hands-on projects, campers learn about important ecological concepts and issues. Camps are for children entering grades 1 through 6 in fall 2010. If you are interested in our summer programs for middle school youth, click here.
Use these links for quick navigation:
SEASIDE SLEUTHS
Grades 1–2
Hey, Sherlock! There are mysteries to be solved in the Presidio this summer. Who lives here, and how do they survive? Use all your sleuthing skills to find out. Listen for the calls of the birds, follow your nose to the eucalyptus forest, and look carefully for the creatures living in the marsh. Learn all about this special place by creating tools like your own marsh model and watercolor plant-identification cards. Pitch in to help keep Crissy Field clean, and celebrate your good deeds with a sandcastle extravaganza on the beach.
Register:
Session 1: June 14-June 25 (10 Days) $649
Session 3: July 12–July 23 (10 days) $649
THINGS WITH WINGS
Grades 1–2
Look in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's … a seed??? Lots of things fly through the air with the greatest of ease and, in this camp, you'll learn why and how. Meet live buzzing insects, learn how bats use radar to navigate, and create your own winged costume. Head out to Crissy Field's historic airfield to hear about the daredevil pilots who set countless records for speed and long-distance flight. Then create your own flying contraption to test out on the old aviation field.
Click to Register:
Session 2: June 28 –July 9 (9 days) $585
Session 4: July 26 –August 6 (10 days) $649
ARCHI-TECHIES
Grades 2–3
Calling all young designers! If you love to build and invent, this camp is for you. Your mission is to design your own sustainable 3-D city and, to do that, you'll need to know a lot about how things work. Explore animal architecture and try to a weave a nest as good as a humming bird. Build a bridge from recycled materials and test its strength against earthquakes. Harness the sun's energy to bake cookies (in your very own solar oven), and create your own kid-powered toy to take home.
Click to Register:
Session 1: June 14–June 25 (10 days) $649
Session 3: July 12–July 23 (10 days) $649
WILDLIFE WONDERS
Grades 2–3
Shhhh … be vewy, vewy quiet! You're going animal tracking! From sea stars on the pier to raccoons in the bushes, you'll be amazed by all the creatures that make their homes in the park. Dig in the marsh mud to find wiggly worms and look for crabs along the shore. Make predator/prey mazes and more to discover all the creatures great and small that call the park home.
Click to Register:
Session 2: June 28–July 9 (9 days) $585
Session 4: July 26 –August 6 (10 days) $649
ENVIROMANIACS
Grades 3–5
Are you crazy about the environment? Are you wild about your national parks? Then become an Enviromaniac! Enviromaniacs make yummy smoothies blended by kid power, play a zany game show, compete in a park wide scavenger hunt and create wacky video projects. Enviromaniacs better the world and have a blast doing it!
Click to Register:
Session 1: June 14–June 25 (10 days) $649
Session 3: July 12–July 23 (10 days) $649
WATER WIZARDS
Grades 3–5
Conjure up some liquid fun! During this intensive investigation of water, you'll suit up in waders and head into the marsh to learn about the magic of the marsh ecosystem. Use GPS devices to track a creek's flow, build a watershed model to show how your water flows from the mountains to the sea, create your own one-of-a kind storm drain art piece, and "Presto!" ... by the week's end you'll be an H2O expert, teaching others how to keep their water clean and healthy.
Click to Register:
Session 2: June 28–July 9 (9 days) $585
Session 4: July 26–August 6 (10 days) $649
JUNIOR RANGERS ON PATROL
Grades 4–6
From the infamous cellblocks of Alcatraz to the primeval forests of Muir Woods, there's an adventure around every corner in the Golden Gate National Parks. You and your fellow rangers-in-training will head out to a different park site every day, learning important wilderness skills along the way. Then pack your bags for a night of sleeping under the stars and eating s'mores during an overnight camping trip in the Presidio. At the closing ceremony, all campers will be sworn in as official Junior Rangers.
Click to Register:
Session 1: June 14–June 25 (10 days) $749
Session 2: June 28–July 9 (10 days) $675
Session 3: July 12–July 23 (10 days) $749
Session 4: July 26–August 6 (10 days) $749 FULL
SESSION INFORMATION
June 14 - June 25
Session 1 (10 days) :: Grade Level in Fall '10
| Seaside Sleuths | 1-2 | |
| Archi-Techies | 2-3 | |
| Enviromaniacs | 3-5 | |
| Junior Rangers on Patrol | 4-6 |
June 28 - July 9
Session 2 (9 days: no camp Monday, July 5th ) :: Grade Level in Fall '10
| Things With Wings | 1-2 | |
| Wildlife Wonders | 2-3 | |
| Water Wizards | 3-5 | |
| Junior Rangers on Patrol | 4-6 |
July 12 – 23
Session 3 (10 days) :: Grade Level in Fall '10
| Seaside Sleuths | 1-2 | |
| Archi-Techies | 2-3 | |
| Enviromaniacs | 3-5 | |
| Junior Rangers on Patrol | 4-6 |
July 26 – August 6
Session 4 (10 days) :: Grade Level in Fall '10
| Things with Wings | 1-2 | |
| Wildlife Wonders | 2-3 | |
| Water Wizards | 3-5 | |
| Junior Rangers on Patrol | 4-6 |
8:30 - 9:00
Camper check-in/games
9:00 - 9:15
Morning Circle songs and activities
9:15 - 11:30
Storm drain prints in the Arts Workshop
11:30 - 12:30
Lunch and recreation time
12:30 - 2:15
Crabbing and "claymation" in the Media Lab
2:15 - 2:30
Snack time
2:30 - 4:00
Beach cleanup and exploration at Crissy Field
4:00 - 5:30
Optional extended care
*The order of the activity rotations varies depending on age group. Junior Rangers have an alternative schedule.
