Berkeley Parents Network: YMCA Summer Programs

Berkeley Parents Network

YMCA Summer Programs

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Summer Camps & School Breaks > YMCA Summer Programs

YMCA Day Camps for teens

March 2006

Re: What do Thirteen Year Old Boys do in the Summer?
Last summer, I enrolled both my children in the YMCA Day Camps. I would highly recommend these! they have different activities & field trips each week It gives the kids opportunities to meet new people in different environments,other than their friends from school. I actually started off the summer just enrolling my 9 yr. old son. However, my 13 yr. old daughter was so bored for 3 weeks, that we ended up enrolling her in their teen camp; she loved it! They took field trips all over the bay area and had a couple of overnight trips to places like Santa Cruz, where they did things such as, learn to surf & snorkel. she had a ball! the camps are fairly inexpensive, for what you get. Between $130 -250/ week. And you can go on a week to week basis. It's not like you have to sign them up for the entire summer! We're definitely doing that again this summer. sunkisst

Albany YMCA CIT program for teens

March 2006

Re: What do Thirteen Year Old Boys do in the Summer?
The Albany YMCA offers a counselor-in-training (CIT) program for entering 7-10 grade ''teens.'' It is a program that provides training, supervision and lots of ''on-site'' time interacting w/ the younger kids in the YMCA camps. It's not intended to be an extension of day camp for older kids, but if you're son has an interest in working w/ kids, this is a great, quality program. There are occasional full-days for field trips, but the CITs choose a morning or afternoon ''shift'' when they apply for the program. paula

Albany YMCA Kinder Cubs camp

June 2006

Does anybody have any thoughts re: the Albany YMCA Kinder Cubs summer camp program? The most recent posts are from two years ago and they aren't exactly ringing endorsements. It's a great location for us and we'd like to give it a shot, but not at the expense of our child's enjoyment this summer! Any feedback, especially re: younger kids (entering K this fall) would much appreciated. New Albany Family

The Albany YMCA Kinder Cubs camp is a great summer camp for entering Kinders and first graders. What makes our camp so great is not just the fun activities and feldtrips, but the well trainied staff that return each summer to make camp a safe and fun place to be week after week. Our kinder Cubs camp direcotr Joan Massler, has been with the Albany YMCA Kinder Cubs camp for 5 years. She is also our afterschool director for the K-3 Kids' Club afterschol program in Albany. Kinder Cubs spend most of their time on site exploring the many exciting play centers, singing, dancing, making friends and learning about the Core Values of the YMCA; Honesty, Caring, Respect & Responsibility. The Kinders take one trip to Memorial Park, one trip to the El Cerrito swimming pool and one fieldtrip a week based on the weekly theme. The child to staf ratio is 1:8 and that does not include our Jr. counselors who have aslo been trainied to work in camp. Feel free to call with questions and I can refer you to parents who can tell you first hand why they are chosing to return this summer. Alicia

Berkeley YMCA Day Camp

March 2006

I am looking for recent experience with the Berkeley YMCA summer camps, particularly the Voyager Day Camp for kids entering grades K-1. The last reviews from 2004 were decidedly mixed, leaning towards the negative side. My almost 5 year old daughter will be starting K in the fall -- and I am looking for fun summer camps for her to participate in. She loves to play and is moderately independent and outgoing. Thanks! Working mom.

Hello! I supervise the camp director for the Berkeley YMCA. I am glad you are asking for recent recommendations, because that is important. Please always feel welcome to schedule a visit to our programs or contact our camp director for information as well. Our camp this year will be located at Washington Elementary school where a brand new play structure has been installed. We place the entering kindergartners and first graders in a separate area in the morning so that they are not overwhelmed by the older children. Our ratio for Voyagers is 1 counselor for every 6 children. Staff for this age group receive specific training about what they can do to help ease the transition from pre-school to kindergarten. Kindergarten teachers over the years have helped us design the training and the curriculum for the campso that children are well-prepared. Of course, this is an age where they are definitely going through a big transition and often times leaving their life-long preschool friends. The camp itself is very active, mostly outdoors and with lots of field trips. A full brochure of activities is available at our website at www.baymca.org. Click on ''Downtown'' branch. Or call Qiqi, the camp director, at 665- 3264.

