Summer Critter Camp 2021

 Activities will be similar to the following and may include:

1. Interact with a rabbit and discover how their movement is unique, letting them travel in awesome ways helpful for exploring!
2. Learn about Adoptions and the journey that adoptable pets go through to find their forever home.
3. Pet a chinchilla to identify why they would be considered a rare treasure – hint: it has to do with their fur density.
4. All good adventurers prepare themselves for a journey with helpful tools and items. Encounter a goat and see how they can use their horns for protections wherever they go.
5. Learn about the rainforest of Madagascar as you hold a hissing cockroach.
6. Explorers rely on their keen sense of direction during journeys in an unknown place. Greet and pet a dog while you learn about their superior senses that could be invaluable.
7. What destination would you want to travel to? Would it be a long voyage? Find out how our feathered friends travel and survive in different climates while a bird perches on you! 
8. Stroke the spikes of a bearded dragon if you dare! They might look dangerous, but it’s all part of their adventure wardrobe to keep predators away and looks worse than it feels. 
9. Teamwork is a crucial part of a successful adventure. Discover how guinea pigs use it to survive in their wild homelands. 
10. A popular treasure to hunt for is the fountain of youth… could a lizard be a link to regenerative abilities? Find out when you handle a leopard gecko!
11. How can an animal travel with dozens of legs? Find out when you meet a millipede.
12. Seek out hidden clues and uncover secret treasures during a scavenger hunt.

Species and activities may vary depending on animal health, safety, and availability.
Must be at least 5-years-old to pet/hold reptiles.

This is not a full list of the animals that campers will interact with during the week – they will meet the majority of the species that are a part of the education department.

Activities will be similar to the following and may include:

1. You will discover that animals really do have healing powers when you learn about our Pet Encounter Therapy program.
2. Take our sheep on a walk as you discover what sort of mystical realm they’re associated with and imagine wandering through that place 
3. Feel the soft feathers of a duck and find out how they seem to cast a semi-aquatic spell that helps them travel on land, water, and in the air! 
4. Does a large parrot actually speak, or is it just an illusion? Learn the answer when you meet these birds.  
5. Interact with an African ball python snake and see why they don’t need an invisibility cloak to hide from danger. 
6. Meet and feed our charming chickens, do you know what mystical beast they resemble?
7. Master the art of conjuring up crafts and working as a team as you participate in games. 
8. Get up close to a frog and discover what kind of potions you could brew with their help, because some of their natural defense mechanisms almost seem like magic! 
9. Pet a dog and learn how to read their behavior, which can sometimes seem mysterious.  
10. Interact with a miniature horse and find out why these fantastic creatures often appear in mythological stories and art. 
11. Animals have some awesome abilities that allow them to thrive in their natural habitat. Meet an alpaca and learn what their fiber can transform into as if they could cast a warmth spell.  
12. Learn how powerful words can be as we discuss the various ways that we can be a voice for animals. 

Species and activities may vary depending on animal health, safety, and availability.
Must be at least 5-years-old to pet/hold reptiles.

This is not a full list of the animals that campers will interact with during the week – they will meet the majority of the species that are a part of the education department.

We follow the K-12 guidelines as directed by the State of California. These have not had any changes since May 2021.

• Masks must be worn while attending camp unless actively eating/drinking. They are required indoors and must be worn outdoors when social distancing is not being maintained (such as during animal petting, some games, etc).
• Camp will be held outside as much as possible for ventilation.
  • Classes will go inside at times due to certain animal/activity requirements, or if the weather requires a cooler break. When inside, all windows are open and the room has an H13 HEPA filtration unit.
• Social distancing is maintained as much as possible.
  • Sometimes we cannot maintain it, such as when facilitating animal interactions.
  • When sharing is necessary (such as when interacting with the animal), we sanitize hands directly before and after.
• Stable groups are maintained as much as possible and any mixing and sharing is extremely limited. For this reason, switching campers to be with siblings/friends after groups have already been assigned may not always be possible, especially beyond Monday morning check in. Groups are also assigned in a manner to keep the same grade levels together.
• Please call us to cancel and do not attend if you or your child has any symptoms of COVID19 such as cough, fever, or sneezing, etc.

       **Protocols are subject to change.

• 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. Extended care includes a.m. care which is 8-8:45 a.m. early drop off where children will mostly free play with camp staff supervision; this is the only option available to children younger than Kindergarten. Extended care also includes p.m. care which is 3-5 p.m. late pick up, where 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 p.m. care.
  • You can contact the office about adding it at any time or sign into your account and add it yourself.
• Camp Lunch: you can add lunch as late as morning of, as long as you do it before 9:30 a.m. 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 it’s 24 hours’ notice otherwise it may be missed – we print rosters each morning at 8 a.m.)

“Perfect for animal loving kids and I was happy about the COVID 19 related safety measures like small group size, mask wearing and socially distancing.” ~ Linda M.

“This was the best summer camp of his summer. He is wondering why he has to go to kindergarten – he’d rather spend all year in Critter Camp. Thanks so much.” ~ Dana G.

“My son had a great week! He was excited to go to camp every day and came home talking about what he learned and did. He loved his counselor and told me she was the best counselor he ever had at camp. He said he wanted to go back for 2 weeks next year!” ~ Jaimee S. 

“My kids have not been in camp for over a year. They relished being part of a community outside of home and getting to interact with and learn about different animals. Best of all, the outdoor environment and clear social distancing procedures made me feel like this was a far safer and engaging camp for kids than other alternatives during Covid.” ~ Susan S.

“My kids loved how hands-on it was and I loved how easy the drop off/pick up was. I also loved how the camp was simple for the parents (no asking to put the kids in a certain color shirt each day or pack different clothes, etc.)” ~ Sarah S. 

“I especially liked the questions/answers that were provided in the parent information e-mail before camp started. Each day on the ride home, I asked the kids the questions of the day and they were able to answer with lots of details and additional facts. They were excited to share and I was impressed!” ~ Courtney E.   

“This is a great program, so fun and we love that it’s educational as well. We learn a lot as parents too because our kids can’t stop talking about the animals and everything they learned. Great job!” ~ Sarah L.

“Thank you for sharing your outstanding resources with our community and for providing an excellent educational experience for my son…. He loved it, and he looks forward to future camps at the animal center.” ~ Jaquelin D.