Registration forms are available in the downloads section. Online registration opens February 27th. Paper application forms will be processed in the order received beginning February 27. For camp information and availability call (415) 561-7762.
Confirmation/Transaction Fee
Confirmation and camp information packets are e-mailed for all registrations. There is a $10 transaction fee for each change made after your application is received and processed.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
For cancellations up to two weeks prior to the beginning of a camp session, 80 percent of the total payment is refunded. No refund is given for cancellations made after that deadline. If a camp does not fill, Crissy Field Center reserves the right to cancel it and will issue a full refund for the session.
Extended Care Fee
Extended care is available from 4 to 5:30 pm for an additional $15 per day. Extended care enrollment forms are included with your camp registration confirmation. Extended Care enrollment opens on the first day of each camp session except for those registering online.*
*Use our online registration system to sign up for camp and you will have the option to register early for extended care and receive a special discount! Early purchase option and discount are only applicable for the purchase of a full session of extended care at the time you register for camp.
Donate to the Summer Camp Scholarship Fund
Help a child have an unforgettable experience. Call (415) 561-7762 for details.
SUMMER CAMP PREVIEW AND EARLY REGISTRATION
Saturday, February 27
10 am - 1 pm
FREE
This open house is your chance to meet camp staff and see some of the great experiences kids had last year. You can also register onsite to beat the rush and ensure your camper gets his or her first choice of camp sessions!
COUNSELOR IN TRAINING (C.I.T.) PROGRAM
Grades 9-12
Are you in or entering high school, but still want to go to camp?
Become a Counselor In Training (C.I.T.) for Crissy Field Center's Summer Camp.
- Gain valuable job skills
- Have fun leading and mentoring children
- Spend your summer in your national park
- Become an environmental leader!
Click here to view the 2010 C.I.T. application. For more information contact the Program Manager of Children, Family & Camps at (415) 561-7762, fax (415) 561-7695, or email summercamps@parksconservancy.org
GREEN CENTER, GREEN CAMP
As an environmental educational center, we practice what we teach. From utilizing 100% post- consumer recycled paper in our office to supporting local agriculture, the staff of Crissy Field Center truly believes that positive environmental change must start with us and our work place environment. As a result, these environmentally friendly practices inform all of our programming. Here is just a sample of our efforts:
- We facilitate carpooling for camp parents and caregivers
- Free PresidiGo shuttle passes to get parents and caregivers downtown and back if they walk, bike, or take public transportation to drop their camper off
- Local and sustainably sourced snacks in camp
- Green biodiesel transportation used for large-group field trips
- Camp T-shirts manufactured in sweatshop-free facilities, and printed locally using only soy-based inks
- Green Business-certified with an active composting and recycling program
- Non-toxic and recycled materials used for program supplies, as well as green janitorial and cleaning products
- Backyard organic teaching garden
- Building facilities designed to LEED certification standards
- Online Registration to reduce paper waste
Crissy Field Center is a partnership of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the National
Park Service, and the Presidio Trust.
The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy is the nonprofit membership organization that supports park improvements, conservation, education, and volunteerism in these treasured parklands. To learn more and get involved, please call (415) 561-3000 or visit www.parksconservancy.org.
The National Park Service is the federal agency that manages more than 390 park sites in the U.S., including the Golden Gate National Parks. For more information, please call (415) 561-4700 or visit www.nps.gov/goga.
Downloads
- 2010 Summer Camp Brochure (PDF)
- 2010 Summer Camp Registration Form (WORD)
- 2010 Counselor In Training (C.I.T) Application Form (PDF)
- 2010 Financial Aid Application (PDF)
- 2010 Camper Medical Information Form (WORD)
- 2010 Parent/Guardian Agreement (WORD)
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Financial Assistance Available
We provide the most summer camp financial aid in San Francisco! If your camper receives free or reduced lunch you automatically qualify for financial aid. Financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Call (415) 561-7762 to request a hard copy of the application. We will start accepting financial aid applications on February 27.
General Information
- Location and Directions
- Summer Camp Employment Opportunities
- Summer Camp Office: (415) 561-7762
- Campers must be entering the specified grade level in fall 2009.
- Camp sessions run either one or two weeks, from 8:30 am to 4 pm, M–F.
- All campers receive a T-shirt and afternoon snack.
- Campers bring their own lunch every day.
- Each camp is organized by age group and includes age-appropriate curriculum.
- Camps combine experiential environmental education using art, science, and media technology, along with organized outdoor exploration.
- Counselors and instructors are highly qualified, carefully screened, extensively trained, and are first aid and CPR-certified.
- All camps include at least one off-site field outing to such places as Green Gulch Farm and Abbotts Lagoon.
- Junior Rangers camps conclude with an overnight camping trip on the last Wednesday of the session.
What parents have to say:
"My son loved the hiking and learning so much about his environment. He thought the counselors were super!""My foster daughter was thrilled to participate. She learned so much and had a wonderful time. It was a positive, validating experience."
"My child was captivated and educated every day."
"The counselors were professional and friendly. I felt safe that my child was with them."
"Thank you so much for your friendly demeanor, welcoming attitude, and for the quality of the field trips and lessons."
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