Spring may *officially* be only days away – March 20 to be exact – but since December of last year, we have had Spring & Summer on the brain. So I’m calling it! Spring is here! Countless emails, phone calls, meetings, etc. have been constant, as we have been coordinating the thousands of classes and camps that are coming your way. Then what? Then we take all of this data and enter it one-at-a-time into our registration system, create marketing pieces, update websites, bombard your Facebook and Twitter feeds and write blogs telling you that it’s HERE!
Here are some important things you should know:
Resident Online registration begins on Monday, March 18th at 11am. Non-Residents can register on April 1 (no joke!)
Our Full Interactive Spring Guide can be viewed here.
The Summer Camp Guide has been online since March 5th here. How did people know about it? It was on our website, we emailed it to our customers from our electronic mailing list (sign up here), and we posted it on Facebook & Twitter. We really wanted you to see it as soon as we had access to it. We know how important and stressful Summer Planning can be!
Both the Spring and Summer Guides have hit the Post Office today! It is now in their hands. Some of you may get lucky and receive your guides today, but our bets are on tomorrow.
What’s New?
We have quite a few new programs – too many to actually list.
We have added an After Care Pilot program this Summer to hopefully help parents have more flexibility in their planning. We recognized that many kids wanted to take Science Camp, but couldn’t be picked up at 3pm. Now parents will have more options!
This post was contributed by Brett Gardner, Skyhawks Franchise Owner and local resident. I was elated and relieved by her passion for kids and health as well as her keen insight about youth sports on the Peninsula. We have already seen great improvements to the program and are looking forward to our future working relationship with Skyhawks! You can still register for Summer Camps either directly through Skyhawks or through our website at RedwoodCityCamps.org, some are starting NEXT WEEK!
A wise employee from the Redwood City Parks and Recreation Department once told me, “Your camps are only as good as your worst staff member.” And, she was so right. Kids can spot a lame camp counselor a mile away. So, parents, when you are looking at summer camps, be sure to consider whom will be staffing them. It is not unreasonable to expect a camp to be able to provide you with at least a summary of who will be coaching your little (or big) ones.
Here are three rules to live by when evaluating camp staff.
First, if it’s a sports camp, do they know the sport they’re teaching? Just because someone played football when they were in third grade doesn’t mean that they know enough about the sport to teach it. Same goes for art camps, dance, theater, etc. Look for staff that did that activity at the high school level. Better yet, see if they are currently doing it in college. The more camp staff knows the activity, the more they can teach your child
Second, have they worked with kids before? A great sculptor does not ensure that they will be a great teacher. But, there are lots of them who are truly gifted with kids. Find them – they are out there.
Third, is the camp staff full of counselors who, in some ways, are still kids at heart? Working at a camp is a labor of love. In a perfect world, they are there because they want to pay it forward to the next generation of kids. To do this, they have to remember what it was like to be seven and just learning how to play golf, flag football or do ballet.
An official recovering Silicon Valley “executive,” I now own Skyhawks Sports Camps Mid-Peninsula, which serves kids in Redwood City, San Carlos, Belmont and Half Moon Bay starting June 11th. When I started recruiting coaches and directors for my camps, I kept in the front of my mind the advice that sage Parks and Rec employee gave me.
When I started my interviewing process, I already had in mind what the ideal camp coach and director would be. I remember when I went to camps as a kid, my coaches were like rock stars to me. They were the local high school sports heroes that we all followed as if they were in the pros. But, not only were they terrific athletes, they made me feel like I was the most special kid at camp.
And, the truly outstanding ones made an indelible mark on me that carried me through to adulthood.
Fast forward to today and I started looking for my staff with those characteristics in mind. I was lucky enough to find 100% of my coaches almost in my own back yard.
In the course of interviewing potential coaches, I found lots of sports-minded kids from the local community who are excited about the idea of instilling the love of sports, and sportsmanship, to others. Our summer staff, many of whom are current or former students from Sequoia High School, is amazing. Not only do they have wonderful sports backgrounds, they are outstanding people who want to help and encourage the next generation of up and coming athletes. I’m certain each and every one of them will have a positive impact on the kids coming to our summer camps. I can’t wait to see how our participants respond to this group of counselors who are eager to give them the sports camp experience of their lives.
Every year on June 21, skateboarders around the world drop everything to embark on one of the most popular sports around, and go skateboarding!
Redwood City loves skateboarding and loves our local riders. Here are some quick facts about our Skate Park:
Our skatepark was designed with the help of our local skateboarding community.
Phil Shao Memorial Skatepark was named after local pro-skating legend, Phil Shao. Phil was raised in Redwood City, a graduate of UC Berkeley and a mentor to many young skaters in the area.
Just before Phil’s untimely death, at the hands of a drunk driver, he was named as the next editor of Thrasher Magazine.
Thrasher Magazine rated our skatepark an 8.5 out of 10 – not too shabby!
We offer Skateboarding lessons & camps!
Hours of operation: dawn to dusk; except when the sport lights are on, when the skate park closes at 10:00 pm (same hours as the entire park).
Skate Camps & Programs!