And just a note - Spring Break camp can be a GREAT opportunity to try Y camp before making your summer decisions. Spring Break camp is held at the Downtown Branch and enrollment is now open. Eden O'Brien-Brenner

March 2004

Hello, I couldn't find any recent comments about the summer camp at Berkeley vs. Albany YMCA. I'm looking for a summer camp for my 5 1/2-year-old Kindergarten daughter for the last 2 weeks of summer. If you and your child have recent experience at the Berkeley or Albany YMCA, would you please share it with me? How are the teachers -- nice, kind, loving, enthusiastic, understanding? How are the programs -- suitable for kids, organized, structured? Thank you very much.

My experience with Berkeley Y camps has been mixed. When my daughter was 5-7 she seemed to have a good experience. When she was 8 she had to deal with some pretty rough kids which freaked us out. The last time we did one I asked the morning instructor if there wasn't more than just basketball for them to do in the morning. She told me they used to have jump ropes but the kids kept hitting each other with them so no more. The non- basketballers were therefore left with nothing to do. sad but true

I am so glad that someone is asking for more recent reviews of our camp programs! Some of the reviews out there are 6-7 years old, and we've changed a lot in the last few years. I hope people will give you reviews about last year, because that was our first summer offsite. We found moving the camp to Washington School to be wonderfully beneficial. Parking for drop-off and pick-up is much easier, the outdoor area is age appropriate, and we were still close enough to the Y for swim classes and kindergym. In the last couple of years, the number of field trips has increased, and we've been able to use more chartered buses and much less public transportation. Please feel free to contact us directly for more information about the 2004 summer camp season. You can check out our camps at the website, baymca.org. Just click on the ''Downtown'' branch, and click on ''camp.'' Or call Qiqi Rodriguez, the camp director, at 665-3264. Or feel free to email me. Eden

Our daughter (just turned 6) was signed up last year to the Berkeley YMCA summer camp (not the same as Albany YMCA). We thought it would be a special treat for her as they had swimming & skating field trip, etc. However, after a few days she absolutely refused to go - clung to me in tears and insisted that she stay home, then did the same thing with her dad the next day. So we pulled her out. My impression is that the program had some turnover last year and consequently, I don't think the program at that time was managed very well.

She would come in the morning and the staff in charge of her age group kept changing. With so many kids, so many older than her, it was bewildering & probably felt unsafe. If you do send your child I would ask them what they are doing to make sure the younger kids are taken under someone's wings from start to finish. We spoke with the folks in charge and they acknowledged that this was an issue so hopefully they have resolved it this year.

We ended up putting our daughter into the Berkeley Day Camp program which has a fair number of kids also and that was a wonderful experience for her.

My 2 cents and good luck with your decision. anonymous

The Berkeley YMCA has a summer day camp program that operates on a week-to-week basis (you sign up for the weeks you want during the summer). We have our five-year-old going there for the entire summer, and she seems to be enjoying it -- lots of outdoor activities. I don't know if they are already full for August. Berkeley YMCA: 510-848-9622.

YMCA has a really good day camp. 848-9622. If they're full, try the Jewish Community Center, 848-0237. My almost-6-yrold son is in his second year at "Y Camp". He attends JCC after-school during the year and they're really solid, but we've never tried the summer camp. Someone I know whose son has done/is doing both said JCC summer camp is good but not as fun as YMCA camp.

Fran

Try the Berkeley YMCA. I just signed my son up for the last week of the summer and they had openings. Do it soon though because they cut back on staff depending on how many children are signed up that last week because Cal Students go back to classes.

Veronica (7/99)

From: Dawn (7/98)

Re: Last week of summer

The Berkeley/Albany YMCA runs a "Fall Daze" camp for four days out of that week (M - Th). Their phone number is 525-1130 to call for more information. The cost is moderate (around $100, I think--though if your son has not been enrolled in any of the other summer programs, you will also need to pay a registration fee and a kid's membership fee (good for one year)).

From: Dianna (7/98)

Day camps for the last week before school: The YMCA runs a Fall Daze program for that week, out of their Albany site on Kains. They usually don't have the information together until August, but you can sign up for just one day, two days, all five days, etc.

Date: April 22, 1998
From: Dianne

I believe the Berkeley-Albany YMCA has some pretty interesting teen summer programs. Also, try the Berkeley YMCA. Cal has sports and adventure camps (ck with Intercollegiate Athletics depart). Finally, for referrals ck with BANNANAS (658-7101)-or better yet-go there to look over all their summer program flyers.

The opinions and statements expressed on this website are those of parents who subscribe to the Berkeley Parents Network. Please see Disclaimer & Usage for information about using content on this website.