Staying local: Sonoma day camps 2013

Every year, the nonprofits, schools and sports associations in Sonoma outdo themselves in the array of camp offerings for students. Below is a quick overview, in alphabetical order, of most of the local camps as well as a sampling of other options nearby. Many are new this year. Information may still be changing, please check each camp’s web site for specific age ranges, offerings and pricing.

Artescape

ArtEscape, which is located in Boyes Hot Springs, is offering a new weekday art camp program from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 10-15, the camp is for ages 7 and up. July 15-19, the camp is for ages 12-16 and June 29-Aug. 2, the camp is for ages 7 and older. The cost is $125 week and there are only 12 spots each week. To register, email artescapeclassses@gmail.com

Basketball CAMP – Lady Dragons

The Sonoma Valley High School Girls Dragons basketball players will be running one camp only this year, June 10-14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for grades 3–8. All campers will receive a T-shirt and Dragon green basketball. Cost is $150; $125 for two or more sisters or $30 a day. To register, or for more information, contact Coach Sil at sil@ladydragonbasketball.org or 484-8940. ladydragonbasketball.org.

Boys & Girls Club

The Boys & Girls Club each week offers a different experience for grades 1-5 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. as well as related field trips. Specialty camps include rock climbing, cooking, ceramics, engineering, science, volleyball, soccer, basketball, flag football, outdoor cooking, engineering with Lego, video production and animation. High schoolers learn about college, careers, personal finance, sports and more. The cost is $60 to $110 a week, plus membership. bgcsonoma.org.

Culinary Camps

Ramekins offers cooking camps for kids ages 6-12 and junior chefs ages 13-17 with curriculum that includes a week focused on pasta, a general culinary camp week and a program just for teens. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for $350 a week (The pasta camp is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) Sessions run June 16-21, July 15-18, July 23-26 and Aug. 5-8. ramekins.com.

Dance

The Sonoma Conservatory of Dance is offering a summer dance workshop “Once Upon A Time” July 1-Aug. 3, and an Angelina Ballerina summer camp for ages 3-6, Aug. 5-9. Call 938-1424 for information and registration.

Horseback Riding

LisRobin Ranch is offering a summer riding program for ages 5 and up. The cost is $150 a day. Call 328-5475 for more details.

Jack London Park Camp

Jack’s Camp will be a program for grades 6-8 consisting of writing, arts, crafts and nature hikes. The camp runs from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. June 10-14. The cost is $100. For more information, call 415-596-09092.

Nature Camp

Rhoten Productions returns with its popular all-day Nature Camp at VanHoosear Wildflower Preserve June 10-21 and June 24-July 5. Activities include hiking, creek walks, nature studies, swimming, crafts and a ropes course. Cost is $470 to $525 for a two-week session. rhotenproductions.com.

Pets Lifeline

Pets Lifeline’s popular humane education camps run every week from June 10-Aug. 16 from 9 a.m. to noon. In addition to learning about the animals at the Valley’s only animal shelter, camp includes weekly guests, reptile rescue, pocket pets, therapy dogs and more. The cost is $110 a week. petslifeline.org.

Performing Arts at the Sebastiani

Rhoten Productions will once again offer its popular Performing Arts Camp, led by Roger and Diana Rhoten, out of the Sebastiani Theatre July 15-26. Students ages 5 and up learn about acting, singing, dancing, stilt-walking, magic tricks and more. The cost is $480 for a two-week camp. Sonoma Treasure Artist Kate Kennedy returns with Camp Shakespeare June 10-21, teaching ages 10 and up about the world’s most famous playwright. The cost is $440 for two weeks. sebastianitheatre.com.

Presentation School 

Presentation School offers summer camps open to all Sonoma youth. This year, its offerings include acting, robots, bird crafting, engineering with Legos, fencing, German, Spanish, gardening, art, volleyball and starting a band. The camps run June 10-14 and June 17-21 from 9 a.m. to noon or from 1 to 4 p.m. The cost ranges from $130 to $230 a week. presentationschool.com.

Sewing Camp 

Broadway Quilts will be hosting summer camps for beginner and experienced sewers alike, ages 8 and up. Beginning sewing will be offered June 17-19 and July 23-25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for $100. Advanced sewing is July 23-25 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. for $85. Beginning quilting is July 16, 18, and 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for $50. broadwayquilts.com.

Soccer

North Bay Soccer will hold two one-week sessions of camps for boys and girls ages 4-13, at Maxwell Park, July 22-26, and July 29-Aug. 2. Cost is a bargain at $55 for ages 4-7 and $60 for ages 9 to 12. northbaysoccercamps.org.

Run out of Field of Dreams, British Soccer Camps provide players with foot skills, technical drills, tactical practices, small-sided games, coached scrimmages and a daily tournament (and a free ball and shirt). The camp runs July 8-July 12. Ages 3-4 meets from 9 to 10 a.m. Ages 4-5 meets from 10 a.m. to noon. Ages 6-14, meets 9 a.m. to noon. The cost is $94-$134. challengersports.com or ldunner@challengersports.com.