Coincidentally, we happen to have Skateboarding Camp running this week! We planned that…right? Society Skate Shop has provided us with their awesome instruction for several years now, and this summer is no exception! Kids have been shredding, ollying, dropping-in and kick-flipping since Monday of this week! Do you have a little X-Gamer in the making that would have enjoyed this camp? Have no fear! We have 3 more weeks of camp, with openings, that you can sign up for! Click here to get started!
Check out our slideshow above! Many of these kids had NO BOARDING EXPERIENCE and are already skating in the bowl! Plus, Society Skate Shop will give registered participants 10% off at the shop to get them hooked-up with safety gear!
So drop everything, grab your board (helmet & pads too) and hit the Skatepark today, in honor of “Go Skateboarding Day!“
Let me start by saying, I can’t do this. I am taking off my Parks & Recreation, Leslie Knope, hat for a second and putting on my parent hat.
Lately, I have noticed a surge on the web. Images of carefully crafted Bento Box Lunches are haunting me. They look amazing, BUT I am a working parent, and boy, if this becomes the classroom norm, I am in big trouble. Packing lunch is already one extra step in the morning that can sometimes make or break me our punctuality to school. Yes, I know this is not a daunting task for all parents, but anything with food involved, whether cooking it or assembling it, is my Achilles heel. Thankfully, those in my population have an option. Did you know about Camp Kaboom?
Camp Kaboom is an All Day Camp at Red Morton Community Center, from 8:00am to 5:00pm (post care from 5-6pm), with Field Trips, Swimming, Recreational Activities, Special Events, Arts, Crafts, Healthy Snacks, and… wait for it….LUNCH!!!! DAILY! Wake up, get dressed, and KABOOM! (Well, you ARE on your own for breakfast). Pretty great, right?
One of my fondest memories from “teenagedom,” is that of one of my first jobs. There are not many options for preteens to make money, so babysitting seemed like the perfect job at the time. It was fairly easy to land a paying gig – someone ALWAYS needs a sitter- and you didn’t have to wait 2 weeks for a paycheck! Did I mention that teens love instant gratification? I think it also inadvertently helped me to gain a little more respect for my own parents by highlighting the challenges of taking care of young children. Wow! It’s not that easy! Really!
I also gained valuable work experience and confidence moving forward into my teens. Babysitting IS work experience, for sure, and I am certain it helped me to land my first job in Parks & Recreation as a swim instructor for a neighboring City. If your 12 to 18 year old is chomping at the bit to get out there and make some cash of their own to help pay for some new clothes, texting overages, or to start saving for college or dare I say A CAR *tremble*, check out the Babysitting Workshop Class that starts THIS SATURDAY!!! Also, with your consent, they will be added to our PRCS Babysitting List that is available for parents to pick up at their local Recreation Center… just to make their job search THAT MUCH EASIER!
{ Kids enjoying their first camp experience at Stulsaft Park }
Parents! Does the word “Summer” ignite feelings of panic about how you are going to entertain your child all season long? Redwood City Parks, Recreation and Community Services is again offering a variety of fun and enriching camps for preschoolers this summer. Our camps are built to be inviting, caring and chock full of age appropriate activities for your little one, to help to ensure a positive first camp experience.
Camp is a great opportunity to try something new. Because our camps are usually half-day and one week long, it gives parents flexibility to pick and choose from a variety of themes and topics so kids can have varying experiences. It can also provide some “drop-off” practice for the first day of preschool.
Here are some tips to help get you over the hurdle of deciding if your young child is ready for camp, as well as tips for making the transition much easier:
Your child may be ready for camp if …
Shows signs of independence, goes to school, is accustomed to being separated from you for extended periods and or has older brothers or sister they look up to.
Enjoys making new friends and doing hands on activities.
Enjoys playdates with other children.
Which camp to pick?
Is your child crazy about the outdoors, dinosaurs, soccer, dance, art, bugs, fairytales, cooking etc? Pick a camp that will keep your child’s interest. Many camps will have a theme listed when you sign up. Consider your child’s interests when making a selection.
Ask neighbors and friends about camp suggestions, they can be some of the greatest resources.
Consider if your child would do better in a full day or half day camp setting. If a full day would be too long, consider sending them to a half day camp. Many times a half day is a perfect amount of time for a new camper.
Tips for a better transition
A short and sweet goodbye works best for all. After you sign your child into camp, give them a hug and kiss, introduce them to their leader, and tell them to have a great day.
Make sure your camper has what they need to go to camp. All their clothes and lunch box are labeled with their name since many times campers may have the same items.
If you have specific parent questions about camp or the activities call before the camp starts that way you have your answers before dropping off your child on the first day.
If your camp is held at a local park or community center it may be a good idea to visit the location with your child beforehand.
Before the first day of camp you may want to talk to your child about going to camp and the exciting things they will be doing.
On average, 8 year olds are ready for “sleepover” camp. To ease the transition, kids should experience sleeping over at a relative’s or friend’s house at least one night before going to an overnight camp.
Camps start June 20th. It’s not too late to sign up. Visit our Redwood City Camp Website for more information atRedwoodCityCamps.org. This list can also be found on our Camp Website.
