Summer Camp

Create wonderful and lasting memories on our farm

Join us to connect with the land, animals, and with other children. Fall in love with nature, forge new friendships, learn new skills and enjoy the beauty and magic of childhood.

 

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Camp Shine

Summer Program

ENROLLMENT OPENS SOON!

 

The program includes but is not limited to…

  • Farm animals, collecting eggs, grooming mini ponies, feeding the animals, and getting dirty with life on the farm.
  • Holistic Health Education with guest teachers and experts in their field of in Naturopathic Medicine, Functional Medicine and Herbalism.
  • Biodiverse gardening + the art of growing our own food.
  • Horseback riding, learning to be confident and calm leaders.
  • Hiking and exploring
  • Taking a dip in the pool to cool off and enjoy one another’s company.
  • Art + self-expression with nature-based good quality art material.
  • Making lemonade from the lemon tree!
  • Games and so much more!
FILLED
Boy at Camp | Goat on Farm

Camp Shine Summer Program

What can your child expect?

Each week your child will have a main lesson and guest teacher who comes to camp. Think of this as the cherry on top of an already wonderful sundae. This could be a local artist, Functional Medicine Practitioner, Naturopathic Dr, woodworking specialist, local business, survival skills guide and more!

All our guest teachers are truly and equally exceptional! We often encourage people to sign up without knowing so they can try something perhaps outside of a “normal” interest.

Each week your child will also get 1 horsemanship day. This will include grooming, floor skills and riding.

All while enjoying the great outdoors, we will be weaving in the SHINE
Curriculum, learning practical tools for resiliency, emotional intelligence, conscious leadership/kindness and discovering how to listen to our own inner voice.

Farm Life

Located in the hills of Martinez, CA, we enjoy farm life with chickens, mini ponies, horses, and a bunny! It is not uncommon for the children to enjoy art or chat with a chicken tucked under their arm. We collect eggs, groom ponies, and feed the animals. The children LOVE spending time on the farm!

Herbs & Holistic Health

We teach children the power of plants! At Camp SHINE, we are bringing back the tradition of holistic health by educating our youth on how to use herbs and their unique properties to support our bodies. This program is mainly taught by guest teacher Andrea Telfer Karbo FNP, a functional practitioner and founder of The Remedy.

Horsemanship & Riding

Through working with horses, children experience being calm and confident leaders.  They discover reading the language of a horse and how to be aware of their surroundings, a huge life skill! They also learn to groom, tend, and ride our two horses, Marty and Piper. 

The Pool

Everyone’s favorite summertime activity! In the afternoons we take a dip in the private pool that is located at Camp. This is a great way for us to cool off in the afternoons and always refreshes everyone! To ensure safety, we provide a lifeguard who oversees our time spent at the pool.

Connection

Your children will get a chance to connect with one another in a safe container and learn the importance of listening to each other and themselves. We will explore self-responsibility and the power in our choices. We seek to build critical thinkers, forge strong friendships and a cultivate a culture of thoughtfulness and upliftment.

Nature-Inspired Art

These are not your typical “kid art” projects. They will use high quality, natural products to create works of art that are inspiring and beautiful. They will whittle walking sticks, sand, assemble and paint bird houses, create pottery, do natural dying and so much more! We often bring in the expert in their field to teach the children a new skillset they can enjoy for years to come.

Dig into the

SHINE Curriculum

Freedom & exploration in a safe and nurturing environment.

All while enjoying the great outdoors, we weave in the SHINE Curriculum, teaching the kids the power in their choices. We share with the kids the freedom in self responsibility, self-awareness, and the art of self-counseling. We create a safe and friendly environment for the kids to express themselves. We are dedicated to creating a culture of kindness, where people are celebrated and valued. We instill in the children that they are born special! Our goal is to help create resilient and self-assured children so they can shine as they were born to do!

In addition, the philosophy and the foundation of our program is that it is child lead. Although we have clear activities and plans, we always leave plenty of room for the creative imagination and child lead activities. We are here to light a spark as opposed to filling a bucket!

We also believe that true health stems from a deep connected to nature and realizing our part in our ecosystem. Our mission is to help children take excellent care of our planet and enjoy/appreciate the beauty that surrounds us all.

 

Camp Shine

2023 Summer Camp Schedule

Please note:
These are tentative dates and are subject to change.
More details to follow.

Enrollment Opens March 2023

Summer camps run Mondays-Thursdays

MAY – JUNE

Session 1: May 5 – June 2
Session 2: June 5 – June 8
Session 3: June 12 – June 15
Session 4: June 19 – June 22
Session 5: June 26 – June 29

JULY

NO CAMP JULY 4TH WEEK
Session 6: July 10 – July 13
Session 7: July 17 – July 20
Session 8: July 24 – July 27

Aftercare for Morning Sessions

2:30pm-5:00pm | Additional $40/day (no discounts on aftercare)

*Aftercare not available for Bonus Session and Sessions 1 and 8

Early Bird Registration

Sign up siblings or enroll in more than 1 session and receive 15% off at check out! (only available the first 3 days of enrollment)

Enrollment Discounts:

Enroll in more than 1 session and/or siblings and received 5% off at check out.

Expert Tip:

If you are enrolling in more than 1 week, we strongly encourage signing up for 2 consecutive sessions. We have found children who come consecutively really benefit from their time that much more! We continued with our weekly option as we know summer is busy for many families and we wanted to provide flexibility and choice.

Once you register for Camp you will receive a welcome letter a week prior to your start date with all the details of your week at camp! What we will be up to and what the main lesson is for that week.

Are you interested in sponsoring a child to come to CAMP SHINE?