Sonoma Academy of Dance

Sarah Duran’s Sonoma Academy of Dance is back with a wide array of offerings this year. The one-week sessions run from June 17-Aug. 5 at either Presentation School or Burlingame Hall. Camps range from $115 to $250 a week. Offerings include Amazing Race Camp, Inventor’s Workshop, dance boot camp, cheerleading camp, archeology camp and more. sonomasummercamps.com.

Sonoma Ecology Center

The Ecology Center will host three sessions of camp this year, all running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 10-14 and July 8-12 is Water Warriors Camp at Sonoma Creek. This camp, for ages 8-12, centers around water experiments as well as games, arts and crafts, singing, and storytelling. June 17-21 and July 15-19 is Harry Potter Camp for ages 6-12. June 24-28 is Birds, Bugs and Slugs Camp for ages 6-10 and July 1-5 is Squirmin’ Worms Camp for ages 4 and 5. The camps run from $150 to $280. sonomaecologycenter.org.

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art

Writing teacher Kate Williams and her husband, art teacher Walt Williams, will offer Young Artists and Writers Workshops at SVMA, June 10-14 and July 15-19 for kids ages 10-12 and 13-15. Workshop participants will blend visual art and creative writing and explore pop art, memoirs photography, autobiography and observation. Tuition is $350 ($295 SVMA members). svma.org/calendar.

Sports Camp  – Moldovan Academy

Lionheart Fitness Kids and Moldovan Academy are partnering to offer summer camp for ages 2-10 June 10-28 and July 8-26. The camp will offer soccer, baseball, flag football, basketball, field hockey, gymnastics, track and field and martial arts. moldovanacademy.org.

Swimming

Sonoma Aquatic Club at Agua Caliente holds summer swim programs for babies to adults including swim lessons; stroke school; Sea Dragon swim team; junior lifeguard camps; water polo clinics; and parent and tot water classes. sonomaaquaticclub.com.

Tennis

Sonoma Valley Tennis Association’s new pro, Felipe Monroy, is on board and he is expanding the clinic/camp offerings for juniors this summer. He will offer junior clinics every weekday afternoon from June into August as well as private lessons. SVTA will also offer its annual free junior weekly clinics for youths ages 6-15 at the Maxwell Park courts on Thursday afternoons from June 13-July 25. Email Monroy for more details at tenniscalifornia@icloud.com or visit sonomavalleytennis.org.

Volleyball – Lady Dragons

The Lady Dragons Summer Volleyball Camps take place at the high school. The three-day fundamentals camp runs Aug. 5, 6, 7 from 9 a.m. to noon, and the intermediate skills rookies camp for eighth- and ninth-graders running from 2 to 5 p.m. Both camps cost $80 a girl and include a T-shirt (registration is $90 after July 25). To register, contact Sonoma head varsity coach Mindy Neves at sonomavalleyball@gmail.com.

YMCA

The YMCA is offering Sonoma summer camps at Prestwood School for ages 6-12 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., weekdays June 10-Aug 16, for $164-$182. Call 544-1829 for more information.

Camps Out of Town

If you are willing to drive a little further away, the array of possibilities is even broader. Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park does a great camp for academically accelerated children (sonoma.edu/exed/excel). McDonald Ranch offers a day camp with swimming, boating archery and more at Morton’s Hot Springs in Glen Ellen, mcdonaldranch.org. Petaluma Parks and Recreation has a wide range of camp options, cityofpetaluma.net. Steve and Kate are operating one of their high-end camps at Sonoma County Day this summer, steveandkate.com and they have several other locations. Redwood Empire Gymnastics in Petaluma has a popular day camp, regymnastics.com as will Gymnastics Zone in Napa gymnasticszone.com. Cinnabar Theater in Petaluma offers a theater camp, cinnabartheater.org. Santa Rosa Parks and Recreation has what appears to be hundreds of summer camp options, santarosarec.com. For aspiring babysitters, the Red Cross offers a babysitting boot camp in Santa Rosa, arcsm.org. Driven Raceway in Rohnert Park has a driving and arcade camp, drivenraceway.com. There is an Aspire lacrosse camp in Petaluma, aspirelacrosse.com. Justin-Siena in Napa justin-siena.org and Cardinal Newman in Santa Rosa cardinalnewman.org both offer an array of sports camps. Rooster Run Golf Course in Petaluma offers a PGA golf camp, davejohnsongolf.com. There is a fencing camp in Petaluma, (egfencing.com) as well as a sailing camp (658-1365). Sonoma State in Rohnert Park has some great sports camps taught by current college players, (sonomaseawolves.edu). The list goes on and on, but this provides a great starting point for your research. Bangarang offers a water polo camp at Napa Valley College, bangarangbarracudas.clubspace.com.

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