Celebrate the holidays with learning, laughter, and plenty of animal magic, a perfect way to make warm memories this winter break!
New Dates: December 22nd 2025 – January 2nd 2026 ( no Camp on December 25th and January 1st )
Bundle up for a season of discovery at Winter Critter Camp, where adventure and winter cheer come together! Join our amazing animal ambassadors for hands-on encounters, creative crafts, and frosty fun that’ll make this break unforgettable. Campers will explore how animals adapt to colder climates (even in sunny San Diego!) and uncover the special ways wildlife stays cozy all season long. Each day brings new themes, games, and opportunities to connect with our incredible creatures through compassion and curiosity.
Celebrate the holidays with learning, laughter, and plenty of animal magic, a perfect way to make warm memories this winter break!
New Dates: December 22nd 2025 – January 2nd 2026 ( no Camp on December 25th and January 1st )
What does winter mean for animals? Your kids can find out at Winter Critter Camp in San Diego! Campers will discover why chinchillas don’t mind being chilly, how reptiles deal with falling temperatures, and how other critters cope with the changes caused by the cold weather. Each day includes hands-on animal encounters, cute crafts, awesome activities and the chance to connect with peers.
Preschool – 6th Grade
Discounts
Your camp fee may provide a partial tax credit, check with your tax professional to see if you qualify!
Details
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.
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, 7th-8th. 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.
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 8:00-8:45am 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 3:00-5:00pm 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.
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).
Please stay home if a member of your household is sick. We can transfer registrations which haven’t started to another day if that day has room.
If you need to cancel and can provide more than 24 hours’ notice to the start of the camp day, we can refund you minus a $10 cancellation fee per day.
If you need to cancel with less than 24 hours’ notice to the start of the day you will not receive a refund.
Contact us at 858-756-4117 ext. 406 or email education@animalcenter.org with any questions.
Follow us online to get more humane education virtually including animal facts, cute animal photos and videos, and notifications about upcoming programs!
Due to Hurricane Hilary, all departments will be closing at 3pm today. Stay safe!