Reach out to us HERE to be connected with a child who could use assistance.

Sample Summer Day in the Life at Camp SHINE!

Kids playing ukeleles outside

Morning Session:

9:30 – 10:30am:
Circle | Socialize | Farm Animals

10:30am – 12:00pm:
Snack | Main Lesson

12:00pm:
Lunch

12:15pm – 1:00pm:
Child-led Exploration
(farm, games, group play, building, etc.)

1:00pm – 2:15pm:
Pool

2:15pm – 2:30pm:
Closing Circle

Afternoon Session:

12:00pm-2:00pm:
Circle/Main Lesson
(Can eat lunch upon arrival)

2:15-3:15pm:
Pool time

3:15-3:30:
Snack

3:30pm-4:30pm:
Farm Life

4:30pm-5:00pm:
Closing Circle

Main Lessons

Not limited to

(Each week there is 1 horseback riding day + Guest Teacher)

  • Holistic Health
  • Horseback riding
  • Leather working
  • Pottery
  • Weaving
  • Wet felting
  • Painting
  • Woodworking Projects
  • Walking Sticks
  • Talent shows/Play
  • Hiking + Exploration
  • Soap/lotion making
  • Biodiverse farming
  • Natural Dying
  • Tree House Building
    + so much more!
What is your Covid-19 policy?
Camp SHINE is 100% outdoor program. We ask that you stay home if your child is feeling ill and notify us if you are within contact with someone with Covid-19. Since we are outside and in the sunshine masks are optional.
Is Camp SHINE for boys and girls?
YES! Camp is for everyone! In fact, my own sons – 8- and 12-year-olds – LOVE camp!
What is the location of Camp SHINE?
We are in the hills of Martinez, CA at a private farm. Once you register for camp you will be provided further directions and info about our location.
How many kids are in each session?
We have on average between 18-22 kids in each session.
How does it work with mixed ages?
We love mixed ages at Camp SHINE. Since everything we do is universal and enjoyed by everyone from young children to even adult. We don’t do traditional “kiddie projects” and so what we explore is really satisfying for all. In addition, the older kiddos get to support the younger ones and practice leadership skills. The little ones get to rise to the occasion and try something new. We enjoy mixed ages as there is a place for everyone at Camp SHINE!
Do you provide a buddy option so friends can enroll together?
We do not provide a buddy system. The best way to ensure signing up with a friend is to correlate amongst families and to enroll early and on the same day for your chosen session.
Will my child feel left out if they don’t know anyone or come with a friend to Camp?

We have had many kids come to camp “alone” but the environment of camp makes it easy to make friends. Our staff is also trained to look for kiddos who need help connecting. No child will ever be left standing alone! EVER! We find many campers meet new friends that are lasting and continue outside of camp 😊

Camp SHINE sounds utopic! Does conflict arise?
Of course! We take each bump in the road as a learning opportunity. Kids need guidance and loving help. None of us are perfect! We help kids to awaken their empathic skills and discover non-violent communication. We help kids to learn how to kindly take responsibility, recognize their own needs and take good care of themselves. We use camp as a learning playground to become better and kinder humans not perfect ones! 😊
What's the supervision like at Camp SHINE?
In each session there is a lead teacher who is supported by 2 Camp Counselors (High school Students). We also have guest teachers who come once a week and we also have a lifeguard to help supervise time at the pool. We have a lot of support at Camp SHINE!
Do you offer Camp SHINE scholarships?

Each year we give away 5 pay what you can spots at Camp SHINE. Please email us HERE to apply. It’s on a first come first serve basis. When you apply, your name gets added to a list and we will reach out if you are selected.

Does my child need to know how to swim to come to Camp SHINE?
No, however they will be required to wear a lifejacket the entire time we are near the pool, which is a separate fenced area from the rest of camp. We also provide a lifeguard in addition to our Camp Counselors who oversee the pool time. We take pool safety very seriously.
Can My kindergartener come to Camp SHINE?
We will accept Kindergarteners if they have experienced some school and are used to longer days or if they have a sibling in the program.
Camp SHINE is a long day, do the kids get tired?
Great question! We provide times in the day that are naturally quieter. Hammocks to rock in and quiet spaces to relax. We teach the kids to honor what they need and help them find ways to take good care of themselves. Since we are 100% outdoors, we find that kids are not as overstimulated as they might be in a classroom with bright lights and objects all around them. They tend to not have melt downs or feel overwhelmed. This is the beauty of being outside. Many parents report that their child’s behavior at home improves after their time at camp…however we make no official claim to that! 😊
If I cannot make a day of Camp, do I get reimbursed?
We do not prorate the program. We look at the program as a whole and not a per day basis. We do not reimburse for missed days.
How will the morning and afternoon sessions work?
We are so excited to offer a morning and afternoon session at Camp SHINE. We want to keep out session sizes down to provide a more intimate experience. Each session will have their own teacher and camp counselors to Shepard them through the day. Each session will also receive a different color t-shirt. The groups will not mingle very often but be on their own journey and schedule throughout the day.
What is your cancellation policy?
You can cancel anytime up until 2-weeks to the start of your camp week. If you notify us after the 2 weeks you are fully responsible for tuition. If the spot if filled, we will refund you. You can ask us about our waitlist or transfer your spot to a friend.
How do you handle horse safety and riding?

We do our best to create a safe environment, however it is important to note, that all animals are unpredictable. We mitigate risk by teaching the children about horses’ safety and how to create an environment that is safe for ourselves and the horse. When your child interacts with the horse it is supervised and 1 to 1.

Do you have Camp SHINE for adults?
We get this question all the time 😊. Coming soon because us adults need CAMP SHINE too!