Summer Activity Guide

growingupsc — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 17:36:00 +0000

So many peoples’ lives were changed by summer camps. They are places not just to get away from parents and make new friends, but to try new things, enjoy nature and learn crafts. We canoed, made lanyards, caught frogs and snakes, learned guitar, made fires in the wilderness and cooked and cleaned up afterwards. Those were timeless experiences that gave us a lifetime of memories. Alicia Telfer Midtown Creative Studio511 Swift Street, Unit G, Santa Cruzwww.Aliciatelfer.com/summerThis isn’t your typical summer camp. It’s where creativity clicks, literally. In these immersive photography and art experiences with Alicia Telfer, kids and teens step into a space designed to spark curiosity, build confidence, and actually learn how to create. With a thoughtful, workshop-style approach, campers explore light, composition, and artistic expression while developing real foundational skills. Known for her patience and eye for detail, Alicia meets each student where they are and guides them toward their own unique style. If your child is ready to think differently, see differently, and create boldly, this is where it begins. All About Theatre Tannery Arts Center1010 River Street, Santa Cruz831.345.6340lindsey@allabouttheatre.orgwww.allabouttheatre.org Celebrating nearly 24 years of theater, and over 190 productions in Santa Cruz County. Offering training in the performing arts for children aged (5-6), Youth (6-10), Pre-teen (10-14) & Teens (14-18) and Adults. Our upcoming Summer Season; Fiddler on the Roof Jr, Moana Jr. and Dear Evan Hansen will be performing at our home at The Colligan Theater, located in the heart of the Tannery Arts Center at 1010 River Street, Santa Cruz. With a new state-of-the-art theater, we will be offering an array of one week theater & performing arts camps as well as audio visual, stage managing, lighting design & more. There’s a place for everyone! Come be a part of the magic of theater this Summer. “Our family loves this amazing community! We started a year and a half ago and my daughter has flourished and challenged herself. Lindsay Chester has brought out gifts that my daughter did not know that she has. Please run, don’t walk and join us!” – Joanna E Art Factory Studios 7960 Soquel Drive831.400.2744info@artfactorystudios.comartfactorystudios.com Explore creativity at Art Factory Studios! Kids 5-17 discover unique subjects each week, with beloved themes like Cats, Cats, Cats! and Art for the County Fair. In our popular Ceramics camps, students will learn hand-building and glazing for kiln-firing. Small groups and expert instructors ensure every child is supported. Camps fill quickly—register today! Be Natural Music Camp 740 Water St., Santa Cruz831.515.2588benaturalmusic.live/music-camp-santa-cruzAt Be Natural Music Camp, kids and teens compose original music, create music videos, and record their songs in a professional recording studio. After camp, these original songs are professionally produced and uploaded to SoundCloud. We transform the film footage into engaging high-quality music videos and showcase them on our YouTube Channel for everyone to enjoy! If your child has ever dreamed of composing and writing a script for a short film/music video, check out our summer music camp in Santa Cruz to turn that dream into a reality! Boulder Creek Recreation Summer Camps bcrpd.org/kids-classes831.338.4144BCRPD summer camps at Bear Creek Community Center offer an exciting, well-rounded experience for kids ages 6–11. Campers enjoy hands-on science, creative arts, sports, and outdoor games that build teamwork and confidence. Daily pool time, river play, and guided hikes encourage exploration and connection with nature. Each day is filled with fun, learning, and new friendships in a safe, supportive environment. With engaging activities and caring staff, Bear Creek camps create lasting memories while helping kids stay active, creative, and adventurous all summer long. Cabrillo Extension Summer Camps for Kids 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos831.479.6331extension@cabrillo.eduextension.cabrillo.edu/youth/Cabrillo Extension Summer Camps for Kids offers diverse, high-quality camps for developing young brains and growing young bodies. All camps are focused on specific content, so campers and families choose the camp based on their interest. Join us for cooking & baking camps, games design & coding camps, sports camps, music & art camps, or science & exploration camps. Camps available 6 through 17 years old. Choose