February Critter Camp 2022

Please refer to our COVID-19 Policies for details about our safety procedures for each program. Protocols are subject to change and may vary with program type. If you have any questions about our COVID-19 policies or programs, please contact our office at education@animalcenter.org or 858-756.4117 x318.

February 14^th – 25^thPreschool through 6^th Grade
Daily sign ups available

February Critter Camp gives kids in San Diego the opportunity to discover what there is to love about our natural world by getting up close and personal with our animal ambassadors. Through hands-on animal interactions, crafts, games, and activities, your child will explore the environment and the various creatures that call this world home.

February Critter Camp Themes

Monday – Critter Communication: We can communicate our feelings in various ways, like smiling, singing or saying a phrase. While meeting an alpaca, guinea pig, pigeon, ball python and millipede, campers will find out how each animal expresses themselves.

Tuesday –All Together Now: There’s nothing better than snuggling up with a loved one when it gets chilly, but not all animals feel that way! Campers will interact with a mini horse, dog, large parrot, bearded dragon, and chicken while learning about the relationships that animals have with people, their environment and each other.

Wednesday – Fight or Flight: You will meet a goat, rabbit, dove, blue-tongued skink, and box turtle while you discover how each critter deals with conflict and how they protect themselves and others.

Thursday – Beware of the Crisp Air: We can bundle up to stay warm and still have fun frolicking in the snow, but how do animals survive the harsh winter months? Find out how different adaptations make certain animals better suited for the cold as you interact with a sheep, chinchilla, duck, leopard gecko, and hermit crab.

Friday – Pawsitive Impact: Interact with a California desert tortoise, button quail, small parrot, rosy boa snake, frog, and a Madagascar hissing cockroach as you find out why we should value each animal and what we can do to help them.

Species may vary depending on animal health, safety and availability.

Must be at least 5-years-old to pet reptiles.

MLK Camp Times, Rates, and Discounts

Camp Rates & Times

Preschool

$69 per child, per day
9:00 am – 1:00 pm (must be at least 4 years old)
Extended Care option: early drop off only, 8:00 a.m. drop off for Preschool for $12 each day (no late pickup available for Preschool)

Kindergarten – 6th Grade

$89 per child, per day
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Extended Care option: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm for $24 per day

All grades

Hot lunch is available for $10 per child, per day. It includes an entrée and two sides. Please provide your child with a snack and water bottle each day.
All campers must be able to use the restroom confidently and on their own.
Must be at least 5 years old to pet reptiles.
We know that camp sounds fun for kids and adults, but this camp for kids only!
- If your child has an aide at school and you plan to have them come to camp with your child, please call us at 858-756-4117 ext. 318 so that we can help them complete the fingerprint process. All aides must be fingerprinted through us in order to attend camp. Be aware that camp has frequent transitions that can make an aide more necessary during camp than at school.

Camp Discounts

15% off camp tuition for active military. (Call us at 858-756-4117 ext. 318 for the coupon code)
Automatically receive $5 off the daily tuition when registering siblings. (Must register siblings at the same time. Applies to one sibling.)
Automatically receive the 5th day free if you register for 5 sessions. (Per child. Must register for the sessions at the same time.)

Your camp fee may provide a partial tax credit. Check with your tax professional to see if you qualify!

Critter Camp Frequently Asked Questions

Authorized Pick Up & ID Checking: for safety purposes we do not release children at pick up time to anyone not listed on the “authorized to pick up” list. We check ID daily at checkout time.
- To add someone to the authorized list, we must confirm you are one of the parents/guardians and then we can add any additional names, or you can log into your account and add more in yourself.

Making sure certain children are in the same group: During registration there is a section for “my child would like to be in the same class as” and that is where you should add the first and last names of other children to group with, if any. We group children into classes by grade level first; if we have multiple classes of the same grade level then we’ll pair requests together.
- We generally group classes as follows: PreK/Preschool, Kinder, 1st-2nd, 3rd-4th, 5th-6th. Depending on registrations for each grade level we may combine nearby grade levels into one class, such as a Kinder-2nd class.
- We only move older children down into the younger groups.
- If you need your child with another child regardless of grade level, please contact the office by email or phone to escalate your request to a need. Please do this before the start of the camp week you’re attending so that it can be taken care of prior to the start of grouping for that week.

Extended Care: you can add extended care as late as day of by contacting the office about adding it at any time, or sign into your account and add it yourself. Extended care includes AM Care and PM Care (AM Care is the only option for Preschool).
- AM Care is 8:00-8:45 am early drop off. Children will mostly free play with camp staff supervision. This is the only option available to children younger than Kindergarten.
- PM Care is 3:00-5:00 pm late pick up. Children will do a craft or activity, have some guided games, help check on our outdoor animals for the night’s close, and free play under the supervision of camp staff. It is advised to pack extra snacks so your child has food for PM Care.

Camp Lunch: you can add lunch as late as morning of, as long as you do it before 9:30am when the lunch order is placed. Camp lunch includes an entrée and two sides.
- You can contact the office about adding it day of or sign into your account and add it yourself (but please only add it yourself if its 24 hours’ notice otherwise it may be missed – we print rosters each morning at 8am).

Feel free to call us at 858-756-4117 ext. 318 or email education@animalcenter.org with any questions.

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