Camp activities often focus on exploring nature
can provide a special opportunity to bond and become inspired by like-minded friends and staff, Hoffman said.
“If you’re child has a natural bent toward something that provides a focused, fun community, that’s the kind of inspiration that they might eventually turn into an ongoing part of their lives,” she said. “Specialty camps provide that opportunity.”
And, she added, they’re a great way for children to embrace similarities and differences.
“There’s always something to share even if somebody doesn’t look like you ... when you come together and immerse yourselves in that shared interest,” she said. “It’s an opportunity for a diverse community to share a really special connection, and there’s a prime focus you’re always returning to a shared value system that falls into place.”
Many specialty camps in the Bay Area know they have to keep the focus of children who may not be used to spending several days doing one activity. So at the Berkeley Rep School of Theater, it is important to mix up classes and access to different teachers or coaches, Cavanaugh said. Plus, that makes campers more well-rounded overall.
“Yes, this is a theater camp, but they get improv classes, movement classes, they learn composition,” she said. “It’s definitely focused on the arts, but we’re not just training them to be actors, we’re training them to be artists, choreographers, actors or directors.
Lund said it’s similar at his sailing camp. Sometimes classes are focused on safety, other times technique, but it’s all about making sure campers realize sailing is a “lifelong learning opportunity.”
“As a sailor, you learn something new every time you go out,” he said. “You’ll never master sailing so we try to structure it in consumable blocks that are age dependent and keep them engaged as they continue to step up and learn.
At Camp SeaQuest, campers partake in a variety of activities that all feature ocean themes, Sherr said. For example, they may do hands-on science one day, meet veterinary staff anoth-
er, learn about specific mammals, explore the Marin Headlands or do crafts and play marine science-themed games.
But regardless of specialty, Hoffman said she encourages all parents — if they’re able — to consider camp for their kids.
“Nature deficit disorder is a very real thing and we’re all about getting them out of the city and into a natural environment,” she said. “You want it to be motivating for them, somewhere they’re able to interact, move around, be a kid at camp.”