half day camps, or create your own custom designed full day schedule! Dozens of new camps this summer, and plenty of returning favorites. Join us for one week, or all summer long! My child loved this camp and hopes that it will be offered next summer! -Stephanie Diaz, parent of Digital Music camper Cabrillo Youth Chorus Summer Voice Camp CabrilloYouthChorus.orgJoin us for Cabrillo Youth Chorus’ Annual Summer Voice Camp at Cabrillo College (9:00am–3:00pm during July 27–31). Our week-long voice camp, designed for students ages 8–18, provides an unforgettable experience as students participate in voice, staging, choir, Orff, musicianship, and composition classes. Our camp culminates with a performance in Cabrillo’s Samper Recital Hall. Students of all experience levels are welcome. They also receive college credit! For more information, visit our website or contact director Carlin Truong at catruong@cabrillo.edu. California Ocean Alliance, Org. 9099 Soquel Drive, Suite 8 Aptos, CA 95003831.661.5177kristin@CAoceanalliance.orgwww.CAoceanalliance.org California Ocean Alliance is hosting two summer courses for high schoolers interested in marine science! For those students 14-19 years of age and interested in learning more about marine mammals living in Monterey Bay, this class is for you! Twelve lucky students visit special field locations around Monterey Bay, learning from local scientists and educators how to use tools and techniques to study these awesome ocean creatures. June 15-19 or July 27-31. Sign up today at www.CAoceanalliance.org Camp Gateway 255 Swift Street, Santa Cruz831.423.0341gatewaysc.org/lower-school/camp-gateway-2026 Unplug and Engage at Camp Gateway! Gateway School Santa Cruz is hosting a screen-free interactive summer camp for rising 1st – 5th graders. Campers will engage in counselor-led activities and enrichment classes. Full and half day classes available. June 15 – July 17th. Register now (QR code – see our ad in this month’s issue). For more information, visit gatewaysc.org Chartwell School 2511 Numa Watson Road, Seaside831.394.3468www.chartwell.org/summer Summer Chartwell School, located on 60 acres in Seaside, CA, serves students with dyslexia and other related learning differences who are not currently reaching their full potential. We do this in grades 1-12 by providing targeted and direct instruction to empower learners with the skills, strategies, tools, and social-emotional mindset they need to thrive in college and beyond. Summer@Chartwell is a three-week program that emphasizes literacy, math, STEAM, and enrichment skills. “Before we found Chartwell, our son was struggling every night with homework, his confidence shattered because he couldn’t understand why learning was so difficult for him. At Chartwell, he gained the tools and skills to support his learning profile, and now he confidently advocates for himself and is excelling in high school. I can’t express enough how profoundly Chartwell changed our son’s life – and ours.” – Milda E., Parent of Chartwell Alumnus Community Mountain Gym Santa Cruz Mountains831.216.6186communitymountaingym@gmail.comwww.communitymountaingym.comEver wanted to learn a cartwheel or to try balancing in a handstand? Come tumble through summer with us! Campers will build foundational gymnastics skills using bars, balance beams, and a variety of fun equipment in a supportive, encouraging environment. Community Mountain Gym is a mobile fitness program that brings the experience to local spaces throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains. Beyond gymnastics, each camp week includes art projects, simple science activities, and visits to local fire stations, libraries, and parks. Join us for an active, engaging summer filled with movement, creativity, and community connection! Dancenter 810 Bay Ave., Capitolawww.dancenterinfo.comReady to make a move this summer? Dancenter is thrilled to announce our vibrant summer session running from June 22nd to August 1st! Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro, we welcome all ages and levels to join our 6-week program. Experience a diverse range of styles led by our friendly instructors, including:Classical & Technique: Ballet, Pointe, and ContemporaryRhythm & Groove: Hip-Hop, Tap, and JazzSpecialty Styles: Acro Dance and LatinVisit us at 810 Bay Ave., Capitola, or register online. Start dancing your way to joy today! Drawn2Art Studios 19C Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center, Aptos831.661.5652Aptos@Drawn2ArtStudios.comdrawn2artclasses.com SIGN-UP NOW – OFFERING REALLY FUN SUMMER CAMPS! Sign-up by or before April 30th, Receive – $40 OFF each camp. New Students ONLY Pay the Registration Fee. Learn about our Summer Camps, each camp is themed! Here are some of the really fun summer camps we are offering: Anime & Cartooning: Learn to draw traditional-style Anime and create your own Anime self-portrait. Cartoon Clay Camp: Learn sculpting and painting methods, create landscapes, characters and more. Portraiture: Learn the fundamentals of drawing different portraits, covering different techniques and working in different media (graphite charcoal, colored pencils, pastels and more). Offering many more. Come Join Us for a Fun-Filled Day! Also, offering a Free Trial Class for our studio art classes! Growing Social 408.806.4603info@growingsocial.orgwww.growingsocial.org/Growing Social serves students ages 5–young adults who could benefit from support with social-emotional learning (including perspective taking, emotional regulation, problem solving, flexible thinking, etc.). Serving those with Social Communication Disorder, Autism Spectrum, ADHD, social anxiety, and those without a formal diagnosis. Small, age- and skill-matched groups are led by Speech-Language Pathologists who specialize in teaching Social Thinking®. Farm animals, gardening, cooking, and other creative group activities are utilized to teach and practice social learning concepts. Social vocational and camp counselor opportunities for teens and young adults. Weekly school-year sessions and therapeutic summer camps available. International Academy of Dance IADance.com | NutcrackerSantaCruz.cominfo@IADance.com831.466.0458 International Academy of Dance, home of Santa Cruz City Ballet, provides world class instruction in Classical Ballet, Tap, Contemporary, Lyrical, and Jazz. The studio is an encouraging and supportive community from ages two to a hundred and two. It is our mission to inspire students of all ages to develop a lifelong love of dance. Through choreography, balance, agility, strength and flexibility, we work with each dancer to hone artistry, technique, focus and musicality. We aspire to bring joy and generate growth in every class. We can’t wait to see you in the studio! Come see us on stage in Swan Lake: Wings of Desire at the Landing in Scotts Valley, the first week of June! Awarded Best of Growing Up in Santa Cruz 2023, 2024 & 2025, and First Place in the Lookout List inaugural year 2025! Into the Heart of Nature Tara Redwood School Campus, 5810 Prescott Rd, Soquel831.462.9632office@tararedwoodschool.orgtararedwoodschool.org/summer-camp/ Located on 108 acres of Redwoods, oaks, and sunny meadows bordered by bubbling creeks, our big playground, a sunny clearing in the woods, will be the center of our camp activities of fun games, nature exploration, and nature-themed art. Each week we will focus on one of the essential elements that support all life; earth, water, air, and heat; explored through themes of the forest, ocean, earth, and the universe. As we learn more about the interconnectedness of our world, children will develop friendships, practice mindfulness, and learn how to care for each other, animals, bugs, and the environment we all share. 9am – 3:00pm, ages 4 – 8. Jim Booth Swim School Watsonville831.722.3500jimboothswimschool.com Be a water wonder! Lessons for all ages! From our Little Otters swim class for parents and their babies to our adult beginner class. The whole family can splash together at Jim Booth Swim School. Little Otters is a gentle introduction to our 94-degree indoor pool that will make you confident that you are guiding your infant to a happy water experience. Our lessons emphasize quality swimming in an exciting class taught by our caring, well-qualified teachers. Developmental swim team and advanced swim lessons will be offered at our outdoor pool located in Watsonville at Toadal Fitness. The whole family can swim at Jim Booth Swim School! Junebug’s Gym 3910 Portola Drive, Suite 2, Santa Cruz831.464.BUGS (2847)JuneBugsGym.com June Bug’s Gym is a place where your child can experience a fun-filled adventure in movement. We have a caring, respectful staff that encourages every child to grow at their own pace while supporting social, emotional, and cognitive development. Our goal is to promote confidence and self-esteem in our students, open up their imaginations, and help them experience the joy of movement in an ever-changing environment designed to test their skills. Kennolyn Day Camps 8205 Hacienda Lane, Soquel831.479.6714kennolyncamps.com/santa-cruz-day/ Ready to get...

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Summer Activity